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EXCLUSIVE: Protestors Rally Against ICE at Texas Capitol
The anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement demonstrators waved foreign flags and marched around the city.
Former Houston Public Works Manager Sentenced to 10 Years for Bribery
Seven people were charged over their roles in a Houston water contract corruption scandal.
‘Qualified Immunity’ Arguments On Trial in Lorena ISD Sex Abuse Case
At the Fifth Circuit, defense counsel argued that Principal April Jewell should not be liable for a teacher under her direction who victimized a 5-year-old student.
Pay Them to Go Away: A TEC Cautionary Tale of Katy Christian Magazine vs The Link Letter
Without meaningful reform, the Texas Ethics Commission will continue to target those least able to fight back while letting well-connected actors off the hook.
The Archive
School District Electioneers at Early Voting Parties
A North Texas school district used controversial, and possibly illegal, tactics to help ensure passage of a property tax rate proposition that will result in more tax revenue for the district and higher tax bills for taxpayers. A joint investigation by Direct Action...
The Secret Costs of Luring Amazon HQ2 to Texas
Last year, Amazon.com Inc., the largest internet company in the world with revenues approaching $235 billion, announced plans for a new headquarters. Shortly after, Amazon began soliciting proposals from localities for its site-selection process, with a focus on...
Ector County Eyes Tax Hike, Despite Community Pushback
Despite a booming economy and rising appraisal values, Ector County commissioners are planning to increase property taxes and their budget, all while giving elected officials a 10 percent raise. The proposed property tax rate for the new fiscal year, $0.397 per $100...
Waco to Expand Down-Payment Assistance Program
Waco City Housing and Economic Development Director Melett Harrison has proposed expanding the city’s maximum down-payment assistance from $14,999 to $25,000. This assistance is offered in the form of a forgivable loan, which is fully-funded by the U.S. Department of...
13 Compete to Replace Caraway on Dallas City Council
Thirteen candidates will be on the November 6 ballot to fill the Dallas City Council District 4 seat vacated by disgraced former Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway, who resigned August 9 after pleading guilty to federal public corruption charges. As of the August 23 filing...
Election Lawsuit Documents Exploitation of Voters, Stuffed Ballot Boxes
Everyone who lives in the Rio Grande Valley knows that the systematic manipulation and exploitation of vulnerable voters, through both mail-ballot schemes and assisted voting at the polls, is a fact of life in local elections. The trouble is proving it and finding...
School Uses Shady Tactics to Pass Property Tax Swap
A North Texas school district used a slew of controversial tactics to pass a property tax rate change in a low-turnout special election Saturday. Lancaster Independent School District’s tax rate “swap and drop” proposition passed by a 68- to 32-percent margin. Only...
Facts or Fake News?
This commentary originally appeared in an episode of Texas Scorecard Radio. In response to President Donald Trump’s continued criticism of the news media, a chorus of newspaper editorial boards recently denounced his comments as destructive to democracy. But are their...
City of Parker Proposes Double-Digit Property Tax Increase
The City of Parker has proposed a two-cent increase in the city’s property tax rate for 2018. While this is a 5-percent increase in the rate, it amounts to an 11-percent increase in what taxpayers will pay to the city, when compared to last year. Since homeowners have...