Politics & Government

Rep. Gene Wu, a Democrat in Houston, filed a bill that could spell trouble for Texas poker rooms. But that trouble just depends on what county they’re in.

Several laws on the books in Texas criminalize homosexuality. State Sen. Nathan Johnson from Dallas wants to change that with several bills filed early in the upcoming legislative session.

A surprising voice has entered the debate surrounding legal sports gambling in Texas. Former Gov. Rick Perry released a video on behalf of the Sports Betting Alliance in which he lists what he says are the benefits of mobile sports gambling. “Texas is built on the core principle of individual freedom,”…

In June, short-term rental company Airbnb announced a ban on so-called “party houses.” The Silicon Valley titan stated that the trial ban it placed on bookings for “open-invite” events and other crowd-attracting scenarios at properties hosted on its site in 2020 proved effective enough to turn into a permanent ban…

Texas state Rep. Jared Patterson of Frisco announced last week that he has filed a bill that aims to establish Austin as “the District of Austin,” thereby retiring the roles of Austin’s mayor and city council. The conservative lawmaker, who also is in favor of banning the use of social…

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis has responded to a lawsuit filed in October by six current and former employees claiming he sexually harassed them by treating “many female employees as objects that, without their consent, must gratify his sexual impulses and personal vanity.” In an interview with NBC 5,…

On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for an investigation into last week’s elections in Harris County, citing “widespread problems,” a move Democrats and rights groups have decried as a partisan attack. In a news release, the governor claimed Harris County voters faced “confusion and delays” thanks to “missing keys,…

If you were hoping Texas Gov. Greg Abbott would scale back his controversial border clampdown after winning reelection last Tuesday, you’re out of luck. In a press release Friday, the Republican, who defeated challenger Beto O’Rourke to win a third term in office, boasted that Texas had sent more than…

As people continue to struggle paying rent, Dallas is considering permanent protections against eviction.

When voters around the United States casted their ballots in midterm elections Tuesday, Texas Republicans walked away with a handy victory. Across the country, the election was widely viewed as a referendum on President Joe Biden’s first two years in the Oval Office. In Texas, voters picked the state’s top…

On Wednesday, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson will issue a proclamation declaring Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week for Nov. 12-20. Since 1975, communities and organizations around the country have used National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week to bring awareness to the twin problems affecting so many areas in the U.S. “It…

If you need a ride to the polls on Election Day to vote in the midterms, former South Park writer Toby Morton may be able to help you out. If not, there are other options to get a free or discounted ride so you can place your vote.

Eccentricity is as Texan as a deep-fried Oreo, but this midterm election season has offered a staggering number of ridiculous moments. With voters around the country heading to the ballot box on Tuesday, the Observer looks back on a few of the most absurd moments in the 2022 election season…

On Friday, with only five days left until voters head to the polls for the midterm elections, Texas state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, a Republican from Arlington, announced his bid to unseat State House speaker Dade Phelan. Tinderholt broke the news that he’d filed paperwork to run for speaker of the…

Poker rooms in Dallas are getting a run for their money, as the city fights tooth and nail to shut them down.

The Dallas Police Department has been training recruits at a temporary facility for over 30 years. The department hopes a new police academy will help it reach its staffing needs.

Ultra-conservative candidate Tim O’Hare is facing off against Democrat Deborah Peoples in the Tarrant County Judge’s race.

For decades, Dallas has been trying to dampen the noise at Dallas Love Field. An update to the city’s Voluntary Noise Abatement Program could be the solution, but some say the feel they’ve been left out of the process.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, a widely criticized, state-led clampdown on migrants crossing the border, will enjoy another $359.6 million in funds, the governor announced Thursday.

The Dallas City Council almost unanimously approved an ordinance that bans standing on medians. City Council member Adam Bazaldua was the outlier, saying the ordinance could lead to more discriminatory enforcement than marijuana laws.

When it comes to ease of voting, Texas clocks in at No. 46 of all the states nationwide, according to a new study. Published in the Election Law Journal, an academic journal, the study found that only that only four other states made it more difficult than Texas does to…

It might be an awful lot to ask of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, but the Texas Republican has an issue with consistency. When Cruz appeared on Mark Levin’s Fox News program Sunday to promote his new book, Justice Corrupted: How the Left Weaponized Our Legal System, he returned to a…