Today Latino Victory Fund, a political action committee that backs progressive Latino candidates running for office, announced they were endorsing Mario Castillo in a Houston city council election. Castillo is running in District H, and previously served as the Chief of Staff for the outgoing councilmember Karla Cisneros. If elected, Castillo would become the first LGBTQ+ person elected to... Source ..read more

Representative Shawn Thierry (D-Houston) is not new to controversy. The embattled representative has been accused of abusing her legislative staff and has publicly admonished her party over an anti-LGBTQ bill on the House floor while surrounded by Republicans. The notable shift in policy votes and tones has inspired some advocates to look into Thierry’s latest campaign report. Source ..read more

In our last legislative roundup we noted that Texas Republicans would offer crumbs of power to any Democrat willing to negotiate personal gain over party principles. There may be no more evident example of the unfortunate end results of a Republican-controlled state than the actions of State Representative Shawn Thierry this legislative session. Representative Thierry has raised eyebrows on... Source ..read more

On Sunday morning at Reverchon Park in Dallas, a surprising scene unfolded just steps from the idyllic walking trails and baseball diamonds. A large bus bearing the phrase “Democracy demands a fair, ethical court” had rolled in carrying passengers that wanted to talk about the Supreme Court. The bus and a subsequent press conference with local officials and activists... Source ..read more

Today, the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. The issue of impeachment will now head to the Texas Senate. Governor Abbott may appoint a temporary replacement while the Senate trial takes place. Earlier this week, a Texas House committee filed 20 articles of impeachment against Attorney General Paxton. Since then, Paxton and his allies have been... Source ..read more

There is little doubt among scientists that climate change is one of the most pressing issues we face, both domestically and globally. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has indicated that to tackle global warming and limit future temperature increases to 2.7°F, we must utilize technologies to remove carbon from the atmosphere. One such technology is Carbon Capture and Storage... Source ..read more

Texas Republican infighting has reached new heights as we approach the end of the legislative session. In a statement posted to twitter on Tuesday, indicted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called on Texas Speaker Dade Phelan to resign. It is important to note that Ken Paxton himself is indicted for securities fraud and suffering from his own various legal and ethical woes. The AG statement cite’... Source ..read more

Welcome to the Texas Legislative Round-up! We are here to break down the latest news from the Texas Legislative session in Austin. Every week, we’ll give you the honest take on the news that impacts you – without pretending it doesn’t. There’s been speculation that part of the reason SCOTUS pumped the breaks on the latest anti-abortion attack is due to the growing concern that the GOP brand is... Source ..read more

Today, President Biden announced a plan to expand health coverage for The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will propose a rule amending the definition of “lawful presence,” for purposes of Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage, to include DACA recipients. Under the proposed rule, DACA recipients will be able to apply... Source ..read more

Attacks on the LGBTQ community from Texas Republicans – particularly on transgender kids – have become the defining feature of this session. In response to these attacks, a broad alliance of 100+ LGBTQ+ equality, civil rights, religious freedom groups, and allies released an open letter demanding lawmakers acknowledge the rights and human dignity of LGBTQ Texans. Read the text of the letter here. Source ..read more