The Rio Grande Regional Water Authority has hired a PR firm to help urge the federal government to mandate that Mexico deliver water to the U.S. under a decades-old treaty. Legal experts say such conflicts would continue if the treaty isn’t amended.
Courts
Stay up to date on Texas courts with in-depth coverage of major rulings, judicial elections, criminal justice, and the judges shaping state law from The Texas Tribune.
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Criminal Justice
Complaint: Judge’s Death Penalty Remarks Show Racial Bias
Civil rights groups and ethicists allege that 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Edith Jones violated judicial codes of conduct during a February speech in which she reportedly said some minority groups are “predisposed to crime.”
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Criminal Justice
Cruz Outlines Opposition to Immigration Reform Bill
The immigration reform bill slated to go before the U.S. Senate next week is full of loopholes that fail to secure the border or address legal immigration, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz wrote in a letter to his colleagues on Tuesday.
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Criminal Justice
Video: Acquittals Leave 2004 Murder Unsolved
Megan Winfrey spent six years behind bars before she was acquitted of murder. Now, she is hoping to help solve the mystery of who brutally killed school janitor Murray Burr in 2004.
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Criminal Justice
Despite Acquittal, Winfrey Struggles Outside Prison
Megan Winfrey spent six years — nearly all of the 25-year-old’s adult life — behind bars before she was acquitted of murder. She faces the colossal challenge of starting her life without compensation for the years she lost in prison.
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Criminal Justice
Report: Immigrants’ Economic Strength in Texas Increases
The number of naturalized citizens in Texas is on the rise, as is the purchasing power and economic output of the state’s native-born and immigrant Hispanic and Asian populations, according to an Immigration Policy Center report.
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Criminal Justice
The 83rd Lege’s Regular Session: What Happened and What Didn’t
Lawmakers raced to get several bills passed before the 83rd Legislature’s regular session ended. And with Monday’s announcement of a special session, their work isn’t done. Here’s a look at the deals reached and the measures that fell short in the regular session.
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Criminal Justice
Bill, Budget Expand Authority of Forensic Science Commission
Legislators are planning to give the Texas Forensic Science Commission authority to review many more labs and types of forensic analysis and to double the agency’s budget, hoping it will become a national model.
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Criminal Justice
House Halts Attempt to Expand Lawmakers’ Gun Rights
Many self-proclaimed gun enthusiasts in the Texas House aren’t ready to expand their own gun rights if they can’t do the same for their constituents.
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Criminal Justice
Business Association Scores Victories on Criminal Justice Agenda
This session, the Texas Association of Business put a focus on legislation related to criminal justice, as it advocated for bills aimed at helping ex-offenders get jobs. Here’s a look at legislation that the group backed.