The bill’s proposals include limiting police searches during stops, adding reporting requirements for racial profiling and creating an independent ombudsman to monitor inmates’ rights and services.
state agencies
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Health care
Citing sex-trafficking series, Texas Dem urges Paxton to stop fighting foster care suit
“If there was ever a call to action for state officials to get serious about reforming foster care, this was it,” state Rep. Chris Turner said about problems plaguing the child welfare agency.
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State Government
Texas leaders won’t commit to more resources for sex-trafficking victims
The state’s top leaders have remained silent on whether they’ll provide more resources for sex-trafficking victims — or more funding for the crippled child welfare system that’s supposed to protect vulnerable kids.
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Criminal Justice
Juvenile justice agency pushes back on claims of ineffectiveness
A Senate Finance committee workgroup has been tasked with exploring ways to improve the Texas Juvenile Justice Department as the agency defends itself from claims of inefficiency.
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Health care
At state agencies without a public crisis, workers fear they won’t see raises
Advocates for state employees hope that lawmakers approve substantial pay raises — including for state workers who don’t work at an agency that’s facing a high-profile crisis.
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Public Education
In preliminary vote, State Board of Education keeps controversial evolution standards
A day after hearing from scientists begging them to remove controversial language from science standards that some say opens the door to creationism, State Board of Education members took a preliminary vote Wednesday to do the opposite.
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Criminal Justice
Juvenile justice advocates look to raise age of criminal responsibility to 18
Seventeen-year-olds can’t vote, join the military or buy cigarettes or alcohol, but they’re treated as adults in criminal cases in Texas. About 200 people rallied at the Capitol on Monday to change that.
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Health care
Texas lawmakers fired up about state CPS and foster care woes
On Monday, the Senate Finance Committee scrutinized Department of Family and Protective Services budget requests while the House Workgroup on Child Protective Services floated a proposal to make the department a standalone agency.
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Demographics
Texas dispute with feds leaves Corpus Christi neighborhood in housing limbo
More than a year after Texas and the federal government settled a civil rights complaint from residents of the Corpus Christi neighborhood of Hillcrest, both sides are at an impasse, potentially leaving hundreds in the lurch.
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Energy
House, Senate disagree on how to fund the state’s oil and gas regulator
Texas House and Senate leaders unveiled dueling budget proposals this week that are billions of dollars apart.
