Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday there is an even greater urgency this legislative session to pass laws expanding gun rights because of Joe Biden’s presidency.
Sami Sparber
Sami Sparber was a reporting fellow at The Texas Tribune from 2020 to 2021. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, she has been a political unit intern at NBC News and a reporting intern at the Houston Chronicle. She has also worked as managing editor and projects editor at The Daily Texan.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
As Texas expands COVID-19 vaccination eligibility, racial disparities persist among Black, Hispanic residents
White Texans are being vaccinated at nearly twice the rate of Hispanic Texans and more than six times the rate of Black Texans, according to state data.
Posted in
Winter Storm 2021
At least 57 people died in the Texas winter storm, mostly from hypothermia
The deaths occurred in at least 25 counties. And 25 of the fatalities occurred in Harris County. Some Texas deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning and medical equipment failure.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Lawmaker pushes to allow concealed weapons in Texas public schools
A 2015 law that allowed licensed adults to carry concealed weapons on college campuses sparked widespread protest. Now one legislator wants to extend the practice to include public schools and some charter schools.
Posted in
Winter Storm 2021
2 million Texas households without power as massive winter storm drives demand for electricity
Some utility companies that deliver electricity to Texans are telling customers to expect power outages through Monday night and potentially into Tuesday.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Dan Patrick makes “Star Spangled Banner Act” a legislative priority after the Mavericks go 13 games without the national anthem
The NBA said the team would resume playing the song at home games, a day after it was reported that the national anthem had not been played at any Mavericks home games this season.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
After El Paso massacre, Gov. Greg Abbott signaled openness to gun control. Now, some worry he’s moved on.
The absence of any mention of the mass shootings rankled gun control advocates and state lawmakers from El Paso, who see this legislative session as their best chance to advance the very measures Abbott expressed support for in 2019.
Posted inPolitics
Despite insurrection, there may be more guns in the Texas Capitol this session
The violent storming of the U.S. Capitol prompted some states to reconsider allowing firearms in their statehouses. Not Texas.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
In win for Planned Parenthood, U.S. Supreme Court wipes case law supporting Texas pandemic abortion ban from the books
The high court vacated two rulings from the lower U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that sided with Texas GOP officials arguing that Gov. Greg Abbott’s March 2020 executive order prohibited abortion under all but a few narrow circumstances in an attempt to preserve medical resources for COVID-19 patients.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Texas-based anti-vaccine group received federal bailout funds in May as pandemic raged
The Austin-based group founded by anti-vaccine activist Del Bigtree regularly posts information questioning the safety of the coronavirus vaccines. Doctors and scientists say both the Moderna and the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.