Right-Wingers Gain Ground in Texas School Board Elections
Anti-“critical race theory” crusaders picked up seats in May elections around the state as part of a nationwide movement.
Dan Patrick
Political Retirements Will Paint Texas a Fresh Coat of Red in 2022
The state’s newly redrawn political maps set off an exodus among Democrats and moderate Republicans. If you thought 2021 was brutal, 2022 may be worse.
Dan Patrick’s Critical Erasure
The lieutenant governor continues his crusade against those who challenge the racist mythologies of Texas.
2021 Texas Lege in Review: Red Meat, Broken Promises, and More of the Same Old Shit
Texas Republicans proved too busy burnishing their far-right bona fides to attend to minor matters like lethal winter storms and mass incarceration.
How We Got Here
Texas’ health system has been underfunded, understaffed, and unprepared for years. Here, COVID-19 found the perfect place to spread.
Loon Star: Greg Abbott’s Rickety Ship
Hoist the tops! Lower the tops!
Texas Republicans’ Pandemic Performance Is True to Form
Dan Patrick performs for Fox News; Greg Abbott dithers; and John Cornyn defiantly refuses to log off.
SIGN UP FOR TEXAS OBSERVER EMAILS
Will Dan Patrick’s Bare-Minimum Effort for Gun Control Go Anywhere?
By supporting expanded background checks for private sales between strangers, Patrick has quickly become a conservative non grata.
Why a Texas Gun Control Activist is Optimistic About the Chances for Reform
Texas Gun Sense’s Ed Scruggs on how Abbott and Patrick talk about guns behind closed doors—and what that says about the prospects for change.
Texas (Kinda, Sorta) Accidentally Decriminalized Weed. Now What?
How harshly you’re punished for pot possession depends on where you’re caught, even more so now that a new law legalizing hemp has sowed confusion.