The former child care investigations director said there are agency-wide communication issues that led to a breakdown in relaying key information, but two of his staff members are the ones who suffered the consequences.

UT Rio Grande Valley to offer free tuition and fees to students with family income $100,000 or less

Oct 21st, 2021 1m 3s

UTRGV’s decision to offer free tuition to more students comes after more students’ families lost jobs during the pandemic.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says Gov. Greg Abbott should call lawmakers back for a fourth special session

Oct 21st, 2021 52s

In a tweet, Patrick said he supported Abbott calling lawmakers back to Austin to increase the penalty for illegal voting and approve a “forensic audit bill.”

U.S. Senate Republicans block federal voting rights legislation that would override Texas’ restrictions

Oct 21st, 2021 1m 16s

In their latest push to lift state-level voting restrictions, Senate Democrats failed to secure the 60 votes required to break a filibuster on the Freedom to Vote Act.

After Texas and other states passed new voting restrictions, federal bills could expand ballot access.

Oct 20th, 2021 54s

What Congress’ voting bills would mean for Texas voting and redistricting

After months of store closures and layoffs, border businesses eager to welcome back Mexican customers Nov. 8

Oct 20th, 2021 57s

For 19 months, business owners along the Texas-Mexico border have seen a drastic drop in customers because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. With land borders scheduled to reopen Nov. 8, they are banking on a return to pre-pandemic sales.

Republicans say Texas’ new political maps are “race blind.” To some voters of color, that translates as political invisibility.

Oct 20th, 2021 1m 16s

With partisan fervor, Republicans drew new maps for Congress and the Legislature that dilute the power of voters of color. Now the lawsuits begin, as groups that feel marginalized battle for representation in the halls of power.

U.S. Supreme Court considers taking up abortion providers’ challenge to Texas’ near-total ban on the procedure

Oct 19th, 2021 49s

Providers want the Supreme Court to take the case before an appeals court hears it. The high court gave defendants, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, until Thursday to respond to the providers’ request.

Legislators pass most — but not all — of Gov. Greg Abbott’s priority measures in final flurry of lawmaking

Oct 19th, 2021 1m 53s

Lawmakers approved new political maps and decided how to spend COVID-19 relief money. But they didn’t pass bills about vaccine mandates or the criminal penalty for illegal voting.

Texans will decide eight proposed amendments to the state Constitution on Nov. 2.

Oct 18th, 2021 51s

Two proposed amendments — one regarding religious services and another related to nursing home visitors — stem from restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Early voting begins Oct. 18.

Legislators in Texas want to use federal COVID relief funds to send out $525 checks — but only to homeowners

Oct 18th, 2021 1m 14s

Republican lawmakers have faced pressure to provide some form of property tax relief this year. Critics of a new proposal say it’s politically timed.

Supreme Court of Texas puts San Antonio school district’s vaccine mandate on hold

Oct 15th, 2021 41s

The halt comes after Gov. Greg Abbott expanded his ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates — which previously applied to cities, counties and school districts — to private employers.

GOP primary foe Don Huffines sees impact as Gov. Greg Abbott pushes rightward

Oct 15th, 2021 1m 35s

Huffines has been the most vocal fellow Republican taking on Abbott, pressuring him over his COVID-19 response, the border and other hot-button issues.

U.S. to reopen land borders with Mexico to vaccinated travelers starting in November

Oct 14th, 2021 48s

The borders were closed to nonessential travel in March 2020, which hurt businesses in Texas border cities that rely on Mexican shoppers.

Texas House passes proposed new map for chamber’s 150 districts, aiming to protect Republicans’ majority for the next decade

Oct 14th, 2021 1m 8s

Members considered more than 50 amendments to the proposed map during debate that began Tuesday and ended early Wednesday. Some of the biggest changes focused on Dallas and Harris counties.

U.S. Department of Justice investigating abuse, mistreatment at Texas’ juvenile lockups

Oct 14th, 2021 54s

The department says it’s looking into whether the Texas Juvenile Justice Department provides “reasonable protection from physical and sexual abuse by staff and other residents, excessive use of chemical restraints and excessive use of isolation

State agency removed online resources for LGBTQ youth after complaints from a Republican challenging Gov. Greg Abbott, emails show

Oct 13th, 2021 1m 34s

Democratic state senators want the webpage reinstated. The resources were removed after Don Huffines, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, criticized their inclusion on a state website.

Businesses face tough choices after Gov. Greg Abbott bans vaccine mandates

Oct 13th, 2021 1m 8s

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines say they will continue requiring employee vaccinations despite Abbott's new order, which has left federal government contractors, nursing homes and other companies caught between conflicting rules from t

Gov. Greg Abbott bans any COVID-19 vaccine mandates — including for private employers

Oct 13th, 2021 1m 5s

Abbott also called on the Legislature to pass a law expanding the ban on vaccine mandates.

Special runoff election to fill vacant San Antonio-area House seat set for Nov. 2

Oct 12th, 2021 36s

Republicans are pushing to flip the San Antonio-based seat.

Allen West, GOP candidate for governor, says he has pneumonia caused by COVID-19

Oct 12th, 2021 1m 6s

West, the former chair of the state Republican party, tweeted that his oxygen levels are low and he will likely be hospitalized, but says his condition is "not serious."

Appeals court allows Texas abortion law to resume, stopping federal judge’s order to block its enforcement

Oct 12th, 2021 54s

Because of the way the law is written, it appears that clinics and doctors who performed abortions outlawed by the statute even while the block was in effect would now be vulnerable to lawsuits.

State of Texas struggled to teach students learning English before COVID-19. The pandemic made it worse.

Oct 8th, 2021 1m 52s

Since 2008, the number of Texas students learning English as a second language who take longer than five years to become proficient is growing.

Bill limiting transgender student athletes’ sports participation in Texas clears key hurdle on way to becoming law

Oct 8th, 2021 1m 35s

A House committee approved the bill despite emotional testimony from parents of transgender Texas children. This is the fourth legislative session this year in which lawmakers targeted LGBTQ kids.

At least one major Texas abortion provider resumes procedure lawmakers tried to prohibit, after judge blocks near-total ban

Oct 8th, 2021 49s

The ruling late Wednesday from a U.S. District Judge doesn’t protect providers who perform abortions while the Texas law makes its way through the courts.