Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has legalized same-sex marriage, family law attorneys in Texas are gearing up to make sure same-sex couples who adopt children get full parental rights.
Alexa Ura
Alexa Ura reported for The Texas Tribune from 2013 to 2023. She covered the complex dynamics of race, ethnicity, wealth, poverty and power and how they are shaping the future of Texas and Texans, in the long and short term. Alexa started at the Tribune as a reporting intern before graduating from the University of Texas at Austin and joining the staff full time. Originally from Laredo on the Texas-Mexico border, she is a native Spanish speaker and is based in Austin.
Posted in
Health care
Supreme Court Puts Texas Abortion Law on Hold
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sided with Texas abortion providers and temporarily put on hold a ruling that would have closed about half of the state’s abortion facilities.
Posted in
Politics
Gay Rights Activists: Fight is Only Just Getting Started
Now that same-sex marriage is legal, gay rights activists are setting their sights on pushing for more protections for LGBT people. In front of the Texas Capitol, activists on Monday vowed to target discrimination in areas including employment and housing.
Posted inState Government
Paxton: Clerks Don’t Have to Issue Same-Sex Marriage Licenses
County clerks who have religious objections to same-sex marriage can opt out of issuing such licenses — but they should be prepared to face fines or legal challenges, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a written opinion.
Posted in
Demographics
Demand for Bilingual 911 Services Growing
While Texas continues its demographic march into diversity, only one city — El Paso — requires its 911 emergency call takers to be fluent in English and Spanish. Other cities are striving to keep up with the need to handle emergency calls in a wide range of languages.
Posted in
Health care
Benefits Should Follow Same-Sex Marriages
In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling establishing the constitutional right to same-sex marriage, public employers are now figuring out how and when spouses of married gay employees will start receiving benefits.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Supreme Court: Gay Marriage Bans Are Unconstitutional
Handing gay rights advocates a monumental victory, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that marriages between couples of the same sex cannot be prohibited by states, a decision that overrides Texas’ ban on gay marriage.
Posted in
Politics
Paxton to County Clerks: Wait for Direction on Gay Marriage Ruling
If the Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants county clerks to hold off on issuing marriage licenses to such couples until his office has given them direction.
Posted in
Demographics
See Demographics Shift by Texas County
Use our interactive to see how the demographics in your county have changed since 2010, according to race and ethnicity figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Posted in
Health care
Supreme Court Upholds Obamacare Subsidies
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a key element of the president’s signature health law — the part that gives tax subsidies to people who buy health insurance on the Affordable Care Act’s federal marketplace.
