Advocates Race to Inform Immigrants, Hospitals as Abbott Demands Citizenship Reports

byMadeline de Figueiredo

In the leadup to the Nov. 1 implementation of Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order requiring Texas public hospitals to report on health care for undocumented immigrants, advocacy groups raced to inform affected communities and providers about the policy’s implications and limitations.

Disability Rights Groups Celebrate Ruling That Improves Accessibility for Voters — for Now 

byMadeline de Figueiredo 

Voters with disabilities could get expanded access to the ballot this election season after a federal judge struck down Texas laws limiting voter assistance.
The Oct. 11 ruling has yielded cautious celebration from activist and advocacy communities on the eve of early voting, which begins Monday. But the state might appeal the decision in time to thwart voter assistance efforts. 
“The ruling protects the rights of Texas voters with disabilities to get the assistance they need without fear of prosecution,” said Bob Kafka, the state coordinator for REV UP Texas, one of the groups that challenged the law.

Petition Effort Poses Test for New Law, Progressive District Attorneys

byMichael Nolan

One of the first uses of a new Texas law aimed at removing “rogue” district attorneys could curtail the discretion of prosecutors in major cities, political and legal analysts say. Travis County District Attorney José Garza, a Democrat who recently won a primary in his re-election bid as the county’s top prosecutor, will soon find […]

Teacher Shortages Prompt Texas Schools to Recruit Worldwide

byMichelle Lavergne

To address a teacher shortage, more Texas school districts are turning to the Visiting Teachers Program, which recruits certified educators from other countries. Through that initiative, international educators who are actively enrolled in a J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program approved by the Texas Education Agency may receive a temporary visiting international teacher certificate.

Mexican Actor Says Latinos Can Change Texas Politics If They Vote

byKatrina L. Spencer

Latinos in Texas have the power to change the state’s political landscape if they vote in greater numbers, Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta Mejía told a group of about 200 Central Texas residents Monday. 
“Somos un chingo,” Huerta Mejía said, referencing the fact that Latinos are a large part of the Texas electorate.
Huerta Mejía, who starred in the movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” was invited to speak on the University of Texas at Austin campus by NextGen America, an organization working to promote progressive public policy and increase voter turnout.

Despite Texas Ban on Abortion, Pro-Life Advocates See More Work to Do in Post-Roe World

byAbby L. Johnson

Texas Alliance for Life and thousands of supporters marched Saturday to the Texas Capitol, calling for more measures to protect Texas’ nearly all-encompassing ban on abortions. 
Texans from across the state began to march from the corner of 14th and Brazos street toward the Capitol amid honking horns and drivers leaning out their windows to hold up a middle finger. 
“We want to see abortion completely and totally abolished. Like now, not taking steps,” said one marcher.

In Visit to Austin, Ukrainian Politicians Advocate for U.S. Aid, Meet Refugees Living Here

byMichael Nolan

A delegation of Ukrainian politicians visited Austin last week to urge Texas officials to support increased U.S. aid for Ukraine. 

‘Protect the Children’ Rally Clashes with Trans Rights Protesters

byAbby L. Johnson

Dozens of people calling for legislators to protect American children from sex trafficking, ideological indoctrination and drag queen storytime competed with counter-protesters advocating for transgender rights at the Texas Capitol on Saturday. 

Public Ed Advocates Want to Give Abbott’s School Choice Proposal the Boot(s)

byAbby L. Johnson

Thousands of people rallied with signs of protest and boots in hand at the Texas State Capitol on Saturday to protest a proposed voucher-like program they fear will take away significant funding from public schools.
The rally took place just days before the third special session of the 88th Legislature was to begin Monday. Gov. Greg Abbott called for the special session after House Bill 100 failed to pass in this year’s regular session. 

Surviving For A Reason

byAmber Williams

Crystal Chen’s soft voice echoed through the Senate chamber as she recounted nightmares of persecution by her own government for her religious beliefs. In the prime of her 20s, Chen was sentenced to four and a half years of forced labor and torture in China. “I was pinned to the concrete floor and force-fed an all-salt mixture which nearly killed me,” Chen said. The room filled with lawmakers was silent. “Some guards handcuffed me to a radiator pipe,” she continued. “I was left there for three days while a police chief groped my body.” Chen was among a group of victims of political and religious persecution who testified before the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services of the Texas legislature in support of Senate Bill 1040 that would prohibit health insurance companies and other benefit plans from covering organ transplant procedures in which the organs come from a country known to engage in forced organ harvesting — namely China.

Lawmaker Takes Aim at Texas Liquor Law

bySamantha Eisenmenger 

Rep. John Bucy, D-Austin, has filed House Bill 1346, which would give counties the ability to allow sales of liquor for off-premise use on Sundays. HB 1346 would empower counties to hold an election and allow voters to decide the matter. Bucy filed a similar bill in 2021, but it never made it to a vote.

Since distilleries cannot sell their bottled product on Sunday, they are at a competitive disadvantage with wineries and breweries, which can sell their bottled products to consumers every day of the week, Bucy said. The measure would allow distilleries to better compete with wineries and breweries, he added.  

Senate Bill Would Create Texas Grid Security Commission

byKeaton Peters 

Under proposed legislation, the Texas Grid Security Commission would develop standards “to ensure that energy, electric power, and fuel supplies are protected and readily available for recovery in the event of a severe outage,” said a spokesperson for Senator Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, who is a sponsor of the bill. 

In Spite of Critics, Sweetwater’s Rattlesnake Roundup Draws Huge Crowds

bySamantha Eisenmenger 

The Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup, first held in 1958, began as a rattlesnake hunt with the goal of controlling the snake population in this small northwest Texas town. The event is now billed as the largest rattlesnake roundup in the world.

Texas Republicans Look to Expand Restrictions on Trans Athletes to College

byCorey Smith

Texas Republicans — who passed a law in 2021 banning transgender athletes from competing on K-12 sports teams that match their gender identity —  are working to extend restrictions on transgender athletes to college sports.

House Bill 23, by Rep. Valoree Swanson, R-Spring, would prohibit transgender public college students from joining college sports teams that align with their gender identity. The bill stipulates that athletes participate on teams based on the “biological sex” listed on their birth certificate. The measure would allow women to compete on men’s teams if there is no corresponding women’s team available.

Hundreds of Protesters and Families of Uvalde Victims, Rally at Capitol Against Gun Violence

byLaura Miguel

Families of victims of the Uvalde shooting  joined hundreds of protestors to advocate for laws aimed at preventing violence the Capitol on Tuesday. 

Families Rally for Better Conditions for Incarcerated Loved Ones

bySamantha Eisenmenger

Dozens of family members of incarcerated Texans descended on the state Capitol for a rally for criminal justice reform sponsored by Texas Inmate Families Association, a nonprofit group that provides support.

Texas imprisons more people than any state in the country, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. In 2022 more than 180,000 residents were incarcerated in state prisons and local jails.

Advocates Press for Anti-Trafficking Legislation at Capitol Rally 

byAna Paola Davila Chalita

Chanting “stop trafficking now” and holding signs, dozens of people gathered inside the state Capitol on Jan. 24 for an anti-human trafficking advocacy day

Texas only trails California in the number of people trafficked, according to a 2021 report from the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

How Asian Texans Are Working to Improve Their Community’s Political Engagement, Representation

byJinpeng Li

Asian Americans are the fastest-growing ethnic group in Texas, increasing by 68% to 1.6 million people in the past decade, according to the 2020 Census. But Asians remain underrepresented in the Texas Legislature and other state offices. 

‘I Can’t Let You Down’: How Mexican Truckers Are Easing U.S. Driver Shortage While Helping Their Families Back Home

byAna Paola Davila Chalita 

For Juan Martinez and his truck, a trip usually lasts from Monday to Saturday, starting in Mexico and going north into the United States before returning home. He is one of thousands of truck drivers from Mexico, taking jobs to haul freight across the border under a 1991 commercial trucking agreement between the United States and Mexico.
The opportunity of a higher salary is driving more Mexicans with a B1 visitor visa to a profession that is constantly struggling with a worker shortage.
But the industry still needs 78,000 drivers, “The price of everything we buy is going to go up,” said a manager for trucking company, “because it’s going to cost more to move it, because we have less drivers that want to move it.”

Electric Vehicle Charging Set to Expand in Rural Texas in Next Five Years 

byJinpeng Li

Planning a long-distance trip in an electric vehicle can be tricky, especially in rural parts of Texas where electric vehicle charging stations can be sparse. Texas is working to improve rural access to charging stations. The Federal Highway Administration in September approved $408 million to help the state government to install EV charging stations along designated alternative fuel corridors.