Austin news

• Loreal, Steve Sarkisian announce birth of son via social media

  04-04-2025 23:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Loreal and Steve Sarkisian announced the birth of their son Friday via their respective Instagram accounts."He’s arrived, and our hearts are so full of love and gratitude!" Loreal posted. "Embracing these first days quietly resting, adjusting, and soaking in every little moment has been amazing! Thank you for your love and for respecting this sweet time of privacy." Here’s the actual reason why the Texas Longhorns aren’t having a spring gameSteve, 51, repl
  
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• Glen Powell launches Smash Kitchen organic condiments

  04-04-2025 23:19 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Think of a way to to eat classics, like ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and barbecue sauce, but without the "junk."
  That's what Glen Powell -- Austin native, actor and producer -- reimagined when thinking of a way to do just that by creating a line of organic condiments with his new team Smash Kitchen.Smash Kitchen is Powell's new line of organic condiments that includes "non-GMO pantry essentials that bring wholesome, crave-worthy flavors without the junk," according to a news rel
  
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• Texas softball has another road SEC series changed due to bad weather

  04-04-2025 22:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — No. 1 Texas and Missouri tried to beat inclement weather and move Friday's opening game up eight hours to 10 a.m., but Mother Nature didn't want them to play ball in Columbia, Missouri.The Longhorns and Tigers will now play a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. to kick off the Southeastern Conference series. The first game will stream on SEC Network+, and the second game, scheduled for 5 p.m., will air on SEC Network. The series concludes at noon Sunday and the game w
  
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• US must return Maryland father mistakenly deported to El Salvador prison, judge rules

  04-04-2025 21:57 via kxan.com
  
  HYATTSVILLE, Md. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to arrange for the return of a Maryland man to the United States after he was mistakenly deported to a notorious El Salvador prison.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement expelled Kilmar Abrego Garcia last month despite an immigration judge’s 2019 ruling that shielded him from deportation to his native El Salvador, where he faced likely persecution by local gangs.The judge's ruling came shortly after
  
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• Trump to give TikTok another 75-day extension

  04-04-2025 21:41 via kxan.com
  
  (The Hill) – President Trump said Friday that he plans to give TikTok another 75-day extension as his administration nears a deal to avert a ban on the popular social media platform.  “My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress,” he wrote Friday on Truth Social. “The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and r
  
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• Kyle Fire Department opens new station, improving emergency response in underserved area amid growth

  04-04-2025 20:59 via kxan.com
  
  KYLE, Texas (KXAN) -- Kyle got a new fire station Friday, helping to fill a gap in emergency response coverage in what the fire department said is an underserved and rapidly growing area.
  The Kyle Fire Department and Hays County Emergency Services District No. 5 celebrated the opening of Fire Station #4 on Friday morning. The new station is located at 110 High Road, Kyle.
  The 9,385-square-foot station cost $7.6 million and was funded in part by a $3 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant
  
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• Southwestern University $1M closer to on-campus football with new sports complex

  04-04-2025 20:42 via kxan.com
  
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) - An alumni couple's pledge of $1 million brought Southwestern University's athletic program closer to its goal of holding football games on its campus.
  The pledge from Kevin and Elizabeth Dice is a step in the right direction, adding to a $3 million gift in 2024, but the university is less than half way to the $9.2 million needed to construct the new facility.
  Southwestern officials announced their plan for a new multi-purpose sports complex to be constructed on the sit
  
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• Gov. Abbott said Harris County needs more time before calling special election to fill vacant U.S. House seat

  04-04-2025 20:17 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- When asked why he has not called for a special election to fill the vacant seat left by the passing of former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Governor Greg Abbott said Harris County will need "adequate time" to conduct the election after "repeated failures" in the past. But Democratic lawmakers at the state and federal level say the Governor is playing politics as U.S. House Republicans hold a slim majority.
  "Had I called that very quickly, it could have led to a failure in t
  
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• Guatemalan national arrested on drug charges in south Austin, DPS says

  04-04-2025 19:59 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Local, state and federal agencies executed a narcotics search warrant in south Austin on Thursday and arrested a woman from Guatemala on drug charges, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.According to DPS, the warrant was executed around 6 a.m. at a residence near Oltorf and 1st Streets.DPS said officers found and collected evidence related to narcotics distribution, bulk currency, several firearms and ammunition from inside the residence.The woman was not ide
  
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• Which Atlantic hurricane names have been retired?

  04-04-2025 19:53 via kxan.com
  
  This story is part of the KXAN Data Hub, where numbers help tell the whole story.
  We've created several data-driven stories and databases on topics including weather and climate, politics, education, sports and growth in Texas. Each story in the KXAN Data Hub is updated as new data becomes available.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Since 1954, 99 names have been retired from the list used by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean.The names used
  
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• Austin one of 20 finalists for environmental sustainability innovation award

  04-04-2025 19:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin was named as a finalist for an award that recognizes innovative efforts to strengthen environmental sustainability through community engagement.The city of Austin was one of 20 finalists for the 2025 National Civic League’s All-America City Award.According to the city, its Climate Equity Plan, which included contributions from more than 200 community members and organizations, contributed to the nomination.The city said the plan included:
  Achieving net-zero com
  
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• Firefighters may no longer have to 'feel around in the dark' during rescues with new tech

  04-04-2025 19:05 via kxan.com
  
  Sam Cossman with Qwake Technologies designed the C-Thru to help firefighters exploring smoke-filled buildings. (Frank Martinez/KXAN)
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Firefighters could soon be seeing with an upgrade. C-Thru, developed by Qwake Technologies, helps firefighters see inside burning buildings using infrared cameras."When a firefighter goes into a structure, and they hear the screams of a baby that's somewhere in the back room that they're trying to save from the flames," said Sam Cossman, CEO of Qw
  
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• MoPac entrance at Steck Ave. to close for 183 Mobility Project construction

  04-04-2025 18:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — This weekend, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) will close the southbound on-ramp to MoPac from Steck Avenue as part of its 183 North Mobility Project."The project team will be closing this entrance ramp continuously (24 hours a day) to complete the necessary work in this area," said CTRMA in a press release. "Crews will work as quickly and safely as possible to reopen access to southbound MoPac from this location, however, the closure is anticipated to
  
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• Delta to add another international route from Austin over holiday period

  04-04-2025 18:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Looking for a getaway this holiday season? Delta Air Lines will add a new international route from Austin for a two-week period over the Christmas holiday.Daily flights to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, will operate between Dec. 20 and Jan. 5, 2026. The new route is in addition to nonstop service to Cancun that will also begin Dec. 20. That route will continue through April 12."These additions provide Austin customers even more international options and makes travel to Mexico e
  
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• Sell-off worsens worldwide after China retaliates against Trump tariffs

  04-04-2025 17:42 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Stock markets worldwide are careening even lower Friday after China matched President Donald Trump’s big raise in tariffs in an escalating trade war. Not even a better-than-expected report on the U.S. job market, which is usually the economic highlight of each month, was enough to stop the slide.The S&P 500 was down 3.8% in midday trading, after earlier dropping more than 5%, following its worst day since COVID wrecked
  
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• Markets plunge with S&P 500 down 6% and Dow down 2,200 after China retaliates against Trump tariffs

  04-04-2025 17:42 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street’s worst crisis since COVID slammed into a higher, scarier gear Friday.The S&P 500 lost 6% after China matched President Donald Trump’s big raise in tariffs announced earlier this week. The move increased the stakes in a trade war that could end with a recession that hurts everyone. Not even a better-than-expected report on the U.S. job market, which is usually the economic highlight of each month, was enoug
  
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• Dow plunges again in worsening global sell-off

  04-04-2025 17:42 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — The sell-off for financial markets worldwide is slamming into an even higher, scarier gear on Friday.The S&P 500 tumbled 5.7%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 2,054 points as Wall Street's worst crisis since the COVID crash deepens. The Nasdaq composite was down 5.5%, with a little more than an hour remaining in trading, after China matched President Donald Trump’s big raise in tariffs in an escalating trade war. Not
  
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• 'Yellowstone' creator Taylor Sheridan to deliver keynote address at UT commencement

  04-04-2025 17:22 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Name a better way to celebrate a Texas commencement than to have an actual cowboy deliver the keynote address, I'll wait.
  Texas native and renowned screenwriter, director, and producer Taylor Sheridan is set to deliver the keynote address at the University of Texas at Austin's graduation in May.
  UT's 142nd Commencement Ceremony is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 10, at 7 p.m. at the Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Air Force’s 1st female fighter pilot is a
  
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• Underperforming Austin middle school receives federal grant. Will it save AISD from state control?

  04-04-2025 16:59 via kxan.com
  
  Author's note: A previous version of this story stated that TEA might take control over Dobie Middle School. This has been corrected to reflect that the TEA could take control over the Austin ISD board of trustees.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Poor student performance at Dobie Middle School could open Austin ISD up to a "takeover" by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), unless the school "does not significantly improve student success ... by the end of next school year," according to a memo sent
  
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• Northeast Austin middle school may close after school year, as federal grant awarded to surrounding community

  04-04-2025 16:59 via kxan.com
  
  Author's note: A previous version of this story stated that TEA might take control over Dobie Middle School. This has been corrected to reflect that the TEA could take control over the Austin ISD board of trustees.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Poor student performance at Dobie Middle School could open Austin ISD up to a "takeover" by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), unless the school "does not significantly improve student success ... by the end of next school year," according to a memo sent
  
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• Austinite named as finalist for James Beard Award

  04-04-2025 16:57 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday, the James Beard Foundation, which recognizes exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries, announced the finalists for its 2025 award season, and one Austinite made the cut.Arjav Ezekiel of Birdie’s was one of five nominated in the Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service category, which was a new category for 2025.According to the foundation, candidates in the category:
  set high standardsdemonstrate creativity and cons
  
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• Capital area sees slight uptick in unemployment

  04-04-2025 15:53 via kxan.com
  
  Austin (KXAN) — Texas Workforce Commission data showed that nearly 28,000 people in the surrounding capital area were actively seeking employment in the month of February.According to Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (WSRCA), a no-cost agency that connects employers and job seekers, the unemployment rate of the nine counties it serves increased from 3.6% in January to 3.8% in February.The breakdown of data by county collected by WSRCA in February is as follows:
  Blanco County: 3.6 per
  
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• Inside the Investigation: Man sues deputies who shot him as he talked to 911

  04-04-2025 15:00 via kxan.com
  
  New Braunfels, TEXAS (KXAN) -- A Texas man is suing a former Guadalupe County Sheriff's Deputy, accusing him of using excessive force during a police stop in 2021. On this week's Inside the Investigation, Senior Investigative Producer David Barer answers questions about the body camera at the center of a federal lawsuit.
  Related reading
  Texas man sues deputies who shot him while on the phone with dispatchersBargaining the Badge:How hundreds of accused Texas officers avoid prison
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• Austin officials reassure public on light rail project

  04-04-2025 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Five years ago, Austin voters said yes to a bond package that would fund the construction of a light rail line through the city, but Project Connect has yet to break ground.
  Austin transit leaders met this week and want to reassure the public that it is happening.The Austin Transit Partnership, the group in charge of bringing light rail to Austin, held a luncheon this week to provide an update on its efforts."The Austin Transit Partnership released their draft environmental
  
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• Border migrant shelters become ghost towns

  04-04-2025 14:01 via kxan.com
  
  JUAREZ, Mexico (Border Report) – It wasn’t that long ago that a dozen buildings in the Pan de Vida shelter provided warm meals, medication, clothes and a roof over the heads of upwards of 400 migrants.Families from as far away as Colombia and Venezuela found protection from gangs and smugglers behind the walls of this complex in the Anapra neighborhood of Juarez.Judge holds ICE agent in contempt after he detained suspect during a trial
  Many would walk to the border wall and surrender
  
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• Which airports had the most delays and cancellations in 2024?

  04-04-2025 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — One out of every five flights in the U.S. was delayed in 2024, according to federal data.The U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) publishes delay and cancellation data for airports across the country. BTS uses arriving flights when reporting delayed and canceled flights. A flight is considered delayed if it arrives at the gate 15 or more minutes after the scheduled arrival time.Nationwide, more than 7.5 million flights were scheduled
  
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• LIVE: CSU forecasts above average Atlantic hurricane season

  04-04-2025 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Colorado State University (CSU) released its initial outlook for the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season on Thursday.In a nutshell, this upcoming hurricane season is expected to be busier than normal with above-average named storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes (category 3 or higher).CSU Hurricane ForecastThis comes after an incredibly busy 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season with 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes and five major hurricanes.Factors in a busy season
  Warmer watersLack of El
  
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• CSU forecasts above average Atlantic hurricane season

  04-04-2025 14:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Colorado State University (CSU) released their initial outlook for the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season on Thursday.In a nutshell, this upcoming hurricane season is expected to be busier than normal with above average named storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes (category 3 or higher).CSU Hurricane ForecastThis comes after an incredibly busy 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season with 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes and five major hurricanes.Factors in a busy season
  Warmer watersLack of E
  
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• What you do before and during a tornado could save your life

  04-04-2025 13:46 via kxan.com
  
  ATLANTA (AP) — With new innovations and technology, scientists have learned from major tornado outbreaks over the years how to improve safety guidance. During tornado season, forecasters try to get the word out about staying safe during a storm — but also planning for it ahead of time.Tornado seasons typically begin at different times in different parts of the United States. Severe weather begins to ramp up in Central TexasIn what has historically been known as Tornado Alle
  
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• 'I feel violated': Florida hurricane victim's belongings auctioned off by storage facility

  04-04-2025 05:34 via kxan.com
  
  TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida family's home was flooded during Hurricane Helene so they salvaged what they could and placed belongings in a storage facility while they repaired their home.Last week, Tampa resident Laura Gattis went to the unit at a local Public Storage to find it cleared out, and the front desk informed her everything had been auctioned off that morning.She said she was never notified."When I pulled up to the unit, the door was wide open and there was nothing in there, ex
  
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• Shein, Temu may be more expensive under Trump rule change

  04-04-2025 05:26 via kxan.com
  
  (NewsNation) — President Donald Trump is eliminating a trade loophole that allows budget retailers like Shein and Temu to avoid tariffs on cheap Chinese goods.Trump signed an executive order Wednesday to end the so-called "de minimis" exemption on merchandise from China and Hong Kong. The rule allowed companies to avoid import taxes and certain customs paperwork on packages worth $800 or less.It's a decision that could lead to higher costs for consumers who shop at bargain sites like
  
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• Tom Cruise speaks on death of Val Kilmer: 'I can't tell you how much I admire his work'

  04-04-2025 05:18 via kxan.com
  
  (KTLA) — Tom Cruise has broken his silence on the death of his "Top Gun" and "Top Gun: Maverick" costar Val Kilmer.While at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, the movie star asked the crowd to "take a moment" to join him in a moment of silence to honor his "dear friend." Cruise surprised the crowd of movie theater owners with this appearance to further promote his upcoming film "Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning." Actor Val Kilmer dies at 65 “I can’t tell you how much I admire his w
  
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• APD SWAT callout 'brought to successful resolution' on South Congress

  04-04-2025 04:46 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After the Austin Police Department responded to a SWAT situation on South Congress, it confirmed the callout was "brought to a successful resolution," and two suspects were taken into custody.The Austin Police Department said on social media it responded to someone who was barricaded in the 300 block of South Congress at the Embassy Suites and previously called it "an active scene."According to an APD public information officer on the scene, officers were there to serve a warran
  
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• VIDEO: APD seeks public help finding 2 suspects wanted in connection with deadly shooting near I-35

  04-04-2025 04:28 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department is seeking public help identifying two suspects wanted in connection with a deadly shooting that happened earlier this week near Interstate 35 and East 32nd Street, per a news release from the agency.Officers responded to the shooting Monday around 1:50 a.m. in the 400 block of North I-35. When officers arrived on the scene, they found 33-year-old Rex Johnson "unresponsive" with "apparent gunshot wounds," according to police.Johnson was transported t
  
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• Texas Senate passes bill disallowing sex changes on birth certificates

  04-04-2025 01:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Senate on Thursday voted to pass a bill that would prevent Texans from changing the sex assigned on their birth certificates. The bill will move forward to be heard in the Texas House of Representatives.
  Senate Bill 406 was authored by Texas Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, and it was one of the first bills filed in the 89th Legislative Session. What KXAN is watching during the 89th Legislative SessionThe bill relates "to the required inclusion of a person's sex on a
  
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• Storm damage may delay emissions tests for Texas drivers

  04-04-2025 01:35 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Some Texas drivers may experience delays in getting an emissions test after severe weather damaged a data center connected with Texas vehicle inspections.Emissions tests are required for vehicle inspections in 17 of Texas' most-populated counties, including Travis and Williamson County in Central Texas. What is an emissions test and which Texans need them?The company that operates the Texas Information Management System had its corporate office damaged by severe weather, le
  
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• TEA can now release 2023 A-F accountability ratings

  04-04-2025 01:31 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) – On Thursday, a judge with Texas' 15th Court of Appeals ruled that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) can now release its 2023 A-F school accountability ratings."A through F is a bill I championed when I was in the senate, I championed when I was the chair of public education and have championed as Lt. Governor," said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. "Before A through F, in districts and schools, parents did not know what the result of their school was in terms of how it graded out."The
  
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• Texas Lottery Commission hears public comment on proposed lottery courier ban

  04-04-2025 01:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Proposed rule changes from the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) would allow the commission to revoke the license from any retailer that sells tickets to or works with a lottery courier service, which allow people to buy lottery tickets online or through an app.
  On Thursday, the commission held a public comment hearing to allow people to share their thoughts on the proposed changes. Two people signed up to speak. Paul Hardin, the president of the Texas Food and Fuel Association
  
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• Rori Harmon, Madison Booker, Vic Schaefer paid for Texas students to go to Final Four

  04-04-2025 01:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN)—The NCAA Final Four is similar to a bowl game during football season in many regards. One is that the players are celebrated everywhere they go and showered with free merchandise and swag.The Texas Longhorns love it, of course, but they know it's a business trip Friday night in Tampa, Florida. Texas Longhorns end 22-year Final Four drought with win over TCU in Elite Eight"All this extra stuff that comes with going to the Final Four, I'm really thankful for it, but we know wha
  
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• Some Texas lawmakers want to overhaul school discipline. Many worry the plan goes too far

  04-04-2025 00:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — While school choice takes center stage in the Texas legislature, a series of bills that would expand how a school district can discipline students is also moving forward. One proposed bill would allow school districts to file a civil suit to remove students from a campus and place them in an alternative education setting, including students receiving special education services.House Bill 6, authored by Rep. Jeff Leach, R-McKinney, Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, and other lawm
  
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