Reporting Texas
News and features from UT-Austin's School of Journalism
byMadeline de Figueiredo
Voters with disabilities could get expanded access to the ballot this election season after a federal judge struck down Texas laws limiting voter assistance.
The Oct. 11 ruling has yielded cautious celebration from activist and advocacy communities on the eve of early voting, which begins Monday. But the state might appeal the decision in time to thwart voter assistance efforts.
“The ruling protects the rights of Texas voters with disabilities to get the assistance they need without fear of prosecution,” said Bob Kafka, the state coordinator for REV UP Texas, one of the groups that challenged the law.
byMichael Nolan
One of the first uses of a new Texas law aimed at removing “rogue” district attorneys could curtail the discretion of prosecutors in major cities, political and legal analysts say. Travis County District Attorney José Garza, a Democrat who recently won a primary in his re-election bid as the county’s top prosecutor, will soon find […]
byMichelle Lavergne
To address a teacher shortage, more Texas school districts are turning to the Visiting Teachers Program, which recruits certified educators from other countries. Through that initiative, international educators who are actively enrolled in a J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program approved by the Texas Education Agency may receive a temporary visiting international teacher certificate.
byKatrina L. Spencer
Two Austin churches — one largely white, the other largely Black — demonstrate the uneven realities of the city’s Protestant Christian congregations during a time when most Americans have stopped going to church. COVID-19 lockdowns exacerbated the decline in churchgoing and, when institutions reopened, many people simply didn’t return. It’s created an unpredictable landscape that churches are navigating.
