Texas executes man convicted of killing 13-month-old girl in 2008
Blaine Milam, who was pronounced dead at 6:40 p.m. Thursday, is the fifth death row inmate executed by the state in 2025. Full Story
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![The Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, also known as the "Walls Unit,” near downtown Huntsville, on Aug. 16, 2022.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson will not seek clemency ahead of October execution
Roberson, convicted of capital murder in 2003 for the death of his 2-year-old daughter, will continue to push for a new trial. He has maintained his innocence. Full Story
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![Robert Roberson listens as his lawyers plead his case on July 16, 2025. A new execution date of Oct. 16, 2025 was set by presiding Judge Austin Jackson of Smith County at the Anderson County Courthouse in Palestine.]()
Credit: Joel Andrews for the Texas Tribune -
Shooter’s notes say he intended to target ICE officers, authorities say
Federal authorities said the notes indicate the 29-year-old who killed an ICE detainee and wounded two others expressed hatred for the federal government and acted alone. Full Story
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![Joe Rothrock, special agent in charge of the Dallas FBI Field Office, speaks at a press conference regarding the shooting at an ICE field office in Dallas on Sept. 24, 2025.]()
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Many Texas retailers can no longer sell THC to customers under 21
The age limit is expected to go into effect Tuesday after the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission approved the rule. Enforcement won’t begin until Oct. 1. Full Story
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![THC products sit near the cash register in Hyde Park Market in Austin on May 5, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
New Texas law restricting abortion pills beefs up an existing legal tool
HB 7, which was signed by the governor Wednesday, allows private citizens to sue abortion pill providers and manufacturers, mirroring a 2021 law on abortion bans Full Story
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![Misoprostol on the shelf at Parker Road Drug Store in Greenville, S.C., on June 13, 2024.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott orders minors banned from THC products
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Friday called Abbott’s decision a pathway to full legalization of cannabis, including marijuana which is still federally illegal. Hemp-derived THC is legal. Full Story
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![THC products sit near the cash register in Hyde Park Market in Austin on May 5, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
Abbott expected to issue executive order setting age requirements for THC-products, other restrictions
The executive order comes after the Legislature ended a special session without the House, Senate and governor agreeing on restrictions. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott at a press conference in Austin on Aug. 15, 2025.]()
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THC ban stalls out down the homestretch of Texas special legislative session
High priority bills that propose banning THC have not moved through the Texas House, as the current overtime session could conclude in the coming days. Full Story
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![THC edibles on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, outside of Midway, TX.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Bill shielding some police complaints from public again dies in Texas House
The measure failed after the two chambers disagreed on whether to include a carveout that would have let parents access records from the 2022 Uvalde school shooting. Full Story
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![El Paso police block off Leavell Avenue by Dyer Street in Northeast El Paso, Texas, in the Logan Heights neighborhood as they investigate a shooting on Thursday, April 17, 2025. A man was found dead after police officers responded to the shooting.]()
Credit: Gaby Velasquez/El Paso Times/USA Today Network via REUTERS -
More than 800 new laws went into effect in Texas on Sept. 1. Here are some of the significant ones.
New laws range from school vouchers and water infrastructure funding to a ban on city and county-funded abortion travel funds. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol in Austin June 30, 2025.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune -
State Ag employees told police they were wary of Sid Miller’s political consultant. Now he’s the agency’s chief of staff.
Todd Smith was Miller’s longtime political consultant when he admitted to soliciting bribes for licenses the agency typically issues for $100. Miller then put him on the payroll at $218,000 per year. Full Story
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![Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller speaks during a Make America Great Rally at the Burleson County Expo Center in Caldwell on Aug. 1, 2024.]()
Credit: Olivia Anderson/The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers delay bill keeping unsubstantiated complaints against officers from the public
Senate Bill 15’s supporters say police shouldn’t be publicly maligned for unproven allegations. Critics say the bill disincentivizes agencies from properly investigating complaints. Full Story
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![Dallas police investigate a shooting at a South Dallas neighborhood on June 5, 2025.]()
Credit: Avi Adelman/ZUMA Press Wire via REUTERS -
Death row inmate Robert Roberson claims judicial misconduct in bid for new trial
A new petition claims Anderson County judges acted unconstitutionally multiple times in both Roberson’s case and in recognizing custody of his daughter. Full Story
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![Shackled and chained, Robert Roberson is led into court by Anderson County Sheriff’s Office deputies on July 16, 2025. A new execution date of Oct. 16, 2025 was set by presiding Judge Austin Jackson of Smith County at the Anderson County Courthouse in Palestine.]()
Credit: Joel Andrews for the Texas Tribune -
Texas prison agency names senior official as its next chief
Bobby Lumpkin, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s COO, will take over the the top role on Sept. 1, following Bryan Collier’s retirement. Full Story
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![Telford prison on Tuesday, March 21, 2017, in New Boston.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Kratom poisoning calls climb in Texas as the state fails to enforce ban on synthetic version
Texas law bans the sale of synthetic kratom, but it isn’t enforced. Earlier this year, legislation died in the Texas House to ban the natural plant, too. Full Story
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![A worker shifts a barrel of Kratom inside the 1836 Kratom warehouse and headquarters Friday, Aug. 8, 2025 in Pflugerville, TX. Kratom is shipped to the United States as a crushed powder and is distributed by 1836 Kratom into various consumption forms.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune -
After local agencies release Uvalde shooting records, calls continue for Texas DPS to follow suit
Local records released this week — after a yearslong lawsuit —affirm previous reporting about law enforcement’s flawed response to Texas’ deadliest school shooting. Full Story
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![Hundreds of flowers, toys, and candles surround the crosses in memorial of the 21 victims of the school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, on June 9, 2022.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate approves bill to protect Texans from real estate fraudsters
Senate Bill 15 seeks to prevent the use of fraudulent deeds to sell someone else’s property or take out loans. It now heads to the House, where its fate is uncertain. Full Story
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![A San Antonio neighborhood on Saturday, May 25, 2024.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Former Sid Miller allies told police the ag commissioner feared the DEA, told a friend to get rid of marijuana
Miller denies wrongdoing after allegations surfaced during an investigation into one of his aides, who pled guilty to bribery. The agriculture commissioner has not been charged with a crime. Full Story
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![Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller speaks to press during a Trump Rally at Million Air in Austin on Oct. 25, 2024.]()
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Texas Court of Criminal Appeals pushes death row inmate’s case back to trial court
Dissenting judges expressed frustration over a lack of clarity on why the case of David Leonard Wood, whose execution in March was halted, was remanded to the lower court. Full Story
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![Huntsville, Texas: Exteriors of the Texas State Penitentiary “Walls Unit” August 20, 2020 in Huntsville, Texas.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes bill to ban THC — again
The Senate’s decision signals another potential standoff with Gov. Greg Abbott, who vetoed a similar ban earlier this year as he called for more regulations instead. Full Story
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![Employees trim leaves off a hemp flower at Caprock Family Farms, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Lubbock. The farm harvests the hemp and then manufactures the product to businesses, if requested.]()
Credit: Annie Rice for The Texas Tribune