‘Not a scintilla of evidence’ of wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood:…

Planned Parenthood South Austin Health Center is seen in Austin, Texas, U.S. on June 27, 2016. REUTERS/Ilana Panich-Linsman/File Photo A federal judge on Tuesday ruled Texas officials cannot cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, allowing the organization to continue providing reimbursed services - at least temporarily - to the 12,500 Texas Medicaid patients who rely on it.

Texas counties see price tags on both sides of “sanctuary” debate

More than a year before Texas Gov. Greg Abbott punished Travis County - yanking away $1.5 million in state grants - for scaling back cooperation with federal immigration officials, he fired a warning shot toward Dallas County. His October 2015 letter came after Valdez - in comments she later said were misconstrued - said she would more closely scrutinize requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold non-citizens in county jails after they were otherwise processed.

Judge blocks Texas cutting Medicaid to Planned Parenthood

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Texas can't cut off Medicaid dollars to Planned Parenthood over secretly recorded videos taken by anti-abortion activists in 2015 that launched Republican efforts across the U.S. to defund the nation's largest abortion provider. An injunction issued by U.S. District Sam Sparks of Austin comes after he delayed making decision in January and essentially bought Planned Parenthood an extra month in the state's Medicaid program.

The Brief: In poll, most Texans say “bathroom bill” isn’t an important issue

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Sen. Lois Kolkhorst R-Brenham give the media an update on SB6 The Texas Privacy Act also known as the "bathroom bill" on Feb. 6, 2017 The state's top leaders have remained silent on whether they'll provide more resources for victims - or more funding for the crippled child welfare system that's supposed to protect vulnerable kids. The Affordable Care Act is unpopular, but Texans don't want to get rid of it until they know what's going to replace it.

Group holds town hall meeting for Representative Flores

Texas 17th District Indivisible will be holding a Town Hall meeting Sunday evening, but it does not seem Rep. Bill Flores will actually attend. A representative for the group, Jeni Ganz, said they decided to hold a town hall after repeatedly reaching out Rep. Flores to schedule a town hall.

John Cornyn is no climate denier, but with votes like his, does that even matter?

Back in 2014 when I was still fairly new to Washington as The News' business correspondent, I took part in a call between Sen. John Cornyn and Texas reporters, something the senator, to his credit, does regularly. I came away from that talk disheartened over the issue of climate change, and said so in a blog post that afternoon.

Texas woman gets eight years in prison for voting

A permanent U.S. resident living in Texas has been sentenced to eight years in prison for illegally voting, a punishment that will probably result in the woman's deportation after she completes her sentence. On Wednesday, a Tarrant County , Tex., jury convicted 37-year-old Rosa Maria Ortega on two felony charges of illegal voting, for casting a ballot as a noncitizen in 2012 and 2014.

NFL more forceful on Texas ‘bathroom bill’ after Super Bowl

Four black people charged with a hate crime in an attack of a white mentally disabled man that was captured by a cellphone camera and shown live on Facebook are set to return to court where they are expected to... Four black people charged with a hate crime in an attack of a white mentally disabled man that was captured by a cellphone camera and shown live on Facebook are set to return to court where they are expected to enter pleas in the case. The howling winds of the biggest snowstorm of the winter to hit the Northeast have been replaced by the scraping of shovels and the growl of snowblowers.

Suspects in videotaped beating plead not guilty in Chicago

The four are charged, with aggravate... Four black people charged with a hate crime in an attack of a white mentally disabled man that was captured by a cellphone camera and shown live on Facebook are set to return to court where they are expected to... Four black people charged with a hate crime in an attack of a white mentally disabled man that was captured by a cellphone camera and shown live on Facebook are set to return to court where they are expected to enter pleas in the case. The howling winds of the biggest snowstorm of the winter to hit the Northeast have been replaced by the scraping of shovels and the growl of snowblowers.

President Trump Orders Review of DOL Fiduciary Rule and Addresses…

On February 3, 2017, President Trump took actions aimed at alleviating some of the regulatory burdens on the financial services industry. Through a Presidential Memorandum , President Trump ordered the DOL to "examine the Fiduciary Duty Rule to determine whether it may adversely affect the ability of Americans to gain access to retirement information and financial advice" and prepare an updated economic and legal analysis concerning the impact of the rule, while taking into account several enumerated considerations.

Senate “sanctuary cities” bill hearing

After a 16-hour hearing that included tears, heckling, bursts of anger and warnings from lawmakers to witnesses to respect the rules of the Capitol's upper chamber, the Texas Senate's State Affairs Committee voted 7-2 along party lines early Friday morning to advance a controversial state-based immigration bill to the full Senate. Senate Bill 4, commonly known as the anti-sanctuary cities bill, would punish local government entities and college campuses that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials or enforce immigration laws.

‘Sanctuary cities’ bill advances in Texas, despite outcry

A Texas Senate panel shrugged off 16 hours of sometimes tearful pleas and defiant opposition to approve a "sanctuary cities" proposal that would withhold grant funding from local jurisdictions that don't hand over immigrants already in custody for possible deportation. A 7-2 vote around 12:45 a.m. Friday from the chamber's powerful State Affairs Committee sends the bill to the full Senate, where a vote could come as early as next week.

New Mexico AG joins with water users in Rio Grande fight

Texas and New Mexico are locked in a battle before the U.S. Supreme Court over management of one of the longest rivers in North America and there's no indication the case will be dismissed. So New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is joining forces with downstream users on the Rio Grande to develop a new strategy that he says will incorporate the best available science.

‘Made in America’ Strategy Isn’t Enough to Shield Toyota From Trump

When Trump administration appointee Wilbur Ross sat for a hearing on his commerce secretary nomination, one name kept coming up: Toyota. A senator from Vice President Mike Pence's home state asked to be reassured trade reforms wouldn't compromise Indiana jobs.

Sparks: Fetal Burial Rule “Pretext” For Restricting Abortion

U.S. Federal District Judge Sam Sparks took sharp aim at the state of Texas' flimsy defense of a rule that forces women to bury or cremate their fetal tissue after an abortion or miscarriage. In a 24-page order issued Friday, Jan. 27, that again halted the anti-choice rule, Sparks hit back at the state health department for proposing a regulation that may amount to a "pretext for restricting abortion access."