https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/pooja-salhotra/The latest news by Pooja Salhotra.enWed, 15 Jan 2025 10:40:45 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/15/texas-porn-site-ban-us-supreme-court/The Supreme Court’s decision on Texas’ law, which adult entertainment website attorneys said were the most overreaching in the country, could determine the fate of similar laws in more than a dozen other states.By Pooja SalhotraWed, 15 Jan 2025 10:40:45 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/15/texas-porn-site-ban-us-supreme-court/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to the media on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, during a press conference following arguments in the case “Free Speech Coalition, Inc., et al. v. Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas,” at the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to the media on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, during a press conference following arguments in the case “Free Speech Coalition, Inc., et al. v. Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas,” at the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C.Luke Johnson for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/14/texas-legislature-2025-speaker-race-live-updates/The Texas House kicked off the 2025 session by electing an establishment Republican to lead the chamber, drawing criticism from within the GOP.By James Barragán, Renzo Downey, Jasper Scherer, Pooja Salhotra and Robert DownenTue, 14 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/14/texas-legislature-2025-speaker-race-live-updates/Republican Party of Texas Chair Abraham George, right, speaks to the press on the steps of the state Capitol following the vote for House speaker on Jan. 14, 2025. Looking on are Republican freshman state Reps. Wes Virdell, David Lowe, Andy Hopper and Brent Money.Republican Party of Texas Chair Abraham George speaks to the press on the steps of the state Capitol following the vote for House speaker on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. Looking on are Republican freshman state Reps. Wes Virdell, David Lowe, Andy Hopper and Brent Money.Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/13/texas-budget-revenue-estimate-biennium/The estimate includes $23.8 billion leftover from the current budget cycle.By Pooja SalhotraMon, 13 Jan 2025 14:03:45 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/13/texas-budget-revenue-estimate-biennium/Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar discusses the biennial revenue estimate with audience members at Texas Tribune’s Studio 919 in Austin on Jan. 9, 2023.Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar discusses the biennial revenue estimate with audience members at Texas Tribune’s Studio 919 in Austin on Jan. 9, 2023.Pu Ying Huang/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/13/texas-screwworm-cattle-agriculture/Since cattle imports were cut off in November, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and some ranchers worry about the ban’s economic impact on beef producers and consumers.By Pooja SalhotraMon, 13 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/13/texas-screwworm-cattle-agriculture/Forty to 50 heads of cattle, down from 5,000 due to restrictions on cattle imports from Mexico, reside at the Vaquero Trading stockyard in Sunland Park, New Mexico on Jan. 8, 2025. Vaquero Trading's offices are based in El Paso.Forty to fifty head of cattle down from 5,000 due to restrictions on cattle imports from Mexico at the Vaquero Trading stockyard in Sunland Park, New Mexico on January 8, 2025.Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/30/exas-department-public-safety-drivers-licenses-outage/The outage appeared only to affect the Texas public safety department. Driver license offices reopened after the New Year’s Day holiday.By Stephen Simpson and Pooja SalhotraMon, 30 Dec 2024 19:57:12 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/30/exas-department-public-safety-drivers-licenses-outage/The Northwest Austin Department of Public Safety office on Jan. 24, 2019. The department closed offices on Monday due to an unspecified outage.The Nortwest Austin DPS office on Jan. 24, 2019.Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/09/conversation-with-texas-comptroller-glenn-hegar/The state’s economic output will slow, but a recession isn’t expected, Hegar said.By Pooja SalhotraThu, 12 Dec 2024 15:45:47 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/09/conversation-with-texas-comptroller-glenn-hegar/https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/02/bartlett-prison-rehabilitation-texas-criminal-justice/The Bartlett Unit in Williamson County will house 1,049 male inmates who will participate in educational programs aimed to help them secure a job after they’ve served their time.By Pooja SalhotraMon, 02 Dec 2024 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/02/bartlett-prison-rehabilitation-texas-criminal-justice/Inmates sit in a dormitory-style room at the Bartlett Unit on Nov. 21, 2024 in Bartlett.Men incarcerated at the Bartlett Innovation Unit sit in a dormitory-style room on Nov. 21, 2024 in Bartlett.Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/26/donald-trump-tariffs-texas-border-economy/The president-elect said he intends to levy a 25% tariff on goods imported from Mexico and Canada until drugs and undocumented migrants stop crossing the border.By Pooja SalhotraTue, 26 Nov 2024 18:10:43 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/26/donald-trump-tariffs-texas-border-economy/https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/12/texas-legislature-bills-filing/Tuesday marked the first day lawmakers could file bills for next year’s legislative session.By Pooja Salhotra and Texas Tribune StaffTue, 12 Nov 2024 15:06:46 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/12/texas-legislature-bills-filing/Tuesday was the first day Texas lawmakers could file bills for next year's legislative session.Members vote to approve an anti-voucher amendment brought by state rep. Abel Herrero, D-Robstown, during a marathon session on the House floor to approve HB-1 at the Capitol in Austin on April 06, 2023.Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/12/texas-robert-roberson-separation-of-powers-subpoena/The state’s highest civil court ruled that legislators can’t use subpoenas to block death row inmates’ executions, but suggested there’s still time for Roberson to testify before a Texas House panel.By Pooja Salhotra and Terri LangfordTue, 12 Nov 2024 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/12/texas-robert-roberson-separation-of-powers-subpoena/Former detective Brian Wharton testifies during a Texas Houst Criminal Jurisprudence Committee hearing about death row inmate Robert Roberson on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. Wharton was an investigator in the case of the death of Nikki Roberson and has expressed his doubts of Roberson's guilt.Former Detective Brian Wharton testifies during a Criminal Jurisprudence hearing on death row inmate Robert Roberson on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024 in Austin, TX. Wharton was an investigator in the case of the death of Nikki Roberson and has expressed his doubts of Roberson's guilt and agrees with stopping his execution. With his scheduled execution drawing closer, a hearing debating the certainty of Robreson's guilt and there is a bipartisan push to stay his execution. Sergio Flores for The Texas TribuneSergio Flores for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/08/trump-cruz-2024-election-republicans/Cruz beat his challenger by 9 points, while Trump prevailed over his by 14 points. Still, Cruz performed better this year than he did in 2018By Carla Astudillo, Yuriko Schumacher and Pooja SalhotraFri, 08 Nov 2024 18:11:30 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/08/trump-cruz-2024-election-republicans/President-elect Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.From left: President-elect Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/07/2025-legislative-session-preview/Lawmakers discussed public education, gun laws and health care policy at a daylong Texas Tribune event.By Juan Salinas II, Pooja Salhotra and Sneha DeyFri, 08 Nov 2024 13:52:55 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/07/2025-legislative-session-preview/https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/06/texas-voter-turnout-election-2024-registration/A historic 18.6 million Texans were registered to vote in the 2024 election, and 61% cast ballots, a nearly 6% drop from the 2020 presidential race.By Pooja Salhotra, Data reporting by Yuriko SchumacherWed, 06 Nov 2024 16:44:28 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/06/texas-voter-turnout-election-2024-registration/Voters wait in line to cast their ballots in the 2024 general election at the Esperanza Acosta Memorial Library. Voters waited in line in upwards of two hours on Election Day.Voters wait in line to cast their ballots in the 2024 presidential election at the Esperanza Acosta Memorial Library. Voters waited in line in upwards of two hours in El Paso, Texas on November 5, 2024.Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/06/texas-republicans-elections-2024-trump-cruz/Recent gains made by Democrats in past elections were wiped out, as Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and other Republicans won by wide margins.By Pooja SalhotraWed, 06 Nov 2024 01:30:12 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/06/texas-republicans-elections-2024-trump-cruz/Attendees celebrate poll results during a watch party for Ted Cruz on Tuesday in downtown Houston.Attendees celebrate poll results during a watch party for Ted Cruz on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in downtown Houston.Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/05/texas-election-day-trump-harris-allred-cruz-congress-legislature/Texas might not be a swing state, but many of its races will have major consequences to the national political landscape and on the lives of everyday Texans.By Texas Tribune Staff, James Barragán, Jasper Scherer, Matthew Choi, Robert Downen, Alejandro Serrano, Joshua Fechter, Kayla Guo, Pooja Salhotra and Terri LangfordTue, 05 Nov 2024 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/05/texas-election-day-trump-harris-allred-cruz-congress-legislature/Voters wait in line at the Houston Community College Southeast voting location in Houston on Election Day.Voters wait in line at the Houston Community College Southeast voting location in Houston on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024.Mark Felix for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/03/texas-ob-gyn-letter-abortion-laws/The group of 111 doctors cited recent ProPublica reporting on two pregnant women who died because doctors did not provide lifesaving care.By Pooja SalhotraSun, 03 Nov 2024 16:03:44 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/03/texas-ob-gyn-letter-abortion-laws/Thousands of people walk in a march in support of abortion rights near downtown San Antonio on June 24, 2022.Thousands of people walk in a pro-abortion protest march around downtown San Antonio on June 24, 2022.Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/31/voting-texas-jail-prison-convict/Texans serving time for misdemeanor offenses or who are in jail awaiting trial are eligible to vote but only two counties offer voting in jail.By Pooja SalhotraThu, 31 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/31/voting-texas-jail-prison-convict/The Linda Woodman State Jail in Gatesville in May 2018.The Linda Woodman State Jail in Gatesville in May 2018.Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/29/ken-paxton-jeff-leach-robert-roberson/The AG also said he’d make a criminal referral against the lawmaker, who apologized for texting a Court of Criminal Appeals judge about a new trial for the death row inmate.By Jasper Scherer, Kayla Guo and Pooja SalhotraTue, 29 Oct 2024 16:38:17 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/29/ken-paxton-jeff-leach-robert-roberson/“His conduct demonstrates that he is unfit to serve in any capacity overseeing our judicial system and unfit to serve as a member of the Texas House,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement seeking Rep. Jeff Leach's resignation Tuesday.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/29/robert-roberson-texas-testimony-attorney-general/Members of a Texas House committee say in a Texas Supreme Court filing that Paxton’s office is blocking the death row inmate from complying with a legislative subpoena.By Pooja SalhotraTue, 29 Oct 2024 15:42:20 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/29/robert-roberson-texas-testimony-attorney-general/The Texas House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence meets to consider the death penalty imposed on Robert Roberson, who is on death row for the death of his daughter.The Texas House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence meets to consider the death penalty imposed on Robert Roberson, on death row for the death of his daughter, on Oct. 21, 2024. At issue is Roberson's conviction based on a diagnosis of "shaken baby syndrome," now discredited as "junk science" and specifically rejected by Texas law.Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/28/robert-roberson-jeff-leach-criminal-case/Leach, one of the driving forces behind the effort to stop Roberson’s execution, later apologized to the judge, who told the lawmaker there were still pending matters before the court.By Kayla Guo and Pooja SalhotraMon, 28 Oct 2024 16:30:26 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/28/robert-roberson-jeff-leach-criminal-case/State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, is a member of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence that intervened in the execution of Robert Roberson.From left: State Reps. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, and Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, listen to a testimony during a Criminal Jurisprudence hearing on death row inmate Robert Roberson on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024 in Austin.Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune