The legislation came after The Refuge, a Bastrop foster care facility, hired a caretaker without knowing she had a history of sexual misconduct with children at a state juvenile facility. Coworkers also concealed evidence of the abuse, which further put the foster girls at harm.
May 2023
Posted in
Guns in Texas
Gun safety advocates see signs of progress in first session after Uvalde shooting even though raise-the-age bill stalled
Emotions often ran high over a proposal to limit young adults’ access to some firearms. Lawmakers have largely prioritized school safety measures, but there was still progress for some gun-related legislation.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
Texas bill would preserve UT-Austin’s admissions policies if U.S. Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action
State lawmakers passed legislation that would ensure the UT flagship can continue to cap the number of students it automatically admits because of their academic achievement at 75%, giving the university room to accept other students using different criteria.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
Abbott, Patrick, Phelan race to negotiate priority issues as deadlines loom
Seeking to avoid a special session, the state leaders discuss school choice, property taxes and grid reform.
Sponsor Post
Will Texas continue supporting agricultural water conservation?
The challenge is immense and never-ending. We have to produce more food on less land using less water.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
As Texas Republican senators march in lockstep, Robert Nichols is willing to break away
Whether it’s supporting a rape exception for abortion or opposing school choice, Nichols has gone his own way on certain GOP priorities.
Posted in
Uvalde school shooting
A year ago, these Uvalde kids left school early. They’re haunted by what happened next.
The three Treviño children have suffered from panic attacks and nightmares since a mass shooting a year ago this week left 19 of their schoolmates and two teachers dead. Their parents are striving to help their kids feel normal again.
Posted in
Health care
After doctors left Dell Children’s adolescent clinic, Austin teens and their families are scrambling to find specialty care
The adolescent clinic treated eating disorders and menstrual complications. It also offered gender-affirming care — which is still legal for now but triggered an investigation by Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Posted in
Uvalde school shooting
Watch: A Uvalde family remembers their 10-year-old through the mementos he left behind
Evadulia Orta’s son, Rojélio Torres, died in the school shooting in Uvalde last year. Her other children still collect Pokémon cards to add to his collection, and his cousins play with his football.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
Texas Senate OKs extending postpartum Medicaid — with an anti-abortion amendment
New moms will be able to keep their health insurance for a full year under a proposal the Senate passed Sunday. A last-minute anti-abortion amendment means the bill will go back to the House.