Republican blitz on LGBTQ issues exposes fractures among Texas Democrats
The defections have sparked feelings of betrayal and promises of retribution, particularly as Republicans in the Legislature have presented a unified front. Full Story
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James Barragán is a politics reporter for The Texas Tribune with a focus on accountability reporting. Prior to joining the Tribune, James worked as a statehouse reporter for The Dallas Morning News and had previous stints at the Austin American-Statesman and the Los Angeles Times. In 2021, he was a finalist for the Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Reporting for his coverage of Texas politics during the COVID-19 pandemic. James was selected as a Nieman Fellow at Harvard in 2023-24. A Southern California native, James received his bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA. He is based in Austin and is a native Spanish speaker.
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![People cheer and wave rainbow flags while gathered on the stairs across from the House floor to protest against SB 14, which seeks to ban puberty blockers and hormone therapies for transgender youth, before it is heard for debate in the House at the state Capitol in Austin on May 12, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Bill providing death benefits for National Guard serving along southern border sent to governor
The legislation was named for Bishop Evans, who drowned last year trying to rescue migrants in the Rio Grande. Full Story
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![Texas National Guard and Texas DPS officers position themselves on the banks of the Rio Grande, Tuesday, December 20, 2022, in El Paso, Texas. Over 400 personnel have been sent to this border sector by Governor Abbott after El Paso city officials declared a state of emergency. Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
GOP border bill expanded to stiffen penalty for human smuggling, create border-crossing crime
State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, tacks two of his stalled bills onto legislation that would create a border police unit and increase state spending in border communities. Full Story
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![A group migrants waits at a gate near the U.S. and Mexico border in Del Rio on July 22, 2021. The group turned themselves over to the National Guard and Customs and Border Protection officials.]()
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Bills by the handful perish as Texas House hits crucial late-session deadline
It was a night of frustration, retaliation and, for some, elation as the stroke of midnight spelled doom for a lot of legislation. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, surveys the chamber during a break in the action on deadline day May 11, 2023.]()
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Bryan Slaton’s Texas House downfall could complicate GOP fight against “groomers”
Republicans were so busy policing drag artists and transgender Texans that they missed so-called “grooming behavior” by one of their own, LGBTQ advocates say. Full Story
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![State Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, on the House floor at the state Capitol during session in Austin on April 25, 2023.]()
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Thwarting Democratic efforts, House Republicans revive border policing unit in early-morning vote
The proposed unit would let those who are not law officers arrest or detain suspected undocumented immigrants in border-region counties. Full Story
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![A member of the Texas Army National Guard holds a flashlight as migrants crawl over rocks after wading across the Rio Grande into the United States from Mexico, in Roma, on March 4, 2022.]()
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State Rep. Bryan Slaton resigns ahead of expulsion vote over inappropriate relationship with aide
The Royse City Republican had come under growing pressure to step down after an investigation determined he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 19-year-old woman on his staff. Full Story
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![State Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, at his desk on the House floor during session at the state Capitol in Austin on April 25, 2023.]()
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Legislature enters homestretch with many of the session’s biggest issues unresolved
The list of potential hurdles includes property tax cuts, school choice, the power grid, the state budget, plus diversity and tenure in higher education. Full Story
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![State Rep. Diego Bernal, D-San Antonio, talks with Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas, during budget discussions on the House floor at the state Capitol on April 6, 2023.]()
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Rep. Bryan Slaton declines to discuss attendance at closed investigative hearing
The Royse City Republican, accused of having an inappropriate relationship with an employee, emerged from a room where a House investigative panel was meeting. Full Story
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![State Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, waits to ask a question on the House floor during session at the state Capitol in Austin on April 25, 2023.]()
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Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate COVID-19 vaccine makers
Long an opponent of vaccine and mask mandates, the Republican said pharmaceutical companies may have misrepresented data. Pfizer strongly disagrees. Full Story
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![Moderna vaccine doses sit in cold storage at a Texas State Department of Health and Safety warehouse in Austin on May 3, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune