SHOCKING: 62 | Mind Blowing Facts

The Lege This Week: For Whom the Bill Tolls

The Texas House reached a critical deadline in rather anticlimactic fashion as dozens of bills hit the killing floor. But Republicans have already got most of what they wanted this session.

Texas Observer · May 14, 2021

In a Rare Show of Accountability, a Texas Attorney Has Surrendered His License

A judge called his actions in the Clinton Young case "shocking prosecutorial misconduct that destroyed any semblance of a fair trial.”

Texas Observer · May 13, 2021

Texas’ Largest Corporate Welfare Program Is Leaving Companies Flush and School Districts Broke

The state’s Chapter 313 program offers steep discounts on property taxes to attract big industrial projects that are supposed to pay off over the long term. But by the time these projects return to the tax rolls, much of that value has disappeared.

Texas Observer · May 12, 2021

Texas Enabled the Worst Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Catastrophe in Recent U.S. History

In a state that doesn't require carbon monoxide alarms in homes, many Texans in the winter storm didn't know they were poisoning themselves.

Texas Observer · May 6, 2021

‘On Juneteenth’ Refuses Easy Answers About the Importance of People of Color to Texas History

Author Annette Gordon-Reed offers a historical primer on the conditions that made Juneteenth a holiday and its importance to the nation.

Texas Observer · May 6, 2021

In Gainesville, the Past Is Repeating Itself

Criminal charges against protesters, intimidation from counterprotesters, and the threat of violence by right-wing groups numbed protests against monuments in the North Texas town.

Texas Observer · May 5, 2021

La Niña Brings Wildfires

Texas fires are growing in volume, severity, and sheer number.

Texas Observer · May 4, 2021

Robert Bullard Isn’t Done Yet

More than 40 years after the Texas Southern University professor researched the first environmental justice case, communities of color still face an uphill battle claiming their right to clean air and a healthy neighborhood. Federal environmental justice legislation could change that.

Texas Observer · May 3, 2021

The Lege This Week: The Capitol’s Longstanding Toxic Culture

From allegations of sexual misconduct to Dan Patrick's push for permitless carry, here's what happened this week in the 87th Texas Legislature.

Texas Observer · Apr 30, 2021

‘I Felt Like They Were Demonizing My People’: Advocates and Families Point to Biases in Texas Curricula

In Allen ISD, a 9th grade student is pushing back against an anti-Palestinian lesson plan.

Texas Observer · Apr 29, 2021