Justice & Government

Texas’ Suicide Hotline, Overburdened and Underfunded, Could Get Support from a Proposed Bill.

byMadeline De Figueiredo

Each month, thousands of Texans reach out for support in difficult moments by dialing 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. But, for some, their calls are met with long wait times and multiple transfers to out-of-state centers. Texas faces a $7 million shortfall in funding for the 988 system.

Petition Effort Poses Test for New Law, Progressive District Attorneys

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 […]

Texas politicians point to mental health as the cause of mass shootings — experts say more funding won’t help

byIsabella Zeff

When Jesse Woche heard about the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, the now 24-year-old felt galvanized to work in the gun violence prevention space full time. She had been interested in advocacy since she was 15, shifting between environmental conservation, abortion access and other causes that mattered to her. “(The shooting) just […]

Austin Joins Cities Around the World in March Against Human Trafficking

byMichelle Lavergne

More than 500 marchers called for the end of human trafficking at the Texas State Capitol during this year’s Walk for Freedom rally Saturday.

Surviving For A Reason

byAmber Williams

Crystal Chen’s soft voice echoed through the Senate chamber as she recounted nightmares of persecution by her own government for her religious beliefs. In the prime of her 20s, Chen was sentenced to four and a half years of forced labor and torture in China. “I was pinned to the concrete floor and force-fed an all-salt mixture which nearly killed me,” Chen said. The room filled with lawmakers was silent. “Some guards handcuffed me to a radiator pipe,” she continued. “I was left there for three days while a police chief groped my body.” Chen was among a group of victims of political and religious persecution who testified before the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services of the Texas legislature in support of Senate Bill 1040 that would prohibit health insurance companies and other benefit plans from covering organ transplant procedures in which the organs come from a country known to engage in forced organ harvesting — namely China.

LGBTQ+ Parents: “Don’t Say Gay” Bills Threaten Families

byLaura Miguel

House Bill 1155, by Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, would ban teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through eighth grade. 

One State Representative is Fighting to Stop Texas from Executing People With Mental Illness

bySamantha Eisenmenger

House Bill 727, by Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas, would end the death penalty fo people with “severe mental illness.” Rose filed similar measures during the last three legislative sessions, but none have made it to the governor’s desk. However, each time her bills were voted on they gained more bi-partisan support, including Representative Jeff Leach, R-Plano, who joint-authored the bill in 2021.

UT Bans TikTok Due to Security Concerns, But Some Professors Wary

byJinpeng Li 

Some UT professors said they understand the concern over TikTok but voiced anxiety about the ban affecting their ability to study and teach.

Alex Jones in Her Courtroom Is the Least Interesting Thing About Judge Maya Guerra Gamble

bySamantha Eisenmenger

The world came to know Maya Guerra Gamble last summer as the no-nonsense judge presiding over the Texas defamation trial of Austin-based conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his Infowars media company.
“It seems absurd to instruct you, again, that you must tell the truth while you testify,” the Travis County district court judge lectured Jones at one point. “But here I am. You must tell the truth while you testify. This is not your show. You need to slow down and not take what you see as opportunities to further the message you’re wanting to further.”
Speaking directly is a trademark of Gamble’s personality. “I’ve always been a pretty direct person. … And in both directions. I have never enjoyed false praise. I would rather hear the truth. Whatever it is,” Gamble said.

Inmates’ Families March Alongside Those Wrongly Convicted at Death Penalty Protest

byLaura Miguel

Families of death row prisoners joined opponents of capital punishment for the 23rd annual March to Abolish the Death Penalty at the Texas State Capitol.
“I’m here today, tomorrow and as long as it takes until we end this death penalty,” said Rodrick Reed, brother of Rodney Reed, who has been on Texas’ death row for 24 years. “Not just bring Rodney home, but to abolish the death penalty because it is cruel, inhumane and pure racist.”

4/20 Rally at Governor’s Mansion Calls for Marijuana Decriminalization

byKevin Malcolm Jr.

Marijuana advocates waved flags and smoked weed outside of the Texas Governor’s Mansion on 4/20, a day known as a holiday for celebrating marijuana, to call for further decriminalization of the drug.  “We can help, you know, liberate people who are in prison for nonviolent crime,” said Colin Kerrigan, a civil engineering student at the […]

Opponents to Solitary Confinement Call It an Impediment to Rehabilitation

bySamuel Stark 

Solitary confinement can have disastrous psychological consequences for inmates. Advocates in Texas on opposite ends of the political spectrum have called recently for reforming solitary confinement rules, both in Texas and federally.