Bill requiring air conditioning in all Texas prisons wins House approval
House Bill 3006 would require the installation of climate control in state prison facilities by 2032. Full Story
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![Birds fly overhead at the Hilltop prison unit in Gatesville on Nov. 25, 2019.]()
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Proposal to enhance Texas’ pioneering junk science law approved by Texas House
Last year, lawmakers waded into a dramatic feud over the case of death row inmate Robert Roberson, seen as the embodiment of the failures of Texas’ junk science law. Full Story
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![Former Detective Brian Wharton testifies during a Criminal Jurisprudence hearing on death row inmate Robert Roberson on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024 in Austin. Wharton was an investigator in the case of the death of Nikki Roberson and has expressed his doubts of Roberson's guilt and agrees with stopping his execution. With his scheduled execution drawing closer, a hearing debating the certainty of Roberson's guilt and there is a bipartisan push to stay his execution. Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Pressing deadlines, unfinished business: Where the Legislature stands on abortion, water, property tax and more
A raft of social conservative priorities backed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick hang in the balance, including efforts to infuse more religion into public schools. Full Story
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![Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows presides over discussion of SB 2 Amendment 1 in the House Chamber in Austin on April 16, 2025.]()
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Bill to ban child marriages in Texas advances in the House
Before the House takes a final vote on the bill, it could face a proposal that would allow adults and minors to marry if their age gap is three years or less. Full Story
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![The dome of the Texas State Capitol on Thursday, April 24, 2014.]()
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Proposals to require judges to deny bail more often advance through House panel, signaling a broader agreement
Amending the Texas Constitution to crack down on the state’s bail practices has been an elusive priority of Gov. Greg Abbott’s for three consecutive sessions. Full Story
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![An Austin Bail Bonds II sign near Interstate 35 on Feb. 5, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Frio County public officials among six indicted after elections investigation, Paxton says
The county judge, two city council members and others are accused of vote harvesting. Full Story
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![An intersection in downtown Pearsall on Sept. 16, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
In bail talks, lawmakers close in on Texas GOP goal of keeping defendants in jail
While Gov. Greg Abbott steps up his push for stricter bail rules, critics seek a balance between the rights of the accused and the goal of keeping dangerous defendants behind bars. Full Story
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![A+ Discount Bail Bonds in San Marcos on Sept. 8, 2021.]()
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Advocates fear Texas lawmakers are about to worsen the state’s homelessness crisis
Republican lawmakers are considering a bill to strengthen the state’s ban on homeless encampments and speed up the eviction process. Full Story
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![Tents are pitched in front of Austin City Hall protesting camping bans on May 10, 2021.]()
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Texas lawmakers want to exempt police from deadly conduct charges
Local prosecutors have used the charge to punish police accused of misconduct. Legislation that would prevent that is advancing through the Legislature. Full Story
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![Police tactical officers prepare for confrontation during a march against police brutality in Dallas on March 29, 2020.]()
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Texas inmate executed for murder of ex-classmate
Moises Mendoza, who was convicted in 2005 of killing a Farmersville woman, became the third inmate Texas has put to death this year. Full Story
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![The Huntsville Unit Texas State Penitentiary houses the execution chamber of Texas and is located in Huntsville on Jan. 31, 2024.]()
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In act of forgiveness, woman hugs the El Paso Walmart mass shooter who killed her brother
A day after the shooter pleaded guilty to killing 23 people and wounding 22 others, Yolanda Tinajero gave the judge an unusual request. Full Story
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![Adriana Zandri, right, hugs the mass killer who murdered her husband, Ivan Filiberto Manzano, at the conclusion of the second day of victim impact statements in District Judge Sam Medrano’s courtroom. Crusius pleaded guilty Monday to capital murder and aggravated assault charges for killing 23 people and wounding 22 others at an El Paso Walmart on Aug. 3, 2019.]()
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Prosecutor cites anti-immigrant rhetoric as El Paso shooter is sentenced to 23 life terms
”This community will always remember those whose lives you stole … Their light will never fade,” the judge told the shackled shooter. “While you, your name and your hate, will be forgotten.” Full Story
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![Mass shooter Patrick Crusius, center, stands up to listen to the charges from Judge Sam Medrano in the 409th district Commissioners Courtroom at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse for his sentencing in El Paso, Texas, on April 21, 2025. Crusius was convicted of massacring 23 people in a racially motivated mass shooting nearly six years ago at a Walmart in the Cielo Vista area of East El Paso.]()
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Second shooting at Dallas high school in a year injures four students
Hours after the shooting, officials said the suspect had evaded security protocols at Wilmer-Hutchins High School. Full Story
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![Police blocked off the scene July 8 where chaos erupted the night before when officers were targeted by sniper fire following a peaceful Black Lives Matter Protest in downtown Dallas.]()
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Former U.S. Attorney John Bash first to announce run to replace Attorney General Ken Paxton
Bash served as special assistant to President Trump during his first term and is Elon Musk’s lawyer. Full Story
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![John F. Bash, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas resigned from his position.]()
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Bill to create a Texas Homeland Security Division passes state Senate
Senate Bill 36, a priority bill for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, would create an office within the Department of Public Safety focused on immigration enforcement, organized crime and threats to state infrastructure. Full Story
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![DPS airboats on the bank of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, seen from Piedras Negras, on June 6, 2024.]()
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House panel passes bill requiring air conditioning in Texas prisons by 2032
Weeks after a federal judge declared hot conditions in Texas prisons unconstitutional, a bill requiring air conditioning in those facilities by 2032 has gained traction in the House. Full Story
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![Mountain View prison in Gatesville on September 19, 2019.]()
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You have the right to an attorney. But in Texas, don’t count on it.
In some parts of the state, misdemeanor defendants routinely face charges without representation. Full Story
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![HEREFORD, TEXAS - February 26, 2025: The empty courtroom at the Deaf Smith County Courthouse in Hereford, Texas where misdemeanor court takes place. Ilana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times]()
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Ken Paxton’s legal woes are lifting, clearing a path for a likely Senate run
The federal criminal investigation into corruption allegations was the most serious inquiry Paxton faced. Its end nearly clears his slate of numerous legal battles. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
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Despite Texas defendant’s death in Louisiana prison, lawmakers unlikely to end reliance on out-of-state lockups
Lawmakers are pursuing legislative changes that would keep more people locked up in overcrowded county jails while awaiting resolution to their cases. Full Story
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![Sarah Knight poses for a portrait at her home in Houston with a birthday card she made for her son Jaleen Anderson on May 13, 2024. Anderson died earlier in the year while being held in LaSalle Correctional Facility in Louisiana.]()
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Officer previously accused of excessive force confirmed for state board by Texas Senate
One Senate Democrat joined Republicans, providing the margin needed to approve Justin Berry to the state law-enforcement board. Full Story
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![Former Austin Police officer Justin Berry holds a weapon with non-lethal rounds during a protest in front of Austin City Hall on May 31, 2020. The protestors had gathered in response to the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune