BREAKING NEWS
Texas House votes to repeal sales tax on menstrual products and diapers
Read full article: Texas House votes to repeal sales tax on menstrual products and diapersThe bill, which Democrats have been pushing for years, has become a top priority after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. The Senate has already passed the bill, which would provide tax relief on the purchase of menstrual products, diapers and other child care necessities.
Abortion bills gain little traction as Texas Legislature turns its attention to LGBTQ restrictions
Read full article: Abortion bills gain little traction as Texas Legislature turns its attention to LGBTQ restrictionsTexasā abortion laws look likely to remain about where they were at the beginning of the legislative session, as key deadlines pass without any movement on abortion-related bills.
Bill eliminating tampon, diaper sales taxes OKād by Texas House
Read full article: Bill eliminating tampon, diaper sales taxes OKād by Texas HouseThe proposal would remove sales tax on diapers, baby wipes and bottles; feminine hygiene products including tampons, sanitary pads and menstrual cups; maternity clothing; and products for pumping breast milk.
Speaker Dade Phelan endorses Medicaid expansion for new mothers, repeal of ātampon taxā in first batch of 2023 priorities
Read full article: Speaker Dade Phelan endorses Medicaid expansion for new mothers, repeal of ātampon taxā in first batch of 2023 prioritiesThe leader of the state House also threw his support behind bills to crack down on how companies handle private data and to protect children from āaddictive algorithmsā by digital companies.
With full state coffers and bipartisan support, Texas teachers are hopeful theyāll get a raise this year
Read full article: With full state coffers and bipartisan support, Texas teachers are hopeful theyāll get a raise this yearThe COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and burnout have pummeled teachers in the last few years. Lawmakers from both parties agree they should get a pay bump ā but it wonāt happen without some negotiation.
State, feds say six-month maternal Medicaid coverage still under review
Read full article: State, feds say six-month maternal Medicaid coverage still under reviewHHSC said it was initially told the plan was ānot approvable.ā Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a statement Friday saying Texasā plan to extend coverage to six months was not rejected but still under review.
Wendy Davis and Donna Howard, defenders of abortion access, worry the worst is yet to come after Roe decision
Read full article: Wendy Davis and Donna Howard, defenders of abortion access, worry the worst is yet to come after Roe decisionIn interviews, the two women expressed a sense of sorrow over the U.S. Supreme Courtās decision to allow states to ban abortions, adding even more enormous obstacles to what was already an uphill battle to protect reproductive rights in Texas.
Meet the Texas teens taking on the stateās ātampon taxā
Read full article: Meet the Texas teens taking on the stateās ātampon taxāA group of young women have teamed up with a prestigious Houston law firm to get the state to stop charging sales tax on menstrual products, arguing they qualify as āwound care dressings.ā
Nonprofit for pregnant women & young parents used funds on smoke shop and to buy land for hemp production, records show
Read full article: Nonprofit for pregnant women & young parents used funds on smoke shop and to buy land for hemp production, records showLong list of questionable purchases by state-funded organization called āan egregious misuse of tax dollarsā by lawmaker
A Republican wants to add exceptions for rape and incest to Texasā new near-total abortion ban. He faces an uphill climb.
Read full article: A Republican wants to add exceptions for rape and incest to Texasā new near-total abortion ban. He faces an uphill climb.The proposal comes almost two weeks after Gov. Greg Abbottās comments that the state would āeliminate all rapists.ā
Clinics ask high court to block Texas 6-week abortion ban
Read full article: Clinics ask high court to block Texas 6-week abortion banAbortion providers in Texas are asking the Supreme Court to prevent enforcement of a state law that would allow private citizens to sue anyone for helping a woman get an abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy.
Sixth Texas Democrat in Washington, D.C., tests positive for COVID-19
Read full article: Sixth Texas Democrat in Washington, D.C., tests positive for COVID-19The Texas House Democratic Caucus, which has said it plans to not identify lawmakers who test positive, has started additional precautionary measures, such as providing daily rapid tests.
Amid a pandemic with unequal impact, a proposal for a new Office of Health Equity died in the Texas Senate
Read full article: Amid a pandemic with unequal impact, a proposal for a new Office of Health Equity died in the Texas SenateDemocratic lawmakers wanted to replace a defunded agency by creating a new office that would look at health inequities across the state. But after Republicans pulled it into ongoing debates about transgender rights and critical race theory, the bill died in the Senate.
Half of Texas' nurses experience workplace violence. A Texas lawmaker says itās time to protect them.
Read full article: Half of Texas' nurses experience workplace violence. A Texas lawmaker says itās time to protect them.āBut I continued working.āFor decades, health care workers have faced rampant violence in the workplace. Well over half of Texas' nurses reported being subject to workplace violence in their career, according to a 2016 state study. State lawmakers have for years heard examples of the violence nurses face. Some health care workers who experience violence may not want to blame or shame violent patients who are ill or affected by medication. Health care workers and experts have said hospitals can add more security guards or metal detectors and instill a culture of violence prevention to help deter workplace violence.