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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.
Gov. Rick Perry has championed private-market health care solutions and criticized public programs like Medicaid for being inefficient. Alexa Ura and Edgar Walters write about that and other notable health care issues that have come up during Perry's tenure. Full Story
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Almost a decade after voters overwhelmingly added it to the Texas Constitution, the clock may be running out on the state's gay marriage ban. Full Story
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With federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program set to expire next year, children’s health advocates and Gov. Rick Perry are urging Congress to reauthorize it as soon as possible. Full Story
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With the endorsement Wednesday of the Sunset Advisory Commission, legislators are set to move forward with a consolidation of the state's five health agencies into a single health commission with seven divisions. Full Story
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On Monday, the Plano City Council voted to extend its nondiscrimination policy to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. Use our map to see what nondiscrimination policies other major Texas cities have on the books. Full Story
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After winning 44 percent of the Hispanic vote on Election Day, Gov.-elect Greg Abbott may find himself in turbulent political waters as he attempts to balance the interests of his Republican base and his newfound Hispanic friends. Full Story
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Nothing better demonstrates San Antonio's distinction as a political springboard for Hispanic Democrats than the political turnover triggered when Mayor Julián Castro left to join the Obama administration. Full Story
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Two weeks after losing her bid for lieutenant governor, state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte announced that she was running for mayor of San Antonio and would not finish her term at the Texas Capitol. Full Story
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A special election has yet to be called for the vacant House District 123 seat, but two San Antonio Democrats are already lining up to replace state Rep. Mike Villarreal, who stepped down to run for mayor of the city. Full Story
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State Reps. Trey Martinez Fischer and José Menéndez both said Monday they will consider running for Leticia Van de Putte’s seat in the Texas Senate if she leaves it behind for the top spot in San Antonio. Full Story
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