Lawmakers
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At UT, a Day of Drag and Defiance
Students gathered for a joyful protest of the university system’s drag show ban.
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She’s not faking it: How this Texas bill would excuse period pain absences in school
A Texas bill would excuse school absences for menstrual disorders—advocates say it’s a crucial step toward reproductive health and dignity in schools.
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The financial cost of autism management: Navigating expenses and resources
While all 50 U.S. states have laws requiring private insurers to cover some level of autism-related care, coverage details vary, and out-of-pocket costs can still be significant, Rula explains.
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Trump officials cut planning grant for Texas high-speed rail between Dallas and Houston
President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday terminated a federal grant to help fund a long-sought high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston — saying that if the embattled project moves forward, it will have to do so without federal help at this stage.
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Trump wants to dismantle the Education Department. That could hurt students with disabilities in Texas.
In a state with a checkered history with federal special education law, advocates say Texas students will see an erosion of their disability rights protections. As the Trump administration pushes to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, advocates for students with disabilities worry that, without federal oversight, Texas will fail to provide adequate special education…
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Texas Republicans take aim at public transit in two major cities
The Texas Legislature is considering bills that transit officials warn could hamper public transportation in the Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth regions.
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Telehealth for pets? It’s the cat’s meow, a Texas lawmaker says.
Animal health care experts raised concern that telehealth would lead to misdiagnosis and erode what little care already exists in rural Texas.
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Texas State Veterans Home named for Tuskegee Airmen opens in Fort Worth
A project long championed by the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce to honor the area’s Tuskegee Airmen came to fruition March 22, as Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham hosted the grand opening of the Texas State Veterans Home in Fort Worth that bears their name.
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Congressman denounces ICE response about prosecutor operating racist X account
Last month, Congressman Marc Veasey, a North Texas Democrat, sent a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Deputy Director Kenneth Genalo demanding a swift investigation into James “Jim” Joseph Rodden, an ICE assistant chief counsel who acts as a prosecutor for ICE in immigration court in Dallas.
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‘Striking close to home’: Zoning bills tackling Texas affordable housing crisis evoke emotion
As part of a potential slate of solutions to Texas’ housing affordability crisis, state senators recently examined a bill authorizing the use of small auxiliary residences behind a larger main house.
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Federal investigators were preparing two Texas housing discrimination cases — until Trump took over
The government spent years probing allegations that a Dallas HOA created rules to kick poor Black people out and that Texas discriminated against minority residents in Houston after Hurricane Harvey, only to suddenly reverse course under Trump.
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Texas schools have leaned on uncertified teachers to fill vacancies. Lawmakers want to put a stop to it.
Underprepared teachers have been tied to student learning losses. But amid a teacher shortage crisis, school leaders fear the restrictions will lead to fewer instructors in their classrooms.
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What Ever Happened to Ethics Reform?
The House speaker battle wasn’t really about cleaning house.
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Texas Legislature proposes $400 million cut to higher ed as Dan Patrick threatens university budgets over DEI
At a public event last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said higher ed would get less funding if they don’t “kick DEI out of their schools,” a few weeks after lawmakers proposed a massive cut to public universities.
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Anti-abortion centers face little regulation. The SAD Act could change that.
Democratic lawmakers are pushing for the federal government to better regulate anti-abortion centers, facilities that seek to dissuade people from terminating their pregnancies, The 19th is first to report.
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Texas Senate panel votes to cut property taxes for homeowners
A Texas Senate committee on Tuesday quickly and unanimously advanced a proposal to provide billions of dollars in tax breaks to homeowners in a bid to blunt the state’s high property tax bills.
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Spring forward? Maybe not in Texas as lawmakers mull ending daylight savings time.
Texas lawmakers are reviving efforts to eliminate the decades-long practice of changing the clocks twice a year.
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Taking a toll: Why tollways are the worst part about living in North Texas
North Texas tollways are becoming predatory, hurting the region’s most vulnerable residents as they shell out $100+ a month on toll fees.
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Weed, wages, reproductive rights: 15 bills facing Texas lawmakers in 2025
More than 2,200 bills — from cannabis reform and public education to housing affordability — have been filed ahead of the start of the 89th Texas Legislature, which opens on Jan. 14. Here’s a recap of some of the proposed bills making headlines ahead of the legislature and how they could impact you. Legalizing recreational…
