Texas’ border standoff with feds continues, despite U.S. Supreme Court order
Texas officers are still erecting border wire and some Republicans are calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to defy the high court. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ae9e0828e023c31b113369888959cd0f/0117%20Eagle%20Pass%20Scenes%20EG%20TT%2021.JPG)
-
![A Texas National Guard member walks past a line of buoys in Eagle Pass on Jan. 17, 2024. The U.S. Department of Justice, in a filing to the U.S. Supreme Court, stated that U.S. Border Patrol agents have been blocked off of a section of the border, accessible through Shelby Park.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Supreme Court says Texas can’t block federal agents from the border
The high court’s order effectively maintains long-running precedent that the federal government — not individual states — has authority to enforce border security. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/44f98efc49de676fa9d9d094565451ce/0116%20Eagle%20Pass%20Shelby%20Park%20EG%20TT%2013.JPG)
![A Texas National Guard member at the bank of the Rio Grand at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, on Jan. 16, 2024. Texas has closed off Shelby Park, cutting access to federal agents to part of the Texas-Mexico border and escalating tensions between the Biden administration and Gov. Greg Abbott.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Appeals court rules lawsuit seeking Jan. 6 emails from Texas governor, attorney general can move forward
On Jan. 6, 2021, Ken Paxton spoke at a rally that preceded a mob of Donald Trump supporters storming the U.S. Capitol. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e2cfa226b5cdf0a7a57d42a73f6926aa/0110%20Lege%20Opening%20BD%2031.jpg)
![Opening Day action of the 88th Texas Legislature at the Texas Capitol showing Attorney General Ken Paxton conferring with Gov. Greg Abbott outside the Senate chamber before his swearing in ceremony in Jan. 10, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Uvalde victims’ families get official acknowledgement of botched shooting response — but some want criminal charges
Some relatives of the 21 people killed in Texas’ deadliest school shooting are demanding criminal charges after federal officials say delayed police response cost lives. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c7317e1740ca7a81560252b1fc57c4da/0118%20Uvalde%20DOJ%20Presser%20CS%20TT%2016.jpg)
![Kimberly Mata-Rubio, mother of Alexandria Rubio, one of the children killed in the 2022 Uvalde mass shooting, speaks to media after DOJ officials detailed failures in the law enforcement response to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde.]()
Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune -
Money flows into Texas House GOP primary battles this season
Impeachment and school vouchers are animating the races as Speaker Dade Phelan tries to protect incumbents. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4f12acd4eab979b05d7a26b6c412e667/1117%20Lege%20School%20Vouchers%20TT%20JS%2011%20.jpg)
![House Speaker Dade Phelan speaks with other representatives during a special legislative session at the state capitol in Austin on Nov. 17, 2023.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
School voucher supporter gave Gov. Greg Abbott $6 million in December
The contribution is the largest single campaign donation in Texas history, according to Abbott’s campaign. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/20cc12288fbab53d9afba1cd119b3fe5/0301%20Governors%20Cup%20LS%2011.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott answer questions from the press after receiving the state’s eleventh consecutive Governor’s Cup, awarded to states with high job creation rates and business growth, at the Governor’s Mansion on March 1, 2023.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane/The Texas Tribune -
Texans asked to conserve energy as demand was expected to put strain on electric grid
Public Utility Commission said conservation would help lower demand during peak times and help avoid emergency conditions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4f8db9b2e602c5dfe8255f19aff8b720/ERCOT%20Command%20Center%20REUTERS%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Reliability Coordinators monitored the state power grid during a tour of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) command center in Taylor in 2012.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Julia Robinson -
Abbott’s immigration rhetoric criticized again after interview response about shooting migrants
Asked how far Texas could legally go to secure the border, Gov. Greg Abbott said the state isn’t shooting people who illegally cross the border because the Biden administration would charge officials with murder. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9f85d6128b6babcdb2df179fa9cdf55e/0608%20Abbott%20Border%20Bill%20JT%2004.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott signs six bills relating to border security at the state Capitol in Austin on June 8, 2023. “Washington D.C. has failed to do its job to secure the border,” Abbott said “As a result, Texas has had to take unprecedented steps in responding to the crisis caused by the Biden administration on the border, and in response the Texas legislature has stepped up to make sure that we will be able to more robustly respond.”]()
Credit: Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribune -
Greg Abbott will use $19 million he raised in 2023 to target anti-voucher Republicans
Abbott’s campaign announced the sum Wednesday, adding that he also has $38 million cash on hand across two political accounts. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/73a932b828f2ef7f5cf6b62a9bdb621f/0321%20Parent%20Empowerment%20Day%20JV%20TT%20%2001.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott high fives a young supporter after delivering a speech at a Parent Empowerment Day event at the Capitol on March 21, 2023.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
In debate, GOP candidates for Texas House special election mirror statewide intraparty tensions
The two feuding Republicans were the top two finishers in a November special election to succeed expelled state Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, in House District 2. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/25cd0f119721f707404ee83b24b39b96/Jill%20Dutton%20and%20Brent%20Money%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Republicans Jill Dutton and Brent Money are running in a special election for state House District 2 seat, empty since former state Rep. Brian Slaton, R-Royse City, was expelled from the House.]()
Credit: Campaign websites -
U.S. Department of Justice says it’ll sue if Texas enforces new law punishing illegal border crossing
The state has until Jan. 3 to say it won’t arrest people accused of unauthorized entry from Mexico. If not, the Biden administration will sue, saying immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c81eafac71c036316341a8c1a6b16478/Migrants%20El%20Paso%20Dec%2020%20IPA%20TT%2002.jpg)
![Texas National Guard and Texas DPS officers position themselves on the banks of the Rio Grande, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022, in El Paso. Over 400 personnel have been sent to this border sector by Governor Abbott after El Paso city officials declared a state of emergency.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Diversity offices on college campuses will soon be illegal in Texas, as 30 new laws go into effect
Other new laws make changes to the tax code, criminal justice and health care systems. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/5c973c11a32e66e51c3d4146d539dbe9/San%20Jacinto%20Campus%20MS%20TT.jpg)
![Students head to class on the second day of the semester at San Jacinto College's North Campus in Houston on Aug. 26, 2014.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
How Gov. Greg Abbott lost a yearlong fight to create school vouchers
The governor projected confidence throughout 2023 that vouchers would pass. But his insistence on universal eligibility ensured his failure to convince 21 House Republican holdouts. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/864cf92c2a31ff2cf2f6e8fbd3b569f5/Abbott%20TPPF%20Capitol%20REUTERS.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks on the north steps of the State Capitol to supporters at a Texas Public Policy Foundation Parent Empowerment rally on March 21, 2023. Abbott has called lawmakers to Austin for a special session Monday targeted at passing private school vouchers.]()
Credit: Ricardo Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via REUTERS -
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and AG Ken Paxton promised retribution for votes they didn’t like. Here’s who they are targeting.
Paxton has been seeking revenge on fellow Republicans who voted to impeach him earlier this year. Similarly, Abbott is looking to unseat GOP House members who voted against school vouchers. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/56f8506721cbfe1e53589661e2252c68/0527%20Paxton%20Impeach%20Lege%20BD%20TT%2030.jpg)
![Wide view of the Texas House chamber during debate on the articles of impeachment against AG Ken Paxton on May 27, 2023.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Republicans in one rural county will hand count ballots. Experts say it’s “a recipe for disaster.”
While hand counting ballots is legal, the Texas Secretary of State has warned local party leaders the effort could be costly and time-consuming. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/064bd8d5ee0727e0e0d4f3f081c2cf05/Election%20Day%20Dallas%20ST%20TT%2003.jpg)
![Voters stand in line at Highland Hills Library to cast their ballots on Election Day in Dallas. Nov. 3, 2020.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Texas flies over 120 immigrants to Chicago in expansion of Gov. Greg Abbott’s busing plan
The flight comes after Chicago officials reportedly cracked down on buses coming from Texas with immigrant passengers. Since last year, Texas has bused over 80,000 immigrants to Democratic-led cities across the U.S. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/901dfe964439f1a1afa41662ea2f5f40/Migrants%20Chicago%20REUTERS.JPG)
![Venezuelan migrants wait in line to board a bus to New York at the Centro de los Trabajadores Agricolas Fronterizos in El Paso, Texas, U.S., September 2, 2022.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Paul Ratje -
After years of losing battles with GOP leaders, some big city Texas mayors strike friendlier tone
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and incoming Houston Mayor John Whitmire, two veteran Democratic legislators, are trying to repair their cities’ fraught relationships with the state’s GOP leadership. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9f774e5c0b48dd8e3fa07fa4e64562e8/Whitmire%20Watson%20Split.jpg)
![Left: Senator John Whitmire, D-Houston, speaks at a press confrence to announce legislation aimed at reforming the state’s bail system on Feb. 4, 2019. Right: Austin Mayor Kirk Watson speaks with the press to discuss the city's response to mass power outages after a ice storm, at the Combined Transportation, Emergency, and Communications Center in Austin on Feb. 3, 2023.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune, Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill making illegal immigration a state crime
The new law would authorize police to arrest people they suspect crossed the Rio Grande between ports of entry. Abbott also signed a bill earmarking more than $1 billion for more border barriers. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a08f4909b9c57cd3c4c58c6de367ad59/0608%20Abbott%20Border%20Bill%20JT%2004.JPG)
![Gov. Greg Abbott signs six bills during a border security bill signing session at the state capitol in Austin on June 8, 2023. “Washington D.C. has failed to do its job to secure the border,” Abbott said. “As a result, Texas has had to take unprecedented steps in responding to the crisis caused by the Biden administration on the border, and in response the Texas legislature has stepped up to make sure that we will be able to more robustly respond.”]()
Credit: Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court declines to revive billionaire’s defamation lawsuit against Beto O’Rourke
Kelcy Warren, a Dallas pipeline billionaire, sued O’Rourke in early 2022, saying the Democrat defamed him with critical comments about his company’s windfall profits after the Texas energy-grid collapse in February 2021. Full Story
Credit: Energy Transfer website -
The field for the Texas primary election is set — here’s what to watch for
With both Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton out for revenge, Republican members of the Texas House are the top target on the ballot. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/36ffe2514ee87dd0492dce31904408d4/House%20Floor%20Oct%2012%20MGO%20TT%2002.jpg)
![An empty chair on the House floor on Oct. 12, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/78c9e8c2634854175f95f96e67e66dd2/Kelcy%20Warren%20TT)