https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/eleanor-klibanoff/The latest news by Eleanor Klibanoff.enThu, 03 Jul 2025 17:13:02 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/03/ken-paxton-attorney-general-whistleblowers-appeal/The Legislature will still have to appropriate the funds to pay the judgment, either during the upcoming special session or during the next regular session.By Eleanor KlibanoffThu, 03 Jul 2025 17:13:02 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/03/ken-paxton-attorney-general-whistleblowers-appeal/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement to the press May 26, 2023 a day before a scheduled impeachment vote in the Texas House in a long-running ethics complaint.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement to the press May 26, 2023 a day before a scheduled impeachment vote in the Texas House in a long-running ethics complaint.Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/01/tribcast-supreme-court/The TribCast gang is finally reunited, just in time to dive into the big cases and unresolved questions from the term.By Eleanor KlibanoffTue, 01 Jul 2025 13:20:29 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/01/tribcast-supreme-court/Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/27/texas-porn-websites-age-verification-law-supreme-court/The case involves a 2023 state law requiring adult websites to verify users’ ages, but the ruling is expected to have broader implications for free speech law.By Kayla Guo, Eleanor Klibanoff and Paul CoblerFri, 27 Jun 2025 11:18:26 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/27/texas-porn-websites-age-verification-law-supreme-court/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to the media outside the Supreme Court building in Washington on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 following arguments in the case “Free Speech Coalition, Inc., et al. v. Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas.”Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to the media outside the Supreme Court building in Washington on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 following arguments in the case “Free Speech Coalition, Inc., et al. v. Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas.”Luke Johnson for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/26/texas-schools-commandments-requirement-lawsuit/The ACLU has filed a new lawsuit on behalf of 16 parents of various religious faiths, the second such suit against the new law.By Eleanor Klibanoff and Alejandro SerranoThu, 26 Jun 2025 18:11:39 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/26/texas-schools-commandments-requirement-lawsuit/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/26/ken-paxton-impeachment-witness-tampering-former-employees/In dueling lawsuits, current and former employees of the attorney general’s office sling allegations that threaten to intrude on Paxton’s U.S. Senate bid.By Eleanor KlibanoffThu, 26 Jun 2025 10:53:09 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/26/ken-paxton-impeachment-witness-tampering-former-employees/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, flanked by aides, speaks about impending impeachment proceedings against him at a press conference in Austin on May 26, 2023.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks about impending impeachment proceedings against him at a press conference in Austin on May 26, 2023. Behind Paxton from left: Tommy Tran, executive assistant; James R. Lloyd, associate deputy attorney general for civil litigation; Austin A. Kinghorn, associate deputy attorney general for legal counsel; Ryan Fisher, director of government relations; Joshua Reno, deputy attorney general for criminal justice; Suzanna Hupp, special adviser; Brent Webster, first assistant attorney general; Lesley French, chief of staff; George Lane, adviser; Paige Willey, deputy communications director; and Ralph M. Molina, deputy attorney general for legal strategy.Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/18/us-supreme-court-gender-care-texas-tennessee/The court split 6-3 along ideological lines on a case from Tennessee. About two dozen states have similar bans in place.By Eleanor KlibanoffWed, 18 Jun 2025 10:55:21 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/18/us-supreme-court-gender-care-texas-tennessee/The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for Texas' gender-affriming care ban for minors.The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4, 2022.Jason Garza for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/14/texas-undocumented-students-tuition-explainer/Some implications of the ruling ordering the policy’s end are still unknown. College access experts urged affected students not to withdraw from school while they assess their options.By Eleanor Klibanoff, Jessica Priest and María MéndezSat, 14 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/14/texas-undocumented-students-tuition-explainer/Students head to classes at the University of Texas at El Paso on May 9, 2019.Students head to classes at the University of Texas at El Paso on May 9, 2019.Joel Angel Juárez for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/13/texas-legislature-health-bills-abortion-vaccines/Amid a quiet legislative session for health, lawmakers’ priority legislation reinforced the U.S. health secretary’s agenda.By Terri Langford, Stephen Simpson and Eleanor KlibanoffFri, 13 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/13/texas-legislature-health-bills-abortion-vaccines/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/10/texas-attorney-general-aaron-reitz-gop-primary-paxton/Reitz, formerly a key cog in Texas’ conservative legal pipeline, once said the AG’s office is at war with “the forces that want to destroy the American order.”By Eleanor KlibanoffThu, 12 Jun 2025 08:24:31 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/10/texas-attorney-general-aaron-reitz-gop-primary-paxton/Then-Texas Deputy Attorney General of Legal Strategy Aaron Reitz speaks during a press conference in the William Clements Building in Austin on June 9, 2022.Then-Texas Deputy Attorney General of Legal Strategy Aaron Reitz speaks during a press conference in the William Clements Building in Austin on June 9, 2022.Kylie Cooper/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/12/texas-trans-rights-laws-birth-sex-gender-documents/Texas has strictly defined man and woman, leaving trans Texans in legal limbo.By Eleanor KlibanoffThu, 12 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/12/texas-trans-rights-laws-birth-sex-gender-documents/Leo Tyler poses for a portrait in downtown San Antonio on May 26, 2025. Behind him is artwork of a woman holding a transgender symbol like a rosary, connecting the city’s predominant Catholic faith with a message of alliance with the transgender community.Leo Tyler Castillo-Anguiano poses for a portrait underneath an overpass in downtown San Antonio on May 26, 2025. Behind him is artwork of a woman holding a transgender symbol like a rosary, connecting the city’s predominant Catholic faith with a message of alliance with the transgender community.Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/11/texas-in-state-tuition-undocumented-students-lawsuit-paxton-trump/Their filing says the lawsuit that struck down in-state tuition for undocumented students was “contrived” to keep their voices out.By Eleanor KlibanoffWed, 11 Jun 2025 12:58:17 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/11/texas-in-state-tuition-undocumented-students-lawsuit-paxton-trump/Students on the University of Texas at Arlington campus in Arlington on Sept. 10, 2024.Students on the University of Texas at Arlington campus in Arlington on Sept. 10, 2024.Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/10/texas-abortion-ban-repeal-exceptions-unlikely/Legal challenges have failed, elections haven’t moved the needle and the fight for a narrow clarification shows how immovable these laws are.By Eleanor KlibanoffTue, 10 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/10/texas-abortion-ban-repeal-exceptions-unlikely/Protesters chant in front of the Texas State Capitol building at a pro-choice rally on June 24, 2022.Protesters chant on Congress Ave. in front of the Texas State Capitol building at a pro-choice rally Friday, June 24, 2022 in Austin, TX. The Supreme Court overturned Roe V Wade Friday leading to national protests in response from pro abortion advocates. The announcement of the overturning would trigger an immediate ban on abortions in several states, including Texas. Sergio Flores for The Texas TribuneSergio Flores for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/09/texas-doj-undocumented-tuition-courts-friendly-lawsuit-paxton/Experts say Wednesday’s action to eliminate the long-standing policy could be a “collusive lawsuit,” where the state and feds worked the courts to get a desired outcome.By Eleanor KlibanoffMon, 09 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/09/texas-doj-undocumented-tuition-courts-friendly-lawsuit-paxton/The Texas State Capitol on Sept. 24, 2022 in Austin, TX.The Texas State Capitol on Sept. 24, 2022 in Austin, TX.Spencer Selvidge for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/04/texas-justice-department-lawsuit-undocumented-in-state-tuition/Within hours of a federal lawsuit targeting Texas’ policy of letting undocumented students qualify for lower public tuition rates, the 24-year-old law was no more.By Eleanor Klibanoff, Jessica Priest, Sneha Dey and Ayden RunnelsWed, 04 Jun 2025 14:45:08 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/04/texas-justice-department-lawsuit-undocumented-in-state-tuition/Students walk through campus at the University of Texas at Austin on Aug. 25, 2021.Students walk through campus at the University of Texas at Austin on Aug. 25, 2021.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/03/tribcast-texas-grid-water-legislature/Will Texas be able to keep the lights on and water flowing til the next legislative session?By Eleanor KlibanoffTue, 03 Jun 2025 15:11:48 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/03/tribcast-texas-grid-water-legislature/A crew worker attempts to extinguish a leakage as they work to upgrade pipes and valves at a North Alamo Water Supply Corporation water plant in Donna on July 18, 2024.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/02/texas-legislature-judges-pay-raise-pensions/House and Senate members agreed that judges needed a pay raise. But they spent the final hours of the legislative session debating whether Texas lawmakers should also benefit from the boost.By Eleanor KlibanoffMon, 02 Jun 2025 15:53:28 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/02/texas-legislature-judges-pay-raise-pensions/State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, answers questions from state Rep. Rafael Anchía, D-Dallas, regarding a conference committee report which would raise the base pay for Texas judges.State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, answers questions from state Rep. Rafael Anchía, D-Dallas, regarding a conference committee report which would raise the base pay for Texas judges.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/31/legislative-pensions-judicial-pay-texas/A bill to increase judicial salaries from $140,000 to $175,000 a year stalled amid a disagreement over lawmakers’ own retirement benefits.By Eleanor KlibanoffSun, 01 Jun 2025 09:40:53 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/31/legislative-pensions-judicial-pay-texas/Members of the Texas House of Representatives added an amendment to a bill on judicial pay raises, leading to a dispute with the Senate about a connected issue on legislative pensions.Members of the Texas House of Representatives during their budget discussion on April 10, 2025.Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/29/texas-trans-sex-definition-state-documents-impact/Critics say House Bill 229, which has gone to the governor, discriminates against trans people, but the full effect remains to be seen.By Eleanor KlibanoffThu, 29 May 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/29/texas-trans-sex-definition-state-documents-impact/Naia Fulton-Jones chants in front of the Texas Capitol to protest for transgender kids' rights on Tuesday, Mar. 1, 2022.Naia Fulton-Jones chants in front of the Texas Capitol to protest for transgender kids' rights on Tuesday, Mar. 1, 2022.Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/28/texas-abortion-pill-bill-dies/Proponents of SB 2880 have singled out Rep. Ken King, House State Affairs committee chair, for letting the bill languish.By Eleanor KlibanoffWed, 28 May 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/28/texas-abortion-pill-bill-dies/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/28/texas-trans-biological-sex-state-documents-bill/Many trans Texans have changed the sex listed on their birth certificate, driver’s licenses and other documents. They say their identities will be invalidated under bill headed to governor's desk.By Eleanor KlibanoffWed, 28 May 2025 01:18:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/28/texas-trans-biological-sex-state-documents-bill/A crowd gathered at a rally for Trans Day of Visibility at the Bexar County Courthouse listens to pediatrician Dr. Lulu in San Antonio in 2023.The crowd gathered at a rally for Trans Day of Visibility at the Bexar County Courthouse listens to pediatrician Dr. Lulu in San Antonio on March 31, 2023.Blaine Young for The Texas Tribune