Texas voters are returning to normal pre-pandemic activities, and to their customary civic and political concerns, too. The changes are evident in the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/fa95e195b4bd509ea2f853833dba8a20/Fri%20ATX%20SoCO%20SF%20TT%2002)
While city leaders are analyzing possible housing options for people experiencing homelessness, advocates warn against using aggressive tactics to enforce the ban. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3d4c04fbd23071ae538f10ca99f60ead/ATX%20Homeless%20Camping%20MKC%20TT.jpg)
The bill still needs final approval by the House — usually a formality after it's passed in the chamber's first vote — and then will head to the Senate. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2fff40c7c5eaba9a754b7d3636fbe749/HTX%20Homeless%20Camping%20MS%20TT.jpg)
House Bill 1927 would nix the requirement for Texas residents to obtain a license to carry handguns if they’re not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a gun. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c6014c2f5d4ac5162ca6eb47f7493f8a/Constitutional%20Carry%20JV%20TT%2017.jpg)
The runoff pits Susan Wright against fellow Republican Jake Ellzey after Democrats failed to advance a candidate in the Saturday special election. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9a0b967601800ca0b4dead03fe04408a/US%20Capitol%20REUTERS%20May%202020%20TT.jpg)
The Washington D.C. judge's ruling is the latest on the eviction moratorium, which some judges have upheld while others said it goes too far. The Biden administration is appealing the decision. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/db383d529783d91644f07adbeb3a0f7d/Housing%20North%20Austin%20AI%20TT%2016.jpg)
Gov. Greg Abbott has called for expanding the state's civic education curriculum, but the House and Senate are quickly advancing bills that would restrict the discussion of current events and public policy in the classroom and prohibit critical race theory in public schools. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a367e9cd06b6b722a2b63e1b1fd3c316/11%20Buffalo%20ISD%20MS%20TT.jpg)
“Oil and gas is the lifeblood of the Texas economy,” state Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, said on the House floor Monday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0a9ccc8511b81ce7524abc1c338b6139/Oil%20Gas%20Pump%20Jacks%20JF%20TT%2002.jpg)
Representatives of the Lamar County Democrats met Tuesday to consider the resignation of Gary O’Connor, the local party chair. O'Connor called U.S. Sen. Tim Scott an "oreo" following his rebuttal to the president's congressional address. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b56fa25e5f8331d9ca17d8a2bd6c12d8/Tim%20Scoott%20-%20Gary%20O%20Connor%20Split%20TT.jpg)
The bill would prevent transgender Texas children from joining school sports teams that match their gender identity. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/17d65e01202b57fb75133219df92aa7e/Protect%20Trans%20Kids%20Rally%20SF%20TT%2059.jpg)
A student group was hosting an event with a UT-Austin professor about the song when a man entered the online Zoom call with his face covered, holding what appeared to be a large gun. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/43701deb5cfc79301a22061ccfef54e9/UT%20Gone%20to%20Texas.jpg)
In this edition of the TribCast, Ross talks to pollsters Joshua Blank, James Henson and Daron Shaw about the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll and what voters are thinking about guns, policing, voting law and the pandemic. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/da95bed9f5f85e9f0aa2d41e0a2dc856/Tribcast%20Poll%20Guns%20TT.jpg)
Dozens of big companies, local businesses and chambers of commerce issued a statement reflecting the biggest pushback yet by the business community against Texas Republican efforts to further tighten the state's restrictive voting rules. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e8d2ca579c1bda167d57d718d4212f7a/ATX%20Early%20Voting%20Day%20Two%20MG%20TT%2018.jpg)
"I don't think he supports me; I don't support him," Paxton told The New York Times in a story published Tuesday. He later criticized the story as "fake news" and insisted he backed Abbott. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/dfd97507a583c5d7eb72a6d80764d051/Paxton%20Abbott%20Split%20TT.jpg)
The Texas House on Tuesday approved House Bill 20, one of Gov. Greg Abbott's emergency items this year, and sent it to the Senate. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b0508b96d8377379be032c57ade49dfa/04%20Bail%20Bonds%20MG%20TT.jpg)
EMILY’s List, the influential group that works to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights, named Hidalgo as its 2021 “EMILY’s List Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award” winner, a designation that brings with it exposure to national donors and other powerful Democratic constituencies. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6931803b8c42d2ef49271f3cf3896ff2/NRG%20Hospital%20HTX%20AM%20TT%20172.jpg)
As of April 25, about 5% — or 570,399 — of Texans who had received the first dose were 43 days or more past due for their second dose. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/fc1d25db86c0459f5c593fd4619a8e57/Wilco%20Mass%20Vaccination%20SF%20TT%2004.jpg)
In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to LaTonya Goffney, the superintendent of Aldine Independent School District, about public education’s disrupted year — pivoting online, learning loss, budget woes, and what it will take to put the whole thing back together by fall. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ee3b23c67609fb74b29eb60f2b7d02d0/TT-PointofOrder-podcast-launch-art.png)
Reflecting both the crisis on the border and continued improvement in key pandemic measurements and increasing numbers of vaccinations, Texas voters' top concerns have shifted to the state's border with Mexico. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a20072b35afd9dc266b7b6a5eb2a94d2/UT-TT%20Border%20Migrants.jpg)
Texas voters have a strong preference for politicians from their own parties, but overall, the president is as popular here as the governor or either of the state's U.S. senators. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3966241820de010a5085a084b0e8d80a/UT%20TT%20Biden%20Assesment.jpg)