Latest Contributions

• A pro-gun, anti-abortion border sheriff appealed to both parties. Then he was painted as soft on immigration.

  By Perla Trevizo, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, Photos by Gerardo del Valle, ProPublica Nov. 3, 2024

  Immigration is not part of Joe Frank Martinez’s job. But in Del Rio, like in other majority Latino communities across the country, the issue is high on voters’ minds and is disrupting long-standing political allegiances. Full Story 

• In Texas’ biggest purple county, this far-right Republican is creating a playbook for local governing

  By Robert Downen, The Texas Tribune, and Jeremy Schwartz, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Oct. 11, 2024

  From cutting social services to changing election rules, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare has pushed his agenda with an uncompromising approach. Full Story 

• After decades of lobbying by Christian conservative donors, school voucher legislation may finally have the votes

  By Jeremy Schwartz, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica June 21, 2024

  Gov. Greg Abbott succeeded in his campaign against Republicans who defied him on school vouchers. Now he may finally get the votes he needs to pass a bill. Full Story 

• Help ProPublica and The Texas Tribune report on your community’s school board and bond elections

  By Jessica Priest, Jeremy Schwartz, Lexi Churchill and Dan Keemahill, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica May 15, 2024

  We want to hear about how heated elections affect the people learning, teaching and living in districts across Texas. Full Story 

• Former far-right hard-liner says pro-voucher billionaires are using school board races to sow distrust in public education

  By Jeremy Schwartz, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica May 15, 2024

  The largesse from billionaires Tim Dunn and brothers Farris and Dan Wilks has made its way into local politics. Courtney Gore, a Republican school board member in Granbury, says it’s part of their strategy to build support for vouchers. Full Story 

• How shifting U.S. policies led to one of the deadliest incidents involving immigrants in Mexico’s history

  By Perla Trevizo, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica May 1, 2024

  A year ago, 40 men died in a detention center fire in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. An examination by The Texas Tribune and ProPublica shows that it was the foreseeable result of landmark shifts in U.S. border policies. Full Story 

• Texas school districts violated a law intended to add transparency to local elections

  By Jessica Priest and Lexi Churchill, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica April 25, 2024

  The Texas Tribune and ProPublica analyzed 35 Texas school districts that held trustee elections last fall and found none that posted all of the required campaign finance records. Full Story 

• Dark money nonprofit with ties to Texas billionaire works to defeat Midland school bond

  By Jeremy Schwartz and Dan Keemahill, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Nov. 2, 2023

  Tim Dunn’s public policy groups have helped ensure that tax hike language is attached to every school bond ballot measure in the state. Now he is using that language to cast doubt on a bond in his hometown of Midland. Full Story 

• Texas schools chief took over Houston district, but has let underperforming charter networks expand

  By Kiah Collier and Dan Keemahill, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Oct. 10, 2023

  Commissioner of Education Mike Morath has repeatedly waived expansion requirements for charter school networks, allowing them to serve thousands more students, even when they don’t meet academic performance standards. Full Story 

• News App: Government Salaries Explorer

  By Dan Keemahill, Ryan Murphy, Alex Duner, Travis Swicegood and Daniel Craigmile Aug. 21, 2014

  Our new Government Salaries Explorer reimagines our flagship salary database app. Use the explorer to review the compensation of hundreds of thousands of state and municipal employees in Texas. We will update and expand this database periodically. Full Story