The Republican Meltdown Over Gas Stoves Explained
Yesterday, the Republican outrage industrial complex went into overdrive over gas stoves. Several Texas Republicans, including Congressman Ronny Jackson, were adamant that the federal government and Joe Biden were coming after gas stoves. Not that it’s ever stopped...
Biden Visits The Border As Republicans Jeer
Republicans in Texas have complained for months about President Joe Biden supposedly ignoring a border crisis. Now that Biden traveled to the border with a bipartisan delegation over the weekend, Republicans could only muster jeers. Biden traveled to El Paso on the...
Mealer files challenge in loss to Hidalgo
Alexandra Mealer, the upstart Republican candidate who raised millions of dollars in her unsuccessful challenge to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, is mounting another challenge to the incumbent judge, this time in a courtroom. Mealer announced that she was pursuing...
What Comes Next In Texas?
Next month, the legislative session will get underway. After the last session, which was a massive rightwing bonanza, what more do Greg Abbott and his fellow Republicans want? Well, a lot more of the same. Two years ago, Abbott and the Texas GOP ruthlessly enacted an...
After A Delay, Maternal Mortality Report Is Released
After months of delays (conveniently timed after the November election), Texas has finally published a required report about maternal mortality. The results point to a dispiriting picture for those who give birth in Texas, especially for black women. Last week, the...
Kirk Watson Narrowly Elected As New Austin Mayor
Less than 900 votes separated Kirk Watson from Celia Israel in the runoff election for Austin Mayor. Israel, who is a former state representative, conceded the race last night. Watson is a former state senator and the former Mayor of Austin. He left his role as the...
Greg Casar To Serve As Whip In Congressional Progressive Caucus
This morning, Greg Casar will officially be selected as Whip for the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Casar’s position as Whip, which is the number three spot in the caucus, is significant. He will be the top Texan in a leadership role, and one of the youngest...
Op-Ed: Out of the Shadows: Texan DACA Recipients Need Citizenship Now
When I was young, I was simultaneously closeted for being queer and in the shadows for being undocumented. While I’ve long been out and proud about both, I’ve learned first-hand that progress isn’t linear nor inevitable. Sometimes it takes decades for real change to...
Texas Secretary of State Resigns, Abbott Taps Jane Nelson As Replacement
Yesterday the top election official for Texas officially notified Governor Greg Abbott that he was resigning. John Scott was appointed by Abbott in October 2021 for the interim position of Secretary of State. Today, Abbott announced he was tapping State Senator Jane...
Early Voting In Austin Starts
Texas isn't quite done with election season yet. Early voting started today in Austin for several important runoff races. In the mayor's race, State Representative Celia Israel faces former mayor and state senator Kirk Watson. Israel came in first in the November...
Supreme Court To Hear Immigration Enforcement Case
Today, the Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments in the case United States v. Texas. This case, which has also been brought by Louisiana, has the potential to upend federal immigration policy. Last year, the Department of Homeland Security issued a memorandum...
Anti-Abortion Group Sues FDA Over Abortion Pill
One of the key groups behind the overturning of Roe v. Wade has filed another anti-abortion lawsuit, this one in Texas. Alliance Defending Freedom sued the FDA last week to reverse federal approval of mifepristone, a medication that can terminate an early pregnancy....
Texas lawmaker proposes ‘age-appropriate’ book bill
There are still two months before the 88th Texas legislative session starts in early 2023. Still, Texas Republicans’ pre-filing records show banning more books in public schools and deciding what students can read in a classroom will be a top priority for the...
A Conversation With Mihaela Plesa
Despite volunteering, protesting, and voting, after former President Donald Trump was elected in 2016, first-generation Romanian-American Mihaela Plesa said something told her it wasn’t enough. So as one does, she dropped everything to be as civically engaged as...
Ted Cruz’s No Good, Very Bad Election
In the leadup to the midterm elections, Ted Cruz promised a “red tsunami.” That prognostication turned out to be wrong. With the re-election of Senator Catherine Cortez Masto in Nevada, Democrats officially retained control of the Senate. There are still outstanding...