https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/jess-huff/The latest news by Jess Huff.enThu, 20 Mar 2025 13:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/20/texas-child-day-care-cost-crisis/Adding more funding to scholarships is just one way experts say state lawmakers could address Texas’ child care crisis.By Jess HuffThu, 20 Mar 2025 13:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/20/texas-child-day-care-cost-crisis/Clarissa Alday spends her morning reading to children at Katherine Sage Temple Early Learning Center in Diboll on Feb. 25, 2025.Clarissa Alday spends her morning reading to children at Katherine Sage Temple Early Learning Center, on Tuesday February 25, 2025, in Diboll.Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/25/lufkin-texas-school-closures-private-school-vouchers/The Lufkin school district says it must do a better job of promoting itself amid growing competition from charter schools and homeschooling.By Jess HuffTue, 25 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/25/lufkin-texas-school-closures-private-school-vouchers/The Lufkin school district last week closed two schools after a sustained drop in student enrollment for more than a decade. School leaders said an increase in education options is part of the reason.Students get onto a bus following classes at Lufkin High School in Lufkin on Jan. 27, 2023. Public school officials in rural areas like Lufkin face budget challenges because of proposed school choice legislation, which provides taxpayer-funded alternatives to sending a child to a local public school.Callaghan O'Hare for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/13/texas-domestic-violence-legislation/Reported domestic violence incidents have risen 26% since 2019.By Jess HuffThu, 13 Feb 2025 13:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/13/texas-domestic-violence-legislation/A book and brochures on display at the East Texas Crisis Center in Tyler on Jan. 8. Several Democratic state lawmakers hope to address family violence this session.The East Texas Crisis Center, on Wednesday January 8, 2025, in Tyler.Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/10/greg-abbott-property-taxes-voters/Local officials, school advocates and tax policy experts said such a proposal could have dire impacts on basic services.By Joshua Fechter and Jess HuffMon, 10 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/10/greg-abbott-property-taxes-voters/Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wants all local governments to seek voter approval before increasing local taxes — and at least 66% must say yes for the hike to go into effect.Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about the recent 88th Legislative Session to an audience at the Texas Public Policy Foundation offices in Austin, on June 2, 2023. Abbott recounted policy victories in regards to fentanyl and the border crisis, as well as limiting gender-affirming care and banning DEI practices in higher education. Abbott ended the event by promising to call a special session for school choice, after the current special session for property tax resolves.Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/30/longview-texas-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-donald-trump/Some residents see the charging stations as an economic boom to the town, while others find it an assault on the oil and gas industry in Texas.By Jess HuffThu, 30 Jan 2025 11:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/30/longview-texas-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-donald-trump/Traffic makes its way through the intersection of Loop 281 and Gilmer Road in Longview on Jan. 24.Traffic makes its way throught the intersection of Loop 281 and Gilmer Road in Longview on Friday January 24, 2025.Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/28/blueprint-for-texas-cities/Despite its history as a “frontier state,” Texans largely live in metropolitan areas that are seeing exponential growth.By Jess Huff, The Texas Tribune, and Texas Tribune Events StaffTue, 28 Jan 2025 17:10:31 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/28/blueprint-for-texas-cities/https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/31/texas-attorney-general-state-bar-lawsuit-dismissed-brent-webster/The state bar sought to take away the law license of Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster over a Texas lawsuit challenging 2020 presidential election results.By Jess HuffTue, 31 Dec 2024 14:47:23 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/31/texas-attorney-general-state-bar-lawsuit-dismissed-brent-webster/First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster speaks during a press conferencein Austin on June 9, 2022.First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster speaks during a press conference in the William Clements Building in Austin on June 9, 2022.Kylie Cooper/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/23/texas-nursing-home-ombudsman-program/Officials hope state lawmakers will boost the budget of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman office, an independent state agency, which can often be an elderly Texan’s only lifeline to the outside world.By Jess HuffMon, 23 Dec 2024 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/23/texas-nursing-home-ombudsman-program/Advocates for Texas residents in nursing homes and long-term care facilities say they need more staff and volunteers. They hope state lawmakers will help.An empty room at the Amistad Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on April 1, 2021.Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/06/texas-house-speaker-role-dade-phelan/Texas Republicans are poised to pick the statehouse lower chamber’s next leader this weekend.By Jess HuffFri, 06 Dec 2024 08:23:08 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/06/texas-house-speaker-role-dade-phelan/Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan presides over the opening day of a special session at the Texas Capitol on July 8, 2021.Speaker of the House Dade Phelan presides over the opening day of the special session at the Texas Capitol on July 8, 2021.Sophie Park/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/31/natural-disaster-crisis-communication-rural-texas/When disaster strikes, Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy takes command of her county’s emergency communication channels, including a text service and Facebook page.By Jess HuffWed, 31 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/31/natural-disaster-crisis-communication-rural-texas/Floodwater accumulates on May 4 in a residential area following significant rainstorms in Coldspring.Floodwater accumulates in a residential area following significant rainstorms in Coldspring, on Saturday, May 4, 2024.Callaghan O'Hare for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/11/texas-public-pools-lubbock-longview/Advocates say public pools are necessary community infrastructure and save lives. Splash pads have become a more affordable option.By Jayme Lozano Carver and Jess HuffThu, 11 Jul 2024 13:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/11/texas-public-pools-lubbock-longview/Micah Branscum, 3, plays with a water feature at the new Mae Simmons Splash Pad on July 8 in Lubbock. Once considered a form of necessary community infrastructure that commanded millions of federal dollars nationwide, swimming pools across Texas and the U.S. are closing and being replaced with more affordable splash pads.Demolition of the Longview Swim Center continues on Friday, July 5, 2024.Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/11/beryl-power-outage-debris-rain-heat-sargent-texas/More than 1 million Texans still don’t have electricity. For those hardest hit by Beryl, the wait will stretch into next week.By Jaden Edison, Jess Huff, Pooja Salhotra and Kayla GuoThu, 11 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/11/beryl-power-outage-debris-rain-heat-sargent-texas/Community members drop off donated goods such as water and food to the Sargent Fire Department on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, in Matagorda County.Community members drop off donated goods such as water and food to the Sargent Fire Department on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, in Matagorda County.Hope Mora for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/09/beryl-texas-houston-power-outages/Power companies and Texas officials say restoration efforts could take days. Experts say Texans without electricity are facing a dangerous situation.By Pooja Salhotra, Jess Huff, Emily Foxhall, Alejandra Martinez and Kayla GuoTue, 09 Jul 2024 12:02:59 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/09/beryl-texas-houston-power-outages/Electrical workers gather supplies early Wednesday morning to provide support to people experiencing major power outages after Hurricane Beryl in Houston.Electric workers gather supplies to provide support with major power outages after Hurricane Beryl in Houston, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.Joseph Bui for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/08/hurricane-beryl-texas-damage-updates-rain/Tens of thousands of households and businesses aren’t expected to have electricity for most of this week.By Pooja Salhotra, Alejandra Martinez, Emily Foxhall, Jess Huff, Stephen Simpson, Maria Probert Hermosillo, Berenice Garcia, Kayla Guo and Dante MotleyMon, 08 Jul 2024 18:33:16 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/08/hurricane-beryl-texas-damage-updates-rain/Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about CenterPoint Energy during a press conference at Gallery Furniture in Houston on Sunday, July 14, 2024.Governor Greg Abbott, speaks about Centerpoint Energy during a press conference at Gallery Furniture, Houston, Thursday, Sunday July 14,2024. Doug Sweet Jr. for Texas TribuneDouglas Sweet Jr. for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/27/texas-hazard-mitigation-plans/The plans, which are required by the federal government to access certain grants after a natural disaster, are laborious to assemble — especially for rural counties.By Jess Huff, Graphics by Elijah Nicholson-MessmerThu, 27 Jun 2024 12:51:21 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/27/texas-hazard-mitigation-plans/Flooding in downtown Livingston on May 2. Thousands fled their southeast Texas homes as heavy rains saturated land in multiple counties.Flooding in downtown Livingston on May 2, 2024. Thousands fled their Southeast Texas homes as heavy rains saturated land in multiple counties.Drone Bros LLChttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/19/quitman-texas-memory-loss-care-center-alzehimers-dementia/The ambitious project has won a federal grant. But the Texas Legislature has not yet given its blessing, a crucial step to move the facility forward.By Jess Huff and Stephen SimpsonWed, 19 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/19/quitman-texas-memory-loss-care-center-alzehimers-dementia/Quitman Mayor Randy Dunn speaks about working with the Wood County Health Care Foundation to plan out and build the Memory Health Life Center on March 14 during a meeting at UT Health East Texas in Quitman.Quitman Mayor Randy Dunn speaks about working with the Wood County Health Care Foundation to plan out and build the Memory Health Life Center on Thursday March 14, 2024 during a meeting at UT Health East Texas in Quitman.Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/22/texas-highway-59-floods-interstate-69-improvements-txdot/TxDOT says it can’t guarantee that upgrades to one of Houston’s main hurricane evacuation routes will prevent future flooding of U.S. 59.By Jess HuffWed, 22 May 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/22/texas-highway-59-floods-interstate-69-improvements-txdot/Flooding on U.S. Highway 59 in Livingston on May 2, 2024. Thousands fled their Southeast Texas homes as heavy rains inundated multiple counties.Flooding on U.S. Highway 59 in Livingston on May 2, 2024. Thousands fled their Southeast Texas homes as heavy rains saturated land in multiple counties.Drone Bros LLChttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/05/east-texas-flooding-recovery/East Texans tried to reach their homes by boat and kayaks Saturday. Others remained pessimistic that the water would recede soon.By Jess HuffSun, 05 May 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/05/east-texas-flooding-recovery/An airboat returns with rescued pets in tow as a group of people launch kayaks into floodwaters following significant rainstorms in Coldspring on May 4.An airboat returns with rescued pets in tow as a group of people launch kayaks into floodwaters following significant rainstorms in Coldspring on May 4, 2024.Callaghan O'Hare for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/03/east-texas-flood-survivors-cleanup/Dozens of evacuees, including the elderly and barefoot children, crowded in an old school building Friday, praying for clear skies on Monday.By Jess HuffSat, 04 May 2024 00:04:48 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/03/east-texas-flood-survivors-cleanup/Flooding in downtown Livingston. Thousands fled their Southeast Texas homes as heavy rains saturated land in multiple counties.Flooding in downtown Livingston on May 2, 2024. Thousands fled their Southeast Texas homes as heavy rains saturated land in multiple counties.Drone Bros LLChttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/03/texas-property-appraisal-district-board-elections/In the state’s larger counties, voters can now elect people to the agencies that appraise property values.By Joshua Fechter, Jess Huff and Yuriko SchumacherFri, 03 May 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/03/texas-property-appraisal-district-board-elections/Texans in more populous counties are electing appraisal district board members for the first time. Appraisal districts determine property values, a figure that helps determine tax bills.Some Texans will soon have a say in who sits on their tax appraisal boards.Callaghan O'Hare for The Texas Tribune