Civil SocietyLocal NewsAckerly Becomes 17th Texas Town to Outlaw Abortion
Isaiah MitchellDecember 2, 2020
The Ackerly City Council voted unanimously last night to ban abortion in city limits. Lubbock and Odessa may do the same.
HomeAuthorIsaiah Mitchell, Reporter at The Texan
Isaiah Mitchell is a reporter for The Texan, a Texas native, and a huge Allman Brothers fan. He graduated cum laude from Trinity University in 2020 with a degree in English. Isaiah loves playing music and football with his family.
87th LegislatureEducationState HouseHouse Bill Targets Last County School Board Remaining in Texas
Isaiah MitchellNovember 30, 2020
State Rep. Valoree Swanson (R-Spring) is trying — again — to abolish Harris County's under-the-radar board of education.
87th LegislatureEducationState HouseStatewide NewsTexas Education Commissioner Would Become Elected Position with New Legislation
Isaiah MitchellNovember 25, 2020
Democratic State Rep. Gina Hinojosa wants the Texas Commissioner of Education to take office by vote instead of the governor's appointment.
EducationStatewide NewsAbstinence-Plus Sex Ed Curriculum Approved by State Board of Education
Isaiah MitchellNovember 20, 2020
Calls for the inclusion of LGBT terminology and gender identity education did not persuade the state board's in their curriculum decision.
EducationIssuesNew Lawsuit Takes Aim at Texas Universities’ Out-of-State Tuition
Isaiah MitchellNovember 20, 2020
Though the lawsuit is nominally against UNT, the think tank hopes for a declaration that out-of-state tuition for all state universities in Texas violates the U.S. Constitution.
The new president of the University of Texas at Austin will make over a million-dollar salary.
JudicialLubbock Rejects Ordinance to Outlaw Abortion
Isaiah MitchellNovember 18, 2020
Most council members said they clung to pro-life beliefs themselves but felt the ordinance would violate the law and open the door to lawsuits.
EducationStatewide NewsProposed K-12 Sex Ed Curriculum Highlights Abstinence, Consent, and Online Behavior
Isaiah MitchellNovember 16, 2020
Rejecting calls for LGBT inclusion, the proposed TEKS continue to push abstinence while presenting facts the current standards leave out.
87th LegislatureCivil SocietyState HouseProposed Bill Would Classify Sex Transitions for Minors as Child Abuse
Isaiah MitchellNovember 13, 2020
Rep. Steve Toth's bill would amend the Texas Family Code to include sex change surgeries and hormone therapy for minors under child abuse.
Local NewsAlamo Plan Leadership Clings to Cenotaph Move Despite Permit Denial
Isaiah MitchellNovember 13, 2020
Moving the cenotaph has become a white whale for Alamo leadership, with plans for renovations largely unchanged even after the permit denial.
JudicialLocal NewsAppeals Court Halts El Paso County’s Lockdown Orders
Isaiah MitchellNovember 13, 2020
An appeals court has stalled El Paso's lockdown until a lawsuit between a group of restaurateurs and the county judge concludes.
JudicialLocal NewsTexas Supreme Court Denies El Paso Businesses’ Request for Relief from Lockdown
Isaiah MitchellNovember 11, 2020
The Texas Supreme Court denied a writ of mandamus that would have stayed the El Paso lockdown until the end of the lawsuit.
EducationJudicialAppeals Court Rules Against University of Texas in Free Speech Lawsuit
Isaiah MitchellNovember 9, 2020
An appeals court ruled that UT's vague speech policies give students standing to sue. Here's a rundown of the case on both lines of argument.
The general gun season for whitetail started this morning, 30 minutes before sunrise, and will last as long as January 17 for south Texans.
Local NewsEl Paso Business Owners Fight County Lockdown, Aided by Attorney General
Isaiah MitchellNovember 6, 2020
A coalition of business leaders, joined by Paxton, says recent county orders are unconstitutional and overstep the governor.
87th LegislatureElections 2020State HouseState Reps. Leach, Shaheen Defy Predictions of a Blue Wave in Collin County
Isaiah MitchellNovember 4, 2020
Pollsters saw Collin County districts leaning blue after 2018, when Leach and Shaheen each won their districts by a hairsbreadth.
Elections 2020FederalRepublican Tony Gonzales Beats Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones to Replace Retiring Republican Will Hurd
Isaiah MitchellNovember 4, 2020
With a surprisingly solid margin of victory, Republican Tony Gonzales has defeated Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones for the U.S. congressional seat.
Texas' 38 electoral votes will go to Donald Trump, though mailed ballots may keep the national result up in the air.
Elections 2020Local NewsHidalgo County Keeps Polls Open an Extra Hour, Potentially Violating Election Law
Isaiah MitchellNovember 3, 2020
Hidalgo County's decision to lengthen voting time — a last-minute action potentially taken without the county judge — may violate the law.
The presidential contest, congressional races, and state legislative campaigns — here are The Texan's top 10 things to watch for on Election Night.