https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/maria-mendez/The latest news by María Méndez.enMon, 01 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/01/texas-political-issues-2024/After nearly a year’s worth of legislative sessions, several issues are poised to dominate Texas politics this year. Here’s a look at how things ended on several fronts last year — and where they’re headed next.María Méndez and Texas Tribune StaffMon, 01 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/01/texas-political-issues-2024/The Texas Capitol in Austin on Oct. 19, 2021.The Texas Capitol in Austin on Oct. 19, 2021.Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/27/texas-solutions-hunger-brain-drain-health-care/Across the state, people are looking for ways to make Texas a better place to live as they tackle hunger, rural “brain drain,” health care obstacles and other impediments.María MéndezWed, 27 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/27/texas-solutions-hunger-brain-drain-health-care/Volunteers prepare fresh vegetables donated by the Dewey Prairie Garden for distribution at the Lord’s Pantry of Leon County in Buffalo on June 29, 2023.Volunteers prepare fresh vegetables donated by the Dewey Prairie Garden for distribution at the Lord’s Pantry of Leon County in Buffalo, Texas, on June 29, 2023.Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/15/texas-constitutional-amendment-voter-guide/Early voting begins Monday in the Nov. 7 elections. Here’s a breakdown of the 14 constitutional amendments on the ballot.María Méndez, Yuriko Schumacher and Texas Tribune StaffMon, 23 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/15/texas-constitutional-amendment-voter-guide/Voters wait to cast their ballots at the Dittmar Recreation Center in South Austin on March 1, 2022.Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/11/texas-abortion-law-birth-control-what-you-need-to-know/More than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Texas continues to be the largest state in the nation to ban nearly all abortions. But some questions and changes to abortion and birth control access have arisen since then.María MéndezWed, 11 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/11/texas-abortion-law-birth-control-what-you-need-to-know/In the past year, legal changes have clarified the circumstances in which abortion can be used to treat emergency pregnancy complications, while simultaneously restricting minors' access to birth control.An exam room at Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas in Austin, Texas on August 8, 2023. (Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune)Montinique Monroe for The Texashttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/15/texas-constitutional-amendment-voter-guide/Texans will decide the fate of 14 constitutional amendments approved for the ballot by state lawmakers. Here’s a breakdown of each constitutional amendment and requirements to vote.María Méndez, Yuriko Schumacher and Texas Tribune StaffFri, 15 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/15/texas-constitutional-amendment-voter-guide/Voters waited to cast their ballots at the Dittmar Recreation Center in South Austin on March 1, 2022.Voters wait to cast their ballots at the Dittmar Recreation Center in South Austin on March 1, 2022.Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/31/texas-extreme-heat-strategies/We know you’re tired of the heat at this point. Here’s how much longer you can expect it to last and reminders on how to stay safe and cool.Erin Douglas and María MéndezThu, 31 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/31/texas-extreme-heat-strategies/Geoff Bell, a technician with Texas Pride Air Conditioning and Heating, tests the refrigerant levels in an air conditioning unit during a heat wave Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023 in Houston.Geoff Bell, a HVAC technician with Texas Pride Air Conditioning and Heating, tests the refrigerant levels in an air conditioning unit during a heat wave Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023 in Houston.REUTERS/Adrees Latifhttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/08/texas-federal-courts-abbott-paxton-cornyn-trump/In just a few decades, the Texas attorney general’s office became a powerhouse in national legal fights over abortion, health care and immigration. Here’s a timeline of how it happened.María MéndezTue, 08 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/08/texas-federal-courts-abbott-paxton-cornyn-trump/Emily Albracht/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/21/texas-excessive-heat-coping-strategies/Texans are seeing record-breaking temperatures this summer. Tell us how the excessive heat is affecting your daily life or plans for the future and what questions we can answer about dealing with it.María Méndez, Joe Timmerman and Susie WebbMon, 24 Jul 2023 17:42:16 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/21/texas-excessive-heat-coping-strategies/A construction worker carries a piece of metal while working through a heatwave in Houston on Friday, July 14, 2023.A construction worker carries a piece of metal while working through a heatwave in Houston on Friday, July 14, 2023. Douglas Sweet Jr.https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/14/texas-school-safety/Experts say many of the changes will bolster school safety but some requirements may be challenging for public schools to implement by the upcoming school year with limited funding and staffing constraints.María MéndezFri, 14 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/14/texas-school-safety/Austin Police Department officer Cory Ehrler monitored the entrance to Ridgetop Elementary School in Austin on Dec. 17, 2012, a few days after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.Austin Police Department officer Cory Ehrler monitors the entrance to Ridgetop Elementary School in Austin, Texas shortly after classes start on the Monday following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. As the 83rd Legislature approaches, Texas lawmakers are considering making firearms more available to teachers and other school personnel. The Texas Tribune (Smith: School Security). Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune.Tamir Kalifa/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/07/texas-student-loan-repayments/Student loan repayments are set to resume in October. If you’re a Texas student loan borrower, tell us how this will affect you.María Méndez, Francisco Uranga and Kate McGeeMon, 10 Jul 2023 17:35:35 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/07/texas-student-loan-repayments/Students walk down Speedway Mall at the University of Texas at Austin on Aug. 25, 2021.Students walk down Speedway Mall at the University of Texas at Austin on Aug. 25, 2021.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/27/texas-career-training-disabilities/Students with disabilities can find success in college, live independently and get jobs with the right kind of help. Here are college programs that provide support.María MéndezTue, 27 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/27/texas-career-training-disabilities/Students walk to class on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station on Nov. 15, 2022.Students walk to class on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station on Nov. 15, 2022.Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/27/texas-guide-education-credentials/Texans who aren’t sure about college have several pathways to well-paying jobs. Here’s how those programs prepare people for careers when a four-year degree may not fit.María MéndezTue, 27 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/27/texas-guide-education-credentials/Violet Fields, 21, measures Nora Hernandez Mondragon’s blood pressure before class at the Leander Campus of Austin Community College on Oct. 4. The students were participating in a health care apprenticeship program for Baylor Scott & White employees.21-year-old Violet Fields measures Nora Hernandez-Mondragon’s blood pressure before class at the Leander Campus of Austin Community College on Oct. 4. The students were participating in a healthcare apprenticeship program for Baylor Scott & White employees.Jack Myer for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/27/texas-career-technical-education/Many Texas residents can opt for a variety of different educational programs that are shorter, more appropriate to their needs and often cost less than a bachelor’s degree.María MéndezTue, 27 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/27/texas-career-technical-education/Jule Preiser, a fourth-semester robotics student at Texas State Technical College in Waco, works on a troubleshooting assignment during class on Oct. 24, 2022. Students were given no specific instruction — much like how they might face a problem out in the field — and were tasked with finding a solution through their own problem-solving skills.Jule Preiser, a fourth-semester Robotics student at the Texas State Technical College in Waco, works on a troubleshooting assignment during class on Oct. 24, 2022. Students were given no specific instruction - much like how you might be given a problem if out in the field - and tasked with finding a solution through their own problem solving skills.Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/27/texas-career-training-disabilities-plain-text/Students with disabilities can succeed in college with the right kind of help. There are programs that can support them. The programs help them live on their own, find jobs, and make a difference where they live.María MéndezTue, 27 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/27/texas-career-training-disabilities-plain-text/Students walk to class on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station on Nov. 15, 2022.Students walk to class on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station on Nov. 15, 2022.Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/25/texas-impeachment-attorney-general-ken-paxton/Paxton is now suspended until the outcome of a trial in the Senate. Gov. Greg Abbott can now appoint someone to temporarily fill the vacancy.María Méndez and Alex FordThu, 25 May 2023 20:49:08 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/25/texas-impeachment-attorney-general-ken-paxton/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to his supporters after being sworn in to office for a third term in Jan. 10. The state’s embattled top lawyer is facing impeachment in the Legislature.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to his supporters after being sworn into office on January 10, 2023. At left are state Sen. Angela Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott.Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/24/ken-paxton-attorney-general-investigations-lawsuits/Less than a year into his first term, Paxton was charged with felony securities fraud. The Justice Department is investigating bribery allegations against him as a Texas House committee conducts its own probe into his behavior.Julia Guilbeau and María MéndezWed, 24 May 2023 17:52:50 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/24/ken-paxton-attorney-general-investigations-lawsuits/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton attends an October press conference in Austin about a pilot program to dispose of medications, especially opioids.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton at a press conference at the William P. Clements State Office Building on a pilot program to dispose of medications, especially opioids, on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2022 in Austin.Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/24/uvalde-school-shooting-what-to-know/Twenty-one people died at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022. The mass shooting and delayed police response spurred calls for stricter gun laws.María MéndezWed, 24 May 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/24/uvalde-school-shooting-what-to-know/Hundreds of flowers, toys and candles surround the crosses in memorial of the 21 victims of the school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde.Hundreds of flowers, toys, and candles surround the crosses in memorial of the 21 victims of the school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, on June 9, 2022.Evan L’Roy for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/03/29/texas-medicaid-renew-requalify/Texas is reviewing the eligibility of people on Medicaid health plans or Healthy Texas Women now that pandemic Medicaid coverage is ending. Here’s what that means, how to renew your health coverage or find other options if you no longer qualify.María MéndezWed, 29 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/03/29/texas-medicaid-renew-requalify/A nurse entering the room of a COVID-19 patient at Goodall-Witcher Hospital in Clifton in 2021.A nurse dons full PPE before entering the room of a COVID-19 patient at Goodall-Witcher Hospital in Clifton on Wednesday, August 3, 2021.Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/03/16/tea-hisd-takeover-texas-houston-schools/When do state takeovers of Texas public schools or districts happen? How long can they last? We provide answers to some of the questions surrounding the takeover of Houston ISD.María MéndezThu, 16 Mar 2023 15:48:43 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/03/16/tea-hisd-takeover-texas-houston-schools/Students walk outside North Forest High School in Houston.Students outside North Forest High School in Houston.Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/02/06/austin-spencer-cronk-winter-storm/Austin City Council members will evaluate Spencer Cronk’s employment during their Thursday meeting. Cronk was hired in 2017.Joshua Fechter and María MéndezMon, 06 Feb 2023 11:23:59 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2023/02/06/austin-spencer-cronk-winter-storm/Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk speaks during a ceremony to swear in Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon on Oct. 29, 2021.Austin City Mangaer Spencer Cronk gives the opening remarks during the Swearing in Ceremony for police chief Joseph Chacon at the LifeAustin Muller Church in Austin on Oct. 29, 2021. Chacon will be Austin's 10th police chief.Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune