For the first time, West Texas has a permanent LGBTQ+ community center
A local volunteer died by suicide ahead of the center’s grand opening, reminding the West Texas community why such spaces are important. Full Story
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![Adriana Aguilar, chair of Basin Pride, embraces PFLAG President, Peggy Reeves, after her talk on stage about the tragic suicide of their friend, volunteer and performer, Luna Harrison during the Pride Festival hosted by Basin Pride at The Vine in Odessa, Texas.]()
Credit: Callie Cummings for The Texas Tribune -
Democrats think they can flip Texas House seats by going after GOP’s education funding and school voucher policies
Much of the House battlefield is centered in districts with struggling schools, where Democrats hope public education will resonate at the ballot box. Full Story
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![Third grade teacher Eran McGowan watches students demonstrate their answers to the class at the Eddie Bernice Johnson STEM Academy in Dallas, Texas on Feb. 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo for The Texas Tribune -
Amarillo City Council rejects so-called abortion travel ban
A group of anti-abortion advocates must now decide whether they want the city voters to have the final say on their proposed policy. Full Story
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![Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley talks during the City Council on Tuesday, May 28, 2024]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
Four Texas House Republicans censured for campaigning against incumbents
The censured members said they had been punished for campaigning against “liberal incumbents” alongside statewide elected officials like Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Full Story
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![A silhouette of the state of Texas near the stage at the 2024 Texas GOP Convention in San Antonio, on May 23, 2024.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
With new platform, Texas Democrats may find common ground with Republicans on housing affordability crisis
The Democrats’ recently approved platform includes calls to loosen zoning rules, which housing experts believe contribute to high housing costs. Full Story
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![An apartment complex in downtown Waco on Feb. 26, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
How Texas Speaker Dade Phelan turned the tide to keep his seat
After coming in second in the primary, Phelan was at a disadvantage heading into the runoff. With record breaking cash infusions, Phelan blanketed airwaves and hired an army of campaign staffers. Full Story
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![Dade Phelan listens while being interviewed after declaring victory on May 28, 2024 at JW’s Patio in Beaumont, Texas.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for the Texas Tribunne -
Here’s how school vouchers, Paxton impeachment affected the Texas GOP primaries
Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton crusaded against House Republicans who voted against school vouchers and in favor of impeachment, respectively. Full Story
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![State Representatives and their families gather on the House floor on the opening day of the 88th Legislative Session at the state Capitol in Austin on Jan. 10, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Despite pressure, Amarillo City Council punts on abortion travel ban petition
Supporters of the petition may ultimately seek a vote of Amarillo residents later this fall. Full Story
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![Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley, left, and Councilman Tom Scherlen listen to testimony during a city council meeting Tuesday, May 28 in Amarillo. Residents gave testimony and arguments to members of the city council as they discussed a proposed abortion travel ban in Amarillo.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
House Speaker Dade Phelan wins runoff, surviving challenge by Texas GOP’s far-right forces
Business-minded Republicans spent millions trying to save Phelan, whose far-right opponent had the backing of Donald Trump, Ken Paxton and Dan Patrick. Phelan won by 366 votes, according to unofficial returns. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan celebrates after declaring victory over challenger David Covey on May 28, 2024 at JW’s Patio in Beaumont.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Here’s what we’re watching in Tuesday’s runoff elections
Texans are heading to the polls Tuesday to make their final selections for which Democrats and Republicans will run for various seats in the November election. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, surveys the chamber during a break in the action on deadline day May 11, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Meatless in South Texas: Thousands flock to vegan festival in Rio Grande Valley
From brisket to carne asada, Texas is known for meat, making this annual gathering in a small Rio Grande Valley town stand out. Full Story
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![Attendees and non-profit organizations are seen at Vegan Fest in Elsa, Texas on May 11, 2024.
Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
A GOP Texas school board member campaigned against schools indoctrinating kids. Then she read the curriculum.
Courtney Gore, a Granbury ISD school board member, has disavowed the far-right platform she campaigned on. Her defiance has brought her backlash. Full Story
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![Courtney Gore has disavowed the far-right platform she campaigned on when she won election to the Granbury ISD school board.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for ProPublica and The Texas Tribune -
Heat intensifies around Houston Democrat Shawn Thierry ahead of bitter runoff
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, a Dallas Democrat who previously served in the Texas House with Thierry, spoke at a campaign event where she condemned her former colleague. Full Story
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![Shawn Thierry and Lauren Ashley Simmons.]()
Credit: Mark Felix and Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Decayed power pole sparked the largest wildfire in state history, Texas House committee confirms
A lack of air support and ineffective coordination hurt efforts to contain this year's Panhandle fires, the committee said. Full Story
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![A building destroyed by fire sits in ashes in the Texas R.V. Park in Fritch, TX. Snow and rainfall on Thursday offered temporary relief to firefighters battling the blaze but weather conditions this weekend may cause the fire to spread again.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
Search the newly updated Government Salaries Explorer
The Texas Tribune’s database of Texas state employees’ compensation is updated to represent salaries as of April 1. Full Story
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![Government Salaries Explorer]()
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Texas Republicans have tried to rein in property taxes for five years. Has it worked?
Texas has spent billions of dollars to drive down property taxes. Many homeowners saw a significant tax cut last year, per a Texas Tribune analysis. Full Story
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![An aerial view of homes near Interstate 45 in Houston, on Sept. 16, 2019.]()
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Texas school districts violated a law intended to add transparency to local elections
The Texas Tribune and ProPublica analyzed 35 Texas school districts that held trustee elections last fall and found none that posted all of the required campaign finance records. Full Story
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![A photo illustration shows a web search box with “BOARD ELECTION Campaign Finance Report” and “Page Not Found” over a photo of a Texas school building.]()
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Texas inmates are being ‘cooked to death’ in extreme heat, complaint alleges
With the threat of another hot summer ahead, advocates asked a federal judge to declare 100-degree-plus conditions in uncooled Texas facilities unconstitutional. Full Story
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![Telford prison on Tuesday, March 21, 2017, in New Boston.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
After Texas’ largest wildfire is contained, a rancher moves on with a single calf
In testimony to state lawmakers, Dale Jenkins and his Panhandle peers shared the “hidden cost” of the wildfires. Full Story
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![Dale Jenkins poses for a photo inside a cattle pen where he left his livestock prior to the Smokehouse Creek fires on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 in Canadian. “You'd be out there fighting this fire and you're all by yourself,” Jenkins said. “There's not a soul round. But you've got light from the fire line. And you're working at it and concentrating so hard and finally you get to the end you finally put up the last flames and then it's just totally dark and totally quiet is a really it's an interesting feeling.”]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Most 18-year-old Texans aren’t signed up to vote despite a law requiring voter registration in high schools
Voting is habit-forming and high schools are critical for starting that pattern. Full Story
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![On the left, Mihir Relan, 18, and Bianca Juarez, 18, registers to vote with the help of Jolt Initiative, a non-profit organization that increases the civic participation of Latinos in Texas, on Friday, April 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Joseph Bui for The Texas Tribune