School Vouchers Take Center Stage in Texas’ Most Flippable State House District
On San Antonio’s South Side, a progressive Democrat faces off with an architect of the new private school voucher program.
Texas Legislature
Who Accounts for Freedom?
The nascent school voucher program is, predictably, burdened by Republicans’ insistence on religious discrimination—and likely set to benefit those already outside the public school system.
Defending the Most Vulnerable in San Marcos
When book bans or right-wing operatives come to town, school board trustee Juan Miguel Arredondo told the Observer, “My colleagues have to have those conversations with an openly gay man next to them.”
The Texas AI Boom Is Outpacing Water Regulations
Each data center can “drink” as much as an entire community. Yet, Texas does not require these tech firms to disclose projected or actual water consumption.
In Texas State Jails, a Rising Death Toll and a Broken Promise
Once billed as rehabilitative alternatives to prisons, these facilities are the sites of fatal overdoses—like that which ended the life of a Texan named Jackie Wiley.
How the Bathroom Bill Weaponizes Transphobia Against Public Institutions
A legal expert called the new anti-trans Texas bathroom law “the most plainly unlawful, undemocratic legislation I’ve seen in recent history.”
New Texas Map Starts Game of Political Musical Chairs
GOP’s Trumped-up redrawing took a wrecking ball to congressional districts. Now comes the mad dash for seats.
Will a STAAR-Crossed Legislature Finally Enact Real Testing Reform?
It’s on the agenda at the Texas Capitol, but advocates worry heavy-handed "accountability" will remain intact.
The Texas GOP’s ‘Unprecedented,’ Risky Gerrymandering Scheme
A redistricting expert discusses Tom Delay, ‘dummymanders,’ and the long history of racial gerrymandering in the state.
