Politics & Policy
January 26, 2024
Could Two Texas Politicians Really “Duel”? Texas Law Says Yes.
Agriculture commissioner Sid Miller said he would duel state rep Glenn Rogers—with words. Technically, the real thing isn’t off the table.
Politics & Policy
Reporting and commentary on the Legislature, campaigns, and elected officials
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Politics & Policy
January 25, 2024
Jacob’s Well Was Dry for Seven Months—One Company Just Kept Pumping
Utility giant Aqua Texas pumped 66 million gallons beyond its legal limit in 2023.
Politics & Policy
January 25, 2024
Intro to Exonerations: The College Kids Trying to Break a Houston Man Free
Ivery Dorsey has proclaimed his innocence since he was arrested and convicted of murder in 2007. Now, he has help in his fight for freedom.
Health
January 25, 2024
As Texas Throws 1.8 Million Off Medicaid, Children Pay the Price
A procedural backlog is costing many eligible Texans the medical coverage they’re entitled to.
Politics & Policy
January 24, 2024
Colin Allred Might Not Be Campaigning Much in Texas. It Isn’t Hurting Him.
The front-runner for the Democratic Senate nomination to challenge Ted Cruz is raising gobs of money without traveling the state much—a strategy seemingly favored by the national party.
Business
January 24, 2024
In Amarillo, the Nation’s Helium Stockpile Goes on Sale
An auction this week will privatize the federal supply of the strategically important gas.
Politics & Policy
January 22, 2024
He Stormed the Capitol and Hid From the Law at a Hill Country Resort. Now He Has a Day in Court.
Luke Coffee, a Dallas-based actor and filmmaker, is trying to frame himself as a victim of excessive force.
Politics & Policy
January 18, 2024
The DOJ Report on the Uvalde Shooting Reiterates Widespread Failures
U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland said the response to the massacre cost lives.
Politics & Policy
January 17, 2024
Feds Approve 12 Months of Medicaid Coverage for New Moms in Texas
Medicaid covers half of all births in Texas.
News
January 17, 2024
Is the “Ted Cruz Curse” Real? A Texas Monthly Investigation
The Longhorns and the Cowboys got thumped after receiving Cruz’s endorsement. Some say the junior senator is to blame.
Politics & Policy
January 17, 2024
Not Even a Federal Judge Can Make Texas Protect Kids
Nine years ago, U.S. district judge Janis Jack ordered the state to fix its foster care system. Activists say kids are still suffering.
Politics & Policy
January 10, 2024
Houston Evictions Are Skyrocketing. One Court Is Testing a Solution.
Last year, one in every ten Harris County renters faced losing their home. A new program aims to connect tenants with resources.
Politics & Policy
January 2, 2024
The Texas GOP Civil War Is Messier Than Anyone Expected
Politicians have labeled the battle over Ken Paxton’s impeachment as one between centrists and the far right. It’s not, according to our analysis of legislators’ voting records.
Politics & Policy
December 26, 2023
Stories We Wish We’d Published This Year
2023 was a busy, chaotic year in our state—with more happening than Texas Monthly alone could cover. Sixteen staffers selected their favorite stories from other outlets.
Health
December 22, 2023
1.4 Million More Texans Could Have Free Health Insurance
They just don’t apply, according to a new report that says many uninsured residents aren’t taking advantage of Affordable Care Act plans.
Politics & Policy
December 19, 2023
Greg Abbott Promised to Pardon Her Son’s Killer. Now She’s Seeking Justice.
A self-described lifelong Republican voter, Sheila Foster accuses the governor of playing politics over the murder of her son, Garrett, at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.
Transportation
December 14, 2023
New Hopes for a Train From Dallas to Houston
With $2.5 million in federal grants, Amtrak and TxDOT will study adding passenger rail in Texas.
Politics & Policy
December 13, 2023
Ken Paxton Has Been Staying Busy Since His Acquittal
Having survived one big legal fight, the attorney general is eagerly picking new ones with Media Matters for America, Pfizer, the U.S. State Department, and a Texan with a nonviable pregnancy.
Politics & Policy
December 12, 2023
The 2024 Primaries Are Upon Us. Here Are the Key Races in Texas.
A weak slate of statewide Dems, a feeding frenzy among Republicans for open House seats, and some Abbott-versus-Paxton showdowns are all on the menu.
Politics & Policy
December 12, 2023
“A Complete Waste of Time”: What the Colony Ridge Hysteria Says About the Right-wing Media Ecosystem
Glenn Beck went looking for proof that the Liberty County community is a cartel-controlled nightmare. He was surprised by what he found.
Politics & Policy
December 7, 2023
The Texas Historical Commission Removed Books on Racism and Slavery From Plantation Gift Shops
An agency spokesperson claimed that the move had nothing to do with politics. Internal emails show otherwise.
Politics & Policy
December 7, 2023
The “Longhorn Football Mom” Who Made the Lege Pay Attention
When Jena Ehlinger’s son Jake died of fentanyl poisoning, she was driven to find some meaning in her pain.
Politics & Policy
December 7, 2023
The Greatest Sideshow on Earth: Behind the Scenes of Ken Paxton’s Acquittal
The impeachment trial of Ken Paxton delivered a steady stream of tantalizing entertainment. But the most consequential moments played out when few were watching.
Politics & Policy
December 5, 2023
Joe Biden Won’t Win in Texas. So How Exactly Might National Democrats Invest in the State?
One group that’s surprisingly bullish on Democrats’ chances to win a statewide race in the near future: Republican operatives.
Medicine
December 4, 2023
In Galveston, a New First Response to Mental Health Crises
Echoing a statewide trend, the team aims to prevent the tragedies that often result when armed police answer calls involving psychological emergencies.
Business
December 1, 2023
Oxy Deal Could Yield Billions for Tim Dunn’s Political Efforts
If Occidental Petroleum acquires CrownRock, the right-wing Midland oilman could become an even bigger power broker—in Texas and perhaps nationally.
Politics & Policy
December 1, 2023
Texas Ranks Last in Personal Freedoms, According to the Libertarian CATO Institute
The think tank, founded by a conservative billionaire who supports Greg Abbott, ranks Texas 39 places behind California.
Politics & Policy
November 30, 2023
The Texas House Chamber Is the Latest Victim of the War on Christmas
Traditionally, the capitol building has housed a gigantic tree. This year's is much more meager.
Politics & Policy
November 22, 2023
Why Bumble Is Joining a Lawsuit That Challenges Texas Abortion Laws
This week, the women-focused dating app joined dozens of other Texas companies that say ambiguity around life-saving medical care is bad for business.
Politics & Policy
November 22, 2023
Why Are So Many of Our Reps Quitting Congress?
Some seem tired of working in a place where so little gets done.
Politics & Policy
November 20, 2023
Greg Abbott Had Great Ambitions. Donald Trump Had Other Plans.
Long thought of as a presidential contender, the Texas governor has endorsed the former president—and supplicated for his favor.
Politics & Policy
November 20, 2023
An Armed Man Terrified an Austin Community. He Was Arrested by the NYPD.
A suspicious man brandished a shotgun in an Austin park—then in New York. The responses of the two police departments were markedly different.
Politics & Policy
November 17, 2023
J. W. Lown Governed San Angelo With a Smile—and Constituents Like Me Won’t Forget It
He lived out his last years in Mexico as a real estate agent, dreaming of returning home to Texas with his husband.
Politics & Policy
November 14, 2023
The Massacre That Turned Texas Into the Most Gun-Friendly State in America
A 1991 mass shooting in Killeen inspired legislation that has made Texas America’s most gun-friendly state.
Giving Back
November 13, 2023
Providing Shelter, Job Training, and Community for Those in Need
The Other Ones Foundation, led by Chris Baker, transformed a state-run encampment site for Austinites experiencing homelessness into a welcoming refuge.
Politics & Policy
November 8, 2023
A San Antonio Megachurch Plays an Outsized Role in Supporting Israel’s War Efforts
After Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel, a crowd gathered in the Alamo City for an evangelical event that quickly turned into a call to arms.
Politics & Policy
November 8, 2023
Ken Paxton Scored His First Post-Impeachment Victory at the Ballot Box
The first stop of Ken Paxton’s revenge tour was in a North Texas House district, where his preferred candidate, Brent Money, reached a runoff.
Energy
November 7, 2023
Should Texas Build More Nuclear Power Plants?
State leaders are bullish on new atom-splitting technologies, even as those same officials hobble wind and solar projects.
True Crime
November 7, 2023
The Great Cajun Turtle Heist
Alligator snapping turtle populations in Texas were dwindling. One family of smugglers had been poaching them from the state for years.
Politics & Policy
November 6, 2023
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry GOP
For a long time, Texas Republican chairman Matt Rinaldi couldn’t win elections. Now he wants to decide them—by exacting revenge on opponents within his party.
Politics & Policy
November 1, 2023
East of Houston, a Fight Over a Black Teenager’s Hair Takes Center Stage
After Hurricane Katrina, Darresha George moved her family to Texas. When school officials suspended her son for refusing to cut his hair, it unleashed a storm that shows no signs of easing.
Politics & Policy
October 31, 2023
Tony Buzbee Is More Famous Than Ever. So Why Is He Running for Houston City Council?
The wealthy trial lawyer just helped acquit Attorney General Ken Paxton. Now he wants to fix potholes and broken water lines.
Politics & Policy
October 31, 2023
Greg Abbott’s New Mexico Border Barrier Isn’t Doing Much—Besides Amusing Locals
Residents of El Paso and Sunland Park, New Mexico, agree illegal immigration is a problem, but the Texas governor’s newest effort is little more than a PR stunt.
Medicine
October 30, 2023
A Taller Border Wall Brings a Surge of Costly Injuries to El Paso
The city's University Medical Center is among the trauma centers dealing with many more migrants severely hurt in falls from the thirty-foot fence.
Border & Immigration
October 27, 2023
The Immigration Debate at the Texas Legislature Has Devolved
In the latest showdown over immigration restrictions, Texas representatives got into a heated confrontation on the floor.
Politics & Policy
October 20, 2023
The Texas Legislature Keeps Trying to Ban Vaccine Mandates for Private Businesses. This Time It Might Actually Be Successful.
Republicans need a win after a summer of infighting. But party leaders are ignoring several potential consequences in moving hastily on this issue.
Politics & Policy
October 16, 2023
What’s Behind the Fact-Challenged Freak-out Over Colony Ridge?
The Houston exurb offers cheap land to hardworking families. But some in the GOP see the benefit in demonizing the migrants who’ve moved there.
Books
October 16, 2023
How Two Texas Bookstores Are Leading the Fight Against Book Bans
When I wrote my YA novel, I hoped to inspire teens to figure out their beliefs around complicated political questions. But amid a wave of book bans, my book could get prohibited from school shelves.
Politics & Policy
October 12, 2023
First They Came for Those Who Met With Nazis
After right-wing activist Jonathan Stickland hosted Nick Fuentes in his office, many in the GOP have attacked Stickland’s critics.
Health
October 12, 2023
While We Were Sleeping: The Feds Say a Price-fixing Scheme Costs Texas Patients Tens of Millions
A New York financier’s scheme “rolled up” anesthesiology practices across the state, according to a complaint by the Federal Trade Commission.