There’s little doubt Texas Republicans are eyeing the seat of retiring Rep. John Turner, a two-term statehouse Democrat from the Dallas suburbs, as a potential 2022 midterm pickup. Turner flipped the seat in 2018, comfortably defeating his Republican opponent by...
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Right-wing think tank walks back absurd critical race theory advisory
The werewolves at the Texas Public Policy Foundation got a good look at the moon Wednesday and revealed a little too much about themselves. In a since-deleted tweet, the conservative think tank shared a guide for how to spot critical race theory in the...
Ballot initiative to decriminalize weed, ban ‘no knock’ warrants kicks off in Austin
Ground Game Texas, a new voter mobilization group, announced Wednesday they would be launching a new campaign to create a ballot initiative in Austin to decriminalize marijuana and end "no-knock” warrants. The “Austin Freedom Act of 2021” would decriminalize low-level...
Progressive Texas groups form coalition to fight voter suppression
On Monday, more than two dozen nonprofits, watchdog groups, and progressive organizations announced they would be uniting to create “Texas for All,” a coalition to fight voter suppression legislation. The coalition is being joined by the Texas Civil Rights...
Saturday marks Abbott’s deadline for end of federal unemployment benefits
Following a decision by Gov. Greg Abbott, federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits are ending Saturday — more than 70 days before the federal benefits actually expire. That includes a weekly $300 unemployment supplement that continues to be relied on by...
North Texas attorney makes bid against Rep. Lance Gooden
Charlie Gearing, a North Texas attorney who grew up in the region, announced Thursday he is running for Congress. Gearing is challenging Rep. Lance Gooden, a two-term Republican that has breezed through both his elections in his conservative, greater Dallas area...
‘We are out of options’: State lawmakers plead with Congress to act on voting rights
Sixty-two Democrats from Texas are among more than 480 state legislators who have signed a letter to Congress urging leaders from both parties to pass voting rights and campaign finance reform legislation. The state lawmakers warned that 400 anti-voter bills...
Chris Turner: Abbott’s veto ‘dangerous attack’ on separation of powers
On Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott quietly vetoed a section of Senate Bill 1, the general appropriations bill funding the Texas government for the next two years. The victim of the partial veto was Article X, the legislature — something never before seen in Texas...
Climate change alone cost Houston $13 billion during Harvey, study says
It’s widely known that Hurricane Harvey, one of the costliest storms in U.S. history, was supercharged by climate change. At least three separate studies have tried to quantify to what degree. In 2017, one research group led by Berkeley National Laboratory climate...
Abbott makes expensive power grab to fund border wall
Gov. Greg Abbott held a press conference on Wednesday detailing the construction of his new border wall. Blaming Biden for abandoning Trump’s border wall, Abbott said Texas taxpayers would have to “step up.” To begin paying for the border wall, Abbott said the...