After fighting for Uvalde residents, Roland Gutierrez struggles to break through crowded field to challenge Ted Cruz
The Democrat has dedicated significant energy to probing law enforcementโs response to the Uvalde school shooting. But he faces a fundraising deficit against U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas.
Lawmakers call for federal investigation into Texas Guard intel ring
The lawmakersโ remarks came after an investigation published Tuesday by Military Times and The Texas Tribune revealed how Texas Guardsmen at the stateโs border with Mexico spied on migrants via WhatsApp and allegedly mishandled secret documents.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz raises $4.4 million in second quarter as he seeks reelection
The Republicanโs haul fell short of the money raised by Rep. Colin Allred, a Democratic opponent who collected $6.2 million in a shorter period โ but Cruz prevailed in the 2018 election despite getting outraised then.
Texas Sen. Roland Gutierrez enters Democratic primary targeting U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024
Known for pushing gun restrictions after the Uvalde school shooting in his district, Gutierrez will vie for the opportunity to take on Republican Cruz in the general election. U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, is already running in the primary.
Gun safety advocates see signs of progress in first session after Uvalde shooting even though raise-the-age bill stalled
Emotions often ran high over a proposal to limit young adultsโ access to some firearms. Lawmakers have largely prioritized school safety measures, but there was still progress for some gun-related legislation.
After years of little progress, Texas gun control and safety advocates see some small openings for dialogue at the Capitol
Many bills that would limit access to firearms or ammunition likely wonโt become law anytime soon. But people who advocate at the Texas Capitol see emerging signs that thereโs appetite for finding some middle ground.
Uvaldeโs state lawmakers face an uphill battle raising the age limit for semi-automatic guns. Theyโre trying anyway.
Many relatives of Uvalde victims back bills that state Rep. Tracy King and Sen. Roland Gutierrez are pushing in the Legislature. But limits on gun access donโt fare well at the Capitol.
After fumbled Uvalde shooting response, Texas senator wants to make it easier to sue law enforcement officers
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a San Antonio Democrat, introduced a package of legislation that includes a bill that would end qualified immunity, which shields government officials from liability for constitutional violations.
Texas state senator blasts Uvalde police response in congressional hearing: โIt was cowardiceโ
Roland Gutierrez made the remarks during a hearing of the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security that was focused on bipartisan legislative solutions to gun violence.
Texas DPS chief Steve McCraw says his agency โdid not failโ at Uvalde school shooting
At a public meeting where families that lost children in the school shooting said he should resign, McCraw said members of the Department of Public Safety made mistakes. But he said heโll step down only โif DPS as an institution failed the families.โ
Texas state police can keep Uvalde records secret for now, judge rules
The ruling sidestepped the question of whether the state police can withhold records concerning their response to the May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary School. The judge concluded that state Sen. Roland Gutierrez had not properly filed his request under Texasโ public records law.
Texas Department of Public Safety investigating how 91 of its troopers and Rangers responded to Uvalde school shooting
The departmentโs officers made up nearly one-fourth of the 376 law enforcement members who responded to Texasโ deadliest school shooting. Announcement of the inquiry came one day after a report criticized police response to the massacre.
Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, says itโs a โslap in the faceโ to be left off committee responding to shooting
Gutierrez, a Democrat who has been critical of the stateโs response to past shootings, said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also snubbed state senators whose districts were affected by shootings in El Paso and Santa Fe.
Uvalde school districtโs police chief didnโt know about 911 calls coming from inside the school, lawmaker says
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, said the commanding officer at the scene of the shooting was not informed about the calls that Uvalde police were receiving, calling the lack of coordination a โsystem failure.โ
Uvalde school police chief says heโs still cooperating
The school district police chief who served as on-site commander during last weekโs deadly shooting in Uvalde, Texas, says heโs talking daily with investigators, contradicting claims from state law enforcement that he has stopped cooperating.
Pete Gallegoโs relatively short tenure as president of Sul Ross University was mired in conflict โ from the campus to the Texas Capitol
The politician turned college president got stuck in a fight over which university system should manage the university. And he faced pushback from faculty and members of the Far West Texas community about his decisions and leadership style.
Barely underway, Texas redistricting draws its first lawsuit challenging Legislatureโs authority to redraw legislative maps
Two Democratic state senators filed the federal suit arguing the Texas Constitution does not allow lawmakers to meet in special session to draw up state House and Senate districts. Theyโre asking the courts to do it instead.
Join The Texas Tribune for a live interview with new members of the Texas Senate
Cรฉsar Blanco, Roland Gutierrez and Drew Springer join The Texas Tribune for a live event on Jan. 19. Join The Texas Tribune at noon Central Jan. 19 for an interview with three new members of the Texas Senate: Cรฉsar Blanco, D-El Paso; Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio; and Drew Springer, R-Muenster. Blanco, D-El Paso, represents Senate District 29 in El Paso. Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, represents Senate District 19 in San Antonio. Though donors and corporate sponsors underwrite Texas Tribune events, they play no role in determining the content, panelists or line of questioning.
In economic crisis, Texas Democrats push to legalize marijuana. Key Republicans likely stand in the way.
State Rep. Terry Canales of Edinburg has proposed putting the question of legalization to Texas voters. And even less controversial measures, like lowering criminal penalties for marijuana possession, have fallen flat in the Texas Senate. Dan Patrick, a staunch conservative, at the helm of the upper chamber, it remains unlikely that a legalization bill will make it out when the Legislature reconvenes in January. But given the state of the economy and more states following the trend to legalize and tax cannabis, they said action was needed. A report by the American Civil Liberties Union found that, in 2018, Black people in Texas were 2.6 times more likely to be arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession than white people.