Texas Politics & News
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- News
Justice Department Sues Texas Over ‘Heartbeat’ Abortion Law
President Joe Biden’s administration is suing Texas over the state’s new Heartbeat Act, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday. “The Department of Justice has a duty to defend the Constitution of the United States and to uphold the rule of law,” Garland said. “Today we fulfill that duty by filing the lawsuit I have just…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
Don’t Fall for Biden’s Rhetoric on Texas. He Is Not the Advocate of Women He Claims to Be.
President Joe Biden recently called the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow Texas’ six-week abortion ban to remain in effect “an unprecedented assault on women’s constitutional rights.” Biden went on to say that he is prepared to react to “assaults on women’s rights” during his presidency. Unfortunately, the president’s track record makes it abundantly clear…Mary Szoch -
- News
How These Tech Companies Resist Texas’ New Abortion Law
Several major tech companies have taken action against Texas's new pro-life law by taking down pro-life websites and funding out-of-state abortions. The Texas Heartbeat Act, which went into effect Sept. 1 and also is known as SB 8, prohibits abortions after the unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable, with exceptions for medical emergencies. The new Texas law includes…Ailan Evans -
- Opinion
Fight Over Texas Abortion Ban Reflects Semantics, Societal Decline
In the matter of a new Texas law banning abortions six weeks after gestation, when a fetal heartbeat can usually be detected by vaginal ultrasound, suppose the headlines had been different? Instead of words like “most restrictive in nation” (The Wall Street Journal) and “Supreme Court refuses to block Texas law” (The Washington Post), along…Cal Thomas -
- News
Texas Governor Signs Election Reforms Into Law Over Liberals’ Objections
Gov. Greg Abbott Tuesday signed Texas’ election reform bill into law, ending a monthslong political fight over the controversial legislation. Abbott, a Republican, traveled to Tyler, Texas, to sign SB 1, which repeals many of the voting measures that large cities in the state implemented amid the pandemic and overhauls the state’s mail-in voting and…Andrew Trunsky -
- News
Video Game CEO Ousted After Expressing Support for Texas Heartbeat Law
The head of a video game studio stepped down Monday evening after speaking out in support of the Texas Heartbeat Act on Saturday. John Gibson left his position as chief executive of Tripwire Interactive following a Saturday tweet in which he voiced his approval of the Texas Heartbeat Act, a law banning abortions after the unborn baby’s heartbeat…Ailan Evans -
- Opinion
Texas Gets Election Reform Right, ‘Mainstream’ Media Gets It Wrong
The Texas Legislature passed the state’s election reform package, SB 1, designed to protect voters by fixing vulnerabilities in the registration and election system. This happened only when Democrats finally returned to the state after fleeing to the nation’s capital in May to avoid the special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott. This bill’s biased…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Texas Heartbeat Law Is Now in Effect. Here’s What You Need to Know.
Americans in many states support significant restrictions on abortion. Accordingly, policymakers are working across the country to enact policies that reflect this consensus, rooted in the understanding that life is our most basic human freedom and should be protected in public policy. A recently enacted Texas law that restricts most abortions after a fetal heartbeat…Melanie Israel -
- News
Biden Vows ‘Whole of Government’ Response to Texas Pro-Life Law
President Joe Biden condemned a ruling by the Supreme Court on Texas’ Heartbeat Act on Thursday, saying the court’s decision “insults the rule of law.” The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 late Wednesday night to deny abortion providers’ requests for injunctive relief against Texas’ new law banning abortion after six weeks. The president weighed in on the ruling Thursday morning,…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
Texas Targets Social Media Titans Over Viewpoint Censorship
The Texas state Senate passed a bill Tuesday that aims to curb perceived political censorship by social media companies. The bill, introduced by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, would prohibit social media platforms from “censoring” users based on their viewpoints. “Censoring” includes actions such as removing content, banning users, demonetizing users, and suppressing posts, according to the bill. Users…Ailan Evans -
- News
Supreme Court Takes No Action, Texas Abortion Ban Goes Into Effect
Texas’ highly disputed abortion ban went into effect early Wednesday morning, uninhibited by any action from the U.S. Supreme Court. Abortion providers had filed emergency requests to block the enforcement of the Heartbeat Act (SB 8), which bans abortions after the unborn baby's heartbeat can be detected. The Supreme Court did not intervene, though it still may do so. “It’s…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
A Court Victory in Texas Against Obamacare’s Transgender Mandate
The long march of gender ideology through our laws and government institutions lately seems more like a mad dash. But that advance hit a high hurdle last week in Texas. A federal district court judge blocked an Obama-era measure that forced medical professionals to participate in gender transition surgery and similar measures, even against their…Jay Richards -
- News
Texas Supreme Court Rules That Democrats in Legislature Can Be Arrested to Compel Attendance
The Texas Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Texas Constitution authorizes the state’s House of Representatives to arrest members who flee in order to break the quorum required to vote. The opinion states that “just as” Texas’ Constitution enables “‘quorum-breaking’ by a minority faction of the legislature, it likewise authorizes ‘quorum-forcing’ by the remaining members,” including by…Andrew Trunsky -
- News
Texas House Speaker Signs Arrest Warrants for Absent Democrats
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan has signed civil arrest warrants for 52 House Democrats who are still absent from the state Capitol to avoid voting on an election reform bill. The Republican House speaker signed the warrants Tuesday night after a majority in the chamber voted for the measure, The Dallas Morning News reported. They were delivered…Sebastian Hughes -
- News
Texas Democrat Compares DC Stay With Dangerous Civil Rights Struggle
A Texas state lawmaker has likened himself and fellow “fugitive” Democrat legislators with civil rights protesters of the 1960s, many of whom were brutalized by police and their fellow citizens during peaceful marches. In an op-ed for USA Today, Texas state Rep. Jarvis Johnson, D-Houston, noted that a 1965 voting rights march in Alabama included…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Texas Democrats’ Embarrassing Lawsuit Against Gov. Abbott
Twenty-two of the Texas Democrats who fled to Washington, D.C, to prevent a quorum in the state House have filed a lawsuit in federal court against Gov. Greg Abbott. The lawsuit, which two of the twenty-two Democrats are disputing they signed onto, is embarrassingly bad. The complaint does not include the usual section for “claims” or…GianCarlo Canaparo -
- News
Biden Administration Sues Texas Over Governor’s Order Restricting Transportation of Illegal Immigrants
The Biden administration filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas challenging Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order targeting the transportation of migrants spreading COVID-19 in the state, according to court documents filed Friday. Abbott, a Republican, announced restrictions on the ground transportation of illegal migrants in federal custody who could spread COVID-19 around Texas communities…Kaylee Greenlee -
- News
Texas Man Gets 11 Years for Buying Homes, Cars With $25 Million in COVID-19 Relief
A man from Coppell, Texas, has been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for running a fraudulent scheme to receive about $24.8 million in forgivable loans from the Paycheck Protection Program during the pandemic, the Justice Department announced. Dinesh Sah, 55, pleaded guilty in March to wire fraud and money-laundering offenses, the Justice…Steven Hall -
- News
Texas Governor Enlists National Guard to Catch Illegal Immigrants at Border
The Texas National Guard will be deployed to assist law enforcement officials in arresting illegal migrants on state criminal charges at the southern border, Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, announced. Illegal migrants who are apprehended and found to have committed state offenses such as criminal trespassing, human trafficking, and narcotics smuggling are subject to arrest…Kaylee Greenlee -
- News
What to Know About How Those ‘Fugitive’ Texas Democrats Will Pay for Stay in DC
Special interest donors are covering much of the cost for Texas Democratic lawmakers to stay in pricey Washington, D.C., hotel rooms, but Texas taxpayers are still losing close to $500,000 on expenses for a legislative session that isn’t happening. Texas lawmakers who fled the legislative session in Austin for the nation’s capital ultimately will have to…Fred Lucas