Texas Legislature
How Far Can Texas Democrats Take the Quorum Break?
House Democrats are intent on staying in D.C. until this session’s GOP voting bill is dead. Beyond that, it’s unclear.
It’s been 12 days since Texas House Democrats staged their dramatic quorum break to block the GOP’s election legislation, but it’s felt like an eternity....Read More
At the Capitol, Trans Activists and Allies Form an Inclusive Dance Floor
After working to defeat 13 anti-trans bills in the regular session, advocates are now facing 16 more this summer with a novel response.
Erica Nix looks like a dance instructor straight out of an ‘80s workout video as she faces the small crowd and waits for the music to begin. Decked out in a p...Read More
Texas House Republicans Vote to Track Down Absent Democrats and Arrest Them If Necessary
The procedural move carries little apparent weight since the Democrats who fled the state to break quorum are beyond the jurisdiction of Texas law enforcement.
“Texas House Republicans vote to track down absent Democrats and arrest them if necessary” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, no...Read More
Greg Abbott’s Summer Special Session Sideshow
The governor gives second life to the GOP’s elections crackdown, along with a smattering of other right-wing priorities that failed to pass in the spring.
Governor Greg Abbott’s 30-day special session, which he called after Texas Republicans failed to pass legislation that cracks down on state voting laws in May...Read More
Texans With Disabilities Fear Voting Will Get Harder for Them as Special Session on GOP Restrictions Nears
The extent to which Republicans’ proposed voting restrictions might affect voters of color has received much attention, but Texans with disabilities also face the prospect of new barriers to the ballot box.
“Texans with disabilities fear voting will get harder for them as special session on GOP restrictions nears” was first published by The Texas Tribun...Read More
Drawing Power
In a special session for redistricting, expect the GOP to use aggressive gerrymandering to extend the shelf life of its diminishing white base.
From the July/August 2021 issue An especially atrocious Texas legislative session came to a close at the end of May. Republicans passed radical laws that ban ...Read More
“People Are Wiped Out”: Costs Pile Up as Hurricane Season Begins
Hurricanes, a winter storm, and spring floods have left low-income Gulf Coast residents exhausted and cash strapped before this year’s season, with no significant aid in sight.
This story was published in partnership with Southerly. When Chrishelle Palay inherited her great-aunt’s home in Kashmere Gardens, a flood-prone neighborhood ...Read More
‘The Great State of Hate’: Texas Declines to Ban ‘Gay/Trans Panic’ Defense
“Are they going to get away with murder? That's the concern.”
This article was produced through the NPR NextGen/Texas Observer Print Scholars program, a new collaboration designed to offer mentorship and hands-on traini...Read More
Texas Expands Access to Medical Cannabis—But Advocates Say It’s Not Enough
Texas has one of the most restrictive medical marijuana laws in the country, leaving veterans like Viridiana Edwards struggling to manage chronic pain and PTSD.
This article was produced through the NPR NextGen/Texas Observer Print Scholars program, a new collaboration designed to offer mentorship and hands-on traini...Read More
Mentally Ill and Sentenced to Death
After 45 years, Texas’ longest-serving death row inmate was resentenced last week due to a long history of severe mental illness. But state lawmakers this session again declined to ban the death penalty for people like him.
This article was produced through the NPR NextGen/Texas Observer Print Scholars program, a new collaboration designed to offer mentorship and hands-on traini...Read More