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Alexa Ura reported for The Texas Tribune from 2013 to 2023. She covered the complex dynamics of race, ethnicity, wealth, poverty and power and how they are shaping the future of Texas and Texans, in the long and short term. Alexa started at the Tribune as a reporting intern before graduating from the University of Texas at Austin and joining the staff full time. Originally from Laredo on the Texas-Mexico border, she is a native Spanish speaker and is based in Austin.
A federal panel has ordered a five-day trial starting on July 10 over Texas House and congressional political maps. This follows a pair of rulings that found Texas lawmakers intentionally discriminated against minority voters with maps drawn in 2011. Full Story
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Listen to what a 7-year-old transgender girl had planned to say last week during a Texas House State Affairs Committee hearing on a bill that would regulate bathroom use for transgender Texans. Full Story
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After ruling that Texas lawmakers intentionally discriminated against minorities in drawing the state's congressional map, a three-judge panel has also found fault with the state's House map. Full Story
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If the hours of testimony against the measure are any indication, the House's version of the "bathroom bill" will continue to face fierce opposition from LGBT advocates and the Texas business community. Full Story
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A House committee on Wednesday will debate a measure that could serve as an alternative to the Senate's "bathroom bill." Full Story
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A federal appeals court this week ordered the state to pay more than $600,000 in legal fees to two same-sex marriage couples who sued Texas over its now-defunct same-sex marriage ban. Full Story
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Proposals to regulate which bathrooms transgender individuals may use could cost the state $3.3 billion in annual tourism dollars and more than 35,600 full-time jobs, according to a study by the Perryman Group. Full Story
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A Texas House committee will take up a bill from state Rep. Ron Simmons this week that would ban cities and school districts from enacting or enforcing local policies that regulate bathroom use. Full Story
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Five transgender Texans explained to The Texas Tribune what goes into making decisions about using public restrooms, including considerations for the comfort of others and reflections on how strangers perceive their gender. Full Story
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Under a Senate-backed proposal, county clerks with religious objections to same-sex marriages can recuse themselves from signing marriage licenses. Full Story
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