https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/stephen-simpson/The latest news by Stephen Simpson.enFri, 21 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/21/texas-measles-vaccine-new-mexico-oklahoma-us/Public health experts say Texas needs better messaging on vaccinations and quarantining and more people conducting contact tracing to contain the spread.By Stephen SimpsonFri, 21 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/21/texas-measles-vaccine-new-mexico-oklahoma-us/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/20/texas-greg-abbott-trump-education-department/Gov. Greg Abbott dismissed concerns that federal funding and civil rights could be jeopardized by the reduction of the department.By Matthew Choi and Stephen SimpsonThu, 20 Mar 2025 16:56:08 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/20/texas-greg-abbott-trump-education-department/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/18/texas-covid-pandemic-readiness/Five years after Texas’ first COVID death, the state spends less on public health, vaccination rates have dropped and a distrust of authority has taken hold.By Terri Langford, Jayme Lozano Carver, Pooja Salhotra, Eleanor Klibanoff and Stephen Simpson, Graphics by Dan Keemahill and Yuriko SchumacherTue, 18 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/18/texas-covid-pandemic-readiness/Illustration by Diana Branzan for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/07/texas-recovery-homes-accreditation/A new law was meant to uphold standards at homes where substance abusers are trying to rebuild their lives. But compliance is proving difficult.By Stephen SimpsonFri, 07 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/07/texas-recovery-homes-accreditation/House of Extra Measures residents during a meeting at a recovery home in Houston on March 2, 2025.House of Extra Measures residents during a meeting at a home in Houston, Texas, on March 2, 2025.Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/06/texas-dementia-research-institute/The legislation would require voters to approve the $3 billion start-up cost, and then the fund would be maintained at no more than $300 million annually.By Stephen SimpsonThu, 06 Mar 2025 14:30:24 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/06/texas-dementia-research-institute/State senators discuss a piece of legislation with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on the Senate floor on June 28, 2023.State Senators discuss a Point of Order on an amendment to the SJR 1 property tax bill to include a bonus for Texas teachers, with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on the Senate floor during the first day of the second special session at the state Capitol in Austin on June 28, 2023.Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/19/texas-mental-health-therapist-dei-licensing/Officials say the motive for the change to the rule requiring mental health providers to receive cultural diversity or competency training for license renewals has been misunderstood.By Stephen SimpsonWed, 19 Feb 2025 17:46:35 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/19/texas-mental-health-therapist-dei-licensing/Psychotherapist Monrovia Van Hoose's office on Friday, Mar. 11, 2022.Psychotherapist Monrovia Van Hoose's office on Friday, Mar. 11, 2022.Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/18/texas-measles-outbreak-climbs/The West Texas outbreak has spread to one new county – Lamb – for a total of 15 affected counties, as of Tuesday.By Terri Langford, Stephen Simpson, Eleanor Klibanoff and Pooja SalhotraTue, 18 Feb 2025 19:30:14 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/18/texas-measles-outbreak-climbs/Covenant Children's Hospital located in Lubbock on Feb. 26, 2025. The hospital has been treating patients who have fallen ill with measles.Covenant Childrens hospital located in Lubbock on Feb. 26, 2025. Covenant has addd a patient screening check before entering the children's emergency entrance.Trace Thomas for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/07/texas-medicaid-mental-health-yes-waiver/Despite a long waitlist, the number of children served in the YES Waiver program has declined because of provider shortages.By Stephen SimpsonFri, 07 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/07/texas-medicaid-mental-health-yes-waiver/Quin Heston and his mother Nidia Chairez Heston, who were recipients of the YES Waiver, stand outside their home in Austin on Jan. 27, 2025.YES Waiver Participant Quin Heston and his mother, Nidia Chairez Heston, stand outside their home in Austin on Jan. 27, 2025.Julia Zeddies for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/30/texas-measles-vaccinations-schools/Two of the four cases are in Lubbock, which hasn’t seen a case in more than 20 years. Meanwhile, measles vaccination rates in Texas have fallen over the last four years.By Stephen Simpson, Dan Keemahill and Jayme Lozano CarverThu, 30 Jan 2025 14:25:46 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/30/texas-measles-vaccinations-schools/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/27/texas-youth-mental-health-needs-social-media/Social media’s danger on youth mental health has captured the attention of Texas lawmakers, at times, eclipsing focus on bigger threats — provider shortages and funding cuts to programs.By Stephen SimpsonMon, 27 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/27/texas-youth-mental-health-needs-social-media/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/16/texas-health-license-compact-proposal/Advocates say interstate compacts, which allow professionals to use their work licenses in multiple states, can solve Texas’ workforce shortage. Skeptics fear Texas would send more workers than it would receive.By Stephen SimpsonThu, 16 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/16/texas-health-license-compact-proposal/The New Opportunities for Wellness (NOW) Clinic, where this photo of resources was taken, provides San Antonio with quick and reliable behavioral health services.Scenes from UT Health San Antonio’s NOW Clinic on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at the NOW Clinic in San Antonio, Tx. The New Opportunities for Wellness (NOW) Clinic provides San Antonio with quick and reliable behavioral health services from professionals.Olivia Anderson/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/06/texas-988-suicide-hotline-funding-deficit/The state’s 988 suicide had the nation’s fifth highest rate of abandoned calls in August, the latest data available, amid a multi-million funding deficit that could worsen as federal dollars expire this year.By Stephen SimpsonMon, 06 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/06/texas-988-suicide-hotline-funding-deficit/A sign for 988, the national suicide and crisis hotline number, is posted at a North Austin parking lot on Jan. 3, 2025.A sign for the national suicide and crisis hotline number, 988, is posted at a North Austin parking lot, on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/02/texas-arpa-mental-health-priorities-legislature/Texas received $203.4 million in 2021 to help build community mental health programs at libraries and churches, among other efforts. Those funds expire Dec. 31.By Stephen SimpsonThu, 02 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/02/texas-arpa-mental-health-priorities-legislature/Mental health pamphlets at an office complex in Round Rock on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024.Mental Health pamphlets at an office complex in Round Rock on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024.Eddie Gaspar/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/2024/12/05/texas-ban-social-media-as-schools-struggle/A Texas lawmaker has introduced a bill prohibiting minors from using social media accounts as school districts become a “hunting ground” for online dangers.By Stephen SimpsonThu, 05 Dec 2024 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/05/texas-ban-social-media-as-schools-struggle/https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/04/texas-thc-ban-dan-patrick-delta-8-9-hemp/Patrick contends retailers have exploited a law passed in 2019 to sell unregulated and potentially harmful consumable tetrahydrocannabinol products.By Jasper Scherer, Alejandra Martinez, Karen Brooks Harper and Stephen SimpsonWed, 04 Dec 2024 22:07:14 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/04/texas-thc-ban-dan-patrick-delta-8-9-hemp/Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Patrick said Wednesday that the THC ban would be designated as Senate Bill 3.Lt. Governor Dan Patrick speaks during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/22/uvaldes-darkest-hour-craig-garnett/Craig Garnett, author of “Uvalde’s Darkest Hour,” believes healing will take time but the the city is on the right path.By Stephen SimpsonFri, 22 Nov 2024 13:15:21 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/22/uvaldes-darkest-hour-craig-garnett/https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/21/texas-cities-marijuana-ken-paxton-lawsuits/Dallas is the sixth Texas city the attorney general has sued this year over marijuana decriminalization measures that he says conflicts with state law.By Stephen SimpsonThu, 21 Nov 2024 13:02:37 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/21/texas-cities-marijuana-ken-paxton-lawsuits/Recently harvested marijuana flowers are hung up to dry in South Austin on April 30, 2021.FILE: Recently harvested marijuana flowers are hung up to dry in South Austin on April 30, 2021.Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/20/trump-texas-mental-health-policy/The president-elect previously supported community mental health programs in Texas, the 988 hotline and addressed the opioid crisis, but his plan to address homelessness threatens that legacy.By Stephen SimpsonWed, 20 Nov 2024 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/20/trump-texas-mental-health-policy/https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/13/texas-social-workers-ban-lawsuit/Texas prohibits people with assault convictions, among other felonies, from becoming social workers. A new lawsuit says the ban is unconstitutional.By Stephen SimpsonWed, 13 Nov 2024 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/13/texas-social-workers-ban-lawsuit/Tammy Thompson, left, and Katherin Youniacutt, right, pose for a portrait the night before filing a lawsuit against the state of Texas to reverse the 2019 law that prevents certain convicted felons from becoming licensed social workers.Tammy Thompson, left, and Katherin Youniacutt, right, pose for a portrait the night before filing a lawsuit against the state of Texas to try and reverse the 2019 law that prevents convicted felons from becoming licensed social workers.Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Texas Tribune