Texas’ Top Voucher Vendor Taps Abbott Allies in Contract Bid, Program Rollout
The New York firm Odyssey is now running the state’s lucrative voucher scheme with a little help from the governor’s friends.
89th legislative session
Abbott’s Bail Crackdown Meets Mixed Fate in Texas House
The lower chamber approves key pieces—but only pieces—of the governor's pretrial incarceration agenda.
Texas School Districts Slam the Senate’s School Finance Plan
“It’s like your house being on fire, and the fire department showing up with a 12 ounce cup of water.”
Will Dan Patrick’s Senate Stymie Fentanyl Test Strip Legalization (Again)?
Legislation to allow some forms of drug checking has reached the same Senate committee where a similar bill died last session—two years and at least 3,200 Texas overdose deaths ago.
The High Cost of Texas’ Property Tax Cut-and-Run Politics
Biennial promises of “relief” are just window dressing on a broken taxation system.
Texas’ AI-Powered Surveillance Arsenal Has Ballooned. Proposed Laws Provide Few Guardrails.
Operation Lone Star has turbocharged DPS’ surveillance capabilities. Lawmakers say they want to prevent Texas from becoming a police state but have filed only modest legislation to regulate use of AI.
Republican Abortion Laws Are ‘Torturing Women.’ Can the GOP Fix Its Own Crisis?
Too late for many pregnant Texans, lawmakers might finally clarify exceptions to the state’s deadly bans—but advocates fear the current bills could also pose a new threat.
Marathon Hearing on School Vouchers Features Intense Bipartisan Opposition
“There is a disconnect between the rhetoric and what the bill actually says,” Democrat James Talarico summarized of House Bill 3.
How Voucher Vendors Could Make Millions from ‘School Choice’ in Texas
The Legislature’s current proposals put a handful of private contractors in the driver’s seat. Other states have already seen problems.
Trans Texans Are Under Attack (Again), but Advocates Aren’t Giving In
With another legislative session that could pile on even more anti-trans policies, LBGTQ+ groups grapple with how to protect their communities.