With Marriage Decided, Adoption Rights Next
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has legalized same-sex marriage, family law attorneys in Texas are gearing up to make sure same-sex couples who adopt children get full parental rights. Full Story
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Alexa Ura
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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.
Past Contributions
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![Cleo DeLeon (left) and Nicole Dimetman, the Texas marriage plantiffs, during press conference on June 29, 2015 at Texas Capitol days after the SCOTUS ruling on marriage equality]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Supreme Court Puts Texas Abortion Law on Hold
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sided with Texas abortion providers and temporarily put on hold a ruling that would have closed about half of the state’s abortion facilities. Full Story
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Gay Rights Activists: Fight is Only Just Getting Started
Now that same-sex marriage is legal, gay rights activists are setting their sights on pushing for more protections for LGBT people. In front of the Texas Capitol, activists on Monday vowed to target discrimination in areas including employment and housing. Full Story
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![Gay rights activists held a demonstration on Monday, June 29, 2015, in front of the Texas Capitol. The event came a few days after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to make same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. Speakers at the event included (from left) Cleo DeLeon, Chad Griffin, Jim Obergefell, Mark Phariss, Vic Holmes, Rebecca Robertson and Kathy Miller.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Paxton: Clerks Don't Have to Issue Same-Sex Marriage Licenses
County clerks who have religious objections to same-sex marriage can opt out of issuing such licenses — but they should be prepared to face fines or legal challenges, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a written opinion. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to media after keynoting a June 2015 event hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation regarding impact of the EPA's Clean Power Plan.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Demand for Bilingual 911 Services Growing
While Texas continues its demographic march into diversity, only one city — El Paso — requires its 911 emergency call takers to be fluent in English and Spanish. Other cities are striving to keep up with the need to handle emergency calls in a wide range of languages. Full Story
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![Downtown El Paso at night.]()
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Benefits Should Follow Same-Sex Marriages
In light of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling establishing the constitutional right to same-sex marriage, public employers are now figuring out how and when spouses of married gay employees will start receiving benefits. Full Story
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![A couple arranges a marriage license at the Travis County Clerk's office on June 26, 2015.]()
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Supreme Court: Gay Marriage Bans Are Unconstitutional
Handing gay rights advocates a monumental victory, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that marriages between couples of the same sex cannot be prohibited by states, a decision that overrides Texas’ ban on gay marriage. Full Story
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![Vic Holmes and Mark Phariss of Plano at an LBJ Library press conference celebrating the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage on June 26, 2015. Holmes and Phariss had sued Texas over its same-sex marriage ban.]()
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Paxton to County Clerks: Wait for Direction on Gay Marriage Ruling
If the Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants county clerks to hold off on issuing marriage licenses to such couples until his office has given them direction. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to media in June 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
See Demographics Shift by Texas County
Use our interactive to see how the demographics in your county have changed since 2010, according to race and ethnicity figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. Full Story
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Supreme Court Upholds Obamacare Subsidies
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a key element of the president’s signature health law — the part that gives tax subsidies to people who buy health insurance on the Affordable Care Act’s federal marketplace. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Eddie Codel