Latest Contributions

• Texas bill restricting transgender student athletes’ sports participation has enough votes to pass, House Speaker Dade Phelan says

  By Allyson Waller Sept. 24, 2021

  Three times this year — in the regular session and in two subsequent special sessions — legislation targeting transgender student athletes sailed through the Senate only to falter in the House. Full Story 

• Texas sues Biden administration over guidance saying transgender workers can use bathroom of their choice

  By Allyson Waller Sept. 20, 2021

  A federal document also says that misusing a person’s preferred pronouns could be considered harassment in some instances. Texas Republican officials have tried to pass state laws targeting transgender people’s access to bathrooms and school sports teams. Full Story 

• Texas doctors, seeing unprecedented numbers of pregnant patients with COVID-19, urge pregnant people to get vaccinated

  By Allyson Waller Sept. 16, 2021

  Pregnant women are getting vaccinated at lower rates than the general population. “This variant is much more aggressive, [and] pregnant women are getting sicker much faster,” one doctor says. Full Story 

• Texas has banned abortions at about six weeks. But the time frame for pregnant patients to get one is less than two.

  By Allyson Waller Sept. 8, 2021

  Here's how the timeline works. Full Story 

• At least 45 districts shut down in-person classes due to COVID-19 cases, affecting more than 40,000 students

  By Allyson Waller, Kalley Huang and Mandi Cai Sept. 3, 2021

  Caseloads have left districts scrambling when many have said they have fewer tools at their disposal to combat the spread of the virus. Full Story 

• Texas Senate approves spending nearly $2 billion on border security

  By James Barragán and Allyson Waller Updated: Sept. 1, 2021

  Proponents of House Bill 9 denounced the Biden administration’s approach to border security, saying the state had no choice but to step in to ramp up enforcement. Full Story 

• The state’s sending thousands of health care workers to Texas hospitals amid a new COVID-19 surge. Will it be enough?

  By Allyson Waller Aug. 30, 2021

  So far the state has paid to hire more than 8,000 contract health care workers as hospitalizations from COVID-19 in Texas approach the record set last winter. Full Story 

• Maternal health care advocates applaud new state law to extend Medicaid coverage, but say it doesn’t go far enough

  By Allyson Waller Aug. 27, 2021

  The law, which takes effect Sept. 1, gives new mothers six months of postpartum Medicaid coverage instead of two. That’s less than many advocates and some lawmakers wanted. Full Story 

• A ripped-off mask and verbal assault: how tensions over changing mask rules spilled over in one Texas school district

  By Allyson Waller Aug. 20, 2021

  In a letter to parents and staff, Eanes ISD’s superintendent called the incidents unacceptable and warned parents that the “the kids are watching.” Full Story 

• Siding with Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Supreme Court temporarily halts mask orders in Dallas and Bexar counties

  By Allyson Waller Updated: Aug. 15, 2021

  The ruling comes after several school districts and a handful of counties across the state defied the governor’s executive order that restricted local entities from instituting mask mandates. Full Story