Politics & Policy
March 24, 2023
Why Is Donald Trump Kicking Off His 2024 Campaign in Waco?
During the thirtieth anniversary of the Branch Davidian tragedy, no less.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
Reporting and commentary on the Legislature, campaigns, and elected officials
Politics & Policy
March 23, 2023
Fearing That State Leaders Want Them “Eradicated,” Some Transgender Texans Embrace Firearms
As lawmakers consider bills targeting their livelihoods, queer Texans say more members of their community intend to defend themselves.
Politics & Policy
March 23, 2023
The New Streets of Laredo
As state politicians focus on danger and cartel violence, the border town's downtown is undergoing a renaissance.
Politics & Policy
March 22, 2023
Loathsome Dud: Jared Patterson’s School-Library Bill Would Ban Larry McMurtry’s Novel
The lawmaker from Frisco has rallied right-wingers by promising to remove “sexually explicit” books from shelves. But he may lose them by targeting a beloved Texan classic.
Politics & Policy
March 22, 2023
Texas Jails Are Crowded, Understaffed, and Dangerous. The Legislature Is Poised to Send Them More Inmates.
Two bipartisan bills would make it easier for judges to incarcerate defendants before trial. Criminologists say that’s bad for public safety.
Politics & Policy
March 21, 2023
A Republican Lawmaker Wants (Certain) Texans to Have a Lot More Babies
Taking a cue from authoritarian leaders, state representative Bryan Slaton has proposed property tax relief for some large families. White, straight, property-owning couples would be the primary beneficiaries.
Politics & Policy
March 16, 2023
What Is the CIA Doing at SXSW?
Recruiting, mostly. But also trying to see New Order.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
March 16, 2023
Preaching to the Choir: Greg Abbott Tours Private Christian Schools (Exclusively) to Make the Case for Vouchers
The governor has promoted “school choice” at seven religious academies around the state. Why there?
Politics & Policy
March 15, 2023
Texas Lege Watch: A GOP Bill Would Put Greg Abbott in Charge of Houston Flood Control. What Could Go Wrong?
Senator Paul Bettencourt’s proposal would hand the Harris County Flood Control District over to unelected bureaucrats appointed by the governor.
Politics & Policy
March 14, 2023
How a Right-wing Law Firm Shaped the Judge Who Will Rule on the Abortion Pill
Matthew Kacsmaryk cut his teeth at First Liberty Institute, a “religious liberty” law firm with Texas roots—and a growing national reach.
By Mimi Swartz![Mimi Swartz's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
March 14, 2023
How Dan Patrick Made the Texas Senate in His Image
The lieutenant governor has consolidated power in the Legislature and exercises near-total control of his chamber. Will anyone challenge him?
Politics & Policy
March 14, 2023
The Craddicks’ Gushers of Cash: How a Powerful Texas Lawmaker and a Key Regulator Profit From the Industry They Oversee
Former House Speaker Tom Craddick and his family—including his daughter, Railroad Commission chairman Christi Craddick—earned about $10 million last year from oil and gas rights.
Politics & Policy
March 13, 2023
Tracking All the Ways Texas Republicans Are Trying to Further Restrict Abortion
After banning almost all abortions in the state post-Roe, GOP lawmakers have proposed eighteen new ways of limiting access to the procedure.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
March 10, 2023
Don’t Be Fooled by the Legislature’s Tough Talk About Ken Paxton
Texas lawmakers say they won’t let the attorney general settle a lawsuit using taxpayer money, but they’re letting him avoid oversight.
Politics & Policy
March 9, 2023
How the Texas GOP Became the Party of Big Government
Under Governor Greg Abbott and a Republican-dominated Legislature, Texas has experienced an unprecedented expansion of state power over municipalities.
Politics & Policy
March 6, 2023
The Texas Right’s Newest Target: Transgender Juvenile Offenders
A bill would require that detention centers house kids based on the sex listed on their birth certificates, contradicting federal guidelines.
Politics & Policy
March 6, 2023
Can a Park Stitch Oak Cliff Back Together?
It’s intended to reconnect a corner of Dallas divided long ago by a highway, but without the right policies enacted, some fear it will displace residents who've lived there for decades.
Politics & Policy
March 2, 2023
Fleeing for Your Life? There’s An App for That.
The Biden administration has replaced key elements of our 50-year-old asylum system with “CBP One,” a smartphone application. It looks like the future—but potentially a dystopian one.
Politics & Policy
March 1, 2023
Cars Spun Doughnuts in Austin, And Greg Abbott Got Furious, Fast
Why has the governor lasered in on teenagers doing donuts and causing a ruckus in the capital city?
Politics & Policy
February 28, 2023
A Federal Judge in Amarillo Could Effectively Ban the Abortion Pill. Why Does He Get to Make That Call?
A mysterious group with a Tennessee mailing address has filed a suit in the Panhandle city—guaranteeing it would be heard by Matthew Kacsmaryk, a longtime religious-right activist.
Politics & Policy
February 28, 2023
Linda Coffee Argued Roe v. Wade. Now She’s Auctioning Off Her Archive.
A conversation on abortion rights with the Dallas lawyer whose argument against Texas’s abortion law changed the course of history.
Politics & Policy
February 28, 2023
Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for ‘Chicken Freedom’
Briscoe Cain wants all Texans to have the right to gather eggs in their backyards, local ordinances be damned.
Politics & Policy
February 27, 2023
Inside the Karaoke Bar Where Texas Lawmakers Serenade Each Other
Legislators and staffers have been cavorting in one of Austin’s most dimly lit establishments.
By Ben Rowen![Ben Rowen's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
February 23, 2023
American Dream Deferred: Two GOP Bills Would Block Some Legal Immigrants from Buying Texas Property
Asian Americans across the state are rallying against the legislation, saying it’s racially motivated and could have unintended consequences for the Texas economy.
Texas History
February 23, 2023
Inside the Decades-long Effort to Commemorate a Notorious Waco Lynching
After years of opposition and delay, Waco finally has posted a historical marker about the 1916 murder of Jesse Washington.
Politics & Policy
February 22, 2023
Trans Kids Have Been a Focus of Right-wing Lawmakers This Year. Now Trans Adults Are Too.
Bob Hall has long sought to outlaw gender-affirming treatments for minors. Now he seeks to effectively ban care for consenting adults.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
February 21, 2023
A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessa’s Municipal Government. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits.
In the three months since city council elections, at least twenty staffers have resigned, retired, or been fired, including the city manager, city attorney, and fire chief.
Politics & Policy
February 16, 2023
No Media, No Cellphones, No Questions: Greg Abbott Finds a Safe Space for His State of the State Speech
In an address that resembled a campaign ad, the governor issued seven priorities for the Legislature, including a push for “school choice.”
Politics & Policy
February 16, 2023
What’s Driving the Texas Right’s Campaign Against Transgender Youth and Their Parents
A handful of bills target gender-affirming medical care. Some families have fled the state and others are ready to follow.
Politics & Policy
February 14, 2023
How a Brazen School-Voucher Scheme in Texas Got Derailed
Internal documents offer new insights into an unprecedented ploy in Wimberley to divert public-education dollars to private schools.
Politics & Policy
February 10, 2023
Attorney General Ken Paxton Agrees to Apologize and Pay $3.3 Million to Whistleblowers
Paxton and the four whistleblowers asked the Texas Supreme Court to defer consideration of the case until they can finalize the settlement, after which they’ll move to end the case.
Politics & Policy
February 8, 2023
We Texans Are on Our Own When Disasters Hit
Austin’s response to last week’s mild freeze is further evidence that some of the structures of society we used to count on are no longer reliable.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
February 7, 2023
Two Texas Progressives Got Seats on the U.S. House’s Most Anti-Biden Committee
Dallas’s Jasmine Crockett and Austin’s Greg Casar talked to Texas Monthly about fighting for progressive policies in a GOP-controlled chamber.
Politics & Policy
February 6, 2023
A Celebrated West Texas Archaeologist Has Been Fired—and No One Will Say Why
Acclaimed for his research on the Big Bend region and the Porvenir massacre, David Keller was suddenly marched out of Sul Ross State University in December.
Politics & Policy
February 3, 2023
The Apache, the Irish Catholic Priest, and a 40-Year-Old Miscarriage of Justice
James Reyos was convicted of murder in Odessa. For forty years, he’s sworn he’s innocent—and now authorities are finally listening to him.
By Michael Hall![Michael Hall's Profile Photo]()
Border & Immigration
February 2, 2023
Greg Abbott’s Migrant Busing Scheme is a PR Stunt. It’s Also a Good Idea.
Governor Greg Abbott’s scheme to transport asylum seekers to Democrat-run cities has been called a cynical PR stunt. It is—but if tweaked, it could be a good idea.
Politics & Policy
February 1, 2023
Florida Politicians Would Love to See More Drilling in Texas. Florida? Not So Much.
Drill, baby, drill! But, uh, over there.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
January 31, 2023
Health Care for New Mothers in Texas Is Abysmal. Will the Lege Finally Take Action?
Two key bills with bipartisan support would help keep new moms alive and healthy. But similar efforts have fallen short in past sessions.
Politics & Policy
January 31, 2023
A Republican Lawmaker Wants to Make Sure Foods Containing Fetal Tissue—Say What?—Are Clearly Labeled
Senator Bob Hall’s bill is an unusual measure to address a nonexistent issue.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
January 30, 2023
Kyle Rittenhouse and What the Right Is Talking About When It Talks About Censorship
Booted from one locale amid outcry, the “Rally Against Censorship” proceeded—with an airing of familiar right-wing grievances.
By Ben Rowen![Ben Rowen's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
January 26, 2023
How to Survive the Texas Legislature
The ways of the Texas Legislature are confoundingly weird. Here’s a guide to the madness.
By Christopher Hooks![Christopher Hooks's Profile Photo]()
![Forrest Wilder's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
January 19, 2023
Michael McCaul Is the Most Powerful Texan in the House. Will He Be Able to Lead Foreign Affairs With a Divided Caucus?
The new chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee discusses divisions in the House on continuing aid to Ukraine, the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and more.
Politics & Policy
January 18, 2023
Update: Family Members Press Congress on the Korean War Memorial Wall’s Errors
Families of those who died in the Korean War are asking Congress to investigate why their relatives’ names aren’t on the recently raised memorial wall in Washington, D.C.
By Michael Hall![Michael Hall's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
January 18, 2023
Opinion: Texas Should Accept Medicaid Expansion
By not doing so, the state is jeopardizing the health of its most vulnerable populations and leaving billions of savings on the table a year.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
The “Come and Take It” Flag Now Symbolizes Something It Never Stood For
On T-shirts and bumper stickers, the flag that flew during the Texas Revolution has had its cannon replaced by an AR-15. Would our ancestors approve?
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
The Pastor of Dallas’s First Baptist on W. A. Criswell, Donald Trump, and God Himself
Robert Jeffress resuscitated a once powerful church—and courted controversy too.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
The Rise and Fall of the Bush Family Dynasty
You can’t blame Jeb.
By Jeff Salamon![Jeff Salamon's Profile Photo]()
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
Why I Fought for Mexican American Civil Rights in Texas
José Angel Gutiérrez cofounded the Raza Unida Party, one of the most ambitious political forces to emerge from the Chicano Movement.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
A Letter to My Fellow Black Texans About Juneteenth
The day commemorating the emancipation of slaves in Texas says as much about our future as our past.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
Sixteen of the Most Influential Texas Political Figures of the Past 50 Years
From John Connally to Lina Hidalgo, these leaders have made Texas the bellwether state for the nation.
By Christopher Hooks![Christopher Hooks's Profile Photo]()