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Alexa Ura reported for The Texas Tribune from 2013 to 2023. She covered the complex dynamics of race, ethnicity, wealth, poverty and power and how they are shaping the future of Texas and Texans, in the long and short term. Alexa started at the Tribune as a reporting intern before graduating from the University of Texas at Austin and joining the staff full time. Originally from Laredo on the Texas-Mexico border, she is a native Spanish speaker and is based in Austin.
Hispanic Republican leaders in Texas were pretty happy with how Gov. Greg Abbott performed in his maiden year, but they're less pleased with his silence since Donald Trump starting bashing Mexican immigrants. Full Story
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Almost a month after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton quietly conceded a case against the federal government over medical leave benefits for certain same-sex couples. Full Story
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With most Texas counties now issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, legal experts and gay rights activists say it may take individual lawsuits to compel the handful of county clerks still refusing to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling legalizing same-sex marriage. Full Story
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Five Democratic lawmakers have asked Gov. Greg Abbott to form a task force to consider the appropriateness of Confederate monuments located on the Capitol grounds in Austin. Full Story
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A Granbury gay couple on Monday obtained a marriage license from the Hood County Clerk's office after filing a lawsuit against the clerk in federal court. Full Story
With Republican leaders vowing to protect the religious freedom of government officials who refuse to recognize same-sex marriages, here's a look at the legal arguments conservative attorneys plan to use to defend those officials in court. Full Story
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Despite the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling allowing some Texas abortion clinics to remain open, the Texas Department of State Health Services said on Thursday that doctors performing abortions must still obtain admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. Full Story
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Attorneys for a same-sex couple are preparing to sue Hood County Clerk Katie Lang after the couple was unable to obtain a marriage license. Full Story
In light of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on Friday, the Texas attorney general's office conceded a separate legal challenge to the state's ban on same-sex marriage. A federal appeals court then affirmed a lower court's ruling that overturned the state's ban. Full Story
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As of Wednesday, public employers including Texas agencies and universities will allow current and retired gay and lesbian employees to enroll their same-sex spouses in the same benefit programs and services available to opposite-sex couples. Full Story
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