In The News

The Texas Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that critics say will unduly restrict voting access for minority voters, and the governor is expected to sign the measure soon into law.

The Texas legislature on Tuesday passed the final version of a bill restricting voter access that sparked a weeks-long political showdown and is expected to be quickly signed into law by the state’s Republican governor.

Texas enacted the Senator Royce West Act, which amends the Texas Property Code to include streamlined procedures to modify a deed in order to remove discriminatory provisions from recorded conveyance instruments.

Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden is presenting the Hispanic Heritage Celebration on September 4-5 this year. A highlight of the cultural festival is the colorful Quinceañera Fashion Show, which is free to attend with garden admission.

Friday, August 20, was Houston’s first day of remembrance of slavery. Congressman Al Green commemorated the occasion by holding a town hall commemorating slavery in Greater Grace Houston. Representatives of the state and local government were present.

Evolution by definition means that an idea, a person or entity has undergone change. I know I certainly have. A caterpillar evolves into a butterfly. And yes, my behavior and perspectives are much different than me, the 40 year-old attorney and certainly from me, the 18 year-old, college student-athlete. I hope you can say I’ve evolved.

In Texas and across the country, critical race theory (CRT) has become a political lightning rod. Many Republican-led states are working to ban the school of thought from classrooms — even though teachers say they don’t even teach it.

A message from Texas state Sen. Royce West, representing District 23: Today, President Joe Biden announced two efforts aimed at helping Texas school children and residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

For members of Texas Legislature and those who work in its orbit, the days since the 87th Regular Session ended on Memorial Day have been anything but a summer break or a return to our lives as part-time lawmakers. During this period, myself along with Democrat colleagues, have traveled to the nation’s capital twice. And we’ve all traversed the roads from Austin to home like the Regular Session never ended. For what?

The question of who gets counted in population estimates remains of critical importance as a messy redistricting process looms ahead for state lawmakers in Austin right now and those who will likely return to Austin sooner or later.

Texas Democrats on Wednesday pushed back on criticisms of their stay in Washington, D.C. to break quorum over the Republicans' voting bill, saying they've had productive conversations as they advocate for federal election legislation.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott shot down a total of 20 bills over this year's legislative session, including a number of Democratic-led legislative priorities with bipartisan support.

Governor Greg Abbott made no secret that this legislative session would be dominated by ultra-conservative priorities to flex his rightwing credentials. However, one of his latest moves, a veto of Senate Bill 1109, is leaving many flummoxed at his motivation.

The Texas State Capitol was the backdrop of a Sunday evening rally where crowds gathered to support the federal voting rights “For the People Act,” which goes before the U.S. Senate this week.

Following their "very robust conversation" with Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic state legislators from Texas conceded that while the Biden administration wants to see federal voting reform legislation make it to the president's desk, the hurdle to passage is the U.S. Senate -- but they aren't giving up on conversations with those lawmakers.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat seen as key to passing voting rights legislation that has been a priority for President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders, met Thursday evening with a group of Texas Democrats who blocked a state law there that would put new restrictions on early voting.

Last week, a casting call went out to certain students in the Fort Worth school district. School officials sent out the request for 10 students — 9th-11th graders — to appear in a video to be viewed by their peers on how to safely interact with law enforcement officers.