A controversial immigration-enforcement bill similar to an executive order issued by former Gov. Rick Perry in December is moving forward in the Texas Legislature.
Demographics
Explore population trends, diversity, and data shaping Texas communities, politics, and policy.
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Criminal Justice
Lawmaker “Encouraged” After Meeting With DPS Director
The state’s public safety director says if lawmakers let him, he’ll provide Rep. César Blanco with data on security operations on the border. The move follows weeks of tense exchanges over how border security dollars are being spent.
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Demographics
Protesters Want Family Immigration Detention Center Shut Down
On the side of a dusty highway about 70 miles southwest of San Antonio on Saturday, more than 500 protesters gathered in front of the largest immigration detention center in the U.S. and chanted “shut it down.”
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Criminal Justice
Video: Castro on Baltimore
At our 5/1 conversation, Julián Castro, the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, talked about the lessons of Baltimore — and how to prevent the next Baltimore.
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Criminal Justice
Video: Turner on Baltimore
At our 4/30 conversation, state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and a candidate for Houston mayor, talked about the events this week in Baltimore — and the takeaways for other big cities.
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Criminal Justice
Chambers Not Too Far Apart on Border Security
Despite appearances, the House and Senate aren’t too far apart on border security funding, says the lone border lawmaker on the budget conference committee. One sticking point is funding for state trooper pay.
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Demographics
Judge: Why Didn’t State Lawmakers Address Voter ID Concerns?
A Republican-appointed federal appellate judge on Tuesday questioned why the Texas Legislature had not addressed concerns that its four-year-old voter ID law discriminated against minority voters.
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Demographics
A Look at How House, Senate Budgets Compare
This week, the House and the Senate named the members of a conference committee that will resolve the differences between the two chambers’ budget plans. Here’s a look at how the two proposals compare, with details on some areas where the plans diverge.
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Criminal Justice
Bonnen: Patrick “Playing Games” With Border Security
A key member of the Texas House’s Republican leadership blasted Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as a Washington-style politician a day after the Texas Senate passed its version of a sweeping border security bill.
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Criminal Justice
Senate Sends Border Security Measure to House
The Texas Senate on Monday passed its own sweeping border security bill, choosing to send its own version to the House rather than taking up the House’s measure, which the lower chamber passed last month.
