Clowns in the Texas Capitol! from The Barbed Wire

Welcome back! I’m Olivia, the editor in chief of The Barbed Wire, and I’m delighted to host the next 90 seconds of your life. Sorry if you thought the subject line was literal, but we’re not above mocking those in power. This week, the clown car that is the Texas Legislature is back in session, which means a ton of politicians, very well-paid lobbyists, and bureaucratic staffers have descended upon Austin. We won’t be covering day-to-day legislative goings-on, but what happens in that beautiful pink building affects the lives of all Texans, so we’ll keep you informed on the big stuff. 

On that note, this week, Senior Editor Brian Gaar wrote about the new third-most powerful man in the state, state Rep. Dustin Burrows, and Senior Editor Leslie Rangel covered a very sweet proposal on the House floor. 

Meanwhile, one of my favorite #txlege reporters is now a contributor for The Barbed Wire — this week, Julián Aguilar dove into a horrifying report by the federal Department of Justice, which found use of excessive force and sexual abuse in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Advocates for reform were hopeful that the DOJ’s report would spur change, since the federal government could sue the state. But then the election happened. Now, with Trump’s administration looming, it’s unclear whether anyone will step in to protect these kids, of which there are about 800, ages 10 to 18. 

Meanwhile, contributor W. Scott Lewis wrote a comprehensive overview of the best, worst, and weirdest gun legislation up for debate this session, and Brian helped answer a pivotal question that affects us all: Why don’t we have high-speed rail? And will we ever? The answers honestly surprised me, and they had a lot more to do with Southwest Airlines and lobbying than I’d expected.

In case you missed it, Cara Kelly wrote this extremely impactful story, in which she pulled together all the the data, reporting, and research available on how Texas’ abortion ban has impacted real people’s lives. Spoiler alert: More mothers have died, more babies have died, more people have STDs and infertility, more babies have been abandoned, and fewer doctors are willing to work here.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro worked hard to get the CIA to release documents proving that the agency monitored Latino activists during the civil rights era, and he wants the FBI to do the same. Gov. Greg Abbott sent Texas firefighters to help fight the devastating blazes in California

What we're reading...

A North Texas homeowners association was charged with discrimination for trying to kick out low-income renters, according to The Dallas Morning News, and Texas Monthly’s Chris Hooks wrote about why you should watch the session’s drama and clownery. Our other favorite, Dan Solomon, explained why Post Malone is a good person, and the Austin American-Statesman reports on Nate Paul’s guilty plea.

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