The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
Hospitals and other health care providers in Texas, which has the lowest rate of insurance coverage in the nation, have gotten some $1.8 billion in federal help for uninsured COVID-19 patients. Full Story
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The law went into effect in September, a week before Mexico’s Supreme Court dissolved a Coahuila state law that made abortion a crime. Now some Texans further along in their pregnancies are going there for abortion-inducing drugs. Full Story
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Texans who don’t vote in primaries and primary runoffs are missing a chance to choose who goes to Congress and the Texas Legislature. Thanks to the political maps drawn by lawmakers last year, only a handful of those contests will be competitive in November. Full Story
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Davis is best known for her 13-hour filibuster against another restrictive abortion law in 2013. Now, she’s suing to block enforcement of Texas’ current ban on abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. Full Story
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The policy sidelines educators, often for two school years, at a time when districts are already struggling to keep teachers in the classrooms. Full Story
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Typically political allies, two of the state’s top Republicans have endorsed different candidates in six GOP primary runoff races. Full Story
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The Texas ban on abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy effectively makes abortion illegal for most pregnant people — but not for those who can afford out-of-state travel. Full Story
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For Democrats, especially in Texas, tackling border issues is difficult on the campaign trail as the party is not in agreement about various policies. O’Rourke has had to distance himself from President Joe Biden’s border policies, while going after Gov. Greg Abbott’s. Full Story
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The delays caused by the state’s inspections are the latest blow to farmers and produce businesses in the Rio Grande Valley recovering from the pandemic and losses from last year’s winter storm. Full Story
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The deals Abbott made with three of the four Mexican border governors don’t include any new security measures south of the border. Abbott threatened to restart the inspections if Mexican states don’t slow migration to Texas. Full Story
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Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin all ranked among the top 10 cities for new eviction filings in early April, among the 31 cities tracked by Eviction Lab. Full Story
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Like other states, Texas found out during the pandemic how critical high-speed broadband is for school, work and medicine. And the state is working to expand it — but it’s going to be at least a year before Texans start to see results. Full Story
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The announcements come a day after Abbott reached a similar deal with Nuevo León’s governor, who agreed to add security at a major border bridge in exchange for an end to increased vehicle inspections by Texas troopers. Full Story
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Republican and Democratic state legislators joined Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith in a panel at the University of Texas at San Antonio on Wednesday. Full Story
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The brigadier general steps down from commanding Operation Lone Star’s military efforts after five months. Full Story
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The move provides little relief as trade between Texas and Mexico is hampered along the border because of Abbott’s order. The Colombia bridge is just one of 13 commercial crossings between the two countries and the only one connected to Nuevo León. Full Story
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We’re hiring reporters to cover the Panhandle/South Plains and East Texas, along with a regional editor. We hope to also place staff in the Rio Grande Valley and the Permian Basin. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott is slated to have a meeting and press event with Samuel Alejandro García Sepúlveda — the Mexican governor of Nuevo León, the state that includes a section of the border near Laredo — later Wednesday afternoon. Full Story
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The Rio Grande Valley, often seen as a reliable vote against abortion, has a long history of advocacy to increase access to the procedure. Full Story
![Cathy Torres, Organizing Manager of Frontera Fund, (she/her) stands outside of the Starr County Jail at a protest on April 9, 2022. regarding the jailing of Lizelle Herrera, a woman being held at the jail on a count of murder for allegedly having a self-induced abortion.
"Once SB8 went into effect, we [Frontera Fund] got flooded from donations nationally," Torres said. "Every single person that calls our line travels out of state. When someone needs travel assistance to get an abortion, we help with that." When asked what people can do for Lizelle, Torres said, "Continue calling the jail and demanding her immediate release. We're going to keep track of what's happening and I say keep in tune with our social media."](https://thumbnails.texastribune.org/t5kcGPREpzvEPcpr6gmxFwa1_DA=/850x570/smart/filters:quality(75)/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/54d602bedc6f946879bfdc428abf75d8/Starr%20County%20Abortion%20MGO%20TT%2017.jpg)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection called the state inspections ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott “unnecessary” and said commercial traffic at the Texas-Mexico border has dropped 60% since they began. Full Story
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