Special election runoff between John Wray and Brian Harrison for state House district in North Texas set for Sept. 28
The two Republicans are vying to replace former state Rep. Jake Ellzey, who is now in Congress. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol on June 10, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
5 candidates file for special election in San Antonio to replace former state Rep. Leo Pacheco
The field for the Sept. 28 contest has attracted three Democrats and two Republicans. Full Story
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Justice Department sues Texas over new abortion law that Attorney General Merrick Garland calls unconstitutional
Garland called the law a "scheme to nullify the Constitution of the United States." It prohibits the procedure before many people know that they are pregnant. Full Story
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![One of the six exam rooms at Haven Health Clinics in downtown Amarillo on Dec. 9, 2013. The clinic provides services for women and some men in the 26 county region of the Texas panhandle.]()
Credit: Stephen Spillman for The Texas Tribune -
666 new Texas laws go into effect Sept. 1. Here are some that might affect you.
The new laws will affect abortion access, social studies curriculum and cities that trim the budgets of law enforcement. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol on Aug. 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House passes new voting restrictions as Democratic hopes of killing the legislation wane
Democrats used every tool they had, fleeing the state en masse and forcing two special sessions, but a Republican bill to rewrite state election laws won final approval in the House on Friday. Once the House and Senate work out some differences, it appears headed to the governor’s desk. Full Story
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![The House floor on Aug. 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House committee again passes the voting restrictions bill that instigated Democratic quorum break
Senate Bill 1 would outlaw local efforts to make it easier to vote, ratchet up vote-by-mail rules and bolster protections for partisan poll watchers. The Senate already passed the legislation, but a House panel Monday replaced that with the lower chamber’s version of the bill. Full Story
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![A poll worker feeds a voting machine and power cord through a voter’s car window in the drive-through line at NRG Stadium in Houston during the first day of early voting on Oct. 13, 2020.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court says House Democrats can be arrested and brought to the Capitol, siding with Republicans trying to secure a quorum
In a bid to block a voting restrictions bill, House Democrats for weeks have denied the lower chamber the number of present members needed to pass legislation. House Speaker Dade Phelan has already signed dozens of civil arrest warrants. Full Story
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![The Texas House Democrats held a press conference alongside U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, and grassroots organizers at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 6, 2021. Friday is both the anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act and the last day of the special session of the Texas Legislature.]()
Credit: Shuran Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Texas cancer patients and people with PTSD will soon be able to join state’s expanded medical marijuana program
A new law going into effect Sept. 1 will also increase the cap of THC in medical marijuana to 1%. Full Story
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![David Bass at his home in Killeen on Aug. 8, 2021. “In the next year, we hope that more municipalities decide to stop wasting police resources on arresting people for small amounts of cannabis.”]()
Credit: Cindy Elizabeth for The Texas Tribune -
“The clock is ticking”: Texans will navigate more hurdles under new law outlawing abortions before many know they're pregnant
The state’s “fetal heartbeat” law going into effect Sept. 1 is considered one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the nation. Full Story
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![A nurse with a patient at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Austin.]()
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“I expect the worst”: A Texas parent worries about sending her children back to school in person
Gov. Greg Abbott is standing firm on his ban against mask mandates in schools. Some parents are concerned for their children’s safety as in-person classes resume. Full Story
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![Edinburg Mayor Richard Molina surrendered to authorities on illegal voting charges on April 25, 2019.]()
Credit: Via the City of Edinburg -
What is gender-affirming medical care for transgender children? Here’s what you need to know.
Gender-affirming care, which leading health care organizations in Texas say is the best way to provide care to transgender children, is emerging as a top target of state Republicans and lies at the heart of brewing political and legal battles. Full Story
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![A Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, treats a patient in Austin on Nov. 8th, 2012.]()
Credit: Spencer Selvidge for The Texas Tribune -
Two years after Walmart mass shooting, El Paso leaders see inaction and betrayal by Texas officials
In what some people call an affront to the families of the 2019 shooting victims, Texas Republicans expanded gun rights earlier this year when the state Legislature passed a permitless carry bill. Full Story
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![The El Paso Walmart where a gunman opened fire on back-to-school shoppers on Aug. 3, 2019.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Martin Luther King Jr.’s son says Texas Republicans are misrepresenting his father’s words in effort to whitewash history
Republican Texas lawmakers have justified their efforts to limit how racism and current events are taught in school by saying that critical race theory judges people by the color of their skin. Martin Luther King III and experts disagree. Full Story
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![Martin Luther King III at the Atlanta History Center. MLK III is the oldest son of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. July 22, 2021.]()
Credit: Carolina Guerrero for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott says he’ll soon unveil plan to restrict transition-related medical care for transgender children
The move comes after bills to do so were unsuccessful during the regular legislative session — and after Abbott did not include them on his agenda for the ongoing special session. Full Story
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![Ali Cross of the Austin Cheer squad waves a trans flag while her squad mates hold her up on the steps of the state Capitol at a rally against anti-trans legislation on April 28, 2021.]()
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Texas Senate advances bills limiting education about race, access to abortion-inducing medications. The House is still sidelined.
It's largely symbolic, but the Texas Senate is nearing the end of its work on Republican priorities for the special legislative session after passing bills limiting "critical race theory" and abortion access Friday. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick presides over the Senate on July 14, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
What it means to break quorum and what you need to know about the Texas House Democrats’ dramatic departure
Democrats are preventing the Texas House from having enough members to pass legislation. We explain what that means, what options Republicans have and what’s in the voting bills Democrats oppose. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan speaks with legislators on the opening day of the special session at the Texas Capitol on July 8, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
After hours of impassioned testimony, Texas Senate panel advances bills limiting the school sports teams that transgender athletes can join
Gov. Greg Abbott added the legislation to the special session agenda after similar bills failed to pass during the regular session earlier this year. Full Story
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![A high school volleyball player gets ready to serve during a game.]()
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GOP voting bills advance in Texas House and Senate after overnight committee hearings
Authors of the legislation are moving to ban drive-thru and 24-hour voting options, enhance access for partisan poll watchers and prohibit local election officials from proactively distributing applications to request mail-in ballots. Both bills also include language to further restrict the state’s voting-by-mail rules, including new ID requirements for absentee voters. Full Story
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![Activists hold signs saying, "Texas Deserves Better" outside a Senate committee hearing on proposed election reforms, at the Capitol on Saturday, July 10, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas educators of color say law limiting how America’s history of racism is taught further silences marginalized voices
Texas teacher Juan Carmona says it’s important to talk about the experiences of marginalized groups with students of color because they should see themselves represented in history books. Full Story
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![A student raises his hand in class at James Bowie High School in Austin.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers are back for a special session. Here’s what you should know.
We asked our readers for their questions about the special legislative session that starts Thursday in Texas. These are the answers. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol on Feb. 1, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune
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