Evan Young, former clerk to conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, appointed to Texas Supreme Court
Young replaces former Justice Eva Guzman, who resigned in June ahead of a campaign for attorney general. Full Story
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![The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court refuses to resume a Planned Parenthood lawsuit challenging new state abortion law
Planned Parenthood had requested that the court reverse a decision to indefinitely pause the lawsuit, which was filed in Travis County district court. Full Story
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![A Planned Parenthood examination room on Planned Parenthood's South Austin location on Jan. 14, 2020.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
For third time in recent years, U.S. Supreme Court halts a Texas execution over rules for religious advisers in the death chamber
John Ramirez was scheduled to die Wednesday. His last request to the state had been to let his pastor hold on to him as he died, something the state denied. The high court wants to hear oral arguments on the matter later this year. Full Story
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![Interior of execution chamber.]()
Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice -
Texas Supreme Court temporarily allows school mask mandates to remain
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott wanted the high court to disallow mask mandates in Texas school districts. Justices dismissed their request on a technicality, without issuing a ruling on their legal arguments. Full Story
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![Students in Mrs. Cazares's third-grade class on the first day of in-person classes at Highland Village Elementary on Sept. 8, 2020.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Live COVID-19 updates: Texas sending more relief medical workers to hospitals, adding new antibody infusion centers
COVID-19 is surging again in Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott has tested positive. Hospitalizations are increasing faster than at any other time. Local officials and school leaders are rebelling against Abbott’s ban on mask mandates. Here’s the latest. Full Story
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![COVID-19 related signs are posted to the entrance to Ott Elementary School in San Antonio on Aug. 11, 2020.]()
Credit: Allie Goulding/The Texas Tribune -
Siding with Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Supreme Court temporarily halts mask orders in Dallas and Bexar counties
The ruling comes after several school districts and a handful of counties across the state defied the governor’s executive order that restricted local entities from instituting mask mandates. Full Story
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![Fifth graders at Jacob’s Well Elementary School in Wimberley during a reading exercise. Some students participated in the exercise at home. Sept. 4, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court may decide next plot twist in the Democratic walkout, and the fate of 2,100 state employees
The state’s highest civil court has been asked to decide if Gov. Greg Abbott has the power to cut off funding for legislative staff, a move Abbott hoped would keep Democratic lawmakers from leaving the state and shutting down a special legislative session. Full Story
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![The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court extends state program to help tenants avoid eviction until Oct. 1
The extension comes as the federal moratorium on evictions is set to expire on July 31. Full Story
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Academy sports chain can't be sued for selling gun used in Texas' deadliest mass shooting, state Supreme Court says
The gunman should not have been able to purchase an assault style rifle, but the store conducted the required federal background check, which didn't reveal his past assault conviction, the court said. Full Story
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![Memorial to the 26 victims of the Sutherland Springs massacre on March 30, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Eva Guzman, former Texas Supreme Court justice, joins GOP primary challenge against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
Guzman's candidacy adds a new dynamic to the primary that is already unfolding between incumbent Paxton and Land Commissioner George P. Bush. Full Story
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![Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman at the Texas Republican Convention at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio on June 14, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman resigns
Her resignation is effective Friday, she told Gov. Greg Abbott in a letter. Full Story
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![Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 20, 2014.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
ERCOT to argue it is immune from winter storm lawsuits
Nearly two dozen lawsuits allege that failures by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the operator of the state's main power grid, led to the wrongful death of a family member. Full Story
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![A home in South Austin is lit only by candlelight near the front door as much of Austin was still without power on Feb. 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Despite federal moratorium, more Texas renters face eviction as state protection lapses
Although the CDC renewed its order halting evictions until the end of June, the Texas Supreme Court let state guidelines expire. Housing advocates believe more landlords will start turning out tenants. Full Story
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![A demonstrator holds up a sign in protest of evictions against the Harris County Courthouse in Houston on Aug. 21, 2020.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
A family is suing Texas’ power grid operator after their son died from suspected hypothermia. But ERCOT may be shielded from lawsuits.
A Conroe family is suing ERCOT and Entergy Texas for a total of $100 million after their son died inside his bed from suspected hypothermia. Full Story
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![Cristian Pavon Pineda, 11, was found dead in his family's home in Conroe after a severe winter storm plummeted temperatures below freezing.]()
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Austin won’t be allowed to restrict dining-in at restaurants, Texas Supreme Court says
Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Andy Brown sought to restrict dine-in food and beverage service both indoors and outdoors from 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m., starting on New Year’s Eve and ending at 6 a.m. Sunday. The measure allowed restaurants to offer drive-thru, curbside pick-up, take out, or delivery services. Full Story
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![Bartender Wendel Goodwin made a drink for a customer on May 22, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Despite committee’s recommendation, ending Texas’ partisan judicial elections looks unlikely
Several Texas lawmakers said they would not vote to end the system of partisan judicial elections, which critics say allows for the appearance of impropriety if not bias itself. Full Story
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![The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas extends rental assistance program designed to avoid evictions until March 15
The move comes after Congress passed a stimulus bill Monday extending the federal moratorium on evictions through the end of January. The moratorium order was set to expire at the end of the year. Full Story
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![A home in Texas.]()
Credit: Amna Ijaz/The Texas Tribune -
Democrats' hopes of flipping Texas again fall short as Republicans dominate the state's 2020 elections
This year proved another disappointment for Texas Democrats, who underperformed the high expectations they had set for themselves, particularly in a hotly contested battle for dominance in the Texas House. Full Story
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![A Republican party flag at an event by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in College Station in October.]()
Credit: Amna Ijaz/The Texas Tribune -
Jim Wright wins Texas Railroad Commission race, extending decades of Republican dominance on the oil and gas regulating board
Wright defeated Democrat Chrysta Castañeda. The commission's elected, three-member board has been entirely Republican for at least 25 years. Full Story
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![James "Jim" Wright defeated incumbent Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton in the Republican Primary.]()
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Texas Supreme Court rejects Republican-led effort to throw out nearly 127,000 Harris County votes
A handful of GOP activists and candidates had asked the state's highest civil court to rule Harris County's drive-thru voting locations illegal and invalidate votes that have already been cast. The challenge has also been filed in federal court. Full Story
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![Voters line up to utilize drive-through voting at NRG Stadium in Houston during the first day of early voting on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune
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