Federal appeals court reverses Texas death row inmate’s conviction
Brittany 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. Full Story
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![The Huntsville Unit Texas State Penitentiary houses the execution chamber of Texas and is located in Huntsville on Jan. 31, 2024.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
With crumbling public health infrastructure, rural Texas scrambles to respond to measles
The measles outbreak in rural Texas has exposed how hospital buildings are ill-equipped. Meanwhile, long distances between providers makes testing people and transporting samples difficult. Full Story
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![A sign lets people know that measles vaccines are available in the Old City Hall in Andrews, Tx.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
Thrust into the spotlight by a school shooting, Uvalde’s former mayor finds his footing as a lawmaker
Don McLaughlin isn’t shy about speaking his mind and has disagreed with victims’ families and fellow Republicans. Now he brings his direct style to the Capitol. Full Story
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![Former Uvalde mayor and current Texas representative Don McLaughlin, Jr. (R-Uvalde) in his office at DKM headquarters in Uvalde, TX on February 14, 2025. McLaughlin’s hunting trophies sit mounted behind him.]()
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Christi Craddick, Don Huffines bid for Texas comptroller
Hegar’s impending departure from the comptroller’s seat creates a rare opening for one of Texas’ coveted statewide offices. Full Story
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![Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick and former state Sen. Don Huffines.]()
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Texas A&M Board of Regents names Glenn Hegar as university system’s next leader
Hegar, who currently serves as Texas comptroller, will replace A&M Chancellor John Sharp in leading the 157,000-student system. Full Story
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![Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar speaks with Texas Tribune Editor-in-Chief Matthew Watkins at Studio 919 in Austin on Jan. 13, 2024.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ DOGE committee takes inspiration from Elon Musk’s federal operation
The new legislative panel has been tasked to reduce the size and scope of government. But Democrats say they’re not interested in replicating Musk’s slash-and-burn approach. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol on Aug. 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Transgender staffer navigates Texas Capitol with guarded care amid growing hostilities
Mo Jenkins is one of only a few openly transgender staffers working in the Capitol as lawmakers are making headway in restricting rights for LGBTQ+ Texans. Full Story
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![Mo Jenkins walks with State Rep. Lauren A. Simmons (D-Houston) ahead of a House meeting on Feb. 11, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
Texas countywide voting bill would allow fewer polling sites
Senate Bill 985 would revise a 2023 law that raised the minimum number of voting locations. County election officials say they’ve struggled to comply with it. Full Story
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![Early morning voters wait outside in the rain at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center in Houston on Nov. 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate advances bill to start a $3 billion dementia research fund
The legislation would require voters to approve the $3 billion start-up cost, and then the fund would be maintained at no more than $300 million annually. Full Story
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![State Senators discuss a Point of Order on an amendment to the SJR 1 property tax bill to include a bonus for Texas teachers, with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on the Senate floor during the first day of the second special session at the state Capitol in Austin on June 28, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Why a Rio Grande Valley hospital is helping to feed its patients
As the Edinburg facility and others seek to assist people experiencing food insecurity, state lawmakers have more than a dozen bills that could tackle Texas’ food deserts. Full Story
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![Evangelina Yzaguirre, a cancer patient at DHR, receives food aid from the hospital food pantry program.]()
Credit: Ben Lowy for The Texas Tribune -
With Texas facing soaring electricity demand, the politics of energy quietly shift at the Capitol
The Legislature has tried to clamp down on renewable energy resources in the past, but many lawmakers are recognizing the need to support all types of generation to meet record demand growth. Full Story
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![Vistra Corp.’s Midlothian Power Plant opened its doors to media on October 15, 2021 to show the plant’s weatherization process. The Midlothian plant managed to avoid freezing during the Winter Storm Uri in February, and Vistra’s plants provided 25-30% of electricity on the grid during the storm despite its approximately 18% share of generation capacity in ERCOT.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
This charter school superintendent makes $870,000. He leads a district with 1,000 students.
On paper, Salvador Cavazos earns less than $300,000 to run Valere Public Schools, a small Texas charter network. But taxpayers likely aren’t aware that his total pay makes him one of the country’s highest-earning superintendents. Full Story
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![Superintendent Salvador Cavazos runs Valere Public Schools’ three charter campuses.]()
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Texas House majority signs on to new bill restricting the use of bathrooms in public buildings by transgender people
House Bill 239, which echoes a bathroom bill that failed in 2017, includes new provisions for shelters and prisons. Full Story
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![Bathroom stalls at the Austin Convention Center in 2017.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Following Trump’s lead, Gov. Abbott pushes state agencies to end telework
The directive comes as some state agencies have downsized their office spaces after the pandemic forced many employees to work remotely. Full Story
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![The state capitol seen from the Sam Houston State Office Building in Austin on June 20, 2023.]()
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Hemp industry pushes back against Senate bill to ban THC
There is little doubt that a ban will sail through the Senate. But its prospects are far less certain in the House. Full Story
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![Various Delta 8 THC products at a Valero station on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023 in Spring Branch.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Part of pro-Palestinian student art exhibit at UNT removed amid antisemitism complaints by state lawmakers
Five GOP lawmakers who targeted the exhibit also called for the cancellation of the “Palestinian Children and the Politics of Genocide” lecture, which is still scheduled. Full Story
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![Students walk the University of North Texas campus in Denton, TX on February 24, 2022.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes bill to put Ten Commandments in public school classrooms
The vote comes amid a broader push by conservative Christians to infuse more religion into public schools and life. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol and the Ten Commandments Monument at sunrise on Tuesday, June 6, in Austin, Texas.]()
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Texas lawmakers scold juvenile justice department over scathing DOJ report
Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu criticized the department for treating an August 2024 federal report as “nothing.” Full Story
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![Giddings State School, a Texas Juvenile Justice Department correctional facility, in Lee County on July 20, 2022.]()
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The Texas Senate wants more — and smaller — starter homes in new neighborhoods
The goal of the new legislation is to help drive down the cost of housing so that more Texans can afford homes. Full Story
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![Star Creek, a neighborhood in Allen, on May 8, 2023.]()
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Former Uvalde mayor files Texas bill to improve law enforcement response to mass shootings
The bill would require school districts and law enforcement to meet once a year to plan their response to an active shooter situation. It would also mandate annual multi-agency exercise drills on how to respond to an active shooter. Full Story
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![Robb Elementary in Uvalde, on July 11, 2022.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune