State Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, left, listens as Ipsum General Contractors owner Ruben Mercado Jr. speaks at a press conference about a lawsuit against the state comptroller's office, at the Capitol in Austin on Monday, March 2, 2026.

Judge temporarily allows women, minority-owned businesses to qualify for Texas HUB program again

A judge has sided against the state after acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock stripped women- and minority-owned businesses of their Historically Underutilized Business certifications in December.

By Paul Cobler and Ayden RunnelsApril 14, 2026April 14, 2026

Ellie Fisher, vice president of the Texas NAACP Youth & College Division, speaks during a news conference at the state Capitol in Austin on April 4, 2023.

Texas News

Texas Tech law student sues to block discipline related to Charlie Kirk comments

The Honor Council recommended a written reprimand for ‘celebratory’ comments. The lawsuit argued that would violate her free speech rights.

by Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune April 13, 2026April 13, 2026

The Texas hemp industry's lawsuit accuses state regulators of illegally overturning stipulations passed by the legislature in 2019.

Cannabis News

Texas hemp industry sues to block state’s ban on smokable products, new fees

Hemp distributors and retailers argue the rules, which went into effect March 31, are designed to spell financial ruin for their industry.

by Sanford Nowlin April 8, 2026April 8, 2026

Customers stock up on groceries at an Austin H-E-B on Jan. 13, 2024.

Texas News

Texas expected to pay $700 million in penalties to the feds for SNAP errors by 2027

The federal government is penalizing states for having a high error rate in their payments to food stamp recipients.

by Terri Langford April 8, 2026April 8, 2026

Summer school students leave a Dobie Middle School classroom in Austin on July 23, 2025.

Texas News

White Texans, students previously in private school or home-school make up bulk of voucher applicants

Of the almost 275,000 students who applied for vouchers, 45% are white and 75% attended a private school or home-school in 2024-25, final numbers show.

by Jaden Edison, The Texas Tribune April 4, 2026April 4, 2026

Illustrated posters reading “We Belong Here” sit on the Capitol’s rotunda floor during Texas Students for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s protest of anti-DEI initiatives for public universities, on Mar. 23, 2023. One responsibility of the new Office of the Ombudsman is to investigate allegations that anti-DEI laws have been broken.

Texas News

This state agency was created to investigate Texas universities. How that works is a mystery.

Office of the Ombudsman has no written policies on how to investigate allegations that education laws are being broken, even though it’s been accepting complaints for three months.

by Jessica Priest April 3, 2026April 3, 2026

The Texas Capitol is shown on March 19, 2026.

Texas News

Texas is cutting undocumented immigrants off from school, work and driving

The sweeping rule changes, all enacted outside the typical legislative process, have upended life for noncitizens, including those who are here legally.

by Alejandro Serrano and Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune April 2, 2026April 2, 2026

Smokeable hemp is now illegal to sell in Texas, but some customers may start ordering it from out-of-state suppliers.

News

With Texas ban on smokable hemp now in effect, experts say customers will turn to mail-order

Under state law and federal law, it’s still legal to possess smokable hemp, so attorneys suspect customers will simply order from out-of-state vendors.

by Sanford Nowlin April 1, 2026April 1, 2026

Teacher Sarra Benramdane helps students practice reading at Iman Academy in southwest Houston on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Iman Academy was accepted into the Texas voucher program in late March, after a federal judge extended the student application deadline.

Texas News

Texas’ school voucher applications set to close tonight after judge declines to extend deadline

A federal judge previously gave families an additional two weeks to apply after Muslim parents and Islamic schools sued, arguing they had been improperly excluded from the program.

by Jaden Edison, The Texas Tribune March 31, 2026March 31, 2026

A 54-year-old woman from Edinburg holds her hands as she poses for a photo at her home in the Rio Grande Valley on March 18, 2026. After suffering a bad fall in October, she refused to go to the hospital over fears she could be deported.

Texas News

‘Don’t take me to the hospital’: Undocumented immigrants in Texas are delaying medical care

Since Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texas hospitals to start asking patients for their citizenship status in November 2024, reported visits by undocumented immigrants have dropped.

by Colleen DeGuzman, Stephen Simpson, Terry Langford and Dan Keemahill, The Texas Tribune March 30, 2026March 30, 2026

Former Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French speaks during a rally at the Tarrant County Republican Party headquarters in Fort Worth on Jan. 6, 2025.

News

Texas Railroad Commissioner candidate Bo French calls for deportation of 100 million people

French, a former Tarrant County GOP chair, also said Republicans should more openly embrace Islamophobia.

by Sanford Nowlin March 27, 2026March 27, 2026

Smokable hemp products such as these will be banned statewide come March 31.

Cannabis

Texas’ looming ban on smokable THC products creates turmoil for industry and its customers

San Antonio dispensaries say they plan to soldier on, but smokeable products account for a large portion of their sales.

by Abe Asher March 26, 2026March 26, 2026

From left: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Comptroller Kelly Hancock during Paxton's September 2023 impeachment trial on the Senate floor at the Austin Capitol.

News

Ken Paxton calls acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock ‘loser,’ calls for his removal amid grudge match

In a Tuesday letter, Hancock criticized the attorney general for not using all the tools at his disposal to go after groups he says are affiliated with Muslim terrorist groups.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune March 25, 2026

A migrant processing facility located adjacent to the Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office in Del Rio on Oct. 27, 2021.

Texas News

Texas quietly shut Operation Lone Star booking facility in Del Rio

Gov. Greg Abbott had opened two such sites as he surged thousands of DPS troopers and Guard members to the Texas-Mexico border.

by Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune March 25, 2026March 25, 2026

A life-size statue of César Chávez is removed by city workers from Cesar Chavez Memorial Park in San Fernando, California on March 19, 2026.

Texas News

Texas Education Agency orders public schools to remove mentions of César Chávez from lessons

Schools were also directed to cancel or change celebrations of the late civil rights leader amid allegations of sexual abuse.

by Sneha Dey, The Texas Tribune March 24, 2026March 24, 2026

Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni takes questions from reporters about the city's water situation at a press briefing on Mar. 20, 2026.

Texas News

Corpus Christi says two new developments will buy it more time before reaching water crisis

The city manager said the city received permits to pump more groundwater and will avoid water reductions from a shrinking reservoir for now, pushing a potential water crisis to July.

by Colleen DeGuzman, The Texas Tribune March 21, 2026March 21, 2026

Drag Queen Brigitte Bandit performs during a Fight The Trump Takeover Rally at the south side steps of the Capitol on Aug. 16, 2025.

Texas News

Texas’ drag show ban takes effect after years of court challenges

A federal court cleared the way for Senate Bill 12, which prohibits drag performances on public property or in front of children, to take effect Wednesday.

by Alex Nguyen, The Texas Tribune March 19, 2026March 19, 2026

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appears at the Republican National Convention.

News

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott cancels state’s César Chávez Day celebrations

Abbott’s decree comes as San Antonio officials call for renaming the city’s César E. Chávez Boulevard.

by Michael Karlis March 18, 2026March 18, 2026

Candy bars and other sweets are displayed in the candy aisle of a convenience store in Austin on March 11, 2026. Beginning April 1, people will not be allowed to purchase candy and certain sweetened beverages using SNAP benefits.

Texas News

What Texans need to know about upcoming SNAP restrictions

Starting April 1, Texans will no longer be allowed to use food stamps to buy sweetened beverages and candy.

by Riddhi Bora and Dan Keemahill, The Texas TribuneMarch 18, 2026March 18, 2026

Families in less-affluent San Antonio districts such as Harlandale have been applying for the state's voucher program at lower rates than those in wealthier districts, data shows.

San Antonio News

Families in rich SA school districts apply for vouchers at higher rates than those in poor ones

Proponents of Texas’ voucher program said it would help poor families afford private school, but the San Antonio numbers suggest that’s not the case.

by Michael Karlis March 17, 2026March 17, 2026

Vote NOW for your Best of San Antonio® Finalists!

Gov. greg Abbott

Judge temporarily allows women, minority-owned businesses to qualify for Texas HUB program again

Texas Tech law student sues to block discipline related to Charlie Kirk comments

Texas hemp industry sues to block state’s ban on smokable products, new fees

Texas expected to pay $700 million in penalties to the feds for SNAP errors by 2027

White Texans, students previously in private school or home-school make up bulk of voucher applicants

This state agency was created to investigate Texas universities. How that works is a mystery.

Texas is cutting undocumented immigrants off from school, work and driving

With Texas ban on smokable hemp now in effect, experts say customers will turn to mail-order

Texas’ school voucher applications set to close tonight after judge declines to extend deadline

‘Don’t take me to the hospital’: Undocumented immigrants in Texas are delaying medical care

Texas Railroad Commissioner candidate Bo French calls for deportation of 100 million people

Texas’ looming ban on smokable THC products creates turmoil for industry and its customers

Ken Paxton calls acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock ‘loser,’ calls for his removal amid grudge match

Texas quietly shut Operation Lone Star booking facility in Del Rio

Texas Education Agency orders public schools to remove mentions of César Chávez from lessons

Corpus Christi says two new developments will buy it more time before reaching water crisis

Texas’ drag show ban takes effect after years of court challenges

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott cancels state’s César Chávez Day celebrations

What Texans need to know about upcoming SNAP restrictions

Families in rich SA school districts apply for vouchers at higher rates than those in poor ones