Texas
A (Belated) Final Word on Principles and Texas SB 8
A delayed, but hopefully still helpful final rejoinder to Stephen Sachs.
A Ruling Against Greg Abbott Suggests Federal Law May Require Schools To Mandate Masks
A federal judge concluded that the Texas governor's ban on mask mandates illegally discriminated against students with disabilities.
A Cop Was Indicted for Homicide After Shooting a Fleeing Driver. He Still Got Qualified Immunity.
Bau Tran might go to jail for his conduct, but he will be insulated from having to face a jury in civil court.
Texas' Costly 'Operation Lone Star' Leaves Alleged Illegal Immigrants Trapped in Jail with No Due Process
Gov. Greg Abbott’s crusade is costing the state huge sums just to try to prosecute thousands of misdemeanor trespassing cases.
More on SB 8, Reasons, and Limiting Principles - A Rejoinder to Stephen Sachs
The slippery slope risks created by upholding SB 8 threaten a vital constitutional principle - one far more important than any considerations on the other side. That is sufficient reason to rule against Texas in this case.
Cops Arrested Her for Exercising Her First Amendment Rights. They Got Qualified Immunity—but the Appeals Court Wasn't Having It.
"This is not just an obvious constitutional infringement—it's hard to imagine a more textbook violation of the First Amendment."
The Texas Abortion Ban Is a Roadmap to Privatized Oppression
Even justices who take a dim view of Roe v. Wade recognize the law’s chilling implications.
Limiting Principles and the Texas SB 8 Case - Why Texas' Law is a Greater Slippery Slope Menace than a Ruling Against it Would be
If Texas' SB 8 subterfuge works, it would be a dangerous road map for attacking other constitutional rights. The slippery slope risks on the other side are minor by comparison.
Abortion Providers Seem Likely to Prevail in Texas SB 8 Case
Today's Supreme Court oral argument suggests they will get the votes of six or more justices. If so, it will be a crucial victory for judicial protection of all constitutional rights, not just abortion rights.
The Firearms Policy Coalition Offers a Simple Way to Resolve the Texas SB 8 Case
The Firearms Policy Coalition amicus brief offers a simple and effective way to neuter the threat to judicial review posed by SB 8.
Last Month's Drop in Texas Abortions Was Far Smaller Than Supporters of the State's Ban Claimed
The actual number of abortions that S.B. 8 prevented by the end of September may be closer to 500 than 3,000.
Barely Legal Strippers Now Illegal in Texas
Under S.B. 315, it is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail, to employ 18- to 20-year-olds at any sexually oriented business.
Abbott's Vaccine Order Is Just as Oppressive as Biden's
Neither politician is willing to tolerate deviation from the one business policy he thinks is best.
Texas Court Recommends a New Trial for a Man on Death Row, Saying the Trial Judge's Anti-Jewish Bias Violated Due Process
A district court judge found "overwhelming evidence" of Vickers Cunningham's bigotry.
Without Roe v. Wade, Abortion Will Remain Legal in Most States
The experience with the Texas Heartbeat Act offers a preview of what that means.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Bans Private Businesses From Mandating Vaccines for Workers
Plus: A dangerous misunderstanding about what caused America's opioid overdose epidemic, a look at this year's Nobel Prize winners, and more...
Despite the Injunction Against the Texas Abortion Ban, Clinics That Resume Their Usual Services Could Face 'Crippling Liability'
S.B. 8 allows lawsuits against people who perform prohibited abortions even if they relied on a court's determination that the law is unconstitutional.
Can a Federal Judge Stop State Courts From Hearing the Lawsuits Authorized by the Texas Abortion Ban?
In a prior case challenging the law, the 5th Circuit said state judges were not appropriate defendants.
Court 'Won't Sanction One More Day' of Texas Abortion Law
Plus: Twitter's new trigger warnings, good news for food freedom, and more...
Abortion Ban Stimulates Interstate Travel, Says Texas
Plus: Government shutdown, demographic diversity in rural America, and more...
The Texas Social Media Law Is Blatantly Unconstitutional
Government restrictions on private editorial discretion violate the First Amendment.
The Houston Chronicle Cites Iffy Data To Make the Case for Mask Mandates in Schools
When you are already convinced a policy makes sense, any evidence will do.
Now That Opponents of the Texas Abortion Ban Are Using Its Provisions To Defeat It, Pro-Life Activists Are Crying Foul
In the first two lawsuits filed under S.B. 8, all of the parties seem to think enforcement of the law should be blocked.
First Abortion Doc Sued Under New Texas Law
Plus: The link between college and moral absolutism, environmental activists vs. Facebook, and more...
By Openly Defying the Texas Abortion Ban, a Physician Invites a Lawsuit That Will Make Constitutional Objections Unavoidable
Alan Braid says he broke the law, which prohibits the vast majority of abortions, to make sure it would be tested in court.
Opponents of the Texas Abortion Ban Are Struggling to Find Defendants They Can Sue To Prevent Its Enforcement
Meanwhile, the threat posed by the lawsuits that S.B. 8 authorizes has dramatically curtailed access to abortion in Texas.
Reflections on Texas as a Defendant
Respectfully disagreeing with Josh about United States v. Texas.
GoDaddy Shuts Down Web Hosting for Pro-Life Organization's Abortion Whistleblowing Site
Pro-lifers and pro-choicers have one thing in common: a passion for snitching
The Texas Abortion Ban Violates Conservative Principles
S.B. 8 relies on litigation tricks that conservatives have long condemned as a threat to the rule of law.
How 9/11 Actually Changed Everything
Plus, why is no one talking about the Medicare Trustees' entitlement report?
The Good and the Bad in the 666 Bills That Took Effect This Week in Texas
While libertarians will be inclined to applaud some of the new laws, others exemplify familiar conservative excesses.
Texas Abortion and Social Media Laws Are a 'Contradictory Mess'
Plus: More bad news for free speech online, Fauci on booster shots, and more...
Supreme Court Punts on Constitutionally Dubious Texas Abortion Law
Plus: Millennial myth busting, McFlurry madness, and more...
Lawsuit Challenging Houston Asset Forfeiture Program Says Police Use Stock Language To Seize Cash Without Probable Cause
A couple claims the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Texas seized their life savings two years ago on suspicion of drug trafficking. A new lawsuit says they're not the only ones.
The Sweeping Texas Abortion Ban That Took Effect Today Is Plainly Inconsistent With SCOTUS Precedents
Because the Supreme Court so far has not intervened, post-heartbeat abortions are now illegal in the Lone Star State.
Abortion Ban To Take Effect in Texas on Wednesday
Plus: Kids got more obese during the pandemic, how Section 230 protects gun rights, and more...
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Is Right That Democrats Have a Vaccine Hesitancy Problem, but It's Not Nearly As Big As the GOP's
Although Patrick notes that blacks are less likely to be vaccinated than whites, the gap between Republicans and Democrats is much larger.
If Texas Businesses Are Free To Require Face Masks, Why Can't They Require Proof of Vaccination?
Gov. Greg Abbott's position on private vaccination requirements is confused and confusing.
Texas Senate Passes Bill To Restrict Charitable Bail Organizations
The bill would prohibit charitable organizations from paying bail for anyone who had committed "an offense involving violence" at any time in the past 10 years.
Two More Whistleblowers Come Forward Alleging Neglect and Mismanagement at Migrant Youth Shelter
The whistleblower complaints substantiate reporting from Reason in May describing filthy conditions, untrained staff, and neglect.
Are Republicans Who Support New Voting Restrictions Racist or Just Partisan?
Each major party portrays the other as a deadly threat to democracy.
Greg Abbott's Border Wall Plan Is Doomed To Fail
The Texas governor wants to keep incoming migrants out at all costs. But those costs are insurmountable.
Gov. Greg Abbott Will Reportedly Separate Families and Throw Some Undocumented Migrants in Prison
In 2018, the Republican said family separations were "tragic and heart-rending."
States Move To Force Sports Teams To Play the National Anthem
Three states have advanced constitutionally questionable laws.
The Pandemic Is a Case for Policy Humility
Politicians and policymakers know less than they think they do, in part because they have less power over our lives than they assume.