Uvalde school shooting: What we know one year later Twenty-one people died at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022. The mass shooting and delayed police response spurred calls for stricter gun laws. The Texas Tribune · May 24, 2023
Toxic benzene lingered for weeks after shelter-in-place warnings ended following 2019 Houston-area chemical fire The Texas Tribune analyzed previously unreported air monitoring data and records from the 2019 ITC chemical disaster near Houston and found that high benzene levels lingered in the air for two weeks after public health measures were lifted. Experts say more shelter-in-place advisories should have been issued. The Texas Tribune · Apr 27, 2023
T-Squared: Matt Adams, Dan Keemahill and Carlos Nogueras join The Texas Tribune Adams will oversee audience growth and engagement. Keemahill is a data journalist working on investigative stories. Nogueras will be our first Permian Basin reporter, based in Midland-Odessa. The Texas Tribune · Apr 26, 2023
SXSW EDU panelists say the only solution to school safety is to address gun policy and mental health, not one or the other Gun policy reform is the best way to address school safety, according to experts on a panel in Austin. They also cautioned against doubling down on surveillance technology. The Texas Tribune · Mar 10, 2023
Lawmakers offer stark choices for ending the crisis in Texas’ youth prisons — shut them all down, or build more Plagued by decades of scandals over sexual and physical abuse of children, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department is at a crossroads. The Texas Tribune · Mar 9, 2023
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy offers warm reception to Biden border proposal as Democrats recoil The Austin Republican’s tacit approval only adds fuel to the fire for Texas Democrats recoiling at the report that the Biden administration could detain asylum-seekers. The Texas Tribune · Mar 9, 2023
“I love my babies. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy”: One mother’s struggle to survive in pro-life Texas Pregnancy forced Destiny Williams to quit her job. She almost died during childbirth. Now with a newborn in tow, she’s struggling to build a more stable life for her and her children. The Texas Tribune · Mar 9, 2023
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan’s new priority bills focus on school safety, requiring districts to adopt active-shooter plans More than nine months after the Uvalde school shooting, top GOP lawmakers maintain focus on school safety reforms and investments in mental health resources in hopes it will prevent future tragedies. The Texas Tribune · Mar 9, 2023
Texas Senate passes first bill this session, a bipartisan effort to close teen gun loophole In its first bill passed this session, the Texas Senate sought to ensure juvenile mental health hospitalizations are reported to the federal firearm background check system. The Texas Tribune · Mar 8, 2023
At a Korean community center in Houston, the struggle immigrant Texans face with language barriers is clear Texas largely conducts its state business in English and Spanish. It falls to interpreters like Terry Yun to help people scale the wall dividing them from crucial government services. The Texas Tribune · Mar 8, 2023
Texas lawmakers propose historic investments to broadband and water infrastructure — but voters will have the last word If passed during this legislative session, this would be the state’s biggest investment in broadband, but some local officials question whether it would make the service more affordable in areas with few providers. The Texas Tribune · Mar 8, 2023
First ever lawsuit against abortion bans Women denied abortions sue Texas to clarify exceptions to the laws Salon · Mar 7, 2023
Women denied abortions sue Texas to clarify exceptions to the laws Five women announced a new lawsuit Tuesday, marking the first time patients directly affected by new abortion laws have sought to challenge them in court. The Texas Tribune · Mar 7, 2023
The Texas House has a record number of LGBTQ representatives as lawmakers face scores of bills focused on gender and sexuality The Texas Legislature has nine lawmakers who are openly LGBTQ, all Democrats. At the same time, some Republican lawmakers are pushing a slate of bills aimed at drag queens, transgender children and how sexuality is discussed in schools. The Texas Tribune · Mar 7, 2023
The Texas Tribune · Mar 6, 2023 Texas Republicans have filed dozens of bills affecting LGBTQ people. Here’s what they’d do. Texas lawmakers this year are debating whether to block transgender kids’ access to transition-related health care, classify businesses that host drag shows as sexually oriented establishments and limit public school lessons on sexuality and gender identity.
The Texas Tribune · Mar 4, 2023 TribCast: How will Texas lawmakers cut property taxes? In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Texas Tribune reporters Joshua Fechter and Patrick Svitek about the different proposals to reduce Texans’ property tax burdens.
The Texas Tribune · Mar 4, 2023 Houston ISD braces for possible state takeover Parents, teachers and retired HISD employees were among the many rallying Friday against an imminent midsemester district takeover by the Texas Education Agency.
The Texas Tribune · Mar 4, 2023 Debate over Texas drag shows intensifies A lawmaker is accused of hypocrisy after it emerges that he once wore a dress. He says it wasn’t sexual.
The Texas Tribune · Mar 3, 2023 Texas Education Agency would have new power to enforce school safety plans under Senate bill The bill, introduced months after the Uvalde school shooting, also allocates more funds to the state’s school safety allotment, which is money given to districts to improve campus security.
The Texas Tribune · Mar 3, 2023 Aging state vehicle fleet fuels tens of millions in new money requests by agencies Many state-owned vehicles are aging past the standards for replacement. Early budget drafts signal that lawmakers are considering funding some $237.6 million in requests for new ones.
The Texas Tribune · Mar 3, 2023 Texas legislative leaders — Dan Patrick, Dade Phelan — jab each other’s priorities in dueling speeches During dueling speeches to a conservative think tank in Austin, state House Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who have a history of animus, split over property tax relief, criminal justice reform and school choice.
The Texas Tribune · Mar 2, 2023 U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales defiant as he faces censure for breaking with Republican Party The censure resolution cites Gonzales’ rejection of a border security proposal by fellow Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, and his support of a bill for same-sex marriage protections and a bipartisan gun safety law.
The Texas Tribune · Mar 2, 2023 Texas House’s property tax bill calls for $17 billion in cuts, tighter appraisal cap Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan’s proposal reveals the different roads the Texas House and Senate want to take on property taxes — and the fight that might emerge between the two chambers this session.
The Texas Tribune · Mar 2, 2023 Texas A&M University System bans diversity statements from job applications The Texas A&M, Texas State and University of Houston systems are the latest to make changes after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to stop considering diversity in their hiring practices.
The Texas Tribune · Mar 2, 2023 Plurality of Texas voters say they support school voucher-like program The poll from the University of Texas at Austin, released Thursday, found a plurality of voters support redirecting tax revenue to help parents pay to school their kids outside the traditional public education system.