The Brief: Bill banning wrongful birth lawsuits heads to Senate committee
The Senate Committee on State Affairs is meeting at 9 this morning and will consider legislation to protect doctors from wrongful birth lawsuits. Full Story
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Bobby Blanchard
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Bobby Blanchard joined The Texas Tribune’s audience team in 2016 and led the team from 2021 to 2023, strategizing to expand the organization’s reach and engagement across all platforms. A graduate of UT-Austin, Bobby spent his first year out of college at The Dallas Morning News as a reporting fellow, covering Texas politics and breaking news. He got his start in journalism in the poorly lit basement of The Daily Texan, followed by internships at the Houston Chronicle, KUT News and the Tribune. Born and raised in the Houston area, Bobby is a native Texan.
Past Contributions
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Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: Will Texas address funding to protect kids from sex trafficking?
The issue of providing state funding to address child sex trafficking continues to be a major point of discussion in Texas. Full Story
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![People who care for sex-trafficking victims have a common refrain: It's not if they'll run away, but when.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: Will Texas be home to America’s first high-speed rail?
A private company wants to build a 240-mile Dallas-Houston high-speed rail that could whisk Texans between the two metropolitans in 90 minutes. But the proposed project has drawn ire from some lawmakers and rural landowners. Full Story
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![The Dallas station of a proposed Dallas-Houston bullet train will likely be on the southwest side of downtown, on a patch of empty land between an existing rail line and the interchange of two highways.]()
Credit: Brandon Formby/The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: Best way to improve education? Texans want to cut standardized tests
Texans who were polled rank cutting standardized tests the best way to improve public schools. Full Story
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![Children from charter and private schools all over Texas turned out for the 85th legislative session's National School Choice Rally on Jan. 24, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: In poll, most Texans say "bathroom bill" isn't an important issue
More than 50 percent of Texans say regulating bathroom use is not an important issue for the Texas Legislature. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Sen. Lois Kolkhorst R-Brenham give the media an update on SB6 The Texas Privacy Act also known as the "bathroom bill" on Feb. 6, 2017]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: How do Texans really feel about Donald Trump?
Texas Republicans like Donald Trump — a lot. More than 80 percent of Republicans surveyed in the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll approve of Trump's work so far. Full Story
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![Then a candidate for president, Donald Trump rallied a crowd of veterans at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 28, 2016 — just ahead of that state's presidential caucuses.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
The Brief: Two major bills head to the full Senate
The Senate State Affairs Committee advanced two major pieces of legislation Thursday: a bill that would end most union payroll deductions for public employees in the state and a resolution that would put Texas in support of a convention of states. Full Story
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![Gov. Abbott delivers the State of the State address at the Capitol on Jan. 31, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Reports: ICE officials arrest an alleged victim of domestic violence in Texas
Immigration officials arrested an El Paso woman who alleged she was a victim of domestic abuse. The tip that got her arrested may have come from her alleged abuser. Full Story
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![Group gathered from all around Texas and marched to the Governor's Mansion to show their support fro DACA and DAPA]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
The Brief: Ken Paxton heads back to court today
Attorney General Ken Paxton is back in court Thursday for a pretrial hearing, where prosecutors are expected to argue for a change in court venue. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, with his wife Angela Paxton, makes brief remarks to reporters after a hearing in his SEC case on Sept. 2, 2016, in Sherman.]()
Credit: Patrick Svitek / The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers hear public testimony on abortion bills (live blog)
Texas lawmakers began this session's abortion fights in earnest Wednesday during the first committee hearing on three abortion bills. Full Story
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Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune