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How the Texas GOP’s bid to block lawmakers from the ballot defies a century of court precedent
Read full article: How the Texas GOP’s bid to block lawmakers from the ballot defies a century of court precedentThe Texas GOP will vote Saturday to possibly bar some state legislators from running in the 2026 primary, despite repeated Texas Supreme Court rulings saying they cannot.
Paxton sides with Texas GOP, against secretary of state in lawsuit seeking to close primaries
Read full article: Paxton sides with Texas GOP, against secretary of state in lawsuit seeking to close primariesSecretary of State Jane Nelson said in a filing that Paxton’s office gave her less than an hour’s warning that they’d be siding against her agency in court.
Greg Abbott authorizes Trump to deploy Texas National Guard to other states
Read full article: Greg Abbott authorizes Trump to deploy Texas National Guard to other statesThe governor posted a photo Monday showing guardsmen deploying but did not mention a destination. Trump called for troops to deploy to Illinois and Oregon, where a judge temporarily blocked their arrival.
Renewed focus on Roberson case is latest in deluge of political pressure aimed at Texas judiciary
Read full article: Renewed focus on Roberson case is latest in deluge of political pressure aimed at Texas judiciaryThe latest calls to stave off the politically charged execution come after a summer where GOP leaders asked the state courts to kick Democrats out of office and throw Beto O’Rourke in jail.
ICE complies with judge’s order and quickly releases El Paso DACA recipient
Read full article: ICE complies with judge’s order and quickly releases El Paso DACA recipientThe El Paso federal judge said the Trump administration is violating the constitutional rights of Catalina “Xochitl” Santiago, a DACA recipient who has lived in the U.S. for two decades.
Trump administration could process new DACA applications after Texas’ lawsuit paused enrollment
Read full article: Trump administration could process new DACA applications after Texas’ lawsuit paused enrollmentIf a judge accepts the plan, the Trump administration will reopen new applications for DACA for the first time in four years — but Texas applicants would no longer receive work permits.
Can Texas use its new congressional map for 2026? A trio of judges will decide.
Read full article: Can Texas use its new congressional map for 2026? A trio of judges will decide.The same plaintiffs who are challenging the state’s 2021 maps have asked the court to block the new GOP-approved districts from being used in the fast-approaching midterms.
Texas State University professor fired again after court revoked initial firing over “inciting violence”
Read full article: Texas State University professor fired again after court revoked initial firing over “inciting violence”A Texas State spokesperson said Monday evening that the professor’s employment had been “terminated, effective immediately” after a university review.
Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson will not seek clemency ahead of October execution
Read full article: Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson will not seek clemency ahead of October executionRoberson, convicted of capital murder in 2003 for the death of his 2-year-old daughter, will continue to push for a new trial. He has maintained his innocence.
While praising Charlie Kirk’s commitment to free speech, Texas leaders move to punish students celebrating his death
Read full article: While praising Charlie Kirk’s commitment to free speech, Texas leaders move to punish students celebrating his deathGov. Greg Abbott called for a student to be expelled for celebrating Kirk’s death. Legal experts say the student’s speech is likely constitutionally protected.
Major statewide propositions will be on the Nov. 4 ballot. Here are your voting rights in Texas.
Read full article: Major statewide propositions will be on the Nov. 4 ballot. Here are your voting rights in Texas.Learn more about all the ways you can register to vote, cast your ballot and protect your rights at the polls.
Judge dismisses environmental lawsuit against FAA over failed SpaceX launch
Read full article: Judge dismisses environmental lawsuit against FAA over failed SpaceX launchThe suit, filed in 2023 after the launch of SpaceX's Starship in Boca Chica ended in an explosion, accused the agency of not properly assessing environmental impacts.
Ken Paxton’s legal crusade against Beto O’Rourke is faltering before an all-Republican appeals court
Read full article: Ken Paxton’s legal crusade against Beto O’Rourke is faltering before an all-Republican appeals courtThe court, appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, recently allowed O’Rourke to continue raising and dispersing donations, and cast doubt on Paxton’s main arguments.
ICE seeks to deport DACA recipient after arrest at El Paso airport
Read full article: ICE seeks to deport DACA recipient after arrest at El Paso airportAn immigration judge ruled ICE can’t deport Catalina “Xochitl” Santiago, who has permission to be in the country, unless the agency can provide evidence that her legal status was revoked.
Texas lawmakers limit use of parent-child reunification therapy in custody battles
Read full article: Texas lawmakers limit use of parent-child reunification therapy in custody battlesOpponents of reunification therapy say it can psychologically harm children, while supporters say it’s unnatural for children to reject parents.
Federal judge temporarily blocks key parts of state law that limits campus protests
Read full article: Federal judge temporarily blocks key parts of state law that limits campus protestsThe law banned “expressive activity” on campuses from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., among other restrictions. “The Court cannot trust the universities to enforce their policies in a constitutional way,” the judge said.
In rapidly diversifying Tarrant County, a summer of GOP redistricting hits Black and Latino representation
Read full article: In rapidly diversifying Tarrant County, a summer of GOP redistricting hits Black and Latino representationDespite explosive growth turning Tarrant into a racially diverse swing county, two new political maps will leave it with whiter, more Republican representation.
Bill giving attorney general authority to prosecute election crimes heads to Abbott’s desk
Read full article: Bill giving attorney general authority to prosecute election crimes heads to Abbott’s deskThe measure comes four years after the state’s highest criminal court ruled the agency could not bring election cases without an invitation from local prosecutors.
Fresh off Texas Senate’s approval, new congressional map is target of lawsuits
Read full article: Fresh off Texas Senate’s approval, new congressional map is target of lawsuitsOne lawsuit, filed by LULAC on behalf of 13 Texas residents, states that the redrawn districts in the new map are racially discriminatory and violate voter protection laws.
Death row inmate Robert Roberson claims judicial misconduct in bid for new trial
Read full article: Death row inmate Robert Roberson claims judicial misconduct in bid for new trialA new petition claims Anderson County judges acted unconstitutionally multiple times in both Roberson’s case and in recognizing custody of his daughter.
Lawsuit settled in 2022 shooting death of a migrant in West Texas, but no criminal charges filed yet
Read full article: Lawsuit settled in 2022 shooting death of a migrant in West Texas, but no criminal charges filed yetThe victims sued the employer of the alleged shooter, the former warden of a migrant detention center. Three different prosecutors have so far opted not to file criminal charges.
Fifth Circuit halts West Texas A&M drag show ban as free speech lawsuit continues
Read full article: Fifth Circuit halts West Texas A&M drag show ban as free speech lawsuit continuesIn a split decision, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the school’s prohibition on drag performances, finding students are likely to prove it violates the First Amendment.
Riding political wins, a once-restrained Gov. Greg Abbott is increasingly steamrolling foes
Read full article: Riding political wins, a once-restrained Gov. Greg Abbott is increasingly steamrolling foesThe third-term governor appears determined to win any battle — even if it means scorched-earth primary crusades or trying to boot duly elected legislators from office.
Texas bill protecting sex trafficking victims from some criminal charges signed by governor
Read full article: Texas bill protecting sex trafficking victims from some criminal charges signed by governorSenate Bill 11 shields victims from prosecution from some crimes if they’re threatened or coerced into the act by their trafficker.
Illinois court rejects Texas request to enforce arrest warrants against House Democrats
Read full article: Illinois court rejects Texas request to enforce arrest warrants against House DemocratsJudge Scott Larson ruled that the Texas speaker and attorney general had “failed to present a legal basis for the court” to take up the issue.
Texas Supreme Court won’t rule for weeks on GOP requests to expel Democrats who left the state
Read full article: Texas Supreme Court won’t rule for weeks on GOP requests to expel Democrats who left the stateThe governor and attorney general have asked the court to find that Democratic lawmakers abandoned their seats when they left Texas to delay a new congressional map.
In redistricting clash, Texas GOP flexes power to shut down Democrats’ last tool of resistance
Read full article: In redistricting clash, Texas GOP flexes power to shut down Democrats’ last tool of resistanceSince Democratic lawmakers left Texas to delay Republicans’ new map, state leaders have challenged the limits of traditional democratic norms to break the impasse.
After local agencies release Uvalde shooting records, calls continue for Texas DPS to follow suit
Read full article: After local agencies release Uvalde shooting records, calls continue for Texas DPS to follow suitLocal records released this week — after a yearslong lawsuit —affirm previous reporting about law enforcement’s flawed response to Texas’ deadliest school shooting.
Judge blocks Beto O’Rourke from financially supporting Texas Democrats who left the state
Read full article: Judge blocks Beto O’Rourke from financially supporting Texas Democrats who left the stateThe order came at the request of Attorney General Ken Paxton, who O’Rourke accused in a separate lawsuit of going on a “fishing expedition, constitutional rights be damned.”
Abbott’s bid to expel the House Democratic leader goes to a court filled with his appointees
Read full article: Abbott’s bid to expel the House Democratic leader goes to a court filled with his appointeesThe Texas Supreme Court said in 2021 the Constitution allows members to thwart legislation by leaving the state. Abbott wants them to reconsider.
Federal appeals court sides with Texas on ID requirements for voting by mail
Read full article: Federal appeals court sides with Texas on ID requirements for voting by mailThe U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals found that the state’s voter ID requirements for mail-in ballots do not violate the Civil Rights Act.
Texas AG can't depose Catholic Charities leader in migrant aid case, appeals court rules
Read full article: Texas AG can't depose Catholic Charities leader in migrant aid case, appeals court rulesThe three-judge panel agreed with a lower court that Ken Paxton’s office can’t question officials from Catholic Charities under oath without first filing a lawsuit.
Texas Senate once again tries to give the attorney general authority to prosecute election crimes
Read full article: Texas Senate once again tries to give the attorney general authority to prosecute election crimesA similar proposal stalled out earlier this year over disagreements between the House and Senate. This time, lawmakers might clash over whether to approve the new bill along with a constitutional amendment.
From racism claims to a $725,000 settlement, a UNT professor’s lawsuit mirrors Texas’ shifting views on free speech
Read full article: From racism claims to a $725,000 settlement, a UNT professor’s lawsuit mirrors Texas’ shifting views on free speechProfessor Timothy Jackson was accused of making racist remarks at the height of the racial reckoning that followed George Floyd's murder. His free speech suit against the university comes to an end in the era of DEI bans.
Ken Paxton sues adult swimming organization for allowing transgender competitors at San Antonio event
Read full article: Ken Paxton sues adult swimming organization for allowing transgender competitors at San Antonio eventThe Texas attorney general said U.S. Masters Swimming violated the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act by allowing trans athletes to compete in women’s events.
Appeals court orders release of Uvalde school shooting records
Read full article: Appeals court orders release of Uvalde school shooting recordsEighteen news organizations including The Texas Tribune have been seeking the records since 2022, when 19 children and 2 teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School.
Judge dismisses Ken Paxton lawsuit challenging State Fair of Texas gun ban
Read full article: Judge dismisses Ken Paxton lawsuit challenging State Fair of Texas gun banTexas’ attorney general alleged the City of Dallas and the fair were violating state law and the second amendment with the ban, which was adopted after a 2023 shooting.
Texas capital murder case attempts to severely punish abortion pill use by treating a fetus as a person
Read full article: Texas capital murder case attempts to severely punish abortion pill use by treating a fetus as a personA North Texas man charged with capital murder after slipping mifepristone into his girlfriend’s food signals another attempt to rein in abortion pills.
Gov. Greg Abbott, AG Ken Paxton do not have to release Uvalde or Jan. 6 emails, Texas Supreme Court rules
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott, AG Ken Paxton do not have to release Uvalde or Jan. 6 emails, Texas Supreme Court rulesThe decision, stemming from a 2022 lawsuit, narrows the public’s legal options to challenge Texas officials under the state’s open records law.
Texas can require porn websites to verify users’ ages, Supreme Court rules
Read full article: Texas can require porn websites to verify users’ ages, Supreme Court rulesThe case involves a 2023 state law requiring adult websites to verify users’ ages, but the ruling is expected to have broader implications for free speech law.
Fate of birthright citizenship order unresolved after Supreme Court limits nationwide injunctions
Read full article: Fate of birthright citizenship order unresolved after Supreme Court limits nationwide injunctionsThe ruling was a partial victory for President Donald Trump who has made immigration his signature issue.
Top Paxton deputy accused of witness tampering during impeachment trial
Read full article: Top Paxton deputy accused of witness tampering during impeachment trialIn dueling lawsuits, current and former employees of the attorney general’s office sling allegations that threaten to intrude on Paxton’s U.S. Senate bid.
Judge denies undocumented students’ attempt to challenge sudden loss of in-state tuition
Read full article: Judge denies undocumented students’ attempt to challenge sudden loss of in-state tuitionTwo groups tried to intervene in a case that blocked Texas’ decade-old law allowing certain undocumented students to pay the lower tuition rates at public universities. They’re appealing that decision.
Texas’ swift surrender to DOJ on undocumented student tuition raises questions about state-federal collusion
Read full article: Texas’ swift surrender to DOJ on undocumented student tuition raises questions about state-federal collusionExperts say Wednesday’s action to eliminate the long-standing policy could be a “collusive lawsuit,” where the state and feds worked the courts to get a desired outcome.
First trial of immigrant accused of trespassing on Texas border military zone ends in acquittal
Read full article: First trial of immigrant accused of trespassing on Texas border military zone ends in acquittalThe trial of the Peruvian woman was the first test of the Trump administration’s new policy aimed at prosecuting immigrants who crossed the border illegally with military-related charges.
Texas’ undocumented college students no longer qualify for in-state tuition
Read full article: Texas’ undocumented college students no longer qualify for in-state tuitionWithin hours of a federal lawsuit targeting Texas’ policy of letting undocumented students qualify for lower public tuition rates, the 24-year-old law was no more.
In final act, Texas Legislature boosts judges’ pay and lawmaker pensions
Read full article: In final act, Texas Legislature boosts judges’ pay and lawmaker pensionsHouse and Senate members agreed that judges needed a pay raise. But they spent the final hours of the legislative session debating whether Texas lawmakers should also benefit from the boost.
U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear GOP activist’s lawsuit challenging Texas Ethics Commission’s lobbying fine
Read full article: U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear GOP activist’s lawsuit challenging Texas Ethics Commission’s lobbying fineFormer Empower Texans leader Michael Quinn Sullivan has challenged a $10,000 fine from the Texas Ethics Commission for failure to register as a lobbyist for more than 10 years at nearly every level of the state court system.
Long-awaited raise for Texas judges in limbo over legislative pension clash
Read full article: Long-awaited raise for Texas judges in limbo over legislative pension clashA bill to increase judicial salaries from $140,000 to $175,000 a year stalled amid a disagreement over lawmakers’ own retirement benefits.
“Anti-Red Flag Act” that would limit when guns can be taken from people advances in Texas House
Read full article: “Anti-Red Flag Act” that would limit when guns can be taken from people advances in Texas HouseSenate Bill 1362 would prevent officials from taking someone’s firearms if they haven’t been charged with a crime or aren’t subject to a protective order under the Texas Family Code.
New limits for personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits may become a reality in Texas
Read full article: New limits for personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits may become a reality in TexasThe House made changes to the proposal that leave open ways for victims to be compensated beyond medical bills.
Proposal to automatically deny bail to some previously accused of felonies falls in Texas House
Read full article: Proposal to automatically deny bail to some previously accused of felonies falls in Texas HouseDemocrats declined to support Senate Joint Resolution 87, which sprinted through the Senate and needed 100 votes to clear the lower chamber.
Federal trial opens to determine whether Texas discriminated in redrawn redistricting maps
Read full article: Federal trial opens to determine whether Texas discriminated in redrawn redistricting mapsThe trial in El Paso will hear a challenge over the redistricting maps drawn by the Legislature that are based on the 2020 census.
Stricter bail rules win final passage in Texas Legislature, will go to voters in November
Read full article: Stricter bail rules win final passage in Texas Legislature, will go to voters in NovemberThe House passage of the measure asking voters to amend the state Constitution to tighten the state’s bail laws hands a major policy win to Gov. Greg Abbott.
Long-running lawsuit against Texas’ foster care system appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court
Read full article: Long-running lawsuit against Texas’ foster care system appealed to the U.S. Supreme CourtLawyers representing foster children asked the high court to reinstate a contempt order against the state, and the judge who issued it.
Juvenile detention, imported shrimp, forever chemicals among hundreds of bills cut off by House deadline
Read full article: Juvenile detention, imported shrimp, forever chemicals among hundreds of bills cut off by House deadlineSome measures that made it through before midnight dealt with jail bonds, an unconstitutional ban on gay sex, and the liability of vaccine manufacturers.
Texas House votes to repeal ban on “homosexual conduct”
Read full article: Texas House votes to repeal ban on “homosexual conduct”Twelve House Republicans joined Democrats to approve repealing the ban, which has been unenforced since 2003. It is the first time the bill has made it to the House floor since it was first proposed decades ago.
Texas House bill on lawsuits shelved after critics label it harmful to free speech
Read full article: Texas House bill on lawsuits shelved after critics label it harmful to free speechHouse Bill 2988 was centered on who pays the legal fees of those who successfully defend themselves against libel or defamation lawsuits.
Proposals to require judges to deny bail more often advance through House panel, signaling a broader agreement
Read full article: Proposals to require judges to deny bail more often advance through House panel, signaling a broader agreementAmending the Texas Constitution to crack down on the state’s bail practices has been an elusive priority of Gov. Greg Abbott’s for three consecutive sessions.
School districts stay quiet as lawmakers push to limit when they can sue the state
Read full article: School districts stay quiet as lawmakers push to limit when they can sue the stateSchool leaders have privately criticized a bill that would make it harder to contest their performance ratings in court. But they did not testify against it to avoid lawmakers’ ire.
Court orders immigration officials to restore legal status of three people who came to Texas on student visas
Read full article: Court orders immigration officials to restore legal status of three people who came to Texas on student visasThe three former students went to UT-Arlington and UT-Dallas. While they have prevailed in court so far, many other international students’ education futures remain uncertain.
UT-Rio Grande Valley students caught in nationwide sweep sue Homeland Security over immigration status
Read full article: UT-Rio Grande Valley students caught in nationwide sweep sue Homeland Security over immigration statusThe four students were involved in minor criminal cases that have been resolved, which they argue shouldn’t be used to justify ending their higher ed goals in Texas.
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s former aides win $6.6 million in whistleblower case
Read full article: Attorney General Ken Paxton’s former aides win $6.6 million in whistleblower casePaxton vowed to appeal the “bogus ruling” that found he improperly fired the four plaintiffs after they reported him to the FBI on allegations of corruption.
House panel passes bill requiring air conditioning in Texas prisons by 2032
Read full article: House panel passes bill requiring air conditioning in Texas prisons by 2032Weeks after a federal judge declared hot conditions in Texas prisons unconstitutional, a bill requiring air conditioning in those facilities by 2032 has gained traction in the House.
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.