Texas looms large in 2024 presidential race as Trump, others angle for early support
The former president is courting state support as other GOP candidates try to emerge from his shadow, including Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley. Full Story
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![Former president Donald Trump holds his first 2024 campaign rally in Waco, Texas on Mar. 25, 2023.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate approves bill that would end faculty tenure at public universities
Senate Bill 18 faces an uphill battle at the Texas House, where Speaker Dade Phelan has expressed concerns with completely eliminating the commonplace job protection. Full Story
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![Students walk through an area known as “The Quad” on the first day of the fall semester at Texas State University in San Marcos on Aug. 24, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate moves to end countywide voting on Election Day
Voters in nearly 100 counties — mostly rural — can vote at any polling site in their county. The sponsor, without offering evidence, said the practice was not secure despite years of successful elections in Texas with the system. Full Story
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![People walk up to the Willie DeLeon Civic Center Precinct 1 polling station in Uvalde on Election Day, Nov. 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Public schools would have to display Ten Commandments under bill passed by Texas Senate
The Senate also passed a bill that would set prayer and Bible reading times during the school day. Full Story
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![The Ten Commandments Monument on the Texas State Capitol grounds in Austin.]()
Credit: Ariel Min/The Texas Tribune -
San Antonio to vote on progressive wish list on abortion, marijuana, low-level arrests
Proposition A on the May 6 ballot will test the city’s political climate and progressives’ ability to advance a controversial agenda. Full Story
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![Women sit in the waiting room after their appointments at Alamo Women’s Reproductive Services in San Antonio on June 14, 2022.]()
Credit: Kylie Cooper/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate approves bill that would ban diversity programs in public universities
The legislation heads to the Texas House, where members have been more muted about the proposal to disband offices, programs and training that foster diversity. Full Story
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![The Academic Building on the Texas A&M University campus on March 26, 2018.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes bill to strengthen school active-shooter plans
Senate Bill 11, which aims to get hundreds of districts without adequate safety protocols to adopt one, would also beef up truancy laws. Full Story
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![Educators take part in active shooter training in Pflugerville on August 10, 2018.]()
Credit: Rachel Zein for The Texas Tribune -
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez “very likely” to challenge Ted Cruz in 2024
Gutierrez has served in the Texas Senate since 2021 after previously serving over a decade in the House. Full Story
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![From left: State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Amid Slaton scandal, Texas Legislature moves to crack down on lawmakers who give alcohol to minors
The House passed a bill with a late amendment to make it a state jail felony for a “public officer” to give alcohol to a minor under any circumstances. Slaton voted for the amendment. Full Story
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![State Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, sits at his desk on the House floor in Austin on April 18, 2023.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Bills to create new Texas courts would likely reverse Democratic gains, restore GOP dominance
Supporters say the proposals would increase efficiency and expertise, but opponents argue the attempts are political and probably unconstitutional. Full Story
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![The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
In overnight testimony, Uvalde victims’ family members call on Texas lawmakers to raise age to buy semi-automatic guns
The families of Uvalde shooting victims waited hours to testify at a House committee hearing in support of House Bill 2744, which would raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21. Full Story
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![Friends and families of the victims of the Uvalde shooting wait in a members lounge as they wait for the Community Safety Committee to reconvene, at the state Capitol in Austin on April 18, 2023. The committee will hear numerous bills relating to gun reform, most notably HB2744 which seeks to raise the age required to purchase semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House approves sweeping limits on local regulations in GOP’s latest jab at blue cities
City officials say the full scope of the legislation advanced Tuesday is still unclear, but it would limit their ability to issue worker protections, water restrictions and more. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, on the House floor on May 14.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
T-Squared: Tribune wins Texas Managing Editors awards for investigative, freedom of information and feature reporting
Texas Tribune journalists were also finalists or honorable mentions in numerous other categories. Full Story
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![Impact, Recognition and Awards]()
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After years of little progress, Texas gun control and safety advocates see some small openings for dialogue at the Capitol
Many bills that would limit access to firearms or ammunition likely won’t become law anytime soon. But people who advocate at the Texas Capitol see emerging signs that there’s appetite for finding some middle ground. Full Story
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![Families of the victims of the Uvalde and Santa Fe school shootings gathered with state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, to show their support for legislation on gun safety laws at the state Capitol in Austin on Feb. 14, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House committee debates firearms bills filed in response to Uvalde shooting
The House Select Committee on Community Safety is scheduled to hear testimony on bills that would change how people buy firearms and how authorities report those purchases. One of these bills would raise the minimum age to 21 years old to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles. Full Story
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![Patrons of the SAXET Gun Show look at handguns at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown on Feb. 26, 2023.]()
Credit: Blaine Young for The Texas Tribune -
Tarrant County’s lauded elections chief resigns, citing differences with new county executive
Heider Garcia, like many other election officials across the country, faced death threats that stemmed from lies about the outcome of the 2020 election. Full Story
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![Election Administrator Heider Garcia looks at his phone while working Election Day at the Tarrant County Election Administration building in Fort Worth on November 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Law enforcement says no explosives detected after bomb threat called in to state Capitol
The Texas Department of Public Safety did a sweep of Capitol grounds with K-9 dogs and found no explosive devices. Full Story
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![The Texas State Capitol on Mar. 29, 2023.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane/The Texas Tribune -
Terrified and angry, LGBTQ Texans and allies rally at Capitol to protest bills targeting queer community
With six weeks remaining in the legislative session, advocates implored Texans to join the “resistance” against fast-moving efforts to curb health care, drag queens, education, trans athletes and more. Full Story
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![Hundreds joined the Queer March on the Capitol in Austin on April 15, 2023.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
The controversial article Texas federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk did not disclose to the Senate
The judge who delivered a high-stakes abortion pills ruling last week removed his name from a law review article during his judicial nomination process, emails show. Full Story
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![In a still image from a video, Matthew Kacsmaryk, deputy counsel for the First Liberty Institute, answers questions during his nomination hearing by the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 13, 2017.]()
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Staffer alleged in complaint that state Rep. Bryan Slaton had sex with Capitol intern
The new details about the allegation stem from the complaint filed against Slaton to the House General Investigating Committee. Full Story
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![State Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, waits to speak from the back podium on the House floor on Monday, August 9, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune