GOP Governors Respond to Texas' Call for Troops at Border
Four more governors have joined a growing list of Republican-led states sending personnel to the U.S.-Mexico border. But is it effective? Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.
An Outdated Tracking System Is a Key Factor in Texas’ Foster Care Shortcomings
The decades-old system foster care officials use to track and monitor the health records of the nearly 20,000 children in their custody is both outdated and unreliable—so much so, advocates say, that children have been harmed or put at risk.
As Title 42 Comes to an End, El Paso Declares State of Emergency
El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said asylum-seekers are camping out on the sidewalks and staying at shelters in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, under the false notion that they will be allowed to enter the U.S. once Title 42 expires.
Texas Governor Hires 'Border Czar' to Accelerate Wall Construction
Mike Banks, a recently retired Border Patrol agent, will work with the Texas National Guard and state troopers to find ways to deter people from crossing the border illegally.
Election Administrators Are Under Attack. Here’s What That Means for the Upcoming Midterms.
Harassment and threats have driven election officials to resign at unprecedented rates since the 2020 presidential election. David Becker, the founder of The Center for Election Innovation & Research, talked with ProPublica and The Texas Tribune about what that means for the future of our democracy.
Conspiracy Theorists and 16-hour Days: Inside the Stress Elections Officials Face Ahead of the Midterms
Running elections in Texas has never been easy. But since 2020, the scrutiny elections administrators face has grown — even in small Republican-controlled counties that former President Donald Trump carried.
How Hurricane Ian and Other Disasters Are Becoming a Growing Source of Inequality
COMMENTARY | It's an issue even among the middle class, experts say.
Texas AG Says Counties Can Spend Covid Relief Funds on Extra Pay for Elected Officials Without Public Notice
The nonbinding legal opinion states local elected and appointed officials can receive up to $25,000 for work done during the Covid-19 pandemic on top of their regular salaries. Unlike other pay raises, these “premium pay” bonuses don’t need to be declared to the public ahead of time.
Texas has Banned More Books Than Any Other State, New Report Shows
Across the country, more books have been challenged and removed as religious and conservative groups target LGBTQ and race issues.
The Fighting Over Online Sales Taxes Isn’t Finished
Deals worked out between local governments and companies before the Supreme Court cleared the way for taxing e-commerce are drawing increased scrutiny. If the agreements fall apart, it could blow a hole in some city budgets.
What Brought Down One Texas County’s Entire Elections Department? It Was Something in the Water
Aggrieved anti-fluoride activists, low pay and understaffing eventually drove away Gillespie County’s election officials.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Joins Key Republicans in Supporting Repealing 'Tampon Tax'
Advocates have previously called for repealing the sales tax on products like tampons, sanitary pads and pantyliners. Menstrual products are already tax-free in 24 states.
A Mom’s Campaign to Ban Library Books Divided a Texas Town — and Her Own Family
Weston Brown thought he had fully come to terms with his mother's anti-LGBTQ beliefs. Then he saw the video of her speaking at a school board meeting. “I couldn’t stay quiet about that.”
Texas Governor Escalates Feud with NYC Mayor by Sending Buses of Migrants to City
The move follows New York City Mayor Eric Adams' refusal to accept Gov. Greg Abbott’s invitation to visit the Texas border towns where migrants are crossing into the U.S.
Texas Skirting Federal Environmental Law to Push For Highway Expansion
The state department of transportation says many of its highway projects have “no significant impact.”
State Turns to Data Tools to Root Out Social Services Fraud
Data modeling, analytics and visualizations are helping the Texas HHS inspector general detect and prevent fraud, waste and abuse within state programs.
21 killed in Texas’ Deadliest School Shooting Ever
Robb Elementary teaches second, third and fourth grade students in Uvalde, which is about 85 miles west of San Antonio. Gov. Greg Abbott said the shooter is believed to have been killed by responding law enforcement.
Treasury Department Opens Investigation Into Texas Governor's Use of Federal Funds for Border Mission
Texas has been employing coronavirus relief money to help pay for the multibillion-dollar deployment.
The US Cities Most Attractive to Renters
There was a 10% increase in rental applications nationwide last year, and millennials were the generational group that moved around the most, a new report shows.
A City Government Begins Mining for Bitcoin
Fort Worth, Texas, has installed three bitcoin mining machines in its data center as part of a six-month pilot to assess the implications and opportunities of minting cryptocurrency.
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