Politics & Policy
September 22, 2023
Winners and Losers in the Ken Paxton Impeachment Saga
The attorney general’s acquittal affects an upcoming legislative session on school vouchers—and the civil war within the Texas GOP.
Greg Abbott
Border & Immigration
September 12, 2023
Who Wore It Best? We Rate Politicians on Their Border Photo Ops
Rick Perry rides a gunboat. Ted Cruz goes militiaman. Ron DeSantis and George P. Bush try their best.
By Forrest Wilder![Forrest Wilder's Profile Photo]()
![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
August 23, 2023
Greg Abbott Raised an Astonishing $15.6 Million in 23 Days
The governor attracted strong support from small-dollar donors, but a large chunk of his haul came from multimillionaires and billionaires who quietly cut six-figure checks.
Business
August 14, 2023
Texas Is Number One in Business! (Or Are We?)
Elon Musk is just one of the big-deal CEOs moving to the Lone Star State. But some are reluctant to join him.
By Tom Foster![Tom Foster's Profile Photo]()
Energy
August 14, 2023
We’re Number One in Renewable Energy and Nonrenewable Energy
Why Texas is the past, present, and future when it comes to fueling the world.
By Russell Gold![Russell Gold's Profile Photo]()
Border & Immigration
July 27, 2023
Residents of Eagle Pass Grow Wary of Greg Abbott’s Militarized Border
Confronted with human suffering and death, as well as disruption of their small town, some former supporters of Operation Lone Star have started to sour on the program.
Politics & Policy
July 27, 2023
Greg Abbott’s Border Policy Is at Once Cruel and Ineffective. Many State Leaders Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way.
The Texas GOP, which once advocated for a more humane immigration policy, is wedded to Operation Lone Star despite its exorbitant costs and failures.
Politics & Policy
July 24, 2023
“I Don’t Want to Live in This State of Terror Anymore”: Some Families With Trans Children Are Leaving Texas
After Governor Greg Abbott signed a law blocking gender-affirming care for minors, some have fled the state. Others have no choice but to stay.
Politics & Policy
July 11, 2023
Could Texas Really Eliminate Property Taxes?
The Legislature took a big step Monday, but further efforts could come with great costs: a sky-high sales tax, decimated public schools, and defunding the police.
Politics & Policy
July 6, 2023
How to Lose Friends and Alienate the Legislature
The governor has long suffered from the reputation that he’s a policy lightweight. He’s turning it around this year in five easy steps.
News & Politics
June 27, 2023
Great Moments From the Texas Country Jamboree in Hambriston Throughout Its 123 Years
The Texas Country Jamboree doesn't exist, and Garth Brooks wasn't booed off its stage. That didn't deter Greg Abbott.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Best and Worst Legislators
June 13, 2023
2023: The Best and Worst Legislators
Our scorecard of the Eighty-eighth Texas Legislature’s noisy scoundrels and quiet heroes.
Politics & Policy
May 11, 2023
Since the Lege Has Been in Session, There’ve Been Eighteen Mass Shootings in Texas
The gun bills most likely to pass aren’t restrictions but those that further protect firearm ownership.
Border & Immigration
May 10, 2023
If All the Officers Assigned to the Texas-Mexico Border Stood Side By Side, How Far Apart Would They Be?
Hint: if one of them were Baker Mayfield, he could pass a football to the folks on either side of him.
Politics & Policy
May 8, 2023
Whenever Texans Die in Mass Shootings, Greg Abbott Likes to Talk About Immigration
After the latest bloodbaths in Allen and Cleveland, the governor turned to a familiar playbook of deflection.
Politics & Policy
April 10, 2023
One Angry Man
Governor Greg Abbott wants to overrule a jury’s conviction of Daniel Perry, who murdered a man at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.
Politics & Policy
April 4, 2023
Texas Has Declared War on Fentanyl. Drug Experts Say It’s Making the Same Old Mistakes.
Fentanyl killed more than 5,000 Texans last year. The Legislature is taking the epidemic seriously, but first responders and policy experts are skeptical.
Politics & Policy
March 31, 2023
Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz, and Ken Paxton All Invoked George Soros in Denouncing Trump’s Indictment. Here’s Why That’s a Problem.
The Jewish billionaire has long been the target of antisemitic attacks from the far right. What are Republican leaders signaling when they single him out as the main force behind the former president’s woes?
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
March 29, 2023
“It Smells of Despair”: What’s Going On Inside the Harris County Jail?
After 28 men and women died in custody last year, officials are throwing money at the overcrowded facility. Advocates for inmates say reforms are needed.
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 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 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 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 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 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.
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
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.
Politics & Policy
January 12, 2023
The Lege Sets Its Sights on Voting Rights (Again)
Republicans in the Texas House and Senate have filed a blizzard of bills seeking to crack down on alleged voter fraud and increase state control over elections. Here’s an annotated guide.
Border & Immigration
January 9, 2023
In El Paso, Joe Biden Embraces Trump’s Border Policies
The president’s brief trip to the Texas border city Sunday inflamed critics of his immigration policies on both the left and right.
Politics & Policy
January 3, 2023
Is Ron DeSantis the Most Powerful Republican in Texas?
Forget Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick. Florida’s governor will be calling the shots when the Texas Legislature returns in January.
Politics & Policy
December 28, 2022
Every Texan Gets $900! And Other Ideas for Spending the State’s Massive Surplus
What should we do with our $27 billion windfall? We asked a variety of Texans for their brightest ideas.
By Russell Gold![Russell Gold's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
December 20, 2022
The Migration Crisis in El Paso Could Soon Grow Worse—Much Worse
The looming disaster has thrown both Governor Abbott’s and President Biden’s failed border policies into sharp relief.
Bum Steers
December 12, 2022
The 2023 Bum Steer Awards
The dopes, villains, and terrible ideas that bedeviled our beloved state over the past twelve months. (This time, with slightly less Ted Cruz!)
Bum Steers
December 12, 2022
2023 Bum Steer of the Year Runner-up: Floperation Lone Star
Greg Abbott’s $4 billion program to deter migration . . . doesn’t seem to be deterring migration.
Politics & Policy
December 9, 2022
Texas’s Abortion “Bounty” Law Just Lost Its First Test. Here’s What That Means.
The plaintiff was found to lack legal standing to bring the case. That has big implications—and not just for abortion laws.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
December 1, 2022
Harris County Botched Another Election. The GOP Senses Opportunity.
After an election marred by malfunctioning machines, long lines, and a shortage of paper ballots, Republicans are contemplating big changes in the next Legislature.
Politics & Policy
November 2, 2022
The Mysteries of Texas’s Midterm Elections
Republicans are pursuing South Texas Latinos. Democrats are counting on the Dobbs abortion decision. Nobody knows who’s going to turn out to vote. And the polls are all over the place.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
October 24, 2022
Wherever Donald Trump Goes, There You Are
The former president’s rally in Robstown was just like all his others in Texas, but he still commands state leaders’ attention.
Politics & Policy
October 20, 2022
Why the Truth About Uvalde May Not Be Known for Years, If Ever
DPS director Steve McCraw could legally release mountains of evidence tomorrow. Instead, he is hiding behind a veil of secrecy.
Politics & Policy
October 14, 2022
Some Texas Lawyers Think Greg Abbott’s Border Initiative Is Unconstitutional—But They’re Afraid to Challenge It
As the federal judiciary has shifted to the right, many who represent migrants are wary of bringing Operation Lone Star before the nation’s highest courts.
Politics & Policy
September 30, 2022
Friday Night Sound Bites: The Debate Between Beto O’Rourke and Greg Abbott Happened, but Did It Matter?
It’s become a Texas tradition to hold brief gubernatorial debates during high school football prime time.
Politics & Policy
September 28, 2022
Greg Abbott and Beto O’Rourke Are Finally Debating. Here’s What They Need to Be Asked.
Ahead of Friday’s gubernatorial debate, Texas Monthly’s news and politics team came up with hard questions for both candidates.
Politics & Policy
September 21, 2022
Texas Moms Champion Beto With a Giant Roadside Reminder of the Uvalde Shooting
Uvalde-based activist group Fierce Madres partnered with Moms Against Greg Abbott to erect the anti-Abbott signage.
Politics & Policy
September 19, 2022
What’s Driving Greg Abbott’s Escalating Migrant Busing Scheme?
The Texas governor’s plan has been adopted by Ron DeSantis in Florida, and it has grown crueler as it spreads.
Politics & Policy
September 13, 2022
What Makes Beto Run—Again?
On his summer barnstorming tour of Texas, Beto O’Rourke argued that Republicans are waging war against Texas values.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Politics & Policy
August 25, 2022
Opinion: What the 1836 Project Leaves Out in Its Version of Texas History
The Legislature established a committee last year to “promote patriotic education.” Drafts of one of its pamphlets reveal an effort to sanitize the state’s long struggle with racial issues.
Politics & Policy
August 19, 2022
A Presbyterian Minister Is Leading the Opposition to Anti-Transgender Texas Policies
Remington Johnson has become a touchstone for the families of transgender children.
Politics & Policy
August 12, 2022
The Trump Raid’s Newest Victim: The Texas GOP
After the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago, state Republicans near-unanimously lined up behind the former president—before details of the investigation left them silent.