Blogs
Lawmaker on State Tax Committee Also Works for Texas’ Corporate Welfare King
State Representative Drew Springer started working for corporate tax firm Ryan, LLC in March. He doesn't recall any conflicts of interest from a session spent overseeing Texas tax law.
State Representative Drew Springer started working for corporate tax firm Ryan, LLC in March. He doesn't recall any conflicts of interest from a session spent o...Read More
How a Texas Mom Fought to Restore Daughter’s Therapy After State Cuts
Years of legislative funding cuts to therapy for special needs kids has led to interrupted services and changes in behavior for some.
Amanda Crouse watched helplessly as the words began to slip away from her daughter Haylee. It had taken Crouse and a team of therapists months to help Haylee, t...Read More
The Olive-Green Ceiling: Why Are So Few Women in the Border Patrol?
Women make up less than 5 percent of the Border Patrol's workforce, dead last among federal law enforcement agencies.
During his first week in office, one of President Trump’s first moves was to sign an executive order calling for the hiring of 5,000 more Border Patrol agents...Read More
Remember the Alamo (Differently)
In Texas, the effort to stop white supremacy should include dismantling the racist mythology of the Alamo.
In Texas, the effort to stop white supremacy should include dismantling the racist mythology of the Alamo....Read More
Dear Governor Abbott: The ‘Bathroom Bill’ Endangers Trans Texans Like My Son
I’ll tell my son as he gets older that his experience of gender is on the margins of society. But that’s all right; lots of great stuff happens on the margins.
Dear Governor Abbott, Not long ago, my kids and I spent five nights camping in Big Bend. We had a great spot for our little pop-up camper right next to the Rio ...Read More
Red is the New Orange: Handmaids Bring More than Just Silence to the Abortion Fight
The grassroots group of reproductive justice activists have seized a terrifying political moment and created a defiant act of pop-cultural resistance.
In white bonnets and bright-red robes, they sit silently in protest as lawmakers usher in yet another bill that will make it harder for Texans to access abortio...Read More
The Texas Legislature’s Chainsaw Massacre
In the name of “liberty,” Senate Republicans are hacking down local rules protecting trees — except when they’re making exceptions for themselves.
At least 90 cities and counties in Texas have ordinances protecting trees. San Antonio has an ordinance. Weatherford has an ordinance. Austin has an ordinance. ...Read More
Compassionate (Ab)use: Family Battles Texas over Medical Marijuana
The Zartlers have gone through a veritable pharmacy of prescription drugs, but they say medical marijuana is the only thing that stops Kara from hitting herself.
Mark Zartler measures how well his 17-year-old daughter, Kara, is doing by what he calls a “hit test” — counting the number of times she hits herself on a...Read More
Trump’s New Immigration Lockup Draws Local Opposition in Conroe
A private prison company is building an immigrant detention center in the seat of Montgomery County—whether residents like it or not.
The people of Conroe are getting a new, 1,000-bed immigrant detention center whether they like it or not. The GEO Group Inc., one of the largest private prison ...Read More
Thank You, Matt Rinaldi
Republicans who are repelled by people like Rinaldi have a problem: They depend on the votes of the people who cheer him on.
We spend a lot of time looking for what’s human and what’s kind in our politics, but it’s usually more important when someone shows us the opposite. T...Read More