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Texas Legislature

Texas Tells Students to Report Threats. It Should Give Us a Seat at the Safety Table.

State law requires parents, educators, police, and administrators to be a part of district safety committees, but not the kids who are expected to recognize and report danger.

by Arjun Sharda

Keep Reading

One of the Top Texas House Races Could Come Down to a Single Issue: Water

by Justin Doud

Come and Take Them, Dan Patrick

by Kalyn Gensic

University of Houston Is Gutting Its Gender and Sexuality Classes. That Won’t Stop Texas’ Crusade Against Higher Ed.

by Andrew Joseph Pegoda

The dome of the Texas State Capitol, in black and white, with a gradient filter creating a gloomy aura about it. Jan 09, 2023

Catastrophe #88: The Texas Legislature Returns for a Brutal Year

What lawmakers should do to mitigate the state's cascading crises, and what they are liable to do instead.

by Texas Observer Staff

A white Dallas police officer steps out of the passenger side door of a cruiser, marked with Dallas Police department insignia. In Texas police budgets far exceed those for community services. Jan 03, 2023

Texas Cities Prioritize Police over People

Fort Worth spends six times more on criminal justice than community services.

by Michelle Pitcher

An aerial shot of the University of Texas at Austin campus, looking out also over the apartment buildings and high-rises around it. Dec 22, 2022

UT-Austin Students Can’t Afford the Rent

Rising prices in West Campus leave learners scrambling for affordable housing options, with some paying up to $2000 a month per room.

by Ikram Mohamed

Dec 20, 2022

Former Top Lawmaker on Grid Reforms Becomes Power Company Lobbyist

The ex-chair of a powerful Texas House committee claims he’s found a way around an untested revolving door law.

by Justin Miller

An image of the Texas Capitol with an image of heavily a redacted document added behind it. Dec 15, 2022

After Uvalde, Texas Could Finally Fix Notorious Flaw in Public Information Act

An El Paso Democrat wants to close the “dead suspect loophole” that’s helped gut Texas’ once-distinguished open records law.

by Gus Bova

Wearing a blue suit and tie, Trey Martinez Fischer speaks at a podium, surrounded by a diverse crowd of supportive activists. Dec 12, 2022

Trey Martinez Fischer Will Helm the Democratic Opposition

The San Antonio political pugilist explains how he'll lead the state House Democratic caucus in yet another bleak year.

by Gus Bova

A long, rectangular brick and glass library on the central green at Navarro College, a Texas community college located in Corsicana. Dec 01, 2022

Texas Wants to Save Community Colleges From Sinking

State lawmakers are considering new ways to fund schools that historically have given more students a chance to succeed beyond high school.

by Sarah Dolezal

A tall prison wall with barbed wire at the top, lights at regular intervals and a guard tower. Nov 15, 2022

Heat Kills Hundreds In Texas Prisons

During the hottest part of the year, up to 13 percent of deaths at Texas prisons without air conditioning were due to extreme temperatures according to a new report.

by Alleen Brown

Nov 09, 2022

The Age of Abbott Continues Unfettered

Texas’ Republican governor easily swatted away his strongest Democratic challenger yet. Now, he’s liable to do whatever the hell he pleases.

by Justin Miller

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