Hours after the U.S. Supreme Court had allowed Senate Bill 4 to go into effect, a federal appeals court let an earlier injunction stand. SB 4 lets Texas police arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border.
By Uriel J. García and Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune
Hundreds of prisoners may participate in the protest beginning Tuesday, the first day of the state’s legislative session. Texas often keeps prisoners in solitary confinement for years or decades.
LGBTQ Texans say lawmakers and right-wing figures are misrepresenting what happens at all-ages performances to propagate hate and violence against queer people.
In the wake of the deadly 2021 winter storm, the Texas Legislature ordered an overhaul of the state’s power market to prevent future widespread blackouts. But some senators aren’t fans of the main option on the table.
Texas has transported about 13,000 migrants to New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C. But in the absence of communication between the state and those cities, nonprofits are having to pick up the pieces for this mass movement of migrants.
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.
Abbott has consolidated power like none before him, at times circumventing the GOP-controlled Legislature and overriding local officials. A flurry of executive measures has solidified his base and raised his national profile.
By Perla Trevizo, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and Marilyn W. Thompson, ProPublica
Many Texas universities don’t have early-voting locations on campus. And state laws regarding voter ID and registration make it hard to turn out younger voters, advocates say.
The two-term governor’s donors enjoy access, appointments to boards and commissions, and a chance to bend the ear of a politician who may harbor bigger ambitions.
By Patrick Svitek, Carla Astudillo, Zach Despart and Kate McGee, The Texas Tribune
The Biden administration is also creating a pathway to allow “qualified” Venezuelans into the country. Venezuelans have been fleeing their home country in record numbers, and the number crossing the U.S.-Mexico border has surged.
The latest survey also gave Republican incumbents single-digit leads in two other statewide races. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick led Democrat Mike Collier by 7 points, and Attorney General Ken Paxton registered a 5-point advantage over Democrat Rochelle Garza.
Despite its dwindling population, rural Texas has consistently helped protect GOP dominance in statewide races, even as Democratic support grows in the state’s populous metro centers and suburbs.
By Patrick Svitek, Carla Astudillo and Jayme Lozano, The Texas Tribune
The question moving forward is whether Democrats, outnumbered in the Texas Legislature, will be able to put enough pressure on lawmakers to move on a previously intractable issue in gun-friendly Texas.
By James Barragán and Zach Despart, The Texas Tribune
A nearly 6,000-square-foot Monte Vista mansion that blends historic details with modern elegance underwent a steep, $200,000 price cut late last month.…