News & Commentary

Recent police shootings highlight the urgency for reforms in use-of-force policies.

The influx of law enforcement officers in the Rio Grande Valley makes residents feel less safe.

March 5th marks the beginning of the annual Great Texas Warrant Roundup. It sounds like quite a lot of fun, another cowboy extravaganza from a state famous for its stock shows and rodeos.

Governor Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Patrick have made it clear that the protection of religious freedom will be a priority in next year's legislative session. But when they refer to "religious freedom," what they really mean is "freedom to discriminate."

It is fair to say Beyoncé won the Super Bowl with a political performance we won’t soon forget. She has received praise and criticism for using platform to take a strong pro-black stance. The “Formation” video, released Feb. 6, has been called a visual anthem, with explicit references to hurricane Katrina, all-too-familiar images of police in riot gear, and a plea to “stop shooting us.” Meanwhile in Texas, the shooting hasn’t stopped.

Last year, eleven separate marijuana-related bills were introduced in the Texas legislature, and next year we can probably expect eleven more. Candidates for local offices in Austin and Houston are running on marijuana decriminalization platforms, and the Dallas city council is poised to implement a “cite and release” pilot program for low-level possession offenders. It’s beginning to feel like a movement, and forgive us for saying so, but it’s high time.

Gay‐Straight Alliances, or GSAs, are student‐led and student‐organized school clubs that aim to create a safe, welcoming, and accepting school environment for all youth, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. While school administrators sometimes balk at allowing students to start GSAs, federal law guarantees that students at public high schools have the right to do so. Here are the list of the most common objections to GSAs, and how to combat them:

Our government is going after mothers and children trying to escape bloody violence.

Our Government Continues to Blatantly Ignore Horrors of Families' PlightThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security rang in the New Year by casting a nationwide dragnet targeting Central American asylum seekers for deportation to their home countries. In addition to the raids, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson likewise announced an "expanded messaging campaign" that would "educate those considering the journey north... about the dangerous realities of that journey."