Past Contributions

• Hundreds Rally to Let Planned Parenthood Back in Women's Health Program

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project March 7, 2013

  Hundreds of people rallied at the Capitol on Thursday, demanding that Planned Parenthood clinics be allowed back into the Women's Health Program. Full Story 

• Updated: Chief Justice Pushes for "Innocence Commission"

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project March 6, 2013

  Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson pushed lawmakers to establish a commission to investigate wrongful convictions at his biannual State of the Judiciary speech on Wednesday. Full Story 

• Report Backs Push for Board to Oversee Prisons

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project March 5, 2013

  The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition has released a report calling on lawmakers to approve several bills that would increase supervision over the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which oversees the state’s prisons. Full Story 

• Senator Would Fund Mental Health Training for Teachers

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Feb. 28, 2013

  State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, on Thursday filed the latest in a slew of proposals aimed at improving school safety. His bill would provide state funds to train Texas teachers to recognize and respond to mental illnesses. Full Story 

• Court Reverses Death Row Inmate's 2003 Conviction

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Feb. 28, 2013

  Death row inmate Nelson Gongora's conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court, which said that a prosecutor's comments regarding his decision to not testify denied him a right to a fair trial. Full Story 

• Lawmakers Debate Texting-While-Driving Ban

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Feb. 26, 2013

  Lawmakers on Tuesday took their first crack at a bill designed to ban texting while driving, including reviewing statistics suggesting that bans in other states have not reduced accidents and are difficult to enforce. Full Story 

• Texas Lawmakers Mixed on Charter School Proposal

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Feb. 21, 2013

  At an education hearing on Thursday, Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, brought in national experts in an effort to build consensus around an ambitious plan to reform the state's charter school system. Full Story 

• Groups File Federal Complaint Over Bryan ISD Discipline Policies

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Feb. 20, 2013

  Texas Appleseed and the Brazos County branch of the NAACP have filed a federal complaint against Bryan ISD, saying the school district's reliance on ticketing as a form of discipline "disproportionately harms" black students. Full Story 

• Prison Employee Union Calls for Pay Raise

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Feb. 20, 2013

  A union representing Texas prison employees is calling on the Legislature to consider a pay raise for correctional officers, citing a rise in drilling jobs that can be more lucrative than prison jobs. Full Story 

• Lawmakers and Judge Push for Legal Aid Funding

  By Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project Feb. 20, 2013

  A Texas Supreme Court Justice and several lawmakers are pushing to raise the amount of money that can be given by the attorney general's office to indigent legal aid services groups. Full Story