U.S. District Judge David Counts signed another opinion Thursday that cited a lack of historical record on laws relating to domestic violence to justify disarming abusers. Advocates fear the ruling will put more victims in harm’s way.
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.
Posted in
Higher Education
In latest challenge to student loan forgiveness program, a Texas judge blocks Biden’s policy
A federal judge in North Texas has struck down the loan forgiveness program President Joe Biden unveiled in August, citing a failure to provide borrowers with an opportunity for public comment.
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Courts
Texas case could change adoption rules for Native American children, and undercut tribal rights
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit challenging the preferences Native American families and tribes are given under the Indian Child Welfare Act.
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Texas Abortion Restrictions
Abortion helped Democrats across the U.S. hold off a “red wave.” Not in Texas.
In conservative Kansas and Kentucky, voters turned out in droves and crossed party lines to support abortion access. In Texas — where candidates, not issues, were on the ballot — there was no such surge in support.
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Texas 2022 Elections
Republican dominance continues for the two highest courts in Texas
Three seats were up for election in the Texas Supreme Court, which handles civil cases, and three in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Democrats haven’t been elected to either court since the late 1990s.
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Politics
Five Texas cities vote to decriminalize having small amounts of marijuana
Voters in Denton, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin and Harker Heights overwhelmingly supported the local ballot propositions to decriminalize low-level possession. These moves followed Austin voters’ similar decision in May.
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Texas 2022 Elections
Texas Supreme Court ruling opens possibility that late Harris County ballots won’t be counted
After several Harris County polling places opened late, a state district judge ordered voting locations there to stay open until 8 p.m. But the state’s highest civil court blocked that ruling.
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Higher Education
Collin College professor reinstated at school in free speech lawsuit settlement
Suzanne Jones is the second professor to settle with the North Texas college over accusations that the school fired her over protected speech in which administrators disagreed.
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Health care
Texas could get $276 million from opioid settlement with CVS Pharmacy
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office announced that the state is signing on to the $5 billion proposed settlement but hasn’t yet disclosed how its share of the money would be spent if the deal is finalized.
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Texas Abortion Restrictions
As abortion access evaporates, many Texans aren’t able to find care, new studies show
Several new studies show that not everyone denied access to abortions in Texas can travel out of state, but more people than ever before are seeking ways to self-manage abortions with medication at home.