Emboldened by Robert F. Kennedy Jrโs nomination and disdain for pandemic-era mandates, skeptics are pushing for bills to make it easier to opt out of vaccines.
Graphics and data reporting
The Tribune is an authoritative source for providing user-friendly databases of public information. Our reporters and software engineers collaborate to present a full picture for readers, giving them the tools to be more thoughtful, productive and engaged citizens. We also use data to help tell other compelling stories about politics and policy in Texas.
See how Texas House members voted in the speaker race
The race pitted state Reps. David Cook and Dustin Burrows against each other. Hereโs how each representative voted.
Texas is silent on whether it will offer summer food assistance for students
After the state missed the Jan. 1 deadline, lawmakers still have time to approve administrative costs before applying for $400 million in federal summer meal assistance.
Here are the biggest stories from our data visuals team in 2024
The Tribuneโs data journalists helped visualize everything from voter participation and extreme weather to gaps in the stateโs border wall. Here are some of the highlights.
As landowners resist, Texasโ border wall is fragmented and built in remote areas
At least a third of landowners approached by state officials have refused to let wall be built on their properties. Thatโs forced the state to largely build on ranchland in remote areas, or erect sections that are full of gaps.
See final results from Texas for the November 2024 election
Texans voted in several races, including for the President, a U.S. Senator, U.S. House members and more.
Texasโ uneven population boom is creating ghost towns in many rural counties
Local leaders and rural revitalization experts say Texasโ smallest towns can survive โ despite a shift to urban and suburban counties โ but it will take investments.
Donald Trump and Ted Cruz scored big wins in Texas, but the president-elect outperformed the senator on his own turf
Cruz beat his challenger by 9 points, while Trump prevailed over his by 14 points. Still, Cruz performed better this year than he did in 2018
Trumpโs near sweep of Texas border counties shows a shift to the right for Latino voters
The former president captured 55% of Latino voters in the state, according to exit polls. He also won 14 out of the 18 counties within 20 miles of the border, a number that doubled his 2020 performance in the Latino-majority region.
Texas Legislature will approve school vouchers and boost public education funds next year, Abbott says
Last year, Abbott refused to give public schools a major raise without passing a voucher program. His tone was more conciliatory after Election Day.

