A look at the wins rural Texas scored in this year’s legislative session
Lawmakers sought to close gaps in education and support funding for agriculture, disaster preparedness and health care this year. Full Story
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Jess Huff joined the Tribune in 2023 and is based in Lufkin, Texas. She grew up in Utah and has also lived in Arizona and the Netherlands. Her latest adventure brought her to East Texas where she worked for The Lufkin Daily News, leading the publication to numerous awards for investigative reporting in the region. Jess attended Northern Arizona University on a debate scholarship and fell in love with the journalism program after a course on alternative storytelling devices. Her work has been published in the Arizona Daily Sun, The Associated Press, The Lufkin Daily News, Capital & Main and a number of local outlets across Texas.
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![The Texas State Capitol on March 17, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
How RFK Jr., Democrats and Republicans found common ground over food labels in Texas
Texas is poised to lead the country in an initiative to inform denizens of what’s in their food. Food industry experts say it’s going too far. Full Story
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![A woman pushes her shopping cart down an aisle at a Brookshire Brothers grocery store in Buffalo, Texas, on June 29, 2023. According to clients of The Lord’s Pantry of Leon County, Brookshire Brothers is the only grocery store in the county which they describe as a food desert.]()
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Texas poised to add $100 million to child care scholarship program
Reallocated funding for the program that will go to providers will benefit nearly 95,000 children on a waitlist for scholarships. Full Story
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![Teacher Pita Espinosa leads a group of young children in a song that teaches Spanish words at the Learning Tree childcare center in Yoakum on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
An East Texas community grapples with school closures as education options shift
The schools were closed last week after years of declining enrollment. The school communities said increased choices were to blame. Full Story
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![Starla Hill, principal at Coston Elementary, greets visitors Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Lufkin, Texas. Lufkin Independent School District will be closing the campus at the end of the school year in an effort to reduce spending.]()
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Texas braces for an imminent screwworm infestation, a threat to the state’s cattle industry
U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz hope to fund an operation to kill the parasitic fly before too much damage is done. Full Story
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![Cattle are brought across the U.S.-Mexico border at the livestock import/export facility in Santa Teresa, New Mexico on January 22, 2021.]()
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Bill to ban child marriages in Texas advances in the House
Before the House takes a final vote on the bill, it could face a proposal that would allow adults and minors to marry if their age gap is three years or less. Full Story
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![The dome of the Texas State Capitol on Thursday, April 24, 2014.]()
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Texas allows certain children to get married. Lawmakers may close that loophole.
Lawmakers in 2017 took a major step to end most child marriages. However, emancipated teenagers 16 and older can get married. Full Story
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![The Capitol dome is seen from the north side of the complex in Austin on March 18, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
Texas strips protections for teachers, parents who share “obscene” material with children
A fiery debate on the House floor Friday gave way to the Senate Bill 412’s final vote. Supporters say it’s needed to protect children. Full Story
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![The library at Blanco Vista Elementary in San Marcos on Nov. 4, 2021.]()
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Will Saturday’s elections be the last one in May for Texas?
The Texas House is considering a bill to abolish May elections, which have the lowest turnout of any election. Full Story
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![Love Vial, center, votes at the West Gray Multiservice Center in Houston on Election Day, Nov. 7, 2023.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Texas farmers could have greater access to low-interest loans under a bill the Senate is considering
If approved, the legislation would expand one of the state's most popular loan programs with even lower interest rates. Full Story
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![A farmworker harvests spinach at Johnson's Backyard Garden, an organic farm east of Austin, on April 21, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune