The state’s “fetal heartbeat” law going into effect Sept. 1 is considered one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the nation.
87th Legislative Session
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
“I expect the worst”: A Texas parent worries about sending her children back to school in person
Gov. Greg Abbott is standing firm on his ban against mask mandates in schools. Some parents are concerned for their children’s safety as in-person classes resume.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Two years after Walmart mass shooting, El Paso leaders see inaction and betrayal by Texas officials
In what some people call an affront to the families of the 2019 shooting victims, Texas Republicans expanded gun rights earlier this year when the state Legislature passed a permitless carry bill.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Martin Luther King Jr.’s son says Texas Republicans are misrepresenting his father’s words in effort to whitewash history
Republican Texas lawmakers have justified their efforts to limit how racism and current events are taught in school by saying that critical race theory judges people by the color of their skin. Martin Luther King III and experts disagree.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Gov. Greg Abbott says he’ll soon unveil plan to restrict transition-related medical care for transgender children
The move comes after bills to do so were unsuccessful during the regular legislative session — and after Abbott did not include them on his agenda for the ongoing special session.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Texas Senate advances bills limiting education about race, access to abortion-inducing medications. The House is still sidelined.
It’s largely symbolic, but the Texas Senate is nearing the end of its work on Republican priorities for the special legislative session after passing bills limiting “critical race theory” and abortion access Friday.
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Texas Legislature 2021
What it means to break quorum and what you need to know about the Texas House Democrats’ dramatic departure
Democrats are preventing the Texas House from having enough members to pass legislation. We explain what that means, what options Republicans have and what’s in the voting bills Democrats oppose.
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Texas Legislature 2021
After hours of impassioned testimony, Texas Senate panel advances bills limiting the school sports teams that transgender athletes can join
Gov. Greg Abbott added the legislation to the special session agenda after similar bills failed to pass during the regular session earlier this year.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
GOP voting bills advance in Texas House and Senate after overnight committee hearings
Authors of the legislation are moving to ban drive-thru and 24-hour voting options, enhance access for partisan poll watchers and prohibit local election officials from proactively distributing applications to request mail-in ballots. Both bills also include language to further restrict the state’s voting-by-mail rules, including new ID requirements for absentee voters.
Posted in
Economy
Texas educators of color say law limiting how America’s history of racism is taught further silences marginalized voices
Texas teacher Juan Carmona says it’s important to talk about the experiences of marginalized groups with students of color because they should see themselves represented in history books.