The latest from cartoonist Ben Sargent, in our magazine.

Read more from the May / June 2025 issue: https://www.texasobserver.org/issues/may-june-2025/

#education #religion #schools #politics #USpol #Texas #TXlege #comics

#TxLege #TxPol #Texas

SB 1257, Bill Attacking Insurance Coverage for Transition-Related Care has passed the 89th session of the Texas Legislature and has been sent to Gov Greg Abbott's desk for his signature.

Fuck you Texas GOP and the horse you rode in on. You can't stop me from becoming the shapeshifting bog witch that I am.

Burn the Witch
by Radiohead

🎶Red crosses on wooden doors
And if you float you burn
Loose talk around tables
Abandon all reason🎶

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI2oS2hoL0k

Featured story: Seven years into the costly experiment that is #Texas Partnerships, the Observer has carried out a wide-ranging investigation into whether these state-backed charter arrangements have actually benefited Lone Star State kids in struggling schools. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-partnerships-sb-1882-charter-schools/

#vouchers #vouchers #USpol #news #education #TXlege #politics #schools

Earlier, from Joelle DiPaolo: “If biological sex were as obvious as lawmakers keep insisting that biological sex is, we wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t have to try so hard to legislate the gender binary into existence.”
https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-lege-pushes-to-define-biological-sex/

#politics #USpol #news #trans #transgender #LGBTQIA+ #transphoia #TXlege #Texas #gender #science

This is so deeply disappointing and backwards. The #Texas House had a much more reasonable version which regulated products, but they caved (yet again) to threats from the Senate and Dan Patrick.

I'll have a story next week about the devastating impacts this will have on Texans.

Texas poised to completely ban THC sales | The Texas Tribune
https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/21/texas-house-thc-hemp-senate-bill-3-ban/

#cannabis #hemp #TXlege #news #politics #WarOnDrugs

Both parties have been bought by the #crypto industry. We'll need to grapple with this at some point. Or not, and just let this wasteful industry ruin lives and planet.

Texas Set to Create State Bitcoin Reserve that Would Accept Private Donations via @TexasObserver https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-set-to-create-state-bitcoin-reserve/

#tech #news #bitcoin #TXlege #Texas #politics #USpol

From Justin Miller: The House approved the measure with overwhelming bipartisan support on a 101-42 vote, with no debate over the wisdom of getting the state into the business of investing in highly speculative virtual coins. Opponents included 21 Republicans and 21 Democrats. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-set-to-create-state-bitcoin-reserve/

#bitcoin #crypto #politics #USpol #TXlege #Texas #tech #economy #news

“They [portray] people who are really opening the conversation around biological sex and #gender as crazy. It’s just like, ‘Oh, those are the woke people. Those are those people who are pushing gender ideology. You can’t listen to them. They’re the ones who are coming for your kids.’” https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-lege-pushes-to-define-biological-sex/

#trans #transgender #politics #USpol #TXlege #Texas #Republicans #fascism #transphobia #news

“If biological sex were as obvious as lawmakers keep insisting that biological sex is, we wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t have to try so hard to legislate the gender binary into existence.” https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-lege-pushes-to-define-biological-sex/

#trans #LGBTQIA+ #TXlege #transphobia #news #politics #USpol #transgender #Texas #law #gender

New from Joelle DiPaolo: Republicans are at it again, trying to mandate the gender binary by law. Despite claiming to have science on their side, these legislators often eschew scientific facts, leaving intersex, transgender, and non-binary people in limbo when they do not fit into neatly legislated boxes. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-lege-pushes-to-define-biological-sex/

#politics #USpol #TXlege #law #Texas #LGBTQIA+ #transphobia #news

Featured story, from @josephinelee: The Observer carried out a wide-ranging investigation into whether Texas Partnerships, state-backed charter arrangements. have actually benefited Lone Star State kids in struggling schools. The results were troubling. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-partnerships-sb-1882-charter-schools/

#education #schools #vouchers #Texas #politics #USpol #news #TXlege

One superintendent said the Senate #education bill was like “your house being on fire and the fire department showing up with a 12 ounce cup of water, throwing it at your house and saying, ‘See, look how much good we’ve done.’” https://www.texasobserver.org/school-districts-senate-finance-plan/

#politics #USpol #TXlege #Texas #news #schools

New from @josephinelee: A state Senate #education bill offers just $55 in additional funding per student, a paltry sum (even compared to the House version). Public school advocates and superintendents say its not nearly enough to cover their deficits. https://www.texasobserver.org/school-districts-senate-finance-plan/

#schools #politics #USpol #news #TXlege #Texas #economy

Our top story: The Observer carried out a wide-ranging investigation into whether #Texas Partnerships, state-backed charter arrangements. have actually benefited Lone Star State kids in struggling schools. The results were troubling. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-partnerships-sb-1882-charter-schools/

#vouchers #politics #USpol #news #education #TXlege #schools

The Texas Senate has voted to put intense restrictions on campus protest, including limiting the amount of noise they can make, what hours and days of the year protest is allowed, and banning protesters from wearing masks.

https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/13/texas-college-campus-protest-law/

#activism #FreeSpeech #protest #politics #USpol #Texas #TXlege #news #Palestine

A bill in the Texas legislature could open the floodgates to lawsuits and censorship—by targeting the sellers rather than the books themselves. House Bill 1375, introduced by Texas Rep. Nate Schatzine (R-Fort Worth)—would hold businesses liable if a minor reports damages from "obscene" works. https://www.chron.com/news/article/texas-bookstores-obscene-bill-20327441.php

#books #bookstodon #censorship #politics #USpol #Texas #TXlege #news

Our top story: Another academic failure in the Lone Star State... The Observer found that school districts have so far ended contracts covering 44 campuses, a third of #Texas Partnership schools, with the contracts covering 30 of those schools being terminated early.
https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-partnerships-sb-1882-charter-schools/

#politics #USpol #news #education #schools #vouchers #TXlege

The peak demand record for May fell today, no conservation call or energy emergencies, as solar met 25-30% of demand throughout the day. Also, the New York Times covers anti-energy bills that would render the Texas economy "dead in the water." #txlege
https://www.douglewin.com/p/peak-performance-grid-roundup-58

In our magazine: On almost every one of the 140 days that the #Texas Legislature meets for its biennial session, citizens make the pilgrimage to the pink granite-domed Capitol to engage in activism, persuasion, and admonition. https://www.texasobserver.org/a-day-in-a-democracy/

#culture #activism #democracy #news #TXlege #politics #USpol

Featured story from Michelle Pitcher: Republicans want to double down on a system that can keep Texans in jail for years without a trial, while attacking bail funds that try to help. https://www.texasobserver.org/bail-legislature-abbott-jails/

#Texas #HumanRights #law #politics #USpol #TXlege #GregAbbott #Republicans #news