Workers from numerous industries have been deemed essential during this coronavirus pandemic, putting them at risk for COVID-19 exposure. For the rest of the Texas workforce, stay-at-home orders were generally supposed to extend till May 8. But Gov. Abbott let his...
Coronavirus
back to archiveCovid response shows vulnerability of Texas’ part-time legislature
As Governor Abbott’s power expands through executive order the legislature sits sidelined while the public safety orders of local officials are being overridden. Veteran Capitol insider Scott Braddock reports members of both parties have signaled concerns over...
Congresswoman Escobar: re-opening Texas without more testing is reckless, puts El Pasoans at risk
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-El Paso) blasted Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday for prematurely re-opening the state. “The primary obligation of every public official is the health, safety, and welfare of the residents we have the privilege to represent,” Escobar said...
Texas’ Covid-19 fatalities curve grows as Abbott opens businesses, ends stay-at-home order
As businesses around the state are allowed to open under Gov. Greg Abbot’s orders, the average number of daily new fatalities in Texas continues to grow, reaching its highest point this week since the outbreak began. The spike in cases and deaths in mid-April, and the...
Texas Democrats urge Abbott for more transparency, aid in nursing homes
On Wednesday, a group of Texas Democrats penned a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott petitioning the governor to do more to protect elderly Texans living in nursing homes. “Our state government can and must do more to protect our most vulnerable Texans,” read the letter...
Abbott’s approval rating is weak for a 100-year pandemic
Politicians and presidents have historically enjoyed a boost in approval ratings during times of war or crisis — a phenomenon political scientists have dubbed the “rally around the flag effect.” George W. Bush famously saw a 35 percentage point bump in his...
Texas meatpacking plants are packing on the high coronavirus rates
Among the industries affected by COVID-19 is the meat-processing industry—which becomes problematic for plant workers at risk of falling ill in a struggling economy. While the largest number of infections in Texas are in Harris, Dallas, and Tarrant Counties, the...
Abbott is pushing a rosy picture of Texas’ coronavirus curve to reopen the state
Gov. Greg Abbott held a press conference on Monday detailing the reopening of the Texas economy. He announced the statewide stay-at-home order will expire Thursday and beginning May 1, retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and malls will be allowed to reopen as...
As Abbott plans to reopen Texas, poll shows voters want businesses closed
Gov. Greg Abbott will update Texans on Monday afternoon as to his plans to reopen the Texas economy sometime early next month. The governor’s decision to reopen the state comes as Texas has yet to flatten the COVID-19 curve or make serious headway into curbing the...