WEATHER ALERT
Texas bills requiring air-conditioned prisons languish despite temperatures being ruled unconstitutional
Read full article: Texas bills requiring air-conditioned prisons languish despite temperatures being ruled unconstitutionalThe five bills that would require complete air conditioning in state prisons haven’t had a hearing yet, and the money set for the upgrades falls short of the estimated cost.
Lawyers for Houston-area midwife accused of illegal abortions condemn state’s investigation
Read full article: Lawyers for Houston-area midwife accused of illegal abortions condemn state’s investigationMaria Rojas’ attorneys got their first chance to address the claims against her Thursday. She was released on bond but a judge ordered the clinics to remain closed.
NY county clerk refuses to file Texas’ fine for doctor accused of prescribing abortion pills
Read full article: NY county clerk refuses to file Texas’ fine for doctor accused of prescribing abortion pillsA Texas judge last month ordered Dr. Margaret Carpenter, who practices north of New York City, to pay the penalty for allegedly breaking that state’s law by prescribing abortion medication via telemedicine.
Federal judge rules prison heat conditions are unconstitutional, but doesn’t require air conditioning
Read full article: Federal judge rules prison heat conditions are unconstitutional, but doesn’t require air conditioningAbout two-thirds of Texas prisons are not fully air conditioned, and dozens of inmates have died in the sweltering heat.
After four prosecutors and nearly six years, El Paso DA decides it’s time to stop pursuing the death penalty for mass shooter
Read full article: After four prosecutors and nearly six years, El Paso DA decides it’s time to stop pursuing the death penalty for mass shooterThe new DA campaigned on seeking the death penalty for the 2019 massacre, but said he offered the gunman a plea deal of life in prison to avoid dragging out the case for several more years.
Texas A&M can’t ban “Draggieland” drag show, federal judge rules
Read full article: Texas A&M can’t ban “Draggieland” drag show, federal judge rulesJudge Lee H. Rosenthal said the student group that organizes Draggieland, the Queer Empowerment Council, was likely to succeed in showing the ban violates the First Amendment.
Texas’ DEI debate centers on a disagreement about whether programs perpetuate or prevent discrimination
Read full article: Texas’ DEI debate centers on a disagreement about whether programs perpetuate or prevent discriminationSupporters say diversity initiatives close educational and income gaps born from a history of prejudice. Republican officials say they prioritize identity over merit.
Texas AG Ken Paxton accuses Coppell ISD of violating Texas’ “critical race theory” ban
Read full article: Texas AG Ken Paxton accuses Coppell ISD of violating Texas’ “critical race theory” banThe attorney general office’s lawsuit is based on an undercover video published in February by a conservative activist group.
Paxton says trans Texans can’t use court orders to change sex on driver’s licenses, birth certificates
Read full article: Paxton says trans Texans can’t use court orders to change sex on driver’s licenses, birth certificatesPer the attorney general’s nonbinding opinion, state agencies should change gender markers on government documents back to a person’s sex assigned at birth.
Texas lawmakers are pushing harsher criminal penalties while prison and jail populations soar
Read full article: Texas lawmakers are pushing harsher criminal penalties while prison and jail populations soarProposed legislation includes increased penalties for retail theft, car burglaries and forgery, among others.
DOJ drops fight against Texas political maps as Trump administration retreats from voting rights cases
Read full article: DOJ drops fight against Texas political maps as Trump administration retreats from voting rights casesThe Biden administration had challenged a Republican-led redistricting plan that diluted the political power of minorities. Other legal challenges will continue.
Federal appeals court reverses Texas death row inmate’s conviction
Read full article: Federal appeals court reverses Texas death row inmate’s convictionBrittany Marlowe Holberg was convicted in 1998 of robbing and murdering an 80-year-old man in his Amarillo home. The appeals court said critical evidence was withheld.
A shortage of criminal defense attorneys threatens indigent right to counsel in rural Texas
Read full article: A shortage of criminal defense attorneys threatens indigent right to counsel in rural TexasTexas’ indigent defense commission wants lawmakers to spend $35 million on public defender offices in rural areas, but some say that isn’t nearly enough to ensure compliance with the U.S. Constitution.
How the Supreme Court of the United States and federal courts work and affect Texans
Read full article: How the Supreme Court of the United States and federal courts work and affect TexansHere’s how federal courts help determine the fate of controversial issues, such as immigration laws, in Texas and beyond.
U.S. Supreme Court hears Texas death row inmate’s appeal for DNA test of evidence
Read full article: U.S. Supreme Court hears Texas death row inmate’s appeal for DNA test of evidenceRuben Gutierrez wants to be able to sue prosecutors to compel them to test evidence that he says will prove he did not kill a Brownsville woman in 1998.
Texas Senate votes in favor of proposals to deny bail to certain accused violent criminals
Read full article: Texas Senate votes in favor of proposals to deny bail to certain accused violent criminalsThe package was fast-tracked after Gov. Greg Abbott declared “bail reform” an emergency item. The bills now head to the House for consideration.
Robert Roberson files first new appeal since his execution was delayed
Read full article: Robert Roberson files first new appeal since his execution was delayedThe appeal includes new testimony from experts who say Roberson’s daughter died of natural causes, and cites the court’s exoneration of a man in another shaken baby syndrome case out of Dallas County.
Texas appeals court hears attorney general’s arguments for questioning Catholic Charities director over migrant services
Read full article: Texas appeals court hears attorney general’s arguments for questioning Catholic Charities director over migrant servicesThree Republican judges heard oral arguments Wednesday after a lower court blocked Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to depose the charity’s leader.
Texas’ social media law takes another hit with temporary blocks on three more provisions
Read full article: Texas’ social media law takes another hit with temporary blocks on three more provisionsThe new injunction prohibits advertising and age verification restrictions in the SCOPE Act, which aims to make social media safer for teenagers.
Texas executes man convicted of killing Arlington pastor in 2011
Read full article: Texas executes man convicted of killing Arlington pastor in 2011Steven Lawayne Nelson maintained that he unknowingly participated in the violent church robbery but didn’t harm anyone. His execution was the state’s first for 2025.
Justice Department restarts legal aid programs for detained immigrants
Read full article: Justice Department restarts legal aid programs for detained immigrantsThe agency’s reversal comes after a federal judge told the Trump administration it must continue to pay for grants and other programs it abruptly froze last month.
Department of Justice cuts off federally funded legal aid to detained immigrants
Read full article: Department of Justice cuts off federally funded legal aid to detained immigrantsThe decision to halt the program could prevent thousands of people detained in immigration detention centers from receiving legal advice.
Feds drop charges against Texas doctor accused of leaking transgender care data
Read full article: Feds drop charges against Texas doctor accused of leaking transgender care dataDr. Eithan Haim of Dallas had faced four counts for wrongfully disclosing the individually identifiable health information of underage patients at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.
Texas Supreme Court dismisses state bar’s lawsuit against Ken Paxton for challenging 2020 presidential election
Read full article: Texas Supreme Court dismisses state bar’s lawsuit against Ken Paxton for challenging 2020 presidential electionThe state bar had sought to sanction Paxton, which could have carried a punishment ranging from a private reprimand to disbarment.
Fewer Texans sentenced to death, executed amid “evolving standards of decency”
Read full article: Fewer Texans sentenced to death, executed amid “evolving standards of decency”Texas continues to lead other states on capital punishment. But the decline in new death sentences and executions reached a record low.
Criminal appeals court to rehear election wrongdoing case involving Washington County Republican
Read full article: Criminal appeals court to rehear election wrongdoing case involving Washington County RepublicanThe Court of Criminal Appeals will rehear a case it threw out last year. Three of the judges became targets of Attorney General Ken Paxton over another ruling and lost reelection.
U.S. Supreme Court weighing constitutionality of Texas’ age-verification requirement for porn sites
Read full article: U.S. Supreme Court weighing constitutionality of Texas’ age-verification requirement for porn sitesThe Supreme Court’s decision on Texas’ law, which adult entertainment website attorneys said were the most overreaching in the country, could determine the fate of similar laws in more than a dozen other states.
When is a business to blame for over-serving? Texas Supreme Court weighs the line in drunk driving case
Read full article: When is a business to blame for over-serving? Texas Supreme Court weighs the line in drunk driving caseThe court’s ruling could boost a state law that allows drunk driving victims to sue businesses that over-serve alcohol to intoxicated individuals.
Texas Supreme Court to decide legal battle over El Paso migrant shelter’s future
Read full article: Texas Supreme Court to decide legal battle over El Paso migrant shelter’s futureJustices on Monday heard arguments from Annunciation House, which is fighting to stay open, and the Texas Attorney General’s office, which claims the shelter’s work with migrants violates state law.
Jimmy Blacklock named new chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court
Read full article: Jimmy Blacklock named new chief justice of the Texas Supreme CourtBlacklock replaces Nathan Hecht, the longest serving justice on the high court. Gov. Greg Abbott also appointed his general counsel, James Sullivan, to the bench.
As Texas Chief Justice Nathan Hecht prepares to retire, he reflects on the Supreme Court he helped change
Read full article: As Texas Chief Justice Nathan Hecht prepares to retire, he reflects on the Supreme Court he helped changeOver 35 years, Hecht modernized the court, increased access to justice for the poor and saw his conservative views come to dominate the bench.
Ken Paxton sues NCAA over transgender athletes’ participation in women’s college sports
Read full article: Ken Paxton sues NCAA over transgender athletes’ participation in women’s college sportsThe attorney general is accusing the organization of misleading fans by allowing transgender college athletes in women’s sports.
Texas House panel may never hear Robert Roberson’s testimony after new legal move
Read full article: Texas House panel may never hear Robert Roberson’s testimony after new legal moveAttorney General Ken Paxton sought to delay legal proceedings until Jan. 13 — the day before the committee disbands — even as lawmakers vowed to continue fighting to hear from Roberson.
Attorney General Ken Paxton files motion to block death row inmate Robert Roberson from testifying
Read full article: Attorney General Ken Paxton files motion to block death row inmate Robert Roberson from testifyingThe motion escalates a tense standoff between Paxton and a bipartisan Texas House committee, which had subpoenaed Roberson to testify at the Capitol on Friday.
Texas House panel subpoenas death row inmate Robert Roberson a second time
Read full article: Texas House panel subpoenas death row inmate Robert Roberson a second timeThe new subpoena comes after lawmakers say Ken Paxton’s office stalled a previous effort to get Roberson’s legislative testimony about his conviction in “shaken baby” case.
Attorney General Ken Paxton sues companies over “forever chemicals”
Read full article: Attorney General Ken Paxton sues companies over “forever chemicals”Paxton’s office has accused 3M and DuPont of misrepresenting or concealing the health risks of PFAS, which have been sold for decades for use in consumer products.
Federal judge blocks rule that would have given DACA recipients access to Affordable Care Act coverage
Read full article: Federal judge blocks rule that would have given DACA recipients access to Affordable Care Act coverageThe temporary injunction issued Monday would affect roughly 90,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients in Texas.
Trial judge in Robert Roberson’s death row case agrees to recusal
Read full article: Trial judge in Robert Roberson’s death row case agrees to recusalSenior District Judge Deborah Oakes Evans recused herself after a challenge to her impartiality over longtime relationships with case prosecutors and judges.
Feds can’t destroy razor wire Texas installed near Eagle Pass, appeals court rules
Read full article: Feds can’t destroy razor wire Texas installed near Eagle Pass, appeals court rulesTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton had sued the Biden administration after Border Patrol agents had cut the razor wire.
Ken Paxton can’t be deposed under oath in whistleblower lawsuit, Texas Supreme Court says
Read full article: Ken Paxton can’t be deposed under oath in whistleblower lawsuit, Texas Supreme Court saysThe attorney general has agreed not to contest a lawsuit brought by former employees accusing him of retaliation after they said he abused his office.
Texas can schedule Robert Roberson’s execution — but lawmakers still expect his testimony first
Read full article: Texas can schedule Robert Roberson’s execution — but lawmakers still expect his testimony firstRoberson was convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter in a “shaken baby” case that many say led to an innocent man’s death sentence.
Texas Supreme Court removes temporary block to Robert Roberson’s execution
Read full article: Texas Supreme Court removes temporary block to Robert Roberson’s executionThe state’s highest civil court ruled that legislators can’t use subpoenas to block death row inmates’ executions, but suggested there’s still time for Roberson to testify before a Texas House panel.
Ken Paxton calls on Rep. Jeff Leach to resign over texts to judge in Robert Roberson case
Read full article: Ken Paxton calls on Rep. Jeff Leach to resign over texts to judge in Robert Roberson caseThe AG also said he’d make a criminal referral against the lawmaker, who apologized for texting a Court of Criminal Appeals judge about a new trial for the death row inmate.
Ken Paxton resisting Texas House members’ bid to hear Robert Roberson’s testimony
Read full article: Ken Paxton resisting Texas House members’ bid to hear Robert Roberson’s testimonyMembers of a Texas House committee say in a Texas Supreme Court filing that Paxton’s office is blocking the death row inmate from complying with a legislative subpoena.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sues Biden administration over listing freshwater mussels as endangered
Read full article: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sues Biden administration over listing freshwater mussels as endangeredThe lawsuit claims the endangered designation for six mussel species is a misuse of environmental law that threatens Texas’ economy.
Texas judge accused of breaking law after asking his university students to vote for him
Read full article: Texas judge accused of breaking law after asking his university students to vote for himA candidate running against the judge accused him of emailing his students at Texas State to vote for him. State law prohibits using public resources for political advertising.
Robert Roberson’s case spotlights Texas’ GOP divide on criminal justice
Read full article: Robert Roberson’s case spotlights Texas’ GOP divide on criminal justiceTexas’ junk science statute has remained hamstrung for the last decade. So too have other criminal justice reforms, despite efforts from the Texas House.
Former Eagle Pass detective sentenced to 10 years in prison for running migrant stash houses
Read full article: Former Eagle Pass detective sentenced to 10 years in prison for running migrant stash housesHazel Eileen Diaz received nearly $40,000 in cash and money transfers for letting human smugglers use her rental properties.
Galveston man drops wrongful death claims against women who allegedly helped his ex-wife get an abortion
Read full article: Galveston man drops wrongful death claims against women who allegedly helped his ex-wife get an abortionMarcus Silva and the women agreed to drop lawsuits against each other just days before they were set to go to trial.
Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller subpoenaed to testify in his former political consultant’s criminal trial
Read full article: Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller subpoenaed to testify in his former political consultant’s criminal trialTodd Smith was indicted in 2022 on felony charges of theft and commercial bribery related to taking money in exchange for hemp licenses that are issued by Miller’s office.
Uvalde city officials release missing footage from officers responding to 2022 Robb Elementary shooting
Read full article: Uvalde city officials release missing footage from officers responding to 2022 Robb Elementary shootingThe new videos largely affirm prior reporting and investigations that detailed law enforcement’s failures to confront the gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers.
Texas can investigate people for alleged vote harvesting as legal battle over 2021 law continues playing out
Read full article: Texas can investigate people for alleged vote harvesting as legal battle over 2021 law continues playing outA federal judge had ruled Senate Bill 1 unconstitutional, but an appeals court says the law can remain in effect as Texas appeals that previous decision
Attorney General Ken Paxton targets El Paso nonprofit that offers legal services to migrants
Read full article: Attorney General Ken Paxton targets El Paso nonprofit that offers legal services to migrantsAttorney General Ken Paxton has investigated at least five organizations this year that do immigration-related work.
Latest effort to block school ratings cracks Texas districts’ once-united front
Read full article: Latest effort to block school ratings cracks Texas districts’ once-united frontDozens of districts sued Texas saying the ratings painted an unfair picture of their schools. Others voluntarily have released their own.
Cards Against Humanity says in new lawsuit that SpaceX has destroyed some of its South Texas property
Read full article: Cards Against Humanity says in new lawsuit that SpaceX has destroyed some of its South Texas propertyThe card game company crowd-funded money to buy the land in an attempt to block a portion of Donald Trump’s border wall.
Ken Paxton withdrew an opinion on gun bans weeks after suing Texas state fair for a similar restriction
Read full article: Ken Paxton withdrew an opinion on gun bans weeks after suing Texas state fair for a similar restrictionPaxton sued Dallas and state fair officials last month, arguing the fair’s private organizer had violated state law by banning firearms on the fairgrounds.
Former schools police chief says he was not at fault in Uvalde shooting, asks judge to toss charges
Read full article: Former schools police chief says he was not at fault in Uvalde shooting, asks judge to toss chargesPete Arredondo’s lawyers tell the court that the shooter, not the police, was to blame for the school violence.
Group sues Texas over law banning state business with firms “boycotting” fossil fuels
Read full article: Group sues Texas over law banning state business with firms “boycotting” fossil fuelsThe lawsuit, filed in federal court, argues that the 2021 so-called “anti-ESG” law discriminates against specific political views.
Judge in Texas pauses Biden program offering legal status to spouses of U.S. citizens
Read full article: Judge in Texas pauses Biden program offering legal status to spouses of U.S. citizensBiden announced the program in June and Republicans in 16 states filed suit. The federal judge issued an order that puts the program on hold for at least two weeks.
Judge rejects Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempt to shut down Houston immigrant rights group
Read full article: Judge rejects Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempt to shut down Houston immigrant rights groupPaxton’s office claimed the group broke rules prohibiting political activity by nonprofits, but the judge rejected the case outright.
Transgender Texans blocked from changing their sex on their driver’s license
Read full article: Transgender Texans blocked from changing their sex on their driver’s licenseThe Texas Department of Public Safety rule change surfaced in an internal email that also asks driver license staff to compile the names of people seeking a gender marker change.
Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Houston immigrants’ rights org over political speech
Read full article: Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Houston immigrants’ rights org over political speechAttorney General Ken Paxton has targeted similar organizations that aid migrants at the border. The lawsuit appears to be the first to focus on political speech and rules that govern nonprofits.
Texas sues Biden again to block federal protections for transgender workers
Read full article: Texas sues Biden again to block federal protections for transgender workersThe Texas Attorney General is following his familiar playbook by taking the case to a federal judge with a record of rulings against the Biden administration’s agenda.
Federal judge in Texas expands ruling that blocks Biden administration protections of LGBTQ students
Read full article: Federal judge in Texas expands ruling that blocks Biden administration protections of LGBTQ studentsThe decision in the case brought by the Texas Attorney General preempts any future Title IX regulations that extend federal protections to LGBTQ students.
Texas Education Agency can release schools’ 2023 performance ratings, appeals court rules
Read full article: Texas Education Agency can release schools’ 2023 performance ratings, appeals court rulesTexas families have not received a full picture of their schools’ ratings since 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and lawsuits blocking their release.
After Uvalde city officials end battle over shooting records, victims’ families say other agencies need to follow suit
Read full article: After Uvalde city officials end battle over shooting records, victims’ families say other agencies need to follow suitThe city’s release ends a legal battle with news outlets, but other government agencies are withholding materials.
Appeals court to weigh reimposing fines for Texas foster care failures, removing judge on case
Read full article: Appeals court to weigh reimposing fines for Texas foster care failures, removing judge on caseTexas Health and Human Services could face $100,000-per-day fines for violating a judge's orders. The state wants the judge off the case.
Voting Rights Act doesn’t protect coalitions of racial or ethnic groups challenging political maps, appeals court rules
Read full article: Voting Rights Act doesn’t protect coalitions of racial or ethnic groups challenging political maps, appeals court rulesIn a lawsuit challenging redistricting in Galveston County, the 5th Circuit said the protections afforded to a single racial group don’t apply to multiple groups who collectively claim voting rights violations.
Marijuana decriminalization measures in San Marcos, Austin get early court wins
Read full article: Marijuana decriminalization measures in San Marcos, Austin get early court winsThree other cities have passed similar measures but the Texas AG and others question whether they can be enforced because of conflicts with state law.
Supreme Court to review death penalty appeal challenging Texas’s DNA testing law
Read full article: Supreme Court to review death penalty appeal challenging Texas’s DNA testing lawRuben Gutierrez was sentenced to death for the 1998 Brownsville murder of an elderly woman. His execution was stayed in July.
State’s move to bump federal judge from longtime foster care lawsuit caps years of battles
Read full article: State’s move to bump federal judge from longtime foster care lawsuit caps years of battlesA federal judge has taken the Texas’ foster care system to task for 13 years. Reforms have been made. Now armed with private legal fire power, the state wants the judge off the case.
Fight over trans medical care is at the core of leaked Houston health records case
Read full article: Fight over trans medical care is at the core of leaked Houston health records caseA doctor says the government wants to punish him for calling attention to wrongdoing. Advocates say the families of trans kids are the ones at risk.
U.S. Supreme Court will hear challenge to Texas’ age verification requirement for porn sites
Read full article: U.S. Supreme Court will hear challenge to Texas’ age verification requirement for porn sitesA state law passed last year requires pornographic websites to adopt age-verification measures, leading sites like Pornhub to block user access in Texas.
Former police chief, officer, charged with child endangerment in Uvalde shooting response
Read full article: Former police chief, officer, charged with child endangerment in Uvalde shooting responseFormer schools police chief Pete Arredondo faces 10 criminal charges, while former school district officer Adrian Gonzales faces 29 counts.
Texas Supreme Court upholds ban on transition-related care for minors
Read full article: Texas Supreme Court upholds ban on transition-related care for minorsParents and medical providers of transgender adolescents sued Texas, challenging the constitutionality of a restriction on puberty blockers and hormone therapy.
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ban on homeless encampments. Here’s what it means for Texas.
Read full article: The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ban on homeless encampments. Here’s what it means for Texas.The ruling comes amid a nationwide surge in homelessness as high rents put pressure on low-income households and pandemic-era protections expire.