The Austin Republican needs special permission to keep his coveted chairmanship, since he’s hit his six-year limit. Several colleagues are gunning to replace him.
Stories by Texas Tribune fellows
The Texas Tribune welcomes a group of student fellows into our newsroom each spring, summer and fall. Here is a sampling of their work. Learn more about the fellowship program here.
Posted in
Environment
Old pipes cause Texas cities to lose tens of billions of gallons of water each year
The lost water costs the cities millions and heightens the state’s water supply challenges.
Posted in
Health care
Fight over trans medical care is at the core of leaked Houston health records case
A doctor says the government wants to punish him for calling attention to wrongdoing. Advocates say the families of trans kids are the ones at risk.
Posted in
Environment
Biden administration proposes rule to protect workers from extreme heat
The proposal comes a year after a new state law ended mandatory water breaks in Austin and Dallas. Last year was the hottest on record in Texas.
Posted in
Courts
U.S. Supreme Court will hear challenge to Texas’ age verification requirement for porn sites
A state law passed last year requires pornographic websites to adopt age-verification measures, leading sites like Pornhub to block user access in Texas.
Posted in
Congress
Amid stolen valor accusations, commanding officer confirms he issued Rep. Troy Nehls’ second Bronze Star
Nehls’ commanding officer in Afghanistan told The Texas Tribune that he issued the congressman his second Bronze Star, which was called into question by a CBS report.
Posted in
Economy
Texas’ social media law remains blocked after U.S. Supreme Court sends it back to lower court
The tech industry saw the measured ruling as a win. Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to continue defending the law.
Posted in
Environment
Odessa residents face another water outage
The fast-growing Permian Basin city has faced years of water problems due to crumbling infrastructure. The system last shut off in May.
Posted in
Demographics
Texas Supreme Court upholds ban on transition-related care for minors
Parents and medical providers of transgender adolescents sued Texas, challenging the constitutionality of a restriction on puberty blockers and hormone therapy.
Posted in
Demographics
Fastest growing group in Texas: Asian Americans
A new Census Bureau report shows the Asian American population went up 5.5% in one year, outpacing overall state growth.