On May 13, 1975, Ray Benson, leader of the Western-swing heroes Asleep at the Wheel, was readying his band to make their stage debut at the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas, Texas, when he received the news that Bob Wills, the “King of Western Swing,” had died that morning in nearby …
Read More »Texas Republicans Try to Break the Internet to Deny Women Abortions
There is more than one way to burn a book, Ray Bradbury wrote, and the world is full of people running about with lit matches. Texas House Rep. Steve Toth brandished the equivalent of a butane torch earlier this session when he introduced House Bill 2690, legislation that seeks to …
Read More »Trump Judge in Texas Outlaws the Abortion Pill Nationwide
A federal district court judge in Texas has issued an injunction suspending distribution of mifepristone — a critical component in the two-step abortion pill regimen — nationwide. It’s hard to overstate the magnitude of the order, which could make the drug used in most abortions in America unavailable to women …
Read More »'Sick and Twisted': Women Describe Losing Pregnancies, Nearly Dying Because of Texas Laws
Amanda Zurawski endured 18 months of “grueling” fertility treatment before she and her husband were able to conceive their daughter, Willow. She was in the middle of her second trimester, putting the finishing touches on the guest list for her baby shower, when she started experiencing what she thought of …
Read More »Texas Republican Introduces Bill Calling for Vote on Secession
Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton has introduced a bill that would place a referendum for Texas’ secession from the United States on the 2024 ballot. H.B. 3596 would allow Texans to vote on “whether or not the State should investigate the possibility of Texas independence, and present potential plans to …
Read More »Texas GOP Bill Gives Tax Cuts to Heterosexual Parents
A newly introduced Texas House bill proposes property tax cuts for couples who get married, stay married, and have lots of children. There’s a catch though. In order to qualify for the tax benefit, couples need to be heterosexual, never divorced, and their children born or adopted after their date …
Read More »The Right-Wing Crusade Against Teen Birth Control Could Be Coming to Your State Soon
Teens in Texas today can’t get birth control at federally funded clinics without their parents’ permission. That goes for new patients, as well those already on the pill or receiving quarterly shots, who now need permission before getting a refill. It also goes for teens who already have children of …
Read More »Students Can Carry Guns at the University of Texas — But They Can't Use TikTok
“You are no longer able to access TikTok on any device if you are connected to the university via its wired or WIFI networks.” So reads a notice that appears on the devices of students at the University of Texas at Austin after the school announced it would be blocking …
Read More »Texas AG Tried to Get a List of Trans Residents … For Some Reason
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office sought data from the Texas Department of Public Safety in an effort to identify transgender individuals in the state, according to a report from The Washington Post. The department reportedly received a request in June from the attorney general’s office regarding information on Texans …
Read More »The Top Target of Texas' Abortion Bounty Law Isn't Backing Down
Texas’ abortion bounty law, SB 8, put an end to virtually all abortions in the state when it took effect in September 2021. Even though it carries no criminal penalties, the threat of expensive and time-consuming civil lawsuits was enough to scare most of the state’s providers into compliance with …
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