Wendy Davis to lead Planned Parenthood’s political advocacy arm
Davis, who is best known for her 13-hour filibuster to block a 2013 abortion bill, joins the group at a low point for reproductive rights in Texas. Full Story
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![Wendy Davis speaks at an event held by the Dallas Democratic Forum concerning the overturn of Roe v. Wade at the Arts District Mansion in Dallas on June 28, 2022.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
As 2024 nears, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis looms large over Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas
DeSantis and Abbott often appear to be locked in an unspoken ideological arms race as they take turns leading and then following one another, enacting policies and backing bills that push both states further to the right. Full Story
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![From left: Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune|REUTERS/Octavio Jones -
Texas lawmakers take first step to restoring felony penalty for illegal voting
Republican lawmakers — backed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — are working to reverse a change to state law they approved two years ago as part of a sweeping overhaul to Texas election law that included downgrading illegal voting to a misdemeanor. Full Story
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![Voters cast their ballots at the Lochwood Branch Library in Dallas on Feb. 25, 2022, the last day of early voting in the Texas primary. Dallas County voting centers’ hours were extended till 10 P.M. on the last day of early voting to make up for early closures due to icy weather.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro had surgery to remove cancerous tumors
The 48-year-old Texas Democrat had tumors removed from his gastrointestinal tract at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, speaks about a new federal report on the underrepresentation of Latinos in the media industry at the National Press Club in Washington on Oct. 05, 2022.]()
Credit: Lenin Nolly/Sipa USA via Reuters -
UTEP gave research role to former Border Patrol official accused of sexual harassment
Tony Barker received an unpaid fellowship to make him “less risky” for other universities to hire him, emails show. Full Story
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![Tony Barker, left, and Jeffrey Self, center, were given research fellow titles by Victor Manjarrez Jr., right, the director of UTEP's Center for Law and Human Behavior. All three are retired Border Patrol executives.]()
Credit: University of Texas at El Paso -
Gus Mutscher, Texas House speaker who resigned amid the Sharpstown stock fraud scandal, dies at 90
Mutscher served as speaker from 1969 to 1972 before leaving amid the pay-for-play scandal, though he was later cleared on appeal. Full Story
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![Former Texas House Speaker Gus Mutscher.]()
Credit: Blinn College -
DPS sent at least 3,000 driver’s licenses to organized crime group targeting Asian Texans
A Chinese crime operation bypassed the password clues of Texas.gov by using stolen identity information to fraudulently obtain replacement driver’s licenses. Full Story
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![Steve McCraw, Department of Public Safety Director, speaks at a press conference with Gov. Greg Abbott and nine other governors regarding the southern border at Anzalduas Park in Mission on Oct. 6, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
A Texas lawmaker wants voters to decide whether legislators deserve a raise
State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, has proposed an amendment to the state constitution to raise legislator pay and tie it to teachers’ pay, saying it would give lawmakers a living wage and allow a broader range of Texans to serve. Full Story
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![State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, speaks at a Texas House Progressive Caucus press conference at the Capitol on Sept. 20, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Two GOP legislators in Harris County want to let the state replace local elections administrators
The proposals were filed in response to Harris County’s problems at the polls in recent elections. Full Story
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![Voting lines at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center during Super Tuesday near downtown Houston on March 3, 2020.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas abortion funds likely safe from prosecution, federal judge rules
U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman dismissed Attorney General Ken Paxton from the lawsuit, ruling he had no authority to enforce Texas’ abortion bans beyond state lines. Full Story
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![Dr. Franz Theard, looks at a patient's sonogram at his abortion clinic, Women's Reproductive Clinic of New Mexico in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on Jan. 13, 2023. Dr. Theard's abortion clinic, less than a mile from Texas, where abortion is illegal since the landmark legal case Roe v. Wade which protected a woman's constitutional right to an abortion was overturned, provides medical abortions for women who are flying and driving hundreds of miles across Texas.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein -
Texas teachers need raises, more training and better working conditions to fix shortages, state task force finds
The yearlong review also recommends increasing the funds schools get per student, a measure already favored by lawmakers looking how to spend a historic state budget surplus. Full Story
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![Cardenas watches over her students and receives hugs as students wait in the lunch line on April 21, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: The politics of diversity, equity and inclusion on college campuses
On this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with higher education reporter Kate McGee about Texas leaders’ push to limit the role of diversity in hiring on college campuses. Full Story
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![Students walk through the University of Texas at Austin on Nov. 29, 2021.]()
Credit: Jack Myer for The Texas Tribune -
Texas heat-related deaths reached a two-decade high in 2022 amid extreme temperatures
A Texas Tribune analysis of state data found that at least 279 people in Texas were killed by heat last year, and a large portion of those deaths were likely migrants who died after crossing the border. Full Story
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![The border wall as seen from a US CBP helicopter in a remote section of southern New Mexico on December 14, 2021.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
School districts face millions in extra costs as Texas program that backs bond debt hits its limit
Without the state’s safety net, districts with pending bond projects must now decide whether to pay more in interest or halt construction. Full Story
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![Students sit in Norman Gomez's third grade class at Linder Elementary School in Austin on Jan. 14, 2022. Students and staff wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.]()
Credit: Miranda Lipton for The Texas Tribune -
Here comes the haboob: Texas High Plains getting walloped by dust storms
High Plains residents are used to wind and dust, but an ongoing drought and recent tropical-storm-level winds have brought some epic dust storms. Full Story
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![A motorist approaches the intersection of W. Farm Road 835 and S. Farm Road 835. High winds kicked up a dust storm that blanketed parts of West Texas on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 14, 2023.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
How Texas activists turned drag events into fodder for outrage
The Tribune analyzed more than two dozen anti-drag protests. Opponents frequently characterized the drag events as catering to children, even when businesses advertised them as adults-only or provided warnings about the potential for explicit material. Full Story
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![Kassandra Boehmer responds to anti-drag protesters on the crosswalk with her 7-year-old son Kaufman.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott starts state task force on street takeovers
During a recent street racing incident, Austin residents faced long 911 wait times. City officials say they need to increase staffing for 911 call takers, but state license and background check requirements make it difficult to fill positions. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during the Texas Rally for Life event at the Capitol in Austin on Jan. 28, 2023. Montinique Monroe for the Texas Tribune)]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
Speaker Dade Phelan endorses Medicaid expansion for new mothers, repeal of “tampon tax” in first batch of 2023 priorities
The leader of the state House also threw his support behind bills to crack down on how companies handle private data and to protect children from “addictive algorithms” by digital companies. Full Story
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![Dade Phelan begins his second term as Speaker of the House on the opening day of the 88th legislature on Jan 10, 2023.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas higher education leaders say equitable access is key for graduation goals
During a Texas Tribune event on higher education, panelists also spoke about using the state’s historic surplus to improve the affordability of universities and keep rising costs down. Full Story
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Texas superintendent resigns after student finds his gun in school bathroom
The incident comes as lawmakers debate how to make schools safer after the Uvalde massacre and favor measures like arming more educators. Full Story
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![A M&P Shield handgun, small enough to be ideal for conceal carry, in Austin on April 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Photo Illustration by Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune