Facing demographic changes that work against their political dominance, Republicans will be able to redraw politically advantageous maps — and shield themselves from the change — without federal oversight for the first time in decades. Full Story
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Not every change in the state’s political maps starts with party affiliation. Geography and population are giving Republican mapmakers new headaches. Full Story
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Before the second special session ended, lawmakers sent the GOP-backed bill for the governor's signature. Full Story
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The summer fight over voting and election law has been fierce. It may well be a prologue to a bigger battle just ahead: redrawing the state’s political maps. Full Story
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The Texas Workforce Commission announced that the U.S. Department of Labor notified the commission that the state’s unemployment rate fell below the threshold needed to continue the benefits. Full Story
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Conservative lawmakers denounce critical race theory and say it facilitates racism. Some teachers say it actually informs their efforts to counter racism in the curriculum and classroom, even though they don't teach it directly to students. Full Story
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Senate Bill 1 would outlaw local efforts to make it easier to vote, ratchet up vote-by-mail rules and bolster protections for partisan poll watchers. The Senate already passed the legislation, but a House panel Monday replaced that with the lower chamber’s version of the bill. Full Story
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The ruling is yet another blow to reproductive rights advocates after Texas passed a law this year that goes into effect Sept. 1 banning abortions as early as six weeks. That law is also currently being challenged in court. Full Story
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One of the Republican authors of the so-called critical race theory bill said the district is misinterpreting the new law’s ban on political activism. A school official called the language “vague.” Full Story
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It’s happening slowly, but during the Texas government’s long summer, with legislative walkouts, fights over voting rights, and new battles over what’s safe and what’s not, Gov. Greg Abbott is mostly getting his way. Full Story
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The state’s Hispanic population is now nearly as large as the non-Hispanic white population, with Texas gaining nearly 11 Hispanic residents for every additional white resident since 2010. Those trends set up a pitched battle for political control when state lawmakers redraw legislative districts. Full Story
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If passed, Texas' anti-transgender legislation will require student athletes to play on school sports teams that don't align with their gender identity. Full Story
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We’d hoped to present some programs in person, but the health and well-being of our attendees, speakers and staff is top of mind. The good news is that we can stream the same smart conversations online, where they can be viewed conveniently, comfortably and safely. Full Story
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Public schools in Texas are reopening this month as parents, students and educators balance learning losses from virtual classes during the pandemic with an alarming rise in COVID-19 and a large number of unvaccinated students. Full Story
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Texas GOP lawmakers failed to restrict transition-related health care options for transgender Texas kids earlier this year. But Gov. Greg Abbott wants a state agency to determine if some procedures constitute child abuse. Full Story
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There are two main groups within Texas’ unvaccinated population: white conservatives in rural areas, and Hispanic and Black people in big cities. Full Story
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Educators who spoke to The Texas Tribune overwhelmingly denounced the new social studies law going into effect Sept. 1. These are the provisions they say could cause problems for them — and Texas students. Full Story
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The decision comes just a week after news surfaced that the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma planned to leave the Big 12, sending shockwaves through college sports and many Texas lawmakers who feel the expansion will have drastic consequences on the remaining Texas schools in the Big 12. Full Story
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Republican Texas lawmakers have justified their efforts to limit how racism and current events are taught in school by saying that critical race theory judges people by the color of their skin. Martin Luther King III and experts disagree. Full Story
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The judge found that the group behind the suit had essentially brought the same claims in a previous case in which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the University of Texas at Austin’s policy. Full Story
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