Texas Legislature Adjourns Without Adding Money for Census Outreach. That Could Cost the State Billions.
With the census becoming more politicized under Trump, Republicans shied away from spending money to ensure all Texans get counted.
Vicky Camarillo
Articles by Vicky Camarillo
Texas Legislature Set to (Slightly) Expand Medical Marijuana Access
Only Texans with intractable epilepsy can currently use medical cannabis. As new legislation heading toward the governor’s desk adds a few more conditions to the list, advocates wish lawmakers had gone further and Republicans fret about a "slippery slope."
Death Penalty Reform Bill Gets Watered Down to ‘Nothing’ Before Passing Senate
After passing the House, HB 1139, meant to reform how Texas decides whether a defendant is too intellectually disabled to execute, was significantly softened in Senate committee.
In the Texas Legislature’s Final Days, Republicans Find New Ways to Attack Voting Rights
After the death of a high-profile voter suppression bill, Senate Republicans passed two other restrictive measures this week.
With a Bizarre Assist by Democrats, Police Groups Kill Bill to Limit Arrests for Fine-Only Offenses
A combination of incompetence and sabotage appears to have killed a police reform bill that had passed the House with an overwhelming bipartisan majority.
‘The Penal System Today is Slavery’: Lawmakers Finally Start to Talk About Unpaid Labor in Texas Prisons
The 13th Amendment left a loophole for prisoners to be forced to work without pay. Texas remains one of five states that exploits the carveout for state profit.
In Historic Vote, Texas House OKs Bill to Soften Penalties for Marijuana Possession
Despite approval in the House, a powerful Senate Democrat, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Governor Greg Abbott could still stand in the way of the proposal becoming law.
GOP Continues to Stonewall Efforts to Improve Voter Access in Texas
The “election integrity” bill that passed the Senate this week is only the latest entry into a long history of conservative-led voter suppression in Texas.
‘License to Discriminate’: Texas Senate Advances Anti-LGBTQ Bill
Doctors, child care providers, counselors and other state-licensed workers who refuse to provide services based on “a sincerely held religious belief” would be protected under Senate Bill 17.
Texas House Considers Free College For Students Experiencing Homelessness
An estimated 10 percent of college students don’t have permanent housing. One measure would exempt those students from paying tuition.