At first meeting since massacre, Uvalde school board takes no action on police chief
Chief Pete Arredondo has been faulted for a slow response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary. Full Story
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Zach Despart is a politics reporter for The Texas Tribune. He investigates power — who wields it, how and to what ends — through the lens of Texas government. He has extensively covered the Uvalde school shooting, including a groundbreaking investigation on the role the gunman’s rifle played in the disastrous police response. He previously covered Harris County for the Houston Chronicle, where he reported on corruption, elections, disaster preparedness and the region’s recovery from Hurricane Harvey. An upstate New York native, he received his bachelor’s degree in political science and film from the University of Vermont.
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![The Uvalde CISD School Board met on June 3, 2022.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune -
In battered Uvalde, where a police chief is in hiding, grief gives way to calls for accountability
As chief of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department, it was Arredondo’s call to wait more than an hour for backup instead of ordering officers on scene to immediately charge the shooter. Full Story
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![Police hold a press conference on Thursday, May 26, 2022 in Uvalde, TX. Twenty one people were killed after a gunman after a high school student opened fire inside Robb Elementary School on Tuesday where two teachers and 19 students were killed.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
After another mass shooting, Texas Democrats again push for gun control measures
The question moving forward is whether Democrats, outnumbered in the Texas Legislature for two decades, will be able to put enough pressure on lawmakers to move on a previously intractable issue in gun-friendly Texas and that Republicans, who support looser gun laws, will fight tooth and nail. Full Story
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![Texas Democratic candidate for governor Beto O’Rourke speaks on stage at a protest of the NRA Annual Meeting in Houston on Friday, May 27, 2022.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
At NRA convention after Uvalde massacre, attendees describe a culture under siege
Deflecting blame from guns, attendees said a breakdown in society — including removing God from schools and a rise in mental illness — causes mass shootings, echoing the rhetoric of Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. Full Story
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![People attend the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual convention in Houston, Texas, U.S. May 27, 2022.]()
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This time, Gov. Greg Abbott has few suggestions on how the state might prevent future mass shootings
After previous mass killings during his more than seven years in office, Abbott has pledged that lawmakers and his administration would search for solutions. He made no substantive suggestions Wednesday. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference at Uvalde High School on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 in Uvalde. Twenty one people were killed after a gunman after a high school student opened fire inside Robb Elementary School on Tuesday where two teachers and 19 students were killed.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Texas GOP primary runoff results show most legislative incumbents prevailing, bucking past trends
In Texas Legislature runoffs, three of four Republican House incumbents succeed, while Democrats set their sights on retaining a South Texas Senate seat. Full Story
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![State Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, listens to testimony on Senate Bill 9 on May 15, 2019. The bill seeks to increase penalties for voter fraud.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Businesses that help employees get abortions could be next target of Texas lawmakers if Roe v. Wade is overturned
Fourteen GOP legislators warned Lyft that they’d seek to ban companies that pay for abortions from doing business in Texas. The extent of support for the idea is unclear. Full Story
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![State Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, at a House Republican Caucus press conference at the Capitol on Aug. 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
New Texas plan for federal Hurricane Harvey aid yields same old result: Funds diverted away from Gulf Coast
Despite an admonition from federal authorities, Land Commissioner George P. Bush’s plan still steers aid disproportionately to whiter, inland counties at less risk of natural disasters. Full Story
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![Motiva, the largest refinery inthe United States, in the distance in Port Arthur, Texas Wednesday, September 20, 2017 where piles of flood damaged debris are piled outside of homes. (Photo by Michael Stravato)]()
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Texas Republicans say if Roe falls, they’ll focus on adoptions and preventing women from seeking abortions elsewhere
State leaders say expanding a social safety net for children and prosecuting abortion funders are among their priorities. “We’ll continue to do our best to make abortion not just outlawed, but unthinkable,” said state Rep. Briscoe Cain. Full Story
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![State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speak at a press conference held regarding Democrats breaking quorum and voting legislature at the Texas Capitol on July 21, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Bastrop shelter caretaker accused of exploiting girls was fired from previous job for misconduct with children
State records show Iesha Greene was fired in 2020 from a state juvenile facility for having inappropriate relationships with children. The Refuge said it was aware of her previous work there, but it never requested her publicly available personnel records. Full Story
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![Brooke Crowder, Founder and CEO at The Refuge in Bastrop on Apr. 12, 2022]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune