News

Feds demand Ken Paxton’s Senate campaign explain more than 100 potentially illegal contributions

A letter from the Federal Election Commission identifies $658,000 in second-quarter donations that raise red flags.

by Sanford Nowlin August 19, 2025August 31, 2025

News

Rep. James Talarico mulls U.S. Senate bid as his profile rises amid Texas Democrats’ redistricting standoff

The Democratic state lawmaker has inquired about Senate television ad rates, two sources told the Tribune.

by Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune August 8, 2025August 13, 2025

News

Incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas outraises Ken Paxton by $1 million during the second quarter

The GOP primary battle between Cornyn and Paxton is one of the midterm’s most-watched contests.

by Sanford Nowlin July 14, 2025August 26, 2025

News

Former Democratic state House candidate among nine indicted for alleged vote harvesting in South Texas

The charges are the latest escalation in a probe that resulted in Texas authorities indicting six other Frio County area officials in May.

by Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune July 4, 2025July 18, 2025

News

Colin Allred running against U.S. Sen. John Cornyn

Allred, a Dallas-area Democrat, ran against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz two years ago and fell 8.5 points short of closing the deal.

by Sanford Nowlin July 1, 2025July 24, 2025

News

Texas can require porn websites to verify users’ ages, Supreme Court rules

The case involves a 2023 state law requiring adult websites to verify users’ ages, but the ruling is expected to have broader implications for free speech law.

by Kayla Guo and Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune June 28, 2025July 19, 2025

News

Top Paxton deputy accused of witness tampering during impeachment trial

In dueling lawsuits, current and former employees of the attorney general’s office sling allegations that threaten to intrude on Paxton’s U.S. Senate bid.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune June 26, 2025July 2, 2025

News

Federal Elections Commission questions paperwork of new PAC supporting Ken Paxton

Federal regulators said the fundraising organization didn’t make it clear whether it operates independently or as part of Paxton’s campaign.

by Sanford Nowlin June 26, 2025June 30, 2025

News

Texas Court blocks San Antonio from offering funds for out-of-state abortions

The ruling is a win for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, an anti-abortion crusader who sued to stop the city from earmarking the funds.

by Sanford Nowlin June 20, 2025July 4, 2025

News

First independent PAC forms to back Texas Attorney General’s run against Sen. John Cornyn

The PAC will help fuel AG Ken Paxton’s pricy primary fight against Cornyn, who has $4.1 million in the bank.

by Sanford Nowlin June 20, 2025June 27, 2025

News

Texas’ swift surrender to DOJ on undocumented student tuition raises state-federal collusion questions

Experts say Wednesday’s action to eliminate the long-standing policy could be a ‘collusive lawsuit,’ where the state and feds worked the courts to get a desired outcome.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune June 9, 2025June 18, 2025

News

Texas Republicans pioneered in-state tuition for undocumented students. Now they’re celebrating its end.

In 2001, Texas Republicans saw expanding college access for certain undocumented students as a way to build an educated workforce. Now, some GOP lawmakers feel only U.S. citizens should receive those benefits.

by Kate McGee, The Texas Tribune June 6, 2025July 6, 2025

News

Texas Legislature deadlocks on giving attorney general more authority to crack down on election crimes

Ken Paxton sought more power for his office to take up election cases But lawmakers haven’t agreed on a measure that would give it to him.

by Natalia Contreras, VoteBeat June 2, 2025July 15, 2025

News

Texas Supreme Court gives initial win to Paxton in migrant shelter case

The high court did not rule on the merits of the case, but allows Paxton to continue his investigation of Annunciation House.

by Alejandro Serrano and Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune May 30, 2025June 5, 2025

News

Court slaps down Texas AG Ken Paxton’s bid to investigate watchdog over its reporting on Elon Musk

An appeals judge wrote that Paxton, a Republican and Trump ally, sought to retaliate against Media Matters for exercising its First Amendment rights.

by Sanford Nowlin May 30, 2025July 24, 2025

Reeking of desperation? No, not John Cornyn!

News

John Cornyn panders to Trump (again) with photo in front of burger stand named after the president

Cornyn faces a primary challenge from MAGA loyalist Ken Paxton, and boy, does he look desperate.

by Sanford Nowlin May 12, 2025July 24, 2025

Cannabis

State appeals court strikes down Austin’s marijuana decriminalization ordinance

A state appeals court ruled that Austin’s voter-approved ordinance obstructed the enforcement of state drug laws. The court rejected a similar ordinance in San Marcos last week.

by Stephen Simpson, The Texas Tribune April 25, 2025July 31, 2025

News

Texas Attorney General sues San Antonio to stop it from paying for out-of-state abortion travel

City Council voted 6-5 on Thursday to create the $100,000 fund.

by Sanford Nowlin April 4, 2025April 29, 2025

News

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton posts new rule saying DAs need to give him unprecedented data access

Bexar County DA Joe Gonzales said his office is considering the ‘significant impact’ or the rule to determine its next steps.

by Sanford Nowlin April 1, 2025June 22, 2025

News

Texas doesn’t have to place LGBTQ foster youth in homes that affirm their identities, court rules

A federal judge has blocked a Biden-era rule that said providing foster children with ‘safe and proper care’ required placing them in gender-affirming homes.

by Xiomara Moore and Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune March 22, 2025May 18, 2025