A former school contractor spoke Friday about a Texas law that prohibits state government agencies from doing business with contractors who boycott Israel. A federal judge temporarily blocked the law Thursday.
Elizabeth Byrne
Elizabeth Byrne was a reporting fellow at The Texas Tribune in 2019, covering health and human services issues. She graduated from Northwestern University, where she studied journalism and sociology. Elizabeth previously served as the summer editor in chief and campus editor for The Daily Northwestern, where she covered local and campus news. If she's not in the newsroom, then she's enjoying the outdoors or searching for the perfect mac and cheese.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2019
Some lawmakers want Texas to release vaccine opt-out rates for each school, not just for districts
Texas tries to track the number of students with vaccine exemptions every year, but the data is incomplete and doesn’t include the opt-out rates for individual public schools. Amid a recent rise in measles cases across the country, some in the Legislature are calling for more detailed reporting.
Posted in
State Government
Texas bill would allow state to sue social media companies like Facebook and Twitter over free speech
The proposal aims to protect users on social media platforms from censorship if a site advertises itself as impartial. Critics say the bill is too restrictive.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2019
Texas removes thousands of children from Medicaid each month due to red tape, records show
Most states check once a year whether children on Medicaid still qualify for the program. Texas checks more often, using an automated system that critics say leads to kids losing coverage even though they’re still eligible.
Posted in
Health care
Texas Senate passes legislation to prevent surprise medical bills with arbitration, mediation
Surprise medical bills happen when out-of-network health care providers and insurance companies can’t agree on the price of a medical treatment, leaving the patient to pick up the amount insurance won’t pay.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2019
This Republican Texas lawmaker halted a bill to outlaw abortion. He now faces security concerns, sheriff says.
State Rep. Jeff Leach said a bill that criminalizes abortion will not advance beyond the committee he chairs.
Posted in
Health care
Texas could soon increase the legal age to buy tobacco, though active military members might be exempt
Senate Bill 21 passed Tuesday, raising the legal purchasing age for tobacco products from 18 to 21. But its author amended the legislation to exclude active military from the age raise.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas bans chaplains from its execution chamber
The U.S. Supreme Court halted the execution of Patrick Murphy last week because he wasn’t given access to a Buddhist chaplain. Now, no chaplains will be allowed in the death chamber.
