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News For Friday, October 23, 2020

Order allowing Texas counties to have multiple mail-in ballot drop off sites is upheld, but appeal halts openings

By Jolie McCullough Updated: Oct. 24, 2020

The state is continuing to fight a Travis County district court's ruling that overrode Gov. Greg Abbott's order limiting counties to one absentee ballot drop-off location. Full Story

Credit: Amna Ijaz/The Texas Tribune
Democratic state Rep. Senfronia Thompson files to run for speaker of the Texas House

By Cassandra Pollock Oct. 23, 2020

Thompson would be the first woman elected speaker. She filed less than two weeks before an election in which Democrats hope to gain control of the chamber. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune
Sick Texans seeking late absentee ballots still need a doctor’s note, Texas appeals court rules

By Jolie McCullough Oct. 23, 2020

A state district court judge had ruled against the longstanding requirement for a doctor's note to ask for an emergency absentee ballot, saying many people who test positive for the coronavirus don’t interact with a physician. Full Story

Credit: Charlie Pearce for The Texas Tribune
Judge rules Ken Paxton's 5-year-old criminal case can be heard in his hometown of Collin County

By Emma Platoff Oct. 23, 2020

The Harris County judge’s order reverses a decision that the state’s top lawyer should not face a jury in the North Texas region where he and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, are deeply connected in political circles. Full Story

Credit: Reuters/Bill Clark
Critics urge Texas regulators to reverse decision allowing social workers to turn away clients who are LGBTQ or have a disability

By Shawn Mulcahy Oct. 23, 2020

Lawmakers plan to file a bill during the 2021 session to bolster the state's nondiscrimination protections. Full Story

Credit: Austin Price for The Texas Tribune
Texas’ massive early voting numbers have persisted, leading to predictions of overall turnout unseen in years

By Alex Samuels and Mandi Cai Oct. 23, 2020

Experts are predicting that as many as 12 million people could vote in Texas this year. Full Story

Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune
The attorney general's office has sidelined four of the seven whistleblowers who reported Ken Paxton to law enforcement

By Emma Platoff Oct. 23, 2020

Two were fired and two placed on leave — moves employment attorneys say will likely spark a whistleblower lawsuit. A spokesperson for Paxton said the personnel changes were not related to the whistleblower allegations. Full Story

Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Alarming failure rates among Texas students fuel calls to get them back into classrooms

By Aliyya Swaby Oct. 23, 2020

Most schools hoped this fall would see students make up academic ground lost last spring when the pandemic hit. Instead, districts are looking for ways to reverse plummeting grades and attendance among students learning at home. Full Story

Credit: Amna Ijaz/The Texas Tribune
Analysis: Money counts in Texas elections, but timing matters, too

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 23, 2020

MJ Hegar's challenge of U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has attracted millions of dollars in financial support, most of it late in the race. She's now in better financial shape than the incumbent, but time is running short. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich/Courtesy of Nexstar Media Group
Should you trust political polls going into the 2020 election? That's the wrong question.

By Alana Rocha, Todd Wiseman and Justin Dehn Oct. 23, 2020

Watch The Texas Tribune's co-founder and executive editor, Ross Ramsey, break down what voters need to ask when considering a poll's results. Full Story

Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune