88th Texas Legislature /tags/88th-texas-legislature 88th Texas Legislature en-US Copyright KUT News 2025 Thu, 18 Jul 2024 20:38:13 GMT Summer literacy program empowers Austin students to stand up for the right to read /education/2024-07-18/freedom-schools-austin-tx-capitol-book-bans-childrens-defense-fund Students gathered at the Capitol this week to write letters to Texas lawmakers against book bans. One organizer said she hoped by being there the students would learn the statehouse was their house. Thu, 18 Jul 2024 20:38:13 GMT /education/2024-07-18/freedom-schools-austin-tx-capitol-book-bans-childrens-defense-fund Becky Fogel Austin ISD plans to cut at least $30 million from its next budget /education/2024-04-25/austin-isd-plans-to-cut-at-least-30-million-from-its-next-budget If the district wants to be able to offer pay raises, it will need to reduce spending by more than $30 million. One option Austin ISD is looking at is holding a tax rate election in November to generate additional revenue. Thu, 25 Apr 2024 13:34:01 GMT /education/2024-04-25/austin-isd-plans-to-cut-at-least-30-million-from-its-next-budget Becky Fogel UT Austin students want answers on the DEI-related layoffs of at least 66 employees /education/2024-04-11/ut-austin-students-want-answers-on-the-dei-related-layoffs-of-at-least-66-employees Students have asked President Jay Hartzell and Republican state Sen. Brandon Creighton to participate in a student-led town hall on April 19 in response to the implementation of the state's new anti-DEI law. Thu, 11 Apr 2024 18:11:00 GMT /education/2024-04-11/ut-austin-students-want-answers-on-the-dei-related-layoffs-of-at-least-66-employees Becky Fogel UT Austin lays off around 60 staffers to comply with Texas DEI ban /education/2024-04-02/ut-austin-dei-diversity-law-sb-17 Senate Bill 17, which bans Texas public universities from having DEI programs and trainings, went into effect Jan. 1. Since then, UT Austin has renamed, reorganized or eliminated several university organizations. Now it's cutting jobs. Tue, 02 Apr 2024 22:14:52 GMT /education/2024-04-02/ut-austin-dei-diversity-law-sb-17 Chelsey Zhu, Becky Fogel Lake AG真人百家乐 ISD emerges as a battleground for school book bans /education/2024-03-28/lake-travis-school-book-ban-library-austin-texas The Lake AG真人百家乐 ISD School Board voted this month to keep one book in the high school library and remove another after a parent with kids in elementary school formally challenged them. Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:00:00 GMT /education/2024-03-28/lake-travis-school-book-ban-library-austin-texas Becky Fogel Making life-or-death decisions for $10.60 an hour: Texas group homes suffer from staffing crisis /health/2024-03-27/making-life-or-death-decisions-for-10-60-an-hour-texas-group-homes-suffer-from-staffing-crisis Thousands of Texans with intellectual disabilities live in group homes. The group home system is struggling to retain workers under the low base wage the state legislature set last year. Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:51:03 GMT /health/2024-03-27/making-life-or-death-decisions-for-10-60-an-hour-texas-group-homes-suffer-from-staffing-crisis Miranda Suarez The big winner in Tuesday鈥檚 primaries? Gov. Abbott and his school voucher push /politics/2024-03-06/the-big-winner-in-tuesdays-primaries-gov-abbott-and-his-school-voucher-push Abbott endorsed the primary opponents of Texas Republican House incumbents who voted against his proposal last year to allow taxpayer dollars to pay for private school tuition of students. Wed, 06 Mar 2024 16:52:47 GMT /politics/2024-03-06/the-big-winner-in-tuesdays-primaries-gov-abbott-and-his-school-voucher-push Sergio Mart铆nez-Beltr谩n Federal judge disputes Texas' invasion claim during sweeping immigration law hearing /politics/2024-02-15/texas-senate-bill-4-invasion-claim-immigration-law-hearing The state of Texas squared off against the U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of immigrant rights groups in federal court on Thursday over whether a new state border enforcement bill is constitutional. Thu, 15 Feb 2024 20:46:36 GMT /politics/2024-02-15/texas-senate-bill-4-invasion-claim-immigration-law-hearing Sergio Mart铆nez-Beltr谩n, Juli谩n Aguilar The Republican Party of Texas has moved further to the right. How did that happen? /politics/2024-02-13/the-republican-party-of-texas-has-moved-further-to-the-right-how-did-that-happen More recently, the party has been engulfed in controversy and infighting 鈥� from spats over Attorney General Ken Paxton鈥檚 impeachment to ties to white supremacists. Tue, 13 Feb 2024 11:58:00 GMT /politics/2024-02-13/the-republican-party-of-texas-has-moved-further-to-the-right-how-did-that-happen Sergio Mart铆nez-Beltr谩n Texas Supreme Court blocks Attorney General Ken Paxton's deposition in whistleblower case /politics/2024-01-30/texas-supreme-court-blocks-attorney-general-ken-paxtons-deposition-in-whistleblower-case Earlier this month, Paxton announced his team was not going to continue contesting the lawsuit filed by four former top deputies who were fired after reporting him to the FBI for alleged corruption and misuse of public office. Tue, 30 Jan 2024 23:23:09 GMT /politics/2024-01-30/texas-supreme-court-blocks-attorney-general-ken-paxtons-deposition-in-whistleblower-case Sergio Mart铆nez-Beltr谩n