Abbott tapped into a powerful national conservative movement and his own campaign war chest to turn legislative races into multimillion-dollar affairs.
How Greg Abbott took a flailing school voucher movement and turned it into a winning issue
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Texas Legislature 2025
A 20-hour wait to speak: A pre-dawn House panel takes up Ten Commandments bill
Dozens of people who signed up to speak were ready at 4 a.m. to debate whether public school classrooms should have to display the Ten Commandments.
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Higher Education
University of Texas at Austin sued over arrests during 2024 pro-Palestinian protests
The two graduates and two current students who are also suing UT trustees and other officials say they were unlawfully targeted because they expressed pro-Palestinian views.
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Politics
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to lead Trump’s commission on religious liberty
The commission includes Ben Carson, “Dr. Phil” McGraw and religious figures.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas House panel advances THC bill with stricter regulations — but no ban — for hemp industry
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has called banning THC products a top priority. The latest draft of the lower chamber’s THC regulation bill would allow retailers to continue selling edibles and drinks.
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Environment
Plans advance for $10 billion Exxon plastics plant on the Texas coast
Officials at a rural school district voted on Tuesday to begin developing a tax break agreement intended to draw Exxon to their stretch of the Gulf Coast north of Corpus Christi.
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Immigration
Judge bars deportations of Venezuelans from South Texas under 18th Century wartime law
The federal judge is the first to rule that the Alien Enemies Act can’t be used against immigrants that the Trump administration claims are gang members invading the U.S.
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Running Out: Texas’ Water Crisis
Can Texas clean up fracking water enough to use for farming? One company thinks so.
The Texas Legislature has also invested millions in research to clean the fracking wastewater. Critics say it’s not a viable solution to the state’s water crisis.
Sponsor Post
Investing in Water Resources is Essential for the Future of Texas
by Bryan Morris | Chair of El Paso Water’s Public Service BoardPersistent, extreme drought is straining Texas’ surface water, including rivers and lakes. To meet the demands of a fast-growing population and a thriving economy, the state must pursue new and creative approaches to water management. As the 89th Legislature takes up this critical issue, […]
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COVID's Legacy in Texas
Weary from COVID deaths, Hispanic Texans embraced vaccines. It saved their lives.
In the deadly summer of 2020, Hispanics in Texas were half of all COVID-19 deaths, spurring many to vaccinate. Today, in a startling flip, Hispanics make up less than a quarter of deaths from the disease.
