Past Contributions

• Oversight Committee Again Targets TWIA Costs

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Nov. 1, 2012

  While coastal residents told lawmakers that increasing policy rates are harming the coastal economy, state lawmakers grilled windstorm insurance administrators over money spent on consultants at a legislative hearing Thursday. Full Story 

• Lawmakers Discuss Ways to Fight Prescription Drug Abuse

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Oct. 30, 2012

  At a Senate panel hearing Tuesday on prescription drug abuse, doctors called upon the Legislature to provide "better education to physicians" about “how addictive these drugs are.” Full Story 

• Updated: Lawmakers Discuss School Discipline Methods

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project, and Nick Swartsell, The Texas Tribune Oct. 30, 2012

  At a Tuesday hearing, lawmakers discussed giving more discretion to teachers, law enforcement and judges when it comes to dealing with disciplinary violations at schools. Full Story 

• Supreme Court To Hear Texas Death Row Inmate's Case

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Oct. 29, 2012

  The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear the case of Carlos Trevino, who contends that the high court's decision last year's to guarantee effective habeas representation should apply in Texas as it does elsewhere. Full Story 

• New Parole Rules Sought in Cases That Involved Injury to a Child

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Oct. 29, 2012

  Advocates in Houston are hoping to make parole more difficult for anyone convicted of injuring a child. They plan to pursue legislation to allow the Board of Pardons and Paroles to deny reviews of parole eligibility for up to five years in these cases. Full Story 

• In Death Row Inmate's Case, a Struggle Between Advocates and Lawyers

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Oct. 26, 2012

  Preston Hughes III, who faces a Nov. 15 execution date, trusts several advocates without legal training more than his court-appointed attorney. The conflict between advocates and attorneys is not unusual in death penalty cases. Full Story 

• A Compilation of Texas Newspaper Endorsements in Key Races

  By Ryan Murphy, The Texas Tribune, Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project, and Nick Swartsell and Audrey White, The Texas Tribune Oct. 25, 2012

  As Election Day nears, editorial boards at newspapers across Texas have begun endorsing candidates. Here's a list of official endorsements in particularly competitive or noteworthy races. We'll update the list as endorsements come in. Full Story 

• Willingham's Family Seeks "Posthumous Pardon"

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Oct. 24, 2012

  The surviving relatives of Cameron Todd Willingham have sent an application for pardon, hoping to clear his name eight years after his execution for a 1991 fire that killed his three young children. Full Story 

• Report: More Funding Needed for Mental Health in Juvenile Facilities

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Oct. 24, 2012

  A Texas Criminal Justice Coalition report says girls in the juvenile justice system don't get adequate counseling for past trauma. The Texas Juvenile Justice Department, however, takes issue with some of the report's conclusions. Full Story 

• Texas High Court Rejects Challenge to Franchise Tax

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Oct. 19, 2012

  The Supreme Court of Texas has dismissed a challenge by Nestle Inc. and two other businesses targeting the state’s franchise tax. The court said that the tax squares with the Texas and U.S. constitutions. Full Story