Public News Service

The Texas Diversity Council works with various groups to foster environments where people from marginalized groups feel seen and heard. (Ana Baraulia/Adobe Stock)

Texas Diversity Council remains steadfast in face of adversity

Since 2004, April has been designated "Celebrate Diversity Month," a time to recognize, understand and honor the differences between people. One …

Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling allows Texas to begin enforcing Senate Bill 4, calling the decision a

Texas’ SB 4 in limbo again after late-night court decision

Story has been updated to reflect late-night 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision.(8:01 a.m. MST, Mar. 20, 2024) The U.S. Supreme Court handed …

Texas's effort to opt out of the federal immigration system and create its own rules has been blocked by a federal judge. (MaxSafaniuk/Adobe Stock)

Texas' battle over right to arrest suspected illegal immigrants will continue

A law aimed at immigrants crossing the border in Texas will not take effect tomorrow, after a federal judge halted enforcement until a court battle …

The Texas Department of Transportation has approved a historic $142 billion in roadway spending over the next decade. (ABCDstock/Adobe Stock)

TX highway expansion comes with a human death toll

Texas road construction workers die at a higher rate than in any other state, and some believe it's because contractors aren't held accountable for …

The U.S. Supreme Court has previously ruled that immigration laws can only be enforced by the federal government. (diy13/Adobe Stock)

Lawsuits mount over Texas' plan to jail illegal immigrants

Texas is the epicenter of the U.S. immigration debate, and now faces a lawsuit over plans to jail those whose enter the state illegally. The U.S…

El gobernador de Texas, Greg Abbott, cree que las nuevas leyes y la continuaci�n de la Operaci�n Lone Star son necesarias para

Grupos de defensa consideran que las leyes propuestas en TX y el alambre de púas son inhumanas

Un conjunto de proyectos de ley de seguridad fronteriza que están siendo considerados por los legisladores de Texas causará daño a los …

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott believes new laws and the continuation of Operation Lone Star are necessary to

Civil rights groups call Texas' proposed laws, razor wire dehumanizing

A set of border security bills under consideration by Texas lawmakers will cause harm to migrants, residents, and state law, according to a state …

The United States has warned nearly 100 countries that Russian intelligence is ramping up efforts to destabilize democracies by raising doubts about elections integrity. (Argus/AdobeStock)

Democracy experts worry about chaos, violence ahead of 2024 elections

An election law expert says guilty pleas from Trump lawyers in Georgia's election interference case probably won't change the minds of voters who thin…

Estados Unidos ha advertido a casi 100 pa�ses de que la inteligencia rusa est� intensificando sus esfuerzos para desestabilizar las democracias sembrando dudas sobre la integridad de las elecciones. (Argus/AdobeStock)

Expertos en democracia temen caos y violencia antes de las elecciones de 2024

Un experto en derecho electoral dice que las declaraciones de culpabilidad de los abogados de Trump en el caso de interferencia electoral de Georgia p…

Texas is one of only a handful of states that does not allow online voter registration. (Seventyfour/AdobeStock)

TX Joins Momentous Effort to Register Young Voters of Color

The annual National Voter Registration Day returns tomorrow, and a Texas organization has a goal of registering 1,200 new young voters from diverse …

Texas es uno de los pocos estados que no permite el registro de votantes en l�nea. (Seventyfour/AdobeStock)

TX se une a esfuerzo trascendental para registrar a jóvenes votantes de color

El Día Nacional de Registro de Votantes anual regresa mañana, y una organización de Texas tiene el objetivo de registrar 1.200 nuevos …

In 2023, 566 anti-trans bills have been introduced in 49 states including 65 in Texas, according to Trans Legislation Tracker. (inkdrop/AdobeStock)

TX High Court Not Persuaded to Protect Transgender Health Care

Texas has adopted some of the strictest gender-affirming transgender restrictions in the nation. And the leader of a trans advocacy group says it has …

In 2001, Texas became the first state to allow undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition, but politics have shifted the state's attitude toward migrants and immigrants. (DanielErnst/AdobeStock)

TX Advocates for Immigrant Rights Say Politics Exhausts Needed Donations

Organizations that help immigrants find a community, achieve economic self-sufficiency, and become legal residents or citizens say anti-immigrant …

Texas groups opposed to a controversial law regulating drag performances say it's unconstitutional and want a preliminary and permanent injunction before it goes into effect Sept. 1. (annne/Adobe Stock)

Texas 'Drag Ban' Headed to Court Ahead of 9/1 Implementation

Opponents of a new Texas law governing drag performances say it's so vague and broad, it could have a chilling effect on all free expression and …

Almost 500,000 reports of suspected child maltreatment were called into the Texas state abuse hotline in 2022, with 166,000 cases investigated, resulting in 9,600 children being removed from their homes. (IdeaBug, Inc./AdobeStock)

New Texas Law Favors Parents in Child Abuse Investigations

Texas parents under investigation for child abuse by the state will be informed of their rights before their children are removed from the family's ho…

Nearly 30,000 Texas minors would be affected by legislation banning transgender youth health care, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA's School of Law. (Krakenimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Lawsuit Filed Over TX Law Banning Health Care for Transgender Youth

Families and medical providers announced a lawsuit against the State of Texas on Thursday over new legislation that bans gender-affirming medical care…

ACLU Plans Lawsuit If TX Anti-Trans Bills Become Law

The culture war over transgender identity is spreading in GOP-led states, and Texas is among those passing the harshest laws. The Human Rights …

To stop the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, the public health order known as Title 42 was used nearly 3 million times to swiftly expel migrants at U.S. land borders. (AjdinKamber/AdobeStock)

Proposed Border Policing Unit Gains Traction in Texas

Legislation to create a "Border Protection Unit" is headed to the Texas Senate, while the governor said more needs to be done to secure the U.S.-…

Following the 2020 election, Texas passed a controversial voting law, Senate Bill 1, which banned drive-through voting and 24-hour voting. (MoabRepublic/AdobeStock)

Texas GOP Lawmakers to Decide Bills Aimed at Harris County Elections

Three weeks remain in the 2023 Texas legislative session with a bill under consideration that could ultimately throw out future election results in th…

Employees at the Texas Department of Agriculture could be terminated if they come to work with

Texas Ag Department Issues 'Biological Gender' Dress Code

New lawsuits are likely coming in Texas as LGBTQ+ people working for the state are now being targeted in dress code regulations. Agriculture …

In Texas, abortion is completely banned with very limited exceptions. This forces patients to make two trips out of state, one for in-person counseling and another at least 24 hours later for the abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute. (Seventyfour/Adobe Stock)

Showdown Over Abortion Medication Continues

The battle over a prescription drug used in abortions continues, now to be heard by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on May 17. The pill…

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, many states have passed near-total bans on abortion, with some states criminalizing the procedure and those who assist others in obtaining one. (traci1/Adobe Stock)

Dueling Opinions Likely to Send Abortion Issue to U.S. Supreme Court

Access to medication abortion will be front and center this week after two competing court rulings, in Texas and Washington, were handed down Friday…

Sheriffs In Texas, Elsewhere Seek Validation as New Election Police

By Jessica Pishko for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for Texas News Service reporting for the Pulitzer Center-…

Legislation being considered by Texas lawmakers would prevent Houston from adopting labor union bills meant to protect workers from the summer heat. (peuceta/AdobeStock)

TX Lawmakers Consider Legislation to Prevent Cities from Self-Governance

Texas' GOP-dominated legislature is considering bills to flip the script on powers traditionally afforded home-rule cities, instead forcing them to …

The green scarf is a symbol of the abortion-rights movements, created in Argentina in 2003 and popularized in the United States in 2022. (Clara/Adobe Stock)

TX Judge to Decide Abortion Pill Case with Nationwide Repercussions

Medication is now believed to be used in more than half of all abortions in the U.S., but a Texas judge could soon force one of two abortion pills …

Since the 2020 election, GOP-led states have enacted 102 new election penalties, according to an analysis by States Newsroom and the Voting Rights Lab. (niyazz/AdobeStock)

TX Lawmakers Consider Bills to Restrict, Expand Voting in 2023 Session

By nearly every measure, voter fraud in U.S. elections is rare, but that isn't stopping the Texas Legislature from considering dozens of bills this …

A new poll from Quinnipiac University shows Texas voters say the border, at 38%, ranks first as the most urgent issue facing Texas, followed by abortion and inflation. (Wikilmages/Pixabay)

Border Issues Reign for Texas Voters, Immigration Advocates

A Texas human-rights advocacy and immigration-reform group opened two new community centers this week to help residents better understand their freedo…

From July 2021 to June 2022 across the nation, there were 2,532 instances of individual books being banned, affecting 1,648 unique book titles, according to Pen America. (prettysleepyart/Pixabay)

TX ACLU Promotes 'Students' Rights Hub' During Banned Books Week

Ahead of Banned Books Week, the ACLU of Texas published what it calls a Students' Rights Hub. Kate Huddleston, attorney for the ACLU of Texas…

In March, the Dallas County Jail failed its state inspection for the second year in a row, with the agency noting it had been out of compliance for about three months. (fau.org)

Group Fears New Dallas Jail Could Stall Justice Reform

Members of a Texas group working to end mass incarceration thought they were making headway, but now they're not so sure. Faith in Texas has ideas …

One in 16 African Americans of voting age is disenfranchised, a rate 3.7 times greater than that of non-African Americans, according to The Sentencing Project. (themarshallproject.org)

Report: 'Unlock the Vote' at U.S. Jails Shows Progress, Obstacles

Every election, thousands of people are disenfranchised from voting because they are incarcerated. But Houston's Harris County Jail has shown the two …

One in five election officials who withstood the 2020 pres�sure campaign said they plan to leave before the 2024 elec�tion, according to a recent Bren�nan Center survey. (PeteLinforth/Pixabay)

Will MAGA Election Deniers Upend Midterms?

The midterm election on Nov. 8 will be a referendum on President Joe Biden and Democrats, but also a preview of what could happen at polling places …

Uno de cada cinco funcionarios electorales que resistieron la campa�a de presi�n de 2020 dijeron que planean irse antes de las elecciones de 2024, seg�n una encuesta reciente del Centro Bren�nan. (PeteLinforth/Pixabay)

¿Negacionistas MAGA revertirán elecciones de mitad de período?

Las elecciones de mitad de período del 8 de noviembre serán un referéndum sobre el presidente Joe Biden y los demócratas…

Even ass the U.S. celebrates the second observance of the Juneteenth National Independence Day, more states have passed legislation prohibiting schools from teaching about the country's legacy of racism. (WynnPointaux/Pixabay)

Celebrations Mark 2nd Nationwide Juneteenth Independence Day

The 95-year-old Texan known as the "grandmother of Juneteenth" will celebrate this weekend, as she has for the past nine decades, but with the added …

Clinics in neighboring states saw an almost 800% increase in patients after Texas in 2021 banned almost all abortions after six weeks, according to Planned Parenthood. (FerencVarga/Pixabay)

Roe v. Wade: What Happens Next in Texas?

Texas took the lead among Republican states last September in making abortion illegal once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Now, some fear the …

According to 2020 census data, Texas' population increased by nearly 4 million between 2010 and 2020. People of color account for 95% of this total increase. (US Embassy/Flickr)

Trial Date Set for Texas Redistricting Lawsuit

Voters of color in Texas will have to wait until this fall for the outcome of a discrimination lawsuit against the state. At issue are the voting-…

Crisis contacts from LGBTQ youths in Texas increased 150% in 2021 over 2020, according to Equality Texas. (Gerd Altmann/Pixabay)

TX Judge Issues Temporary Halt to Governor's Anti-Transgender Directive

A Texas judge has temporarily ruled the state may not continue investigations of parents seeking gender-affirming health care for their child…

As of last Saturday, election officials in Harris County, Texas' largest, had returned nearly 38% of all mail-in ballots to voters after they failed to provide a Social Security or driver's license number. (wikipedia)

Fallout from Stricter Laws Felt by Texas Voters, Election Officials

Across Texas, early ballots have been rejected for the March 1 primary, causing voter frustration when election officials explain they've failed to …

Texas is preparing for its first election under new restrictions that ban election officials from helping voters navigate the mail-in voting process. (NCSBE)

Lawsuit: Why are Naturalized Texans Being Axed from Voter Rolls?

The Texas 2022 primary is approaching and nearly 12,000 possible voters have been flagged as potential non-citizens, prompting a lawsuit by the ACLU …

Median bond amounts are roughly $10,000 higher for Black defendants than for their white counterparts, according to a study by the Michigan League for Public Policy. (asecondchancebailbonds.org)

TX Bailout Highlights Inequities Between Poor, Rich Defendants

Nine Texas residents now held in the Dallas County jail system will be bailed out this Thursday and met by reform advocates who say the bail system is…

Over the past decade, states have enacted nearly 600 restrictions on abortion, including more than 100 restrictions in 2021 alone, according to the ACLU. (plannedparenthood.org)

Texas' Vigilante Abortion Law May Be Just the Beginning

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas has captured headlines over its law banning nearly all abortions, but other states soon may share the spotlight after the U.S…

In the first five months of 2021, five governors signed bills banning transgender individuals from sports in some capacity. (geralt/Pixabay)

TX Governor to Try Again to Ban Transgender Student Athletes

AUSTIN, Texas - As part of a special session called by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, legislators will try again next week to pass a bill requiring …

The U.S. Justice Department says Texas is attempting to unlawfully create its own

Texas Order Restricting Migrant Travel Returns to Court

EL PASO, Texas -- El Paso will be the site of a court hearing tomorrow over Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's order barring transportation of migrants…

Republican-controlled states including Florida, Georgia and Iowa passed restrictive new voting laws based on disproven charges by former President Donald Trump there was fraud in the 2020 election, which he lost by more than 7 million votes. (kbhall17/Pixabay)

TX Democrats Aim to Stop Voter Restrictions by Leaving Town

AUSTIN, Texas -- A majority of Democrats in the Texas House exited the state Monday in an attempt to block Republicans from passing new laws to …

Military veterans are fighting back against what they call anti-democratic, far-right extremism by forming groups such as Veterans for Responsible Leadership and We the Veterans. (Fire FX/Pixbay)

Veterans Fear Far-Right Group Membership Threatens Democracy

AUSTIN, Texas -- Veterans across the aisle are concerned about what they call recent attacks on democracy by far-right organizations. Yesterday…

Vice President Kamala Harris addresses immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso today, one week ahead of a promised visit by former President Donald Trump. (famouspeople.wiki)

VP Harris Visits El Paso Today in First U.S.-Mexico Border Trip

EL PASO, Texas -- Vice President Kamala Harris visits the southern border for the first time today as the Biden administration aims to stem the flow …

A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know

Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

Dallas -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by both the US …

In recent months, record numbers of teenagers and children traveling without their parents and in need of shelter have arrived at the U.S. border with Mexico. (U.S. Border Patrol via Twitter)

Opponents of U.S. Immigration Policies March in El Paso

EL PASO, Texas - A group that opposes U.S. immigration policies and holding children at military bases is protesting today by walking to Fort Bliss …

A bill under consideration by the Texas Legislature would impose harsh criminal penalties for local election officials who provide assistance to voters. (Adobe Stock)

Texas Gains Political Clout While Trying to Restrict Voting

AUSTIN, Texas -- The U.S. Census Bureau announced Monday Texas will gain two additional congressional seats, the most of any state in the nation…

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TX: Civil Rights