In Texas’ first post-Roe legislative session, there’s a new political power dynamic on abortion

While Democrats and the far-right edge of the Republican Party remain focused on abortion, leaders in both chambers have not yet spent much time discussing the issue this session.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune January 23, 2023September 15, 2024

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Federal court ruling may prevent Texas teens from getting birth control without parental permission

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a former religious liberty lawyer, found that a federal program that gives teens access to birth control denies a parent ‘a fundamental right to control and direct the upbringing of his minor children.’

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune December 22, 2022August 17, 2023

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New Texas maternal mortality report shows disparities persist

The Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee report, delayed by more than three months, estimates that up to 90% of the deaths may have been preventable. Severe complications from pregnancy and childbirth also increased significantly.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune December 17, 2022January 30, 2025

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Delayed Texas maternal mortality report to be released next week, state says

Due in September, the report was delayed to allow a full review of 2019 cases, the state health agency said. That review didn’t change the findings.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune December 11, 2022September 21, 2024

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As abortion access evaporates, many Texans aren’t able to find care, new studies show

Several new studies show that not everyone denied access to abortions in Texas can travel out of state, but more people than ever before are seeking ways to self-manage abortions with medication at home.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune November 2, 2022January 2, 2024

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Attorney General Ken Paxton ordered to testify in abortion lawsuit after evading subpoena

A federal judge who previously quashed the subpoena ruled that the attorney general must take the witness stand in a lawsuit from abortion funds.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune October 5, 2022August 17, 2023

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Texas’ child welfare agency blocked from investigating many more parents of trans teens

Friday’s injunction applies to all members of PFLAG, an LGBTQ advocacy group with more than 600 members in Texas.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune September 18, 2022August 17, 2023

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Texans who perform abortions now face up to life in prison, $100,000 fine

Texas, the largest state to restrict abortions, now has three significant bans on the books, setting up a potential legal minefield.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune August 25, 2022August 17, 2023

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Texas health agency says its plan to extend maternal Medicaid coverage is ‘not approvable’ by feds

HHSC said it was initially told the plan was “not approvable.” Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a statement Friday saying Texas’ plan to extend coverage to six months was not rejected but still under review.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune August 5, 2022August 17, 2023

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Lawyers preparing for abortion prosecutions warn about health care, data privacy

While people consider deleting period tracking apps and worry about interstate travel restrictions, most pregnancy-related criminalizations start in a much simpler way: with a report from a health care provider.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune July 25, 2022August 17, 2023

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A gun and a prayer: How the far right took control of Texas’ response to mass shootings

The “God-given right” to self-defense has become a rallying cry in Texas politics, further cementing gun ownership as a holy cause and political identity. The state’s Republican leadership has spent decades carrying the banner.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune May 29, 2022July 22, 2024

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Texas resumes investigations into parents of trans children, families’ lawyers confirm

Lawyers representing families under investigation said they heard from the agency Thursday about continuing the investigations that had previously been halted by a statewide injunction.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune May 20, 2022August 17, 2023

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Texas isn’t ready to support more parents and kids in a post-Roe world, advocates warn

More than a quarter of women of childbearing age are uninsured in Texas, the highest rate in the nation, and the state has chosen to cap Medicaid benefits for new moms earlier than other states.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune May 10, 2022April 26, 2025

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Meet the Texas teens taking on the state’s ‘tampon tax’

A group of young women have teamed up with a prestigious Houston law firm to get the state to stop charging sales tax on menstrual products, arguing they qualify as “wound care dressings.”

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune May 3, 2022January 1, 2025

News

Former state Sen. Wendy Davis challenges Texas abortion law in court

Best known for her 13-hour filibuster against another restrictive abortion law, Davis is now suing to block enforcement of Texas’ current ban on abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune April 20, 2022August 17, 2023