Judge temporarily blocks Texas’ Ten Commandments requirement in 11 school districts
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appealed the ruling, saying separation of church and state is “a bogus claim” that does not appear in the Constitution. Full Story
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![The 10 Commandments monument at the state Capitol in Austin on June 22, 2025.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich/ZUMA Press Wire via REUTERS -
What to know about Texas ending in-state tuition for undocumented students
College access experts urged affected students not to withdraw from school while they assess their options. Full Story
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![Students head to classes at the University of Texas at El Paso on May 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Joel Angel Juárez for The Texas Tribune -
Judge denies undocumented students’ attempt to challenge sudden loss of in-state tuition
Two groups tried to intervene in a case that blocked Texas’ decade-old law allowing certain undocumented students to pay the lower tuition rates at public universities. They’re appealing that decision. Full Story
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![Students on the University of Texas at Arlington campus in Arlington on Sept. 10, 2024.]()
Credit: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune -
Attorney General Ken Paxton requests death row inmate Robert Roberson be executed Oct. 16
A court hearing on Wednesday will determine whether to proceed with Paxton’s request. Full Story
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![Robert Roberson photographed through plexiglass at TDCJ Polunsky Unit in Livingston on Dec. 19, 2023. Texas death row prisoners are housed in Livingston but executed at the state prison in Huntsville, about 43 miles away.]()
Credit: Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Innocence Project -
Judge dismisses Ken Paxton lawsuit challenging State Fair of Texas gun ban
Texas’ attorney general alleged the City of Dallas and the fair were violating state law and the second amendment with the ban, which was adopted after a 2023 shooting. Full Story
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![Crowds attend the State Fair of Texas in Dallas on Oct. 14, 2024.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
GOP state Sen. Brian Birdwell says he won’t seek reelection
Soon after Birdwell announced his retirement, state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, said he was running for the seat. Full Story
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![Senator Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, during a Texas Senate meeting on March 25, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers have gotten used to state budget surpluses. That era may be ending.
As federal pandemic aid ends and sales tax revenues cool, analysts say it could constrain the Texas Legislature in coming years. But they don’t see an immediate budget crisis on the horizon. Full Story
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![Dense fog blankets the dome of the Capitol in Austin on March 12, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
Texas capital murder case attempts to severely punish abortion pill use by treating a fetus as a person
A North Texas man charged with capital murder after slipping mifepristone into his girlfriend’s food signals another attempt to rein in abortion pills. Full Story
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![A pharmacist poses with pills of Misoprostol, made by Lupin Pharmaceuticals, at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah, on June 19, 2019.]()
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Sen. John Cornyn looks to overcome Paxton primary challenge by embracing Trump
As he faces the toughest electoral challenge of his career, Cornyn has also wielded his powers as a U.S. senator to lean into partisan issues prized by the GOP base. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, prepares to introduce Brooke Rollins, President Donald Trump's nominee to be Agriculture secretary, during her Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee confirmation hearing in Dirksen building on Thursday, January 23, 2025.]()
Credit: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Texas education board approves Native Studies course, skirting concerns about state’s K-12 DEI ban
The long-awaited vote survived objections from the panel’s most right-leaning Republicans, who criticized the lessons as “un-American woke indoctrination.” Full Story
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![Board of Education members sit during a State BOE meeting in Austin on Nov. 17, 2023.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
Top Texas Democrats ponder the state’s future at forum amid questions about what’s next for their party
Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke was joined at his San Antonio town hall by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and state Rep. James Talarico, whose names have been floated for statewide office. Full Story
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![Texas Rep. James Talarico answers a question during a town hall at Stable Hall in San Antonio, Texas on June 27, 2025.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott sets Nov. 4 special election for open state Senate seat
The contest coincides with the state’s November uniform election, when voters across Texas will already be at the polls to decide local offices and ballot measures. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick presides over the Senate on July 14, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
“It will affect all families”: Challenges await Texas parents if birthright citizenship ends
The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship to take effect in certain states in 30 days. Full Story
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![Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on border security and immigration, in Austin, Texas, Oct. 25, 2024.]()
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United Methodist Church can fight to prevent split with SMU, Texas Supreme Court rules
The school sought to leave the church because of differences over gay marriage and clergy. The court did not decide whether SMU could be prevented from separating. Full Story
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![A sign at one of the entrances to the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas on Dec. 20, 2022.]()
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State Rep. Nate Schatzline drops Texas Senate bid, endorses conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss
The North Texas district opened up last week when Republican Kelly Hancock resigned from the upper chamber to take over as the state’s acting comptroller. Full Story
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![State Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth,
addresses the crowd during a rally at the Tarrant County Republican Party Headquarters in Fort Worth on Jan. 6, 2025.]()
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Texas can require porn websites to verify users’ ages, Supreme Court rules
The case involves a 2023 state law requiring adult websites to verify users’ ages, but the ruling is expected to have broader implications for free speech law. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to the media outside the Supreme Court building in Washington on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 following arguments in the case “Free Speech Coalition, Inc., et al. v. Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas.”]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott, AG Ken Paxton do not have to release Uvalde or Jan. 6 emails, Texas Supreme Court rules
The decision, stemming from a 2022 lawsuit, narrows the public’s legal options to challenge Texas officials under the state’s open records law. Full Story
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![Family members and friends participate in a march in support of those killed and injured in the school shooting at Robb Elementary, in Uvalde on July 10, 2022.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Fate of birthright citizenship order unresolved after Supreme Court limits nationwide injunctions
The ruling was a partial victory for President Donald Trump who has made immigration his signature issue. Full Story
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![The Supreme Court building in Washington on Jan. 15, 2025.]()
Credit: Luke Johnson for The Texas Tribune -
Ted Cruz wants to stop states from regulating AI. Some of his Republican colleagues aren’t so sure
Senate Republicans, Democrats and outside groups are mounting an offensive against Cruz’s push to withhold AI money from states that regulate the technology. Full Story
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![Senator Ted Cruz arrives at the Trump Rally at Million Air in Austin, Texas on Oct. 25, 2024.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribu -
Proposed Pell Grant cuts threaten college access for nearly 500,000 Texas college students
Proposals in the federal budget bill would cut the maximum Pell Grant award amount by $1,500 and take away eligibility for students enrolled less than half-time. Full Story
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![Students walk across the Texas A&M campus in College Station on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.]()
Credit: Ishika Samant for The Texas Tribune