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A New Governor, Gay Weddings and Gun Rallies: 2015 in Photos

Take a look at the top Texas Tribune images of 2015, which show everything from Greg Abbott being sworn in as governor to Capitol rallies supporting and opposing Planned Parenthood to the vibrant landscapes of Texas.

By Shelby Knowles

Dec. 26, 20156 AM Central

Gov. Rick Perry, right, and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, back, watch as outgoing Attorney General Greg Abbott welcomes new Attorney General Ken Paxton during Senate ceremonies on Jan. 5. — Credit: Bob Daemmrich

Gov. Rick Perry on the House dais in his final speech to the Texas Legislature as governor on Jan. 15. The state's longest-serving governor went on launch a second presidential bid but exited the race in September. — Credit: Bob Daemmrich

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht swears in Greg Abbott as the 48th governor of Texas in a ceremony on the south steps of the Texas Capitol on Jan. 20. His wife, Cecilia Abbott, became the first Latina first lady of Texas. — Credit: Bob Daemmrich

Texas Right to Life advocates rally at the Texas Capitol on Jan. 24 at an event featuring First Lady Cecilia Abbott. Anti-abortion activists in 2015 released a series of undercover sting videos shot at Planned Parenthood clinics purporting to show that the women’s health organization had improperly harvested aborted fetal tissue for researchers. The group has vehemently denied those claims. — Texas Right to Life advocates rally at the Texas Capitol on Jan. 24 at an event featuring First Lady Cecilia Abbott. Anti-abortion activists in 2015 released a series of undercover sting videos shot at Planned Parenthood clinics purporting to show that the women’s health organization had improperly harvested aborted fetal tissue for researchers. The group has vehemently denied those claims. Credit: Bob Daemmrich

Water pours into a holding pond inside Rio Grande City’s new $12 million water treatment plant. Along the Texas-Mexico border, nearly 90,000 people are believed to still live without running water. An untold number more — likely tens of thousands, but no one is sure — often have running water of such poor quality that they cannot know what poisons or diseases it might carry. — Water pours into a holding pond inside Rio Grande City’s new $12 million water treatment plant. Along the Texas-Mexico border, nearly 90,000 people are believed to still live without running water. An untold number more — likely tens of thousands, but no one is sure — often have running water of such poor quality that they cannot know what poisons or diseases it might carry. Credit: Spencer Selvidge for The Texas Tribune

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller was sworn into office in January. In his first year in office, Miller clashed with lawmakers over his agency's budget, stirred controversy with his social media postings and drew concerns from the agriculture industry over a plan to raise a wide range of fees. — Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera

Advocates gathered outside the Texas Capitol on March 23 to rally in support of the state's ban on same-sex marriage. — Credit: Bob Daemmrich

Couples embrace at the conclusion of the "Big Gay Wedding" ceremony on the south lawn of the Texas Capitol on July 4 after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in June. — Credit: Tamir Kalifa

Inline article image — Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune

The 84th legislative session ran from Jan. 13 through Jun. 1. State lawmakers enhanced gun rights, allowed epilepsy patients to use medicinal cannabis oil and outlawed local bans on fracking. — Credit: Todd Wiseman

Bernie Sanders, 2016 Democratic candidate for president, speaks at a rally in Dallas on July 19. Democratic rival Hillary Clinton also visited Texas. — Credit: Laura Buckman

David Keller, an archaeologist at Sul Ross State University and head of the Big Bend Conservation Alliance, looks out over land in Brewster County, near the site of a planned pipeline that would send Texas gas to Mexico. — Credit: Cooper Neill

Planned Parenthood supporters rally outside the Texas Capitol on July 29. State health officials announced they want to kick Planned Parenthood out of the state Medicaid program, but the organization is still receiving funds to provide health care for about 13,500 low-income women a year. — Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera

In light of a racist shooting in South Carolina, the University of Texas at Austin decided to remove a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from its south mall in 2015. — Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune

For years, the Legislature has been stockpiling hundreds of millions of dollars meant for Texas’ parks in order to artificially balance the budget. That practice may not end completely with the passage of House Bill 158 — but it’s certainly been scaled down, at least for the next few years. The beach at Galveston Island State Park suffered a lot of damage during Hurricane Ike, and the state estimates it will cost $6.5 million to complete needed beachside redevelopment. — For years, the Legislature has been stockpiling hundreds of millions of dollars meant for Texas’ parks in order to artificially balance the budget. That practice may not end completely with the passage of House Bill 158 — but it’s certainly been scaled down, at least for the next few years. The beach at Galveston Island State Park suffered a lot of damage during Hurricane Ike, and the state estimates it will cost $6.5 million to complete needed beachside redevelopment. Credit: Michael Stravato

Austin Uber drivers participate in a September rally against a proposal by the Austin Transportation Department to set regulations similar to those for traditional taxi drivers such as fingerprint-based background checks. The Austin City Council passed the proposal in December, and Uber and Lyft threatened to pull out of the city. — Credit: Shelby Knowles

Wimberley residents woke up on May 25 to the worst flooding the region had seen in years. A vehicle on the banks of the Blanco River was overturned due to record-breaking flooding. — Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera

Republican Presidential contender Donald Trump speaks to a crowd of supporters at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Sept. 14. — Credit: Robert Hart

Google spent the first half of the year blocking Texas lawmakers’ efforts to create some statewide oversight of self-driving vehicle testing. Then in July, the technology giant expanded testing of its autonomous software beyond California to Texas. As of November, Google had 12 vehicles driving themselves around parts of north Austin, typically with a “test driver” behind the wheel and another Google employee in the passenger seat collecting data. — Google spent the first half of the year blocking Texas lawmakers’ efforts to create some statewide oversight of self-driving vehicle testing. Then in July, the technology giant expanded testing of its autonomous software beyond California to Texas. As of November, Google had 12 vehicles driving themselves around parts of north Austin, typically with a “test driver” behind the wheel and another Google employee in the passenger seat collecting data. Credit: Shelby Knowles

Light pollution on the horizon from oil fields north of McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis on June 18. — Credit: Cooper Neill

U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-South Carolina, at King's annual pheasant hunt at the Hole N' the Wall Lodge in Akron, Iowa, on Oct. 31. In November, King, an influential conservative, endorsed Cruz for president. — Credit: Rebecca F. Miller

State Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, speaks to crowd of supporters on Nov. 4, when he earned a spot in the Houston mayoral runoff. On Dec. 12, Turner narrowly defeated Bill King in the runoff to be elected mayor of Houston. Turner replaces term-limited Annise Parker. — Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera

On Nov. 10, University of Texas at Austin faculty and students protest Senate Bill 11, which will allow people with concealed handgun licenses to pack heat in campus buildings. The law allows private schools to opt out and empowers university administrators to set their own rules and declare some parts of campus "gun free zones." — Credit: Shelby Knowles

Jasmine Johnson, with 10-month-old daughter Rain, lost her Medicaid coverage and was told she could not re-enroll, even though federal law allows former foster children like Johnson to stay in the health insurance program until they turn 26. — Credit: Michael Stravato

In November, the National Institutes of Health announced it would no longer support biomedical research on chimpanzees, which means the nearly 160 federally-owned chimps in Texas will be retired to sanctuaries. — Credit: Shelby Knowles

Gun rights activists held a mock shooting at the University of Texas on Dec. 12 to protest proposed gun-free zones on campus. Counter protesters waved sex toys and made farting sounds to ridicule them. Nancy, gun rights supporter who did not want to give her last name, and her dog, Rifle, were outnumbered by the opposition. — Credit: Callie Richmond

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