Senate passes court security bill named in honor of Austin judge who was attacked
The Judge Julie Kocurek Judicial and Courthouse Security Act of 2017 passed the chamber Tuesday. Full Story
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![District Judge Julie Kocurek, who was severely injured in a 2015 shooting, greets state Rep. Tomas Uresti after she was mentioned in Chief Justice Nathan Hecht's State of the Judiciary speech on Feb. 1, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Outlook good for texting-while-driving ban, key lawmakers say
Key lawmakers are optimistic about the passage of a bill that would ban texting-and-driving across Texas, despite failed attempts over the last few sessions. Full Story
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Credit: Tim Park for The Texas Tribune -
Supreme Court to hear another Texas death penalty case
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear the Texas death penalty case of a Honduran national who was convicted for his role in a 1995 murder of 67-year-old Santiaga Paneque during a Houston home invasion. Full Story
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![Carlos Ayestas was sentenced to death for the murder of Santiaga Paneque, who was killed during a robbery in her home in Houston in 1995.]()
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Bestiality isn't illegal in Texas. Lawmakers may soon change that.
Texas is one of eight states that does not have a ban on the books against bestiality. Full Story
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Years after Rick Perry defunded the Public Integrity Unit, state budget writers may revive it in part
Texas lawmakers might revive a special prosecuting unit in Travis County — this one only investigating fraud, not corrupt state officials. Full Story
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Cruz and Cornyn urge Democrats to allow vote on Gorsuch
Amidst the threat of a filibuster from Democrats, U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz said Wednesday they are intent on finding a way for Republicans to confirm President Trump's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn sits with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and wife Heidi Cruz at the Fort Hood Purple Heart ceremony on April 10, 2015.]()
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Judge in Paxton case will rule on pretrial issues on Thursday
The judge in the securities fraud case against Attorney General Ken Paxton says he will rule by noon Thursday on a number of major pretrial issues. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during a news conference on Jan. 12, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Stockman, former aide indicted on fraud charges
The case against Steve Stockman is growing. Full Story
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Credit: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call -
Supreme Court says Texas can’t use old medical standards for death row inmates
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Texas death row inmate Tuesday, sending his case back to the appeals court and invalidating the state's method of determining if a death-sentenced inmate is intellectually disabled and therefore ineligible for execution. Full Story
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![Bobby Moore has been on death row since 1980, convicted of murdering James McCarble, a 72-year-old grocery clerk, during a robbery.]()
Credit: TDCJ/Abby Livingston -
Texas death penalty juror hopes to change law as execution looms
As Paul Storey's execution looms, one juror is asking the Texas Legislature to clarify the jury instructions in death penalty cases, claiming he didn't know he alone could have stopped the sentence. Full Story
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Stockman says he'll be vindicated as lawyers brush off "deep state" blame
Former U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas, said Friday he will be vindicated in the conspiracy case against him while his lawyers brushed off the suggestion a "deep state" shadow government was behind his arrest. Full Story
![Former U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman]()
Credit: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call -
Yet again, lawmakers poised to do little to help sex-trafficking victims
When it comes to child sex trafficking, Texas lawmakers are once again poised to focus on criminal enforcement this legislative session rather than providing resources to victims. Full Story
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![People who care for sex-trafficking victims have a common refrain: It's not if they'll run away, but when.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
Senate panel OKs bill requiring schools to teach teens about interacting with police
The proposal, Senate Bill 30, is a bipartisan response to deadly encounters between law enforcement and civilians seen in recent years throughout the country. Full Story
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House committee makes changes to anti-"sanctuary" bill
More than 600 people signed up on Wednesday to testify before the House State Affairs Committee on the lower chamber's version of the controversial proposal to outlaw "sanctuary" jurisdictions. Full Story
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![State Affairs Committee member Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, at the hearing on Senate Bill 4, the "sanctuary cities" bill, on March 15, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas proposal would limit prosecutors in grand jury proceedings
Grand jury reform legislation would allow suspects' attorneys to be present during questioning and would prevent prosecutors from going to another grand jury if the first one declines to indict – unless there's new evidence. Full Story
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Texas executes Fort Worth man who killed a father and an infant
The state carried out its fourth execution of the year, putting to death 61-year-old James Bigby. He was convicted in the 1987 murders of his friend and a 4-month-old during a killing spree in Fort Worth. Full Story
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![Death row inmate James Bigby, sentenced to death for the 1987 murders of Michael Trekell and Trekell's 4-month-old son, Jayson Kehler.]()
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Senators grill one another in tense hearing on property tax bill
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt's attempt to limit when cities and counties can increase property tax collections without an election drew bipartisan opposition Tuesday. But many supporters also came to the bill's defense. Full Story
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![State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, listens to testimony on SB2 at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on March 14, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Here’s what the revised Texas bathroom bill means in plain English
State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, the author of the so-called "bathroom bill," last week unveiled a revised version of Senate Bill 6. We've updated our plain English annotation of the bill to explain how it would impact communities across Texas. Full Story
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![An all-gender restroom at The University of Texas at Austin.]()
Credit: Qiling Wang / The Texas Tribune -
Advocates hope to end policy in Texas of jailing poor for unpaid fines
Thousands of Texans are at risk of being arrested at any given moment for not paying fines often related to traffic offenses or other city ordinance violations, according to a recent report. Full Story
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![Inmates in the Harris County Jail in 2011.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman/The Texas Tribune -
Proposed law would crowdfund donations to help with rape kit backlog
As Texas faces a backlog of thousands of untested rape kits, lawmakers appear unwilling to spend state dollars to address the problem — but they're considering crowdfunding. Full Story
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![Jenny Black, executive director/coordinator at Austin/Travis County Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, shows a sexual assault evidence collection kit at St. David's Medical Center in Austin on July 29, 2013.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman
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