A Texas Tribune analysis of hate crime data found that 82% of Texas law enforcement agencies that report to the FBI tracked no hate crimes last year. However, one suburban North Texas police agency is creating a new model of collecting hate crime data.
Pooja Salhotra
Pooja Salhotra joined the Tribune in 2022 as its first-ever East Texas reporter based in Lufkin, where she covered a vast region that borders three states and stretches north to Texarkana and south to Beaumont. In late 2023, she relocated to Austin as a general assignment reporter to cover issues ranging from breaking news to developments in state agencies. Pooja was born and raised in the Houston area and graduated from Yale University. She also holds a master’s in fine arts from NYU’s journalism school.
Posted in
State Government
State abandons effort to take back Fairfield Lake State Park land
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will stop pursuing eminent domain to take over the former park property south of Dallas. A private developer plans to turn it into a luxury subdivision.
Posted in
Economy
Seeking lower electricity rates, residents in two East Texas towns hope the state will intervene
Livingston and Jasper residents hope a lawsuit will force their municipality-operated utility company to offer lower rates and create more transparency in setting rates. They’re among the 5 million Texans living outside the state’s deregulated market and cannot choose their energy provider.
Posted in
State Government
Texans fill downtown Austin streets to demand ceasefire in Gaza
Thousands of Texans rallied in front of the state Capitol Sunday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, where the death toll has surpassed 10,000 people.
Posted in
Environment
How a small East Texas school district replaced its gas-guzzling buses with an all-electric fleet
The Martinsville Independent School District used a federal grant to replace four buses, which started transporting students last month. The principal believes he will save enough money on gas to hire a new teacher.
Posted in
Politics
Texas schools asked voters for $18 billion in new debt to fix its campuses. They largely said yes.
The voter approval rate for school maintenance and construction costs dipped in 2021 after lawmakers required school boards to call them “tax increases.”
Posted in
Politics
Texas voters reject proposal to increase judges’ retirement ages
Texans soundly defeated a constitutional amendment that would have let judges stay on the bench longer. Proposition 13 would have increased the minimum retirement age from 70 to 75 and the mandatory retirement age from 75 to 79.
Posted in
Politics
Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose daughter died in the Uvalde school shooting, loses bid to become mayor
Mata-Rubio’s daughter Lexi was among 19 children killed in the massacre at Robb Elementary last year. In a special election, Mata-Rubio lost to Cody Smith, who previously held the position.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
With time running out, Texas Senate punts on taking action on border bill
The Senate on Sunday afternoon failed to take action on a border security bill, leaving virtually no time to pass the bill before the special session ends on Tuesday.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas high school principal cleared of child abuse charges after paddling student
The East Texas school leader was following school district policy — and state law — which allows for corporal punishment. Texas is one of 17 states that allows it, despite one Democrats efforts to ban the practice.
