Taylor Pride will hold its fifth annual music-and-arts festival later this month, despite a decision by Mayor Dwayne Ariola not to issue a proclamation recognizing the event.

Denise Rodgers, a board member with the LGBTQ+ nonprofit, said she was caught off guard by the decision.

"For four years they've issued a proclamation. They've always been very supportive and very present at all of our events," she said. "So yeah, to receive a denial from the new mayor was very surprising and disappointing."

Cities like Taylor often issue proclamations to recognize and increase awareness of local events or groups. Past proclamations have recognized Taylor Pride's annual festival and its contributions to the city's LGBTQ+ community.

"This is the fifth time that I have personally submitted this proclamation [request]," Jose Orta said. "There were no issues the last four times. What has changed?"

Former Mayor Brandt Rydell issued all four of the past proclamations recognizing Taylor Pride. He issued the most recent one on May 9, 2024, just days before he left office. Ariola was sworn in later that month.

As mayor, Ariola has the final about whether a proclamation will be issued.

KUT reached out to Ariola multiple times for a comment on his decision, but did not receive a response.

In a statement to CBS Austin, the mayor said he made the decision "because I believe we have other meaningful opportunities in June to come together鈥攕uch as Juneteenth, a unifying observance begun in Texas and now national in scope that honors freedom and resilience."

Rodgers called Ariola's statement "disheartening."

"Quite honestly, it's very confusing to exclude an entire community of people in the name of unity," she said. "This really undermines the work that we've been doing together for the last five years."

Taylor Pride held Williamson County's first-ever in-person Pride event in 2021. Over the years, the organization has evolved into a resource and advocacy group for LGBTQ+ people in Taylor and surrounding communities 鈥� hosting events like voter registration happy hours, drag shows and "self-love yoga."

Rodgers said she's holding out some hope that the mayor will change his mind. She's created an online petition encouraging the mayor to do just that; it has garnered more than 1,500 signatures.

"The denial contradicts the inclusive values we hold dear, and the reality our residents continue to embrace and promote: diversity, acceptance, and love for all," the petition states. "Let's encourage the Mayor to reconsider his stance and endorse a proclamation that aligns with the values of tolerance and pride that Taylor has so beautifully championed, and as his predecessor had done for the past 4 years."

Orta said he plans to ask the mayor to change his mind at next week's City Council meeting.

"Ultimately, the decision is his prerogative, but if he is going to deny it, we would like for him to own it and to be held accountable," he said.

This is not the first time controversy has surrounded one of Taylor Pride's events.

In 2022, the organization was denied participation in a local holiday parade, prompting the city to part ways with the parade's organizers.

"Every time we face one of these challenges, it's a reminder of how important this work is, and how much it is needed in rural communities, how little support and resources exist," Rodgers said.

Continuing preparations for this year's Pride celebration, she said, is part of that work.

"One of these days, they're going to learn that, you know, every time they push back, we just get more support," Rodgers said. "We get bigger."

The festival will take place on June 28 from 4 to 10 p.m. at Heritage Park in downtown Taylor.

Correction: A previous version of this story said Denise Rodgers was the president of Taylor Pride. She is no longer president, but a board member.

Texas law enforcement agencies may soon be required to take a larger role in immigration enforcement.

Senate Bill 8, which made it to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk, would require county sheriffs who run a jail to have a written agreement partnering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

A lot of law enforcement agencies already cooperate with ICE 鈥� at least informally. For example, say someone who is undocumented is arrested and taken to the AG真人百家乐 County jail. If ICE asks, the sheriff's office can detain the person for federal authorities.

SB 8 would require a formal agreement. The AG真人百家乐 County Sheriff's Office is weighing how that could look. An agency spokesperson said it's 鈥渃arefully considering鈥� models of partnership with ICE "based on the needs of the community and our agency." The spokesperson said the decision would be based on "available resources," but did not elaborate.

Sarah Cruz with ACLU Texas said state efforts to enforce immigration 鈥� including Operation Lone Star, the state鈥檚 multibillion-dollar crackdown on undocumented migration 鈥� have led to more racial profiling.

Cruz said she worries SB 8 could lead to more.

"I think our concern is that [SB 8] potentially leads to more racial profiling in Texas," she said. "I think over the last few years, we've seen Operation Lone Star be really harmful to our border communities, and this is now something that our interior communities are going to be facing as we have more collaboration with ICE."

The governor has previously signaled support for the measure.

The bill is one of a handful of state laws requiring local immigration enforcement stretching back nearly a decade. A 2017 law banning so-called sanctuary cities forced sheriffs to cooperate with detainer requests from ICE. The City of Austin and other cities unsuccessfully challenged that law and the sheriff's office began complying with requests.

A 2024 law would have required all law enforcement agencies in Texas to enforce immigration, but it's in a federal appeals court.

You can do a lot in six hours.

Ask Chase Norris. Three days a week, he makes a three-hour commute up and down Interstate 35 from his Hays County home to his Austin office at the Texas General Land Office. Until this week, he was staring down a five-day commute 鈥� another six hours on the traffic-prone interstate. He wasn't thrilled.

Earlier this spring Gov. Greg Abbott ordered all state workers 鈥� remote or not 鈥� back to offices. For some agencies that sent them scrambling to find space for workers who, in some cases, had been fully remote. But last week, state lawmakers passed a bipartisan bill to effectively reverse that top-down mandate, allowing state agencies to set their own remote-work policies. The bill now heads to the governor's desk.

The measure from Republican state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione allows agencies to adopt their own remote-work policies, while setting up guardrails for agency heads to ensure employees' productivity.

Catarina Kissinger, an organizer with the Texas State Employees Union, said the need to regulate remote-work wasn't on a lot of people's list of priorities heading into the legislative session. But the governor's March mandate changed that.

"It's one of those things that feels like it shouldn't be necessary," she said. "But it was made necessary by the governor's mandate, unfortunately."

Kissinger said the order ran counter to a state-backed study that remote work policies were a boon to agencies that had been struggling to hire and retain workers.

"Remote work is one of the few tools that actually improves job satisfaction without raising costs," Kissinger said.

Norris said the governor's policy caused a lot of stress with no real benefit" among his coworkers, with some weighing whether to quit outright and move to the private sector.

"[This] work is hard," he said. "It doesn't pay that much, but we do it because it's good work."

After the bill's passage, Norris said the General Land Office paused its transition to a five-day, in-person transition plan. He's still going to have to make a long commute down I-35, but now it's only three days a week, not five.

He and his wife both work full-time and those three-hour stretches of time on I-35 can take a toll.

"It's hard enough balancing all of life these days," he said. "The two days I work from home help me do that. I don't sacrifice my productivity to do that. It's just the nature of the beast."

The bill now heads to the governor's desk, and Kissinger said its overwhelming bipartisan support in both the Texas House and Senate could bode well for the measure.

"[We] would be pretty surprised if he didn't actually sign it," he said.

With less than a week to go in the 89th legislative session, Texas lawmakers are rushing to get their bills out of the House and Senate and onto the governor鈥檚 desk. That includes two bills championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, one of the most influential lawmakers in the state who has set his focus this year on regulating THC products.

Standing before a table of THC-laced beverages and snacks, Patrick explained his mission this session.

鈥淭his is to save an entire generation of being [sic] hooked on drugs,鈥� he said.

Standing next to Patrick was state Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), author of , which would ban all consumable THC products, such as gummies or vapes. SB 3 has passed the legislature and now heads to the governor for approval.

Patrick said he has 鈥渢otal confidence鈥� that Gov. Greg Abbott would approve the legislation.

鈥淚 know where his heart is, and I know where he wants to be to protect children and adults,鈥� Patrick said.

purchasing, possessing and selling hemp products in 2019. The industry has since boomed in the state.

Perry said he鈥檚 been on a mission to overturn that legislation ever since.

鈥淚t took about four years and unfortunately lives lost and lives ruined to get it to the level and awareness that I was able to bring it to,鈥� he said.

Under SB 3, Texans would still be able to buy non-psychoactive cannabis derivatives like CBD or CBG. The products would be required to be placed in child-resistant packaging.

Patrick and Perry have both raised concerns over children accessing such products. In March, Patrick visited several shops selling THC consumables to check whether they were carding customers. When he arrived at an Austin CBD shop, The Happy Cactus Apothecary, an employee requested to see his ID to verify his age.

鈥淥ne of our employees said she asked for his ID, and he said 鈥業鈥檓 Dan Patrick.鈥� And she said, 鈥業 still need to see your ID,鈥欌�� shop owner, Todd Harris,

Critics of the legislation, , say individuals who consume THC may use it to alleviate chronic pain. But a separate bill, , would expand the pool of individuals who would qualify for the Compassionate Use Program. Under the program, patients with certain medical issues, such as cancer or PTSD, are eligible to receive medical-grade cannabis products for treatment. Under HB 46, those with chronic pain would be allowed to apply. The bill is being amended by the House before it鈥檚 sent to the governor for his approval.

Katharine Neill Harris, a drug policy fellow at Rice University鈥檚 Baker Institute, said HB 46 would make medical cannabis more accessible.

鈥淚 think, absolutely, we will see an increase in people who have been taking marijuana, sort of outside of the Compassionate Use Program, who now can be brought into that and have access to those higher quality products,鈥� she said.

The Texas Senate on Friday advanced a $8.5 billion public school funding bill, moving it one step closer to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk.

House Bill 2, which underwent significant revisions since its initial passage in the Texas House in April, marks one of the largest education investments in state history.

The final version of HB 2 includes $4.2 billion for teacher and staff pay raises, with experienced educators in smaller districts eligible for increases of up to $8,000. Nearly $2 billion is directed toward overhauling special education and funding full-day pre-K, early learning interventions and career and technical education. An additional $430 million is set aside for school safety measures.

While the Texas House initially proposed a $395 increase to the base amount of spending allocated per student, known as the basic allotment, the final version trimmed that boost to just $55. Although modest compared to the initial proposal, this marks the first increase to the state's basic allotment since 2019.

The bill's passage came after , which dramatically reshaped how funding would be allocated. On Thursday, the House and Senate on HB 2.

"This legislation provides the largest teacher pay raise in history, targeted funding for our special education students, investments in early childhood learning, and additional funding for our schools to address the rising fixed costs of operation," said Republican Rep. Brad Buckley of Salado, chair of the House Public Education Committee and author of the bill.

The bill now returns to the House to resolve any amendments added by the Senate. If both chambers agree on the final version, it will move on to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk.

Copyright 2025 KERA

The Texas Senate has passed a bill that would move the state to permanent daylight saving time, ending the long-standing tradition of "springing forward" and "falling back" each year.

, authored by Republican Rep. Will Metcalf of Conroe, aims to eliminate the time change by keeping Texas on daylight saving time (DST) year-round. The Senate passed the bill Thursday afternoon on a vote of 27 to 4. The measure cleared the Texas House last month; it now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for approval.

Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Republican from Houston, argued that extending daylight into the evening hours would better suit Texans "in this modern economy and modern age."

"The bill would provide numerous benefits to Texans," Bettencourt said. "It's very difficult to use that hour before an 8 a.m. start for school or work very effectively, but you can use the several hours later, up through dusk."

Under the bill, the entire state would observe daylight saving time permanently. But the shift can't happen without federal action. Currently, only allows states to opt out of DST entirely, not but not adopt it year-round. That means even if Abbott signs HB 1393 into law, it won't take effect unless Congress changes federal timekeeping rules.

"This is really all weighing upon the federal government," Bettencourt said.

On Thursday, Democratic Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas voiced opposition to HB 1393. He referenced the country's with permanent DST in 1974, when President Richard Nixon signed a bill implementing it in response to the national energy crisis. The policy quickly drew public backlash and was ultimately abandoned before the year was over.

"The question is: Do we go with daylight savings time and always be an hour ahead of where we established our clock centuries ago? Or do we go back to what we've done for centuries?" Johnson said. "I would argue that we should not adopt daylight savings time."

In recent years, similar measures in Texas have stalled before reaching Abbott's desk. The governor has previously indicated for making DST permanent in the state. At least 18 other states 鈥� including Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Alabama 鈥� have passed similar legislation, all waiting for federal approval. In Congress, the Sunshine Protection Act, which would allow states to adopt DST year-round, has been introduced five times, including this year. Despite repeated efforts, the bill has yet to gain traction.

Public opinion appears to be divided. A by the Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago found that 40% of Americans favored staying on standard time year-round, while 31% preferred permanent DST. Meanwhile, 28% said they preferred keeping the current system of switching clocks twice per year.

Copyright 2025 KERA

The Texas House on Thursday passed a bill restricting local governments from using public funds to support women seeking abortions.

, sponsored by Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, specifies that taxpayer money may not be given to either abortion providers or 鈥渁n abortion assistance entity.鈥� It also bans public funds from being used to offer help with child care, travel, lodging or other types of 鈥渓ogistical support鈥� for abortion seekers.

Republican Rep. Candy Noble of Lucas said Thursday that the bill 鈥渃loses a perceived loophole鈥� to make the state鈥檚 legislative intent clear regarding taxpayer-funded travel to facilitate an abortion. SB 33 cleared its final hurdle in the House on a 87-58 vote Thursday.

Texas cities including Austin and have set aside money to support organizations or individuals seeking out-of-state abortion care. Both cities attracted lawsuits from Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has argued that the funds violate a clause in the Texas Constitution, as well as the state鈥檚 abortion bans.

鈥淚 will not stand by while rogue cities use tax dollars to circumvent state law and take the innocent lives of unborn children,鈥� Paxton wrote in a statement after he in April.

Under SB 33, the state鈥檚 attorney general and private citizens may bring a civil suit against cities that give financial assistance to abortion seekers.

Austin City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, who helped lead the city's effort to fund travel assistance for out-of-state abortion care through the city鈥檚 Reproductive Logistical Fund, accused state leaders of choosing 鈥渃ontrol over care.鈥�

"SB 33 doesn鈥檛 protect anyone, it only serves to punish cities that dare to stand up for their people,鈥� Fuentes said in a Thursday statement to KUT News. 鈥淚t鈥檚 shameful, it鈥檚 wrong, and only deepens the reproductive health crisis Texans are already facing.鈥�

The bill was one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick鈥檚 priorities for the legislative session. After it passed the Senate in April, he said SB 33 would stop 鈥渞ogue, liberal cities鈥� from continuing to 鈥渟kirt state law.鈥�

鈥淭he Senate鈥檚 passage of SB 33 draws a line in the sand, prohibiting these cities from using taxpayer dollars to fund abortion-related travel to circumvent state law,鈥� he said.

SB 33 was tweaked by the House before its passage, so it鈥檒l now go back to the Senate for approval. If advanced by the Senate, it鈥檒l head to Gov. Greg Abbott鈥檚 desk to be signed into law.

KUT鈥檚 Luz Moreno-Lozano contributed additional reporting to this story.

A bill aimed at clarifying when doctors can perform emergency abortions received final approval from the Texas House on Thursday in a 134-4 vote. Senate Bill 31 now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott鈥檚 desk.

The bill, also known as the , was crafted with input from both physicians and anti-abortion groups 鈥� and sponsored by Sen. Bryan Hughes, the Mineola Republican who also authored the state鈥檚 2021 abortion ban.

鈥淓very pro-life law that Texas has passed has recognized that when the life of the mother is in danger that is an exception,鈥� said Hughes while introducing the bill earlier this session.

In Texas, abortions are illegal except when a medical emergency occurs that threatens a woman鈥檚 life or a 鈥渕ajor bodily function.鈥� But doctors have said the language of the exception isn鈥檛 clear enough, and leaves them unsure of what qualifies as an emergency and when they can legally act.

The bill鈥檚 introduction followed from that found confusion surrounding Texas鈥� abortion ban had resulted in the deaths of at least two women, as well as in people who experience miscarriages.

SB 31 makes language about exceptions consistent across Texas鈥� various overlapping abortion laws, clarifying that the risk of death or impairment does not have to be 鈥渋mminent鈥� for doctors to act. It says that discussions between doctors and their colleagues or patients while determining if abortion is the best treatment option is not considered to be 鈥渁iding and abetting鈥� an illegal abortion under the law.

The measure also places the burden of proof on the state if a doctor is accused of performing an illegal abortion. Additionally, it tasks the Texas Medical Board with providing a continuing education course about the law for physicians.

The bill does not add any new exceptions for rape, incest or lethal fetal anomalies, though a recent study from the University of Houston showed a majority of Texans would support such exemptions.

鈥淭his is not a choice bill,鈥� said Rep. Charlie Geren, the Fort Worth Republican who carried the bill in the chamber, on the House floor Wednesday. 鈥淭his bill addresses the life and health of the mother 鈥� period. That鈥檚 it.鈥�

SB 31 received bipartisan support this legislative session. However, some abortion rights advocates spoke out against an earlier version of the bill. Their concerns centered on Texas abortion statutes . Those statutes are technically still on the books, but courts are considering whether they are actually enforceable. By tweaking the language of those old statutes, advocates were concerned anti-abortion actors could argue the statutes were back in play 鈥� including a provision that anyone who 鈥渇urnishes the means鈥� for an abortion could be liable.

Before the bill received initial approval from Texas House members on Wednesday, some anti-abortion lawmakers said they worried the proposal would provide loopholes that would allow doctors to perform abortions.

Rep. David Lowe, a Republican from North Richland Hills, was one of six lawmakers who voted against it on second reading.

鈥淭his bill does not protect life, it weakens it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his bill loosens restrictions on the killing of unborn children.鈥�

SB 31鈥檚 final, approved text includes amendments that say the bill is not taking a stance on the enforceability of the pre-Roe ban, quelling some of those earlier concerns.

But during Senate floor discussions in April, Hughes said he would not support a similar amendment for another abortion-related bill he sponsored 鈥� , which takes aim at interstate abortion pill distribution. That proposal is still awaiting a committee hearing in the Texas House.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Bryan Hughes as a representative instead of a senator.

An anti-abortion monument is one step closer to being installed at the state Capitol after the Texas House on Tuesday approved a resolution authorizing its construction.

The , authored by Republican Sen. Tan Parker of Flower Mound, would authorize the State Preservation Board to approve the installation of the "Texas Life Monument," an 8-foot statue depicting "a mother with an unborn child cradled in a world-shaped womb" just north of the Capitol. The measure passed the House on a vote of 98 to 44 after previously earlier this month.

The proposal now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott for approval.

Republican Rep. Caroline Harris Davila of Round Rock said the statue would be fully funded by private donors, not taxpayer dollars 鈥� and funding has already been raised, according to Harris Davila.

"The monument would serve as a peaceful space for families to honor motherhood, the strength of women, and the hope and beauty of human life," Harris Davila said.

The monument would be a replica of the "National Life Monument," created by artist Timothy Schmalz. It would be added to the collection of monuments surrounding the Capitol, which commemorate a range of historical figures and events from Texas history.

The monument's passage comes as Texas maintains a on abortion, implemented after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. State law prohibits nearly all abortions, with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest.
Copyright 2025 KERA

To avoid state sanctions, Austin ISD plans to hire more experienced teachers to work at three middle schools that received consecutive failing grades under Texas鈥� school rating system.

The district is not only trying to recruit educators with a track record of improving student outcomes to work at Dobie, Webb and Burnet middle schools. It's also asking teachers currently working at those campuses to reapply for their jobs.

Brandi Hosack, the district's chief of talent strategy, told reporters Thursday she thinks a lot of educators who don't teach core subjects, such as English and math, will return.

"I expect many of them to come back 鈥� our fine arts teachers, our [career and technical education teachers]," she said.

Austin ISD is required to develop turnaround plans for the schools after they each received two consecutive failing grades from the Texas Education Agency. The agency grades middle schools based on how students perform on STAAR, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness.

If a campus gets an "F" for five years in a row, the education commissioner can shut down the school or appoint a board of managers to replace the school board . Austin ISD administrators predict Dobie, Webb and Burnet will each earn a third "F" when the 2024 accountability ratings, which have been tied up in court, are released. They expect all three schools to get a fourth "F" when the 2025 ratings are released in August.

The district must submit its turnaround plans to the TEA by June 30.

One plan Austin ISD is considering is a 鈥�,鈥� which includes removing current school leadership, bringing on new teachers and reworking the school day to, for example, increase the amount of time students spend on literacy and math. The changes are based on a that, according to TEA, has been implemented at more than 40 other schools with low accountability ratings.

Austin ISD, which has a more than $100 million deficit, expects implementing this restart plan would cost between $1.5 million and $1.7 million per campus.

Hosack said the district wants to recruit 鈥溾�� to work at Dobie, Burnet and Webb.

鈥淲e are looking for folks that have more than three years' experience in the classroom, are certified and have proven [to be] highly effective," she said.

Austin ISD is holding hiring events May 14 and May 15 at its Central Office.

Teachers in core subjects, such as English and math, stand to receive at least a $15,000 stipend on top of their salary. Bilingual-certified and special education-certified teachers would get a $7,000 annual stipend. Educators who are part of the state鈥檚 are eligible for a $5,000 stipend.

Hosack said there are teachers currently working at the three middle schools who meet the district鈥檚 criteria. The teachers would have to reapply for their jobs.

Sandra Flores, who teaches English at Webb, called that a 鈥渟lap in the face" to teachers who have worked in the district for years. She also said the term "transformative teachers" is concerning.

鈥淲ho are they transforming? Are they trying to transform our students? Because our students are perfect. They have achieved so many successes,鈥� said Flores, who was named a 2025 Campus Teacher of the Year. 鈥淚t is such a shame that they鈥檙e not acknowledging any of the accomplishments that they鈥檝e met.鈥�

Flores questioned how the district was able to come up with the money for stipends when Webb has struggled to get the resources it needs to serve students.

鈥淗ad [the district] supported us the way that we had asked then we would have done so much better. But instead our classes are ginormous,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have SPED support, we didn鈥檛 have a dyslexia teacher, we lost admin. We had one counselor."

Omar Garcia, who has taught at Webb for five years, said he wished he could spend his entire career there. He said district officials have not done a good job of keeping staff in the loop on the changes that are underway.

鈥淚 wish we would have been treated with more professionalism and respect,鈥� he said.

Austin ISD has started recruiting teachers, even though the school board is not set to vote on the turnaround plan until June 12.

Another option the district could pursue to stave off state intervention is partnering with a charter company to run the middle schools. But Hosack said the district needs to prepare for the next school year now.

鈥淲e have to start moving in a direction even prior to official votes because of the work that it takes to do that,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are in conversation, certainly, with the experts at TEA and with our board because you have to say this is where we鈥檙e heading 鈥� we want feedback 鈥� but we need to start heading in this direction.鈥�

Hosack added that teachers who do not meet the qualifications to teach at Webb, Dobie and Burnet will be reassigned to other schools. She noted employees such as teaching assistants and clerical and custodial staff are not subject to the same reevaluations and will be able to remain at their campuses.

鈥淪ome of those faces are the most familiar and supportive faces that our students know,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be bringing those staff members back without question.鈥�

Students have urged Austin ISD to keep their teachers at their schools. Students at Dobie and Webb staged walkouts on Wednesday and called into the school board meeting Thursday to express support for their teachers. Flores said her students have been asking her to reapply for her job.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e scared," she said. "They鈥檙e scared to walk in next year and there will not be anyone that they know."