A U.S. district judge has long presided over a court case that found Texas’ foster care system unconstitutionally harms kids. Tuesday’s hearing was the first appearance by the state’s new team of defense attorneys.
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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LGBTQ+ Texans
Twenty years after a breakthrough Texas case launched a new era of gay rights, trans people are still in the fight
The U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for major civil rights victories for queer Americans in the 2003 decision that decriminalized homosexuality. But progress for LGBTQ+ people has been uneven.
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Immigration
Supreme Court rejects Texas effort to force Biden administration to change deportation policy
Texas and Louisiana sued after the Biden administration told immigration agents to focus on deporting undocumented immigrants who are convicted of felonies or pose a risk to public safety. The Supreme Court said states didn’t have any standing to sue.
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Winter Storm 2021
ERCOT can’t be sued over power grid failures during 2021 winter storm, Texas Supreme Court rules
The all-Republican court narrowly found that the nonprofit corporation operating the state’s electrical grid qualifies for sovereign immunity, which protects government entities from lawsuits.
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Texas Abortion Restrictions
A year after Dobbs decision, Texas has settled in to a post-abortion reality
The impact of Texas’ near-total ban on abortion is coming into focus as patients and providers leave the state, legal challenges languish and the state’s social safety net braces for a baby boom.
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Politics
A battle over who gets to tell Texas history is brewing into a war over the state historical association’s future
Texas State Historical Association members can’t agree on the makeup of the group’s board. And Executive Director J.P. Bryan, a descendant of Stephen F. Austin, is suing.
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Politics
Llano County libraries case has lawyers and publishers worried about existing legal precedents
Libraries have been at the receiving end of book challenges, threats and new laws. Now, some worry a federal appeals court could chip away at long-standing protections.
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Higher Education
What the possible end to race-conscious admissions means for Texas universities
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s expected ruling on two cases challenging the policy commonly known as affirmative action in college admissions.
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Courts
Preference can be given to tribes in adoption and foster placement of Native American children, U.S. Supreme Court rules
Texas had joined with other plaintiffs in arguing that provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act were unconstitutional racial discrimination.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Texas AG sues Biden administration over Title IX interpretation
State law that limits transgender student athletes’ participation in sports runs afoul of the updated federal civil rights law, which was expanded to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ students, potentially putting Texas schools at risk of losing federal funding.
