State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, has been placed under the protection of the Texas Department of Public Safety after getting death threats following his filing of a bill to criminalize abortion in Texas.
Department of Public Safety
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Civil rights group asks judge to sanction state in voter registration suit
Civil rights lawyers suing Texas over its voter registration practices asked a federal judge to sanction the state for allegedly blowing past deadlines and ignoring a court order to hand over documents.
Posted inPolitics, State Government
Here’s what the Texas bathroom bill means in plain English
The so-called bathroom bill has drawn national attention to the Texas Legislature. But what would the proposed bill actually do? We’ve annotated the text to explain in plain English how the bill would impact communities across Texas.
Posted in
Demographics
Houston police chief urges better mental health care for officers
Art Acevedo, the newly hired head of the police force in Texas’ largest city, acknowledged at a Tribune symposium on Saturday the difficulty of finding new funding for the effort but argued for its importance.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Lawmakers draw battle lines on border security, sanctuary cities
On the same day that Texas House Republicans doubled down on border security efforts and announced plans to send an invoice to the federal government, Senate Democrats said they were committed to fighting bills to eliminate sanctuary cities.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Whitmire may avoid some pension votes amid conflict-of-interest concerns
After some Dallas City Council members voiced concerns this week over Whitmire’s work at a law firm whose client list includes city pension fund boards, the Houston Democrat said he would likely abstain from voting on Dallas-specific bills.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Appeals court panel taking up provision in Texas border security law
On Wednesday the U.S. Fifth Circuit of Appeals will hear arguments over whether an immigrant harboring provision lawmakers passed nearly two years ago should be implemented.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas Rangers launch criminal probe into Dallas’ pension shortfall
Mayor Mike Rawlings blames former pension administration for a “grave breach of trust,” but it’s unclear who is the target of the state inquiry.
Posted in
Bordering on Insecurity
Many border drug smugglers avoid prison
In two key counties, less than a quarter of the “high-threat criminals” arrested by Department of Public Safety troopers for felony drug offenses during the state’s border surge have been sent to prison.
Posted in
Bordering on Insecurity
Most border arrests by Texas troopers are not for drug smuggling
DPS has added more troopers to the border under the assumed objective that they’re going after drug and human smugglers. But most of their arrests are for drunk driving and misdemeanor drug possession.
