The latest abortion news from The Texas Tribune.
The Texas Alliance For Life had a photographer in the House gallery this morning shooting empty seats on the floor —checking for lawmakers who ducked the vote on SB 7, a health bill that has anti-abortion amendments. Full Story
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Aaronson and Murphy visualize what happened to the nearly 5,800 bills introduced in the 82nd Lege, Aaronson, Hasson and Swicegood interactively recap the budget battle, Aguliar on the surge in illegal re-entry cases prosecuted by the Obama administration, Galbraith on a coal plant that wants a water deal from the LCRA, Grissom interviews a man wrongly imprisoned and nearly executed — twice, Hamilton on a controversial UT regent who wants a do-over in the debate over higher ed reform, Ramshaw on the continuing fight over pre-abortion sonograms, Root on Rick Perry's newsmaking trip to NYC and M. Smith on whether cash-strapped school districts will raise taxes: The best of our best content from June 13 to 17, 2011. Full Story
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Likely voters in Texas approve of President Barack Obama almost as much as they approve of Gov. Rick Perry, according to the third and final release of poll results from the Texas Lyceum, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group of civic leaders. Full Story
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The Center for Reproductive Rights, a national abortion-rights advocacy group, has filed suit over Texas' newly signed abortion sonogram law, alleging it violates the First Amendment rights of the doctor and the patient. Full Story
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The health reform bill House lawmakers considered today has drawn an unexpected band of supporters: abortion opponents. The measure contains a provision aimed at doing what GOP lawmakers have fought to do all year: restrict funding to Planned Parenthood. Full Story
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GOP lawmakers have gone to great lengths to try to force Planned Parenthood out of Texas’ Medicaid Women’s Health Program. The Obama administration may have headed off their plans. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry has added controversial immigration and homeland security measures to the agenda for the special legislative session that began last week. Full Story
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The Trib's multimedia team highlights some of the most memorable — and surprising — moments from the 82nd Legislative Session. Our lawmakers sure do love to make a statement, complete with finger pointing, yelling and props. (Some video courtesy the Texas House, the Texas Senate and legetv.org.) Full Story
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This session we have seen an all out assault on women's health driven by the erroneous assumption that family planning is synonymous with abortion. Full Story
The 82nd Texas Legislature’s regular session ends as it started, with lawmakers arguing about a shrunken state budget and redistricting. Full Story
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At a time when we are scouring the budget and questioning every expenditure, when funding for essential services like public education must be reduced, it is time to stop subsidizing abortion providers under the guise of "family planning." Full Story
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Eliminating funds for family planning services is not a responsible or compassionate choice. It will shift the burden of care to our already overloaded local hospitals and leave the women who depend on these services with few options. Full Story
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The Women's Health Program — long believed to require legislative renewal — lives on, at least for now, in the form of a budget rider. Full Story
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The most important problems facing the country are economic, while immigration and border security are the most important problems facing the state, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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This morning, Gov. Rick Perry signed into law House Bill 15, the so-called abortion sonogram bill, which Senate sponsor Dan Patrick, R-Houston, termed "the beginning of the end for abortions." Full Story
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The state's family planning budget is getting increasingly thin. Budget conferees appear poised to go with the cheapest possible option for offering minimal family planning services, and a Medicaid program that provides screenings and contraception is circling the drain. Full Story
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The House tentatively passed a health care bill that intends to increase efficiency and cost savings in Texas' expensive Medicaid and other health programs today — but not before adding a far-ranging variety of amendments. Full Story
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At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the impact of drug-fueled violence on border farmers and ranchers, what he thinks about the Senate's two-thirds rule, his nascent campaign for lieutenant governor in 2014 and more. Full Story
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At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the Senate's two-thirds rule, the Rainy Day Fund, abortion sonograms and other issues that he'd confront as lieutenant governor. Full Story
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Texas' Women's Health Program may be circling the drain. Sen. Bob Deuell says he doesn’t have the votes in the Senate to bring up a bill to renew the family planning and preventative care program — and Rep. Garnet Coleman says his House bill is stuck. Full Story
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