The legislation would enhance background checks for gun purchasers younger than 21. It would also make it easier to remove guns from people threatening to kill themselves or others, as well as people who have committed domestic violence.
Congress
Read the latest Texas Tribune coverage of Congress, from the state’s lawmakers in Washington to key legislation and political debates shaping Texas and the nation.
Posted in
Congress
As she prepares to leave Congress, Eddie Bernice Johnson fears a rollback in the civil rights she fought decades to advance
Johnson’s barrier-breaking political career started in the heart of deeply segregated Texas. She is nearing the end of her 15th — and last — term representing Dallas. In January, she will retire.
Posted in
Uvalde school shooting
Caught between an A+ NRA rating and a nation reeling from shootings, John Cornyn is key to whether gun safety deal advances
The bipartisan gun legislation could end up being a career definer for John Cornyn, Texas’ senior senator. He’s shown a past willingness to compromise but faces critics further to his right, including his fellow senator Ted Cruz.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
How Mayra Flores flipped a Rio Grande Valley congressional seat and gave Republicans hope for a new era in South Texas
Her outright victory in a special election is the latest chapter in a topsy-turvy election cycle for South Texas, which Republicans have worked to turn into a new battleground.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
Republicans flip U.S. House seat in South Texas, historically a Democratic stronghold
Mayra Flores, a Republican, won a special election to fill the unexpired term of U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela. Another election will be held in November.
Posted in
Uvalde school shooting
Ted Cruz is skeptical about red flag provision in federal bipartisan deal on guns
Red flag laws are designed to keep guns out of the hands of individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has championed the bipartisan agreement.
Posted inPolitics
Lawmakers urge DPS to give more Uvalde shooting information in Spanish
Nearly three weeks after the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, the state has been fiercely criticized for not providing Spanish-language information in an overwhelmingly Hispanic community.
Posted in
Climate Change in Texas
U.S. House approves massive $31 billion “Ike Dike” project to protect Texas coast from hurricanes
The U.S. House voted to authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning for the massive coastal barrier project in Galveston Bay, but funding is not yet secured. The largest civil engineering project in U.S. history would permanently alter the Texas coast.
Posted in
Congress
U.S. House’s Jan. 6 committee will begin laying out evidence Thursday, but it’s not yet known if any Texans will testify
The committee previously subpoenaed several Trump allies with Texas ties. The hearing begins at 7 p.m. Central time Thursday, but a witness list has not been released.
Posted in
Uvalde school shooting
Fourth grade Uvalde survivor testifies that she covered herself in another student’s blood to survive shooter
Miah Cerrillo, 11, was among the small group of Uvalde survivors and community members who testified at a House hearing Wednesday, offering details about the incident and the devastation to those left behind.