Author: SHANNON NAJMABADI
Abbott ends inspections that clogged commercial traffic at U.S.-Mexico border for more than a week
Gov. Greg Abbott reached a fourth and final deal — this one with Tamaulipas’ governor on Friday — to end state troopers’ increased inspections of commercial vehicles at international bridges that gridlocked commercial traffic throughout the Texas-Mexico border for more than a week. The latest deal should bring trade back to normal after Abbott-ordered enhanced […]
Greg Abbott’s call for more vehicle inspections at the border is causing delays and supply chain issues, locals say
Commercial vehicles trying to enter the United States to deliver products from Mexico have been backed up for hours at Texas ports of entry following Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive on Wednesday that state troopers increase inspections. “This continues to add disruption to our supply chain,” said Ermilo Richer, the owner of a 100-year-old logistics company […]
Texas border officials worry that Greg Abbott’s order to increase vehicle inspections will hurt local economies
A day after Gov. Greg Abbott announced that his plan to conduct “enhanced safety inspections” of commercial vehicles crossing into Texas could “dramatically slow” traffic across the border, local officials and business groups are still trying to gauge the potential impact on their economy, which depends on trade with Mexico. “That’s one of the things […]
Debate between Texas GOP attorney general candidates got heated, even though incumbent Ken Paxton wasn’t there
A debate between Republican Texas attorney general candidates turned into an all-out brawl Thursday as Land Commissioner George P. Bush and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman attacked each other, and U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert targeted incumbent Ken Paxton, who declined to participate. Bush and Guzman went after each other’s records and legal qualifications, […]
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has fought vaccine mandates, tests positive for COVID-19
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has tested positive for COVID-19, his office said Wednesday. The communications staff at the attorney general’s office told The Texas Tribune in an unsigned statement that Paxton had tested positive. “He remains working diligently for the people of Texas from home,” the statement said. The attorney general’s office did not […]
Texas’ new political maps create safer districts for incumbents — and put an end to some challengers’ runs
Running for Senate District 9 would have seemed an uphill battle just a few years ago, but Salman Bhojani saw the growth in his North Texas community over the last decade as an opportunity. State Sen. Kelly Hancock, the Republican incumbent, first won the district in 2014 with 65% of the electorate. But SD-9 has […]
Texas Senate approves congressional map that draws no new Black or Hispanic districts even as people of color fueled population growth
The Texas Senate approved a map Friday that would largely protect incumbents in Congress while reducing the number of districts in which Black and Hispanic residents make up the majority of eligible voters — stymieing the growth of the state’s Democratic Party representation in Washington, D.C. The congressional map is focused more on protecting incumbents […]
Texas House approves additional $2 billion for border security as state moves to build border wall
The Texas House approved nearly $2 billion in additional funding for border security operations, giving Gov. Greg Abbott more state dollars to implement his plans to build a border wall and incarcerate migrants for state criminal offenses in an effort to deter migrants from coming to the state. Lawmakers gave final approval on Monday to […]
House Democrat challenges Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick over legislative staff funding
Another partisan stalemate has broken out in the final days of the second special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott this year, again imperiling the jobs of 2,100 legislative staffers along with two key conservative priority bills. On Monday night, Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, abruptly adjourned the House Public Education Committee, which he chairs, without […]