Tag Archives: Texas

On Thursday, the Justice Department charged a US Capitol rioter with bringing a handgun onto Capitol grounds — two days after a hearing where Republican lawmakers downplayed the deadly attack and claimed the pro-Trump rioters were unarmed. The new charge was filed against Guy Reffitt, a Texan whose case received …

George P. Bush announced on Wednesday that he would challenge Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for his position. Bush is the grandson and nephew of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, respectively. The son of former presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush openly attacked Paxton over his …

On Monday, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott threatened to veto a section of the state budget that funds lawmakers’ pay after Democratic lawmakers walked out during a legislative session in order to prevent the state’s Republicans from giving final approval to a sweeping voter suppression bill. “I will veto Article 10 …

Texas Democrats late Sunday staged a walkout to prevent the state’s Republicans from giving final approval to a sweeping voter suppression bill. The Democrats walked out of the House chambers an hour before the midnight deadline, denying their colleagues across the aisle the quorum they needed to send the Republican …

Republican states that are withdrawing early from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program are stirring up trouble for gig workers. Selina Smedly, who owns a clean business in Dallas, says she will be cut off from the jobless aid without being prepared. She believes that she will have a hard time …

Senators Chris Murphy and John Cornyn are negotiating a way to bolster background check laws by closing a loophole. A bill to require background checks on nearly all gun purchases passed in the House in March but hasn’t gone anywhere in the Senate. Murphy and Cornyn believe they have a …

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill on Wednesday that bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected. Women in Texas will only be able to have abortions if no heartbeat is detected or if there is a medical emergency. Fetal heartbeats can be detected as early as six weeks …

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy filed a privileged resolution challenging the mask mandate in the House of Representatives, which failed Wednesday night after being blocked by Democrats. The vote was split among party lines 218-210. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that the rules will not change until all members of …

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed an executive order that bans local governments and schools from issuing mask mandates. The Executive Order prohibits governmental entities in Texas — including counties, cities, school districts, public health authorities, or government officials — from requiring or mandating mask-wearing. Public schools may continue to follow current …

Republican lawmakers around the nation continue to push for stricter voting laws even as business leaders warn that the laws can disrupt the economic climate and democracy. Over 50 companies and organizations joined together to write an open letter opposing the new laws. The letter was signed by Patagonia, Levi …

President Joe Biden will nominate Harris County, Texas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez to serve as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. If confirmed, Gonzalez will be the first politically appointed director. Gonzalez, who has a decades-long career in law enforcement, was elected as sheriff of Harris County in 2016. He is …

The Texas House rejected a proposal that would have allowed the state to use billions in federal dollars to provide healthcare coverage to uninsured Texans. Democrat State Representative Garnet Coleman who sponsored the amendment said a federal funding agreement would help to provide coverage for Texans. Texas has the highest …

Texas Republicans have approved a bill that will allow a person to carry a gun without a permit or license. House Republicans in Texas have approved a “constitutional carry” bill, called House Bill 1927, allowing Texans to carry a handgun without a license. The current law in the state requires gun …

House Democrats on Thursday passed legislation they say would close the pay gap between men and women in the workplace. The legislation passed on a mostly party-line vote of 217-210. The bill, which is supported by President Biden, faces stiff opposition in the Senate where it has little chance at getting …

President Joe Biden plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by September 11, the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York City. Many Republicans are condemning the president’s plan because they believe that it’s not the right time to remove the troops. “Precipitously withdrawing US forces from Afghanistan …