Op-Ed: What I’d like to see in the next legislature
There is a connection between voting and action. If you recall in the 2018 election, many Texans were motivated to vote in reaction to the Trump presidency and it felt wonderful. After that election, the Texas legislature provided an additional $6 Billion in revenue...
Op-Ed: Senate Committee on State Affairs hearing gives preview of misplaced anti-abortion priorities this upcoming legislative session
Last Tuesday, the Senate Committee on State Affairs held a hearing to discuss pressing issues affecting the state. One would imagine that as the COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on Texans and our medical systems, the committee would convene to discuss creative...
Op-Ed: Houston desperately needs a Green New Deal. Lizzie Fletcher stands in the way.
As the U.S. plunges deeper into climate catastrophe, with a record-setting number of hurricanes hitting the Gulf this year, workers’ rights are weaker now than at any other point in modern history. These two travesties are intimately linked: they are exacerbated by...
Why are Texas Republicans talking about secession?
Texas Republicans are flirting with the idea of secession again. The Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM) makes a periodic cameo in the press but this time they have a supporting cast of Republican officials. GOP State Representative Kyle Biedermann says he is...
Abbott said no second lockdown is coming. White House COVID officials disagree.
As Texas began battling the second wave of coronavirus last month, Gov. Greg Abbott held a press conference warning Texans that no second lockdown is coming. Now, the latest White House Coronavirus Task Force report for the state is recommending Texas do exactly that....
Progressive Texas candidates reflect on 2020
Progressive candidates who defined the 2020 election cycle in Texas sat down recently for a roundtable discussion on election losses in November. The 6-person panel included U.S. Senate candidate Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, congressional candidates Mike Siegel...
Op-Ed: The redistricting fight is far from over
It’s no secret that the results in down-ballot races didn’t quite mirror the success that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had for their party at the top of the ticket. But far too many political reporters and pundits view the lack of gains in the 2020 election as a death...
Op-Ed: In disaster, fair shot policies take on new dimension
In the 87th session of the Texas Legislature, the Texas AFL-CIO will fight for a fair shot for all working families to get ahead. It’s what we do, and it’s always a steep uphill climb. This time, as the longest declared disaster in our state’s history lays waste to...
Harris County sees first election under new management
Saturday saw a wave of runoff elections in Harris County, including in Houston where Tarsha Jackson coasted to victory to end the year-long question as to who would be the city’s newest council member. The county’s runoff elections were also the first under the...
Did Dan Crenshaw help smear a female vet?
Congressman Dan Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL who earlier this week ignominiously signed onto Ken Paxton’s seditious lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 election, faces renewed criticism for his role in a scandal roiling the Department of Veterans Affairs and its...
5 Things Elon Musk Should Know Before Settling in Texas
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is leaving his home state of California for Texas. Musk said the “final straw” was local enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions at his Fremont manufacturing facility. However, he could also stand to save billions in potential...
U.S. Army announces shake up at Fort Hood
This week, Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy announced sweeping changes at Fort Hood army base. The announcement comes months after an intense public outcry over the lack of leadership at Fort Hood, which has seen numerous homicides over the last few years,...
Joaquin Castro kicks off investigation into abuse of power by Jared Kushner
Rep. Joaquin Castro announced Wednesday that he would begin investigating potential conflicts of interest and abuse of power by Jared Kushner, senior advisor and son-in-law to President Trump. Castro, the vice-chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and chairman...
Dan Patrick proposes rule change to disempower Democrats in Texas Senate
As Donald Trump and loyal congressional Republicans attempt to overturn the results of the election, in Texas, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick is doing his own part to stifle gains by Democrats. On Wednesday, Patrick reaffirmed his support for a rule change in the upcoming...
What you should know about evictions in Texas
Many Texans are struggling to pay the rent during the pandemic and things could get worse. The Houston area has the second highest number of evictions of anywhere in the country and come the new year thousands of evictions are expected in North Texas alone. A report...