The latest Senfronia Thompson news from The Texas Tribune.
Trump’s new directive that aims to increase death sentences clashes with some Texas lawmakers’ efforts to add guardrails to capital punishment. Full Story
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Spurred by a groundswell of far-right support, the Texas Senate has passed all of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s priority LGBTQ bills — and then some. What the House does next will impact queer Texans’ lives and could determine Speaker Phelan’s future. Full Story
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Two bills that advanced in House and Senate committees on Wednesday both exempt any lawmaker who has already taken advantage of the benefit. Full Story
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A few of Texas’ most veteran lawmakers may have seen their part-time legislative compensation skyrocket from $7,200 to nearly $150,000 annually, thanks to a law passed quietly at the end of the 2021 legislative session. Full Story
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All they could get was a temporary win. But the lawmakers said taking the extraordinary measure of breaking quorum in the Texas House was justified by the harm they felt their mostly Black and Hispanic constituents would face under the GOP’s voting bill. Full Story
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In this episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, recorded on Jan. 15, 2021, Evan Smith interviews 25-term state Rep. Senfronia Thompson about COVID-19, race, public ed and that whippersnapper Dade Phelan. Full Story
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The new Criminal Justice Reform Caucus in the Texas House will set its sights on changes in 2021. Full Story
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Some plumbers are calling for a special session after the Texas House ended the state plumbing code and a plumbing regulation agency that has dozens of employees. Full Story
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Negotiators in the House and Senate couldn't come to an agreement on a bill addressing how Texas handles capital murder defendants who may be intellectually disabled. In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing people with intellectual disabilities amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Full Story
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This freshman class of female legislators is young, diverse and — thanks to the women who came before them — treated as equals in the traditionally male-dominated chambers. Full Story
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Multiple bills filed this session aim to address deficiencies in women's prisons. Full Story
![Emily Fulbright at the Women's [In]Justice Day rally on the south steps of the capitol on Mar. 8, 2019.](https://thumbnails.texastribune.org/MCvqYC_kzwU_DLsyzq81SRirgKo=/850x570/smart/filters:quality(75)/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/596cb4f29ebd0a0fc275e0cf4811f00d/05_Women_Prisons_March_MG.jpg)
Nearly two decades after the U.S. Supreme Court said it was unconstitutional to execute those with intellectual disabilities, Texas still has no process on determining the condition — leaving life-and-death decisions in the hands of courts with very different methods. Full Story
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill Thursday to prohibit people younger than 18 from marrying unless a judge consents. The measure also prohibits anyone under 16 from getting married. Full Story
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Senate Bill 1913, by state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, would allow courts to ask defendants if they are too poor to pay for traffic tickets, fines for other low-level and fine-only offenses or court costs. Full Story
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The Texas Senate has approved its version of House Bill 3016, which would make it easier for people to apply for jobs if they have low-level offenses on their records. Such applicants would not be required to disclose their offenses. Full Story
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Full video of Evan Smith's 3/31 conversation with state Reps. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, and James White, R-Hillister. Full Story
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The day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, tens of thousands of Texans took part in marches across the state Saturday during Texas’ multiple iterations of the Women’s March on Washington. Full Story
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State Rep. Borris Miles of Houston has captured the Democratic nomination to replace state Sen. Rodney Ellis, putting him on track to win the seat in November. Full Story
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Moving from the Texas House to the Texas Senate makes sense, but not for every politician: One current candidate for Senate — and a potential future one — each has more clout in the House than he or she would have in the Senate. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday announced a new unit in his office dedicated to combating human trafficking. Full Story
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