The Texas Observer

The Texas Observer, often referred to simply as the Observer, is a nonprofit political news magazine in the United States. It is recognized as a key voice for progressive ideas in Texas. Published on a monthly basis, the magazine operates out of Downtown Austin, Texas.

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Reality Winner Rebuilds in Kingsville

2 days ago | texasobserver.org | Kevin Limiti

On April 5 at 4 p.m., Reality Winner was hustling: She’d just learned she was needed to find additional last-minute female competitors for a Crossfit competition in Corpus Christi—a hassle for the 33-year-old who was already busy with other duties that day, including cleaning out dog kennels as one of the many requirements for her veterinary technology program at Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Should House Dems Break With Collaborationism?

1 week ago | texasobserver.org | Justin Miller

In the leadup to Texas’ 89th legislative session, the Republican leadership apparatus was under siege and the party in open warfare as the sitting House Speaker Dade Phelan decided not to seek another term with the gavel.
‘The House Got Rolled’: Gene Wu on the Trials of the 89th Texas Legislature

2 weeks ago | texasobserver.org | Justin Miller

The job of leading the minority party in the Texas House has long consisted, at best, of harm reduction and something like emergency room triage. At worst, it amounts to frantically herding several dozen cats—many of whom can be coaxed out of their homes by the GOP House speaker’s saucers of warm milk. Since 2009, Dems have largely wielded their collective power to elevate their preferred Republican to the House speakership as a means to minimize damage and maximize some semblance of influence.
Reefer Madness Returns to Texas with Dan Patrick’s THC Ban

2 weeks ago | texasobserver.org | Kit O'Connell

Marijuana prohibition is a Texas tradition. Unless Governor Greg Abbott vetoes Senate Bill 3, the state’s new ban on THC, the state is about to suddenly and drastically renew its commitment to that tradition—at a potential cost of thousands of jobs, billions of dollars in lost taxable revenue, and countless lives broken in the prison system. “We have to look at a long history in Texas,” said Austin Zamhariri, executive director of the Texas Cannabis Collective.
Texas Quietly Downsizes Border Security Spending

2 weeks ago | texasobserver.org | Justin Miller

Without any announcement or open debate, the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature passed a biennial state budget that will effectively halve the amount dedicated to its multi-billion-dollar border security operations—from a proposed $6.5 billion down to about $3.4 billion.
The Massive U.S. Pipeline Buildout Is Mostly for Gas Going Overseas

3 weeks ago | texasobserver.org | Phil McKenna

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared at Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy, and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter here. More than three-quarters of new gas pipeline capacity currently under development in the U.S. would feed additional liquefied natural gas exports rather than supporting domestic energy needs, a new report concludes.
Legislature Mandates Sheriff-ICE Cooperation in Jails or Streets

3 weeks ago | texasobserver.org | Francesca D’Annunzio |Gus Bova

Over the weekend, the state House and Senate ironed out lingering differences in Senate Bill 8, a measure that will—assuming the governor’s signature—mandate previously voluntary agreements between Texas county sheriffs and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As passed, SB 8 will require all Texas sheriffs to apply for so-called 287(g) agreements, “or a similar federal program,” with ICE.
Abbott's Bail Crackdown Meets Mixed Fate in Texas House

4 weeks ago | texasobserver.org | Michelle Pitcher

For years, bail reform legislation has died long before it reached the governor’s desk in Texas. This session, with a strong push from the state’s top executive, measures to crack down on bail access achieved mixed results in the Capitol’s lower chamber. Last Monday, the House passed Senate Joint Resolution 5, which proposes a constitutional amendment that would force judges to deny bail to people accused of certain violent crimes.
Ronnie Dugger, 1930-2025

1 month ago | texasobserver.org | Joe Holley

Ronnie Dugger, founding editor and longtime publisher of the Texas Observer and for many years the crusading conscience of the progressive movement in Texas and beyond, died of complications of dementia at a hospice center in Austin on May 27. He was 95.
New Leads in an Infamous Corpus Christi Cold Case

1 month ago | texasobserver.org | Peter Barth

Editor’s Note: Bellingcat Investigator Peter Barth, who grew up in Texas, researched and reported this story in collaboration with the Texas Observer. William “Bill” Asher Richardson Jr. pulled into the driveway of his upscale Corpus Christi home late on a Sunday night at the end of summer. The wealthy Texas oilman was unloading his Winnebago RV as his wife and stepson walked inside.