The Capitol’s Toxic Culture
News broke last weekend that the Texas Department of Public Safety was investigating an allegation that a legislative staffer had been drugged by a lobbyist who works for one of the most powerful firms in Austin. On Thursday, DPS and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office announced in a statement that DPS conducted its investigation and that “we have concluded that there is not enough evidence to support these allegations and that criminal charges are not appropriate. No crime occurred in this instance.”
The allegations had prompted several lawmakers to ban lobbyists from that firm or lobbyists altogether from visiting their offices this week. But many who work at the Capitol said that there must be a bigger reckoning with the Capitol’s longstanding toxic culture of sexism, discrimination, and harassment. “Legislators banning this lobbyist and his firm is not enough. Change the culture,” San Antonio Representative Ina Minjarez tweeted
Texas House Approves Bill That Lowers Penalty for Pot Possession
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Texas House Approves Bill That Lowers Penalty for Pot Possession
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Abbott, state officials announce $11.2B in public school funding
By FOX 7 Austin Digital Team
Published
AUSTIN, Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker Dade Phelan have announced the release of $11.2 billion in new federal funds to help public schools address student learning loss and costs incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
These one-time funds are intended to support a comprehensive learning recovery effort in Texas over the next three years.
Due to federal requirements, two-thirds of the funds are available immediately under grants administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), with the final one-third to be distributed contingent upon approval by the U.S. Department of Education.