MALDEF files suit against Texas on redistricting maps
On Monday, before the Texas legislature approved their congressional redistricting maps, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed a lawsuit against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and acting Deputy Secretary of State Jose Esparaza over the state's...
Why Frank Ramirez is running for statehouse
Early voting began Monday in San Antonio to see who will replace former state Rep. Leo Pacheco, a two-term Democrat who resigned from Texas’ 118th district in August to teach public administration at San Antonio College. The special election to replace Pacheco has...
Texas Republicans finish their gerrymander, adjourn special session
Last night, Texas Republicans passed the final piece of their legislative gerrymander and approved a slightly modified version of their original proposal for the state’s new congressional map. Using their party-line power, Texas Republicans aggressively gerrymandered...
The Texas college student fighting for immigration reform
Katia Escobar is in her first year at the University of Houston studying pre-med. Earlier this year she applied for DACA for the first time. But because of a ruling in Texas, her application was cancelled. Katia joined several other undocumented activists in...
Outspoken Republican Lyle Larson says he’s leaving Texas House
Throughout 2021, State Rep. Lyle Larson has done what he does best: Speak his mind. Known for bucking the Texas GOP’s top brass throughout the past several years, the San Antonio Republican was easily the harshest intraparty critic of Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration...
El Pasoan testifies in favor of making designating a national memorial for 2019 terrorist attack
On Thursday, El Pasoan Albert Hernandez testified in front of the House Natural Resource Committee’s Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands in favor of turning the El Paso Community Healing Garden into a federally recognized National Memorial Site....
An attempt to “both sides” the Holocaust in a Texas school district draws condemnation
A school district in Texas is under fire after a recording revealed a school administrator encouraging teachers to introduce “opposing” views to the Holocaust. The school administrator claimed that such a move was necessary in the wake of new legislation for public...
Texas House passes anti-trans sports bill
The Republican-led Texas House voted Wednesday evening to advance House Bill 25, legislation that would ban trans youth from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. The bill passed 76-54 after several hours of amendments and heated debate on the...
Don Huffines is the most dangerous man in Texas
Greg Abbott’s newest executive order against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, banning any entity including a private business from issuing the health and safety protocol, is the latest sign that he is running an unabashedly ultra right-wing campaign. Abbott is on a mission...
‘Basically we’ve outlawed abortion in Texas,’ Abbott says
On Tuesday, a viral video on Twitter showed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott admitting on camera that Texas has effectively outlawed abortion. At an event with the governor, Creator of the UnderCurrent TV Lauren Windsor thanked Abbott for defending the unborn, and then...
No Way on Prop A: Save Austin Now’s Authoritarian Thrust, Explained
Like countless cities across the country and around the world, Austin rallied to host weeks of marches protesting police brutality in the summer of 2020. Easily the most impressive show of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, the demonstrations shined a light...
Op-Ed: Undocumented Immigrants Like My Family Have Waited Long Enough
At the age of ten, I participated in my first protest. My parents had recently explained that we were undocumented, but they also wanted me to understand the dramatic impact that immigrants like us had on America. So on May 1, 2006, my family and I abstained from...
Texas House debates proposed state house district lines
Texas House lawmakers are debating new proposed state house district lines, with a vote expected late Tuesday to advance the gerrymandered map and bring it closer to becoming law. Much of the debate over the map has focused on how statehouse districts in major metro...
Gov. Greg Abbott goes after vaccine mandates (again)
On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott issued yet another executive order prohibiting vaccine mandates in the state. This is the governor's fourth executive order that prohibits government entities and others from issuing a vaccine mandate. In August, Abbott moved to ban...
Travis County Leads on Housing Reform
As Austin continues to grow dramatically and skyrocketing rent prices have left many residents unable to find safe and stable housing, the Travis County Commissioners Court, led by newly-elected Travis County Judge Andy Brown, has passed multiple innovative policy...