State Legislature
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‘It’s a sh*tshow’: Parents reflect on new laws reshaping public schools in Texas
Texas public school students are wrapping up a school year in classrooms that have looked different than in previous years. Their parents say they haven’t changed for the better.
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Thousands of North Texas families eye school voucher program with hours left to apply
Over 200,000 students have applied for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program ahead of today’s deadline. Here’s what you need to know.
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Report: Texans lose billions to online scammers
Texas is one of the worst states in the nation for consumer fraud, according to a report from the Consumer Federation of America.
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Texas hemp businesses fear an uptick in police raids after more than 15 in the last two years
Attorneys for hemp businesses say the raids have hurt their revenue and reputation, while police said they’re necessary to root out products with illegal levels of THC.
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Houston ‘End Cash Bail’ exhibit places spotlight on bail system inequality
A new multimedia exhibit is highlighting the impact and inequality of the Texas bail system.
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Texas Tech researchers to develop statewide flood warning system
Texas Tech professors are developing a unique flood forecasting system for the state – and specifically for the Texas Hill Country.
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‘This proposal is because several children never came home’: Texans react to increase in summer camp licensing fees
Nearly five months after the Hill Country floods led to the deaths of at least 136 Texans, including children, state officials have proposed new summer camp licensing fees to help increase safety measures.
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Grab a free ride to the polls during early voting in Houston with METRO
Transit authorities across Houston are offering free rides to the polls during the early voting period (which lasts until Oct. 31) and on Election Day (which falls on Tuesday, Nov. 4 this year). The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County is offering free roundtrip rides to Houstonians looking to cast their vote.
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Report: 161 Texans killed by domestic violence in 2024
There were 161 domestic violence deaths in Texas last year, according to the Honoring Texas Victims report by the Texas Council on Family Violence.
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Texas’ newest abortion law allows $100,000 rewards for snitching on pregnant women
Gov. Abbott’s next abortion law includes a $100,000 reward for snitching on pregnant women in your family.
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‘More stressed, more unsure’: Texas educators start school year under new DEI ban
Educators speak out on new laws they face in classrooms, including a ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion and a “Parental Bill of Rights” that makes it easier for conservatives to interfere in public schools.
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Op-Ed: Redistricting bigotry is a tradition deep in the heart of Texas
Texas redistricting is a GOP power grab and an effort to blunt the political power of Black and brown Texans.
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Texas election bill seeks to retain limits on same-day registration changes
Under legislation pushed by Gov. Greg Abbott, voters could update their address at the polls, but they couldn’t immediately cast a ballot based on the new one.
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Opponents of TX redistricting say proposed maps would hurt minorities
Opponents of proposed redrawn Congressional maps in Texas say the changes will hurt Latino, Black and Asian voters.
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OPINION: Texas voters should decide who gets elected to Congress, not anti-democratic state laws
Its slash-and-burn cuts to Medicaid, senseless restrictions on food assistance programs, and permanent tax breaks for the wealthy are, surprisingly, not the only source of my anger. As a 40-year resident of Houston, I’m more enraged that our district’s needs and demands were cut from the conversation.
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North Texas Democrats leave state to block Trump redistricting plan
North Texas House Democrats left the state on Sunday to block a vote over the GOP’s new gerrymandered maps for US House districts in the state.
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Texas Republicans unveil new congressional maps targeting 5 Democratic US House seats
Texas Republicans proposed new maps for US House seats in the state, targeting five Democratic districts in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and South Texas.
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Greg Abbott targets redistricting, abortion pills, trans people in special session
Texas Democrats criticized Gov. Greg Abbott’s special legislative session as “cruel” for including redistricting, seeking to ban abortion pills, and targeting trans people.
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‘The uncertainty has been debilitating’: DFW business owners react to THC ban
If Gov. Greg Abbott — who signed a bill in 2019 that legalized the sale of products with less than 0.3% of THC — does not veto SB 3, an $8 billion industry that includes over 8,000 small businesses and employs over 50,000 people throughout the state will be wiped out.
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Texas lawmakers allocate $10M to support National Juneteenth Museum development
The National Juneteenth Museum received $10 million from Texas lawmakers for its development in Fort Worth’s Historic Southside, museum CEO Jarred Howard confirmed to the Report June 9. The Texas House and Senate approved the allocation through the state budget, but it still awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature. Howard said the state’s new financial support…
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Cell phones, DEI, prayer: 5 bills Texas lawmakers are using to reshape public schools
From banning DEI and cell phones to forcing prayer and the Ten Commandments into classrooms, Texas lawmakers passed several bills impacting public school students. Although private school vouchers and public school funding dominated the headlines this legislative session, several other education-focused bills are headed the Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. Here’s a rundown of where those…
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Texas lawmakers find bipartisan solutions to tackle state’s housing crunch
Lawmakers aimed to remedy the housing affordability crisis Texans are currently facing with a slew of bills during this year’s legislative session.
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Texas lawmakers targeted school and public libraries this legislative session. Here’s what happened
Right-wing Texas lawmakers targeted books in public schools and access to public libraries during the legislative session.
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New bill would trap women who want or need abortions in Texas
A bill passed in the Texas Senate allows women and their loved ones who help them get abortions — here or in another state — to be jailed and sued.
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Op-Ed: ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ — SB 16 hurts young, other marginalized voters
Senate Bill 16’s proposed voter ID requirements don’t strengthen election security, they just further exclude young, rural, and low-income Texans.
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Texas House signals expanding state’s medical marijuana program
House Bill 46 would increase the number of health conditions eligible and would offer smokeable products under the state’s medical marijuana program.
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Texas House votes to strictly define man and woman, excluding trans people from state records
If it becomes law, the bill would define sex based on reproductive organs and require state documents and policies to comply with that framework.
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Texas women face prosecution for abortions if new bill becomes law
The Texas Senate has passed a new anti-abortion bill which would open the door to women being criminally prosecuted for obtaining an abortion — even in a different state.
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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.
