The Cruelty at the Border Is Increasingly Pointless
As the Trump administration ratchets up its dehumanization of migrants, we Americans stand to lose our moral center.
Articles by Christopher Hooks
Julián Castro Turns on Beto O’Rourke, and Why That’s Good for Elizabeth Warren
The debate had the feel, at times, of an episode of Survivor—the little guys teaming up to clear their ranks before the real fight begins.
2019: The Best and Worst Legislators
They called it the kumbaya session, but we still found plenty of scoundrels and statesmen.
How Texas’ Powerful Police Union Went to War Against Criminal Justice Reform
In one of the worst legislative sessions for criminal justice reform in years, bipartisan legislation got caught between an ugly fight between the police lobby and prominent Democrats.
There’s a Grand Bargain on Property Taxes and Education Funding. But What Is It, Exactly?
The governor, lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the House announced a deal on property taxes and school finance. It sounds good, but offered awfully little in the way of specifics.
Seventh Time’s the Charm: Despite Repeated Bungling, the Lege Manages to Pass an Update to the Sandra Bland Act
Let us count the ways legislators passed, killed, and then resurrected what was a popular, bipartisan way to limit arrests for minor infractions.
Jonathan Stickland and the Case of the Special Session That Wasn’t
Stickland and his band of merry pranksters could have pushed the Legislature into a special session by killing a popular bill to increase mental health services for kids.
Inside the Story of How Democrats Killed a Law That Could Have Saved Sandra Bland
In a fit of idiocy and confusion, Democrats in the Legislature not once, but twice derailed bipartisan legislation prohibiting police from making arrests for minor infractions.
The Loudest and Least Effective Legislator Has Actually Passed a Bill
But don’t think that means Representative Jonathan Stickland is all grown up. He’s still more or less the lib-baiting troll he’s always been.
Why the Sales Tax Swap Died a Painful Death
Here died Greg Abbott’s burden-shifting plan, orphaned and alone.
