Posted on · Recently, Bryan Sky-Eagle abruptly resigned from his role heading up the firefighterâs union here in Houston, expressing fear for his safety, saying heâd been threatened by his own fellow firefighters. In light of the resignation, we discuss the challenges inherent in leading the rank and file in a union with Ron Turner, a Professor of Law at […]
Posted on · A 2013 study by the American Civil Liberties Union reported Harris County had one of the highest rates of marijuana arrests in 2010. Nearly 12,000 people in Harris County were busted for pot possession. Getting caught with even a little bit of marijuana in Texas is going to cost you. Possessing two ounces or less is punishable […]
Posted on · A lot changes in the world over 60 years. Take juries. Until the 1950s in Texas, juries were made up of only white men. Women were barred from serving on juries until 1954. African-Americans couldn’t serve on juries until even later in the 50s. As we note the 60th anniversary of women first serving on juries, we […]
Posted on · An ongoing battle over a proposed landfill in Waller County underscores how “NIMBYism” plays into so many important issues and ideas. From landfills to power plants, prisons to shopping malls, airports to seaports, there are all manner of developments that some communities may find valuable, provided they’re located someplace else. Toxic waste dump? Sure! Just “not in my backyard.” We […]
Posted on · Late Monday, Houston Mayor Annise Parker and City Attorney David Feldman announced opponents of the recently-passed non-discrimination ordinance fell short of the signatures required to trigger a November vote to consider repealing the measure. While they had gathered enough raw signatures, thousands were on pages not collected based on the city charter’s legal standards and were therefore […]
Posted on · A YouTube video was passed around recently showing a trucker “pulling over” a policeman for speeding and using his cell phone. The trucker recorded his interaction with the officer, which changed fairly radically once the officer realized he was being recorded. At the end of the video, the trucker, Brian Miner, says, “And that’s what happens when […]