We at GNI just cast our votes in the 2011 Proposition Election. Join us by voting by 7PM today.
For over a year, I have worked tirelessly to persuade Republican Judge Larry Meyers to become the first statewide Republican to switch parties. I was so convinced he would run against Presiding Judge Sharon Keller as a Democrat, I decided to run in an open seat to ensure we had a Democratic candidate in each race. But after weeks of meetings at Texas Democratic Party offices, it recently became clear that Judge Meyers would remain a Republican. Under these circumstances, I have decided to run against the incumbent most deserving a challenger, Presiding Judge Keller.
As a Democrat who cares about justice, you are likely familiar with Judge Keller: she is the judge who shut the courthouse doors promptly at 5PM to a death-sentenced inmate and agreed that poor people aren’t entitled to lawyers who remain awake during trial. My candidacy is a stark contrast to her governance. But I now urgently need your help.
I thank each of you who has worked to collect signatures. I must now collect those same signatures more quickly than ever to be on the ballot for Place 1 against Judge Keller. In my efforts to switch a Republican-to-Democrat I lost weeks of time, leaving me only 60 days to file the petitions necessary for me to be the only Democrat on the ballot for a statwide judicial race. Please sign up now to help collect petitions.
I thank you again for helping my campaign for this judicial office, and I thank you for caring about the state of justice in Texas. It matters.
Read more →This evening, GNI Strategies cofounder and former partner Matt Glazer appeared on MSNBC’s PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton to discuss Governor Rick Perry’s defense of a controversial proposed Texas license plate displaying the Confederate flag. Glazer is now the Executive Director of Progress Texas.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
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Dinner and social media presentations (that you can’t see in this photo) happening at GNI.
Read more →Austin attorney Keith Hampton has announced he will run for Place 8 on the Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA), against Rick Perry appointee Elsa Alcala. Hampton was the Democratic nominee for Place 6 on the CCA in 2010. As we did last cycle, GNI Strategies will manage his campaign. His new 2012 website will be launching soon. In the meantime, check out Hampton’s campaign Facebook page and Twitter account. Here is his campaign press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Katie Naranjo
September 1, 2011 (936) 366-8159
Keith Hampton announces candidacy for Court of Criminal Appeals
Yesterday, Austin attorney Keith S. Hampton filed paperwork to run for Place 8 on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA). Hampton has practiced criminal law in Texas for over twenty years and was the 2010 Democratic nominee for Place 6 on the CCA. Hampton will challenge recent Rick Perry appointee Elsa Alcala in the general election scheduled for November 6, 2012.
“I am excited to continue the work of reforming the Texas criminal judicial system that we began last cycle,” Hampton said. “I believe Texans want their justice system to enforce the law according to principle instead of ideology, so that each person may be treated equally, individually, and fairly before the law. I hope to use my campaign to advance this fundamental ideal.”
In his 2010 campaign, Hampton won the prestigious State Bar Poll of Texas lawyers as well as receiving the endorsement of the Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star Telegram, and Austin American-Statesman.
“The Court needs fresh perspective, and I can offer my experience in having handled cases from misdemeanors to death sentences in both state and federal court,” he said. “No one on the Court has this breadth or depth of experience.”
If elected, Hampton would be the only Court of Criminal Appeals judge to try all aspects of death penalty cases, including in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. A graduate of the University of Texas and St. Mary’s School of Law, Hampton has clerked for the Court of Criminal Appeals and lobbied for criminal justice reform at the Texas Legislature on behalf of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (TCDLA). In addition to repeated recognition from Best Lawyers andTexas Super Lawyers, Hampton has been awarded the TCDLA President’s Award seven times. A native of Burkburnett, Texas, Hampton lives in Austin with his wife, Cynthia, and daughter, Rebekah.
The Court of Criminal Appeals is the highest criminal court in Texas and hears all criminal appeals, including capital cases. Judges on the Court of Criminal Appeals are elected statewide and currently all seats on the Court are held by Republicans. For more information, visit Hampton for Judge on Facebook.
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Keith Hampton: For the last twenty years, Keith has defended the Texas Constitution and the Constitution of the United States in hundreds of cases. As an active member of the criminal defense bar, a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, and a member of the Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas, Keith has tirelessly worked for fairness, integrity and justice for all Texans. IF elected, Keith Hampton will be the only judge who has handled death penalty cases in all stages of litigation – from accusation, trial, appeal and all post-conviction proceedings, including appearing before the Supreme County of the United States.
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It’s 105 degrees and sunny today in beautiful Austin, Texas. Heat records are being broken left and right these days, and all week Texans have been advised to conserve energy to avoid rolling blackouts. Have you melted like a popsicle yet?
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Today GNI client and Texas State Senator Kirk Watson (D-Austin) was selected by the Texas League of Conservation Voters (TLCV) as one of the five best legislators for environmental issues during the 2011 Legislative Session. TLCV had this to say about Watson:
Once again, Sen. Kirk Watson was an environmental champ at the Legislature. This session, Sen. Watson successfully shepherded two important bills through the Legislative process: a landmark bill on water stewardship and another to implement a television recycling program in Texas. Sen. Watson also played a vital role in floor debate on TCEQ Sunset and limiting the damage of Senate Bill 875, and he earned another perfect 100% voting record on this year’s Scorecard.
Read the full 2011 edition of TLCV’s annual scorecard here.
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It really is interesting to take a step back and think about the profound impact social media has on society. The ability to provide an instant stream of information and commentary has changed the way we consume, stay informed and even protest.
Tripl, a start up from Stockholm, Sweden is dedicated to illustrating the relationship between social media and global travel. The company recently released an incredibly intriguing infographic that details these effects. I’m not shocked to find that more Americans are on Facebook than have a passport.
Read more →I’m not much for numbers, but I have to admit my fascination with the fact that Google+ has attracted 10 million users in just over two weeks. Bill Gross, the founder and CEO of Idealab, predicts that Google+ will be the fastest growing social media service in history. Those numbers were confirmed on Thursday by Google CEO, Larry Page. Part of the success of Google+ can be attributed to Google’s vast and preexisting image. Social media competitors, Facebook and Twitter, began with the disadvantage of having to build from the ground up. Now, users of these sites are defecting to Google+.
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