Texas Politics & News
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- News
Texas Takes on Planned Parenthood, Investigates Clinics
Inspectors from the Texas Office of the Inspector General served subpoenas for clinic records at several Planned Parenthood centers in the state on Thursday, the organization said. Abby Johnson, a former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas said in a statement that “[i]t is long past time that inspectors, not just in Texas but…Kate Scanlon -
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Texas Governor Defends Defunding Planned Parenthood: It’s ‘Money That They Do Not Deserve’
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says that Planned Parenthood has “very serious legal issues” in Texas. A letter was sent to Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas on Monday notifying them that their Medicaid contracts will be terminated. Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com Abbott defended the state’s decision to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood…Leah Jessen -
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Texas to End Planned Parenthood’s Participation in State’s Medicaid Program
Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, announced Monday that Texas will end Planned Parenthood’s participation in the state’s Medicaid program. “Texas has stepped forward and shown its unyielding commitment to both protecting life and providing women’s health services,” Abbott said in a statement. “The gruesome harvesting of baby body parts by Planned Parenthood will not be allowed…Kate Scanlon -
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Texas Democratic Party Chairman Defends Man Charged With Criminal Vote Fraud
The original headline incorrectly described the person facing criminal charges. A client of Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa is facing 16 criminal charges of rigging votes in a Rio Grande Valley election. Lupe Rivera Sr. illegally handled ballots and envelopes in his closely contested Weslaco City Commission race, according to the state attorney general’s…Kenric Ward -
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: States, Not Federal Government, Traditionally Regulate Marriage
AUSTIN, Texas—Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says the federal government has no business regulating the issue of marriage. “In the United States Constitution and the amendments there are more than 7,500 words,” Abbott explains to The Daily Signal. “Not a single one of them mentions the word marriage or gives the federal government authority to regulate…David Brody -
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Federal Court Strikes Down ‘Discriminatory’ Texas Voter ID Law
A federal court has struck down Texas’ voter identification law due to what the judges call its “discriminatory effect.” The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans ruled that the Texas law is in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. “We affirm the district court’s finding that SB 14…Kate Scanlon -
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Texas Mother Arrested Because Her Children Sat ‘30 Feet’ Away From Her in a Food Court
A Texas mother has been charged with abandoning her children after they were found sitting about 30 feet away from her in a food court, according to Houston’s KHOU. Laura Browder was asked to meet a potential employer for a job interview in the food court at Memorial City Mall. Browder was unable to find…Kate Scanlon -
- Opinion
Students Will No Longer Face Jail Time for Missing School in Texas
Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes the number of children charged with Class C misdemeanors for skipping school. Texas was one of only two states to consider truancy a crime, and in 2013 the Lone Star State prosecuted over 115,000 kids for missing school. The result: 17-year-old students were locked up with adult…Jason Snead -
- Opinion
Texas Religious Schools Lose in Obamacare Abortion-Drug Mandate Case
Earlier this week, religious employers suffered another loss at the hands of the coercive Obamacare Health and Human Services mandate. A U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit panel ruled against East Texas Baptist University and a group of other non-profit religious employers in their challenge to the Obamacare requirement that they facilitate health…Elizabeth Slattery -
- Opinion
Victory for Women’s Health and Safety: Court Upholds Texas Law That Regulates Abortion Clinics, Doctors
In a victory for women’s health and safety, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld a number of the provisions of a 2013 Texas law that include common sense regulations of abortion clinics and abortion doctors. Known as H.B. 2, the Texas law requires, among other things, that abortion clinics meet the same…Sarah Torre -
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‘Devastating’ Texas Abortion Law Could Be On Road to US Supreme Court
A federal appeals court yesterday upheld a strict abortion law in Texas that critics call “devastating,” and say would shut down the majority of clinics in the state. “If permitted to take effect, the impact will be devastating for women in Texas seeking access to abortion services,” said Stephanie Toti, a lawyer for a clinic…Kelsey Bolar -
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Texas Bill Would Change Process for Minors to Obtain a Court-Ordered Abortion
Legislation that would tighten regulations on how minors go about receiving court-ordered abortions cleared the Texas House of Representatives last week. House Bill 3994, introduced by state Rep. Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria, amends Texas’ family code to clarify the circumstances in which a minor may obtain permission from a court to receive an abortion without notifying…Kate Scanlon -
- Opinion
What to Make of ISIS Claim of Responsibility for Texas Shootings
ISIS has claimed responsibility for a failed attack that occurred on Sunday in Garland, Texas. At the “First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest,” two individuals using rifles opened fire just before nightfall. The individuals pulled up to the entrance, which had received enhanced security measures due to the controversial event, and according to Garland…Jennifer Guthrie -
- Opinion
Should Texas Require Hair Stylists to Have Over 2,000 Hours of Training to Legally Braid Hair?
Did you know Texas imposes stringent license regulations in order to open an African hair braiding business, including a requirement to attend more than 2,000 hours of barber school? Now the Texas Legislature is moving forward on a bill that gives their citizens the freedom to pursue a career in this field without onerous regulatory…Jordan Richardson -
- Opinion
The Justice Department’s War on Texas’ Voter ID Law
On Tuesday, April 28, Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller will be up before a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals again, his second appearance there in two weeks. But this time, instead of arguing over the unconstitutionality of President Obama’s immigration amnesty plan, he will be arguing that the Texas voter ID…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Texas Attorney General: ‘If the Law Matters,’ Courts Will Side With States in Fight Over Obama Immigration Policy
As a federal appeals court considers whether to keep or rescind a hold on President Obama’s immigration program, the attorney general of the state leading the charge against the president’s executive actions “is very confident” the plaintiffs will win out. “All I can tell you is, based on the law, I feel very confident,” said…Josh Siegel -
- Opinion
Texas Judge Delivers Blistering Rebuke of Obama Administration Immigration Lawyers’ Misbehavior
In an order issued late Tuesday, federal district court Judge Andrew Hanen refused to lift the preliminary injunction he had previously issued stopping the implementation of the immigration amnesty plan announced by President Obama last November. And in a second order, an obviously infuriated Judge Hanen said that the “attorneys for the Government misrepresented the…Hans von Spakovsky -
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In Texas, State Leaders Attack Local Governments for Going Big on Regulations
They say everything is bigger in Texas. Some argue that the saying even applies to the state’s local governments. Conservatives often contend that more decision making should be done at the local level, but what if local governments overreach their authority? Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has been vocal about his opposition to what…Kate Scanlon -
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Texas Attorney General ‘Very Confident’ Courts Will Side With States in Fight Over Obama Immigration Policy
As lawmakers in Congress struggle to find agreement in their fight to undo President Obama’s immigration policy, a state attorney general today voiced confidence in the courtroom battle over the executive actions. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called the Obama administration “disingenuous” and “devious” for appealing a federal judge’s order halting the president’s executive actions…Josh Siegel -
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Today Is ‘Chris Kyle Day’ in Texas
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared today “Chris Kyle Day” in Texas to honor the veteran whose story is the basis of the box-office hit “American Sniper.” “He’s an American hero. He had the guts to stand up and defend this country,” Abbott told Fox News, defending his decision to recognize the Iraq War veteran. Watch…Ben Smith