A federal judge ruled earlier this year that a state law banning young adults from publicly carrying handguns is unconstitutional. The state no longer plans to appeal that ruling.
Roxanna Asgarian
Roxanna Asgarian was the law and courts reporter for the Texas Tribune from 2022 to 2023. Previously, she covered the child welfare and criminal justice systems as an independent reporter in Houston. Her first book, “We Were Once A Family: Love, Death, and Child Removal in America,” a deeply reported story of a murder-suicide that claimed the lives of six children, was published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in March 2023. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Roxanna got her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and her master’s degree from the Craig Newmark School of Journalism at the City University of New York. Roxanna is based in Dallas.
Posted in
State Government
Texas fights federal rule that would outlaw LGBTQ discrimination in state adoptions and foster care
Texas allows religious groups that are part of the state’s child welfare network to refuse to assist LGBTQ couples seeking to foster or adopt. That could put critical federal funding at risk.
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State Government
In after-hours notice, Gov. Greg Abbott announces another leadership change for the Department of Family and Protective Services
Former DFPS commissioner Anne Heiligenstein was tapped by Abbott in June to serve as the agency’s executive deputy commissioner. Last month, she was out. Now she’s back.
Posted in
Courts
Texas judge rules Alex Jones must pay Sandy Hook parents full $49 million in defamation case
The judge opted not to apply a $750,000 cap Texas imposes on punitive damages, questioning its constitutionality and saying Jones had “done something horrible” in claiming the shooting was faked.
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Texas 2022 Elections
Texas Supreme Court orders Harris County to include more than 2,000 late-cast ballots in certified election results
After a last-minute challenge from the attorney general, county commissioners agreed to certify those provisional votes in time for the canvassing deadline.
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Courts
Texas case could change adoption rules for Native American children, and undercut tribal rights
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit challenging the preferences Native American families and tribes are given under the Indian Child Welfare Act.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
Republican dominance continues for the two highest courts in Texas
Three seats were up for election in the Texas Supreme Court, which handles civil cases, and three in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Democrats haven’t been elected to either court since the late 1990s.
Posted in
Uvalde school shooting
“I’m so scared”: 911 recordings reveal fear and urgency of those trapped in Uvalde elementary school
Audio obtained by The Texas Tribune and ProPublica shows just how long police and dispatchers likely knew that children and teachers were in danger before taking action at Robb Elementary School.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Rodney Reed pleads before U.S. Supreme Court for DNA testing that might establish his innocence
The nation’s high court heard arguments Tuesday on whether Reed can seek DNA testing of crucial evidence in the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites in Bastrop County.
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Courts
Federal judge curtails protections for LGBTQ workers, trans kids in response to Texas lawsuit
Ruling in a suit brought by Texas, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk vacated guidance on gender-affirming care for children and pronouns, dress and bathroom protections for LGBTQ workers.
