More and more states have decided to expand Medicaid, but Texas has not budged. With more than a half million Texans in the so-called health coverage gap, will the politics of the issue shift in next year’s legislative session?
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: You can’t fix Texas school finance until you agree on the meaning of “fix”
Changing the way public schools are funded is hard even when everyone agrees on the problem. But Texas lawmakers will first have to figure out if they’re aiming to lower property taxes, increase spending on public education — or just change how the money is distributed.
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Immigration
Family of 7-year-old Guatemalan girl who died in federal custody speak out, call for “objective and thorough investigation”
“Premature and inaccurate statements undermine the integrity of the investigation,” attorneys for the family of Jakelin Caal Maquin said in a statement Saturday.
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Politics
State Rep. Joe Pickett to resign from Texas House after nearly 24 years in office
Citing health issues, the El Paso Democrat announced Saturday that he would step down from his post effective Jan. 4, four days before the start of the next legislative session.
Posted in
Immigration
Beto O’Rourke and other Democrats urge public to keep Tornillo migrant facility in spotlight
The population at the detention center for migrant children has quietly swelled from a few hundred to about 2,800 in about six months.
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Health care
Federal judge rules Obamacare unconstitutional, handing Texas an early win
Fort Worth U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor ruled that the individual mandate — a critical component of Obamacare — is unconstitutional, rendering the rest of the law invalid as well.
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Politics
Beto O’Rourke says Julián Castro’s likely 2020 presidential bid won’t affect his own plans
O’Rourke also wouldn’t rule out challenging U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in 2020.
Posted inState Government
Joaquin Castro says twin brother Julián Castro is running for president
The San Antonio congressman erased any lingering doubt during a joint interview that aired Thursday night on CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
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Guides
Dennis Bonnen isn’t Texas House speaker yet but he’s hiring people like he is. How does that work?
The Texas House is about to get a new speaker and more than two dozen new members. While they all have started transitioning into their new roles, they can’t do much until they are officially sworn in to their new positions next month.
Posted in
Politics
Analysis: A potential Texas shootout inside the 2020 presidential race
The faraway 2020 presidential election is already underway, and it’s got a distinct Texas air to it, with Democratic Party rising stars Julián Castro of San Antonio and Beto O’Rourke of El Paso deciding whether to run.
