Sergio Martínez-Beltrán
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán reports on Texas politics and government for The Texas Newsroom.
Prior to moving to Austin, Sergio worked for the nonprofit news outlet Bridge Michigan, where he reported extensively on the state’s inaugural redistricting commission, campaign finance and state government. He’s won multiple accolades, including a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for a story he did on mariachi education while covering politics for Nashville Public Radio.
Sergio is a Puerto Rico native and a graduate of Michigan State University. Reach him at smb@kut.org.
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Minutes after the President Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the race and was endorsing Harris, Republicans started attacking her record on immigration and border policy. -
A new Justice Department report details the failures of police who responded to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022.
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House Bill 1 includes funding for school safety and salary raises for teachers. But the measure’s most controversial provision, one creating a school voucher-like program, was stripped from the bill on Friday afternoon. -
A version of the bill that would send public money to private schools passed through a Senate committee on Thursday. Gov. Greg Abbott made such legislation one of his top priorities in this fourth special legislative session. -
The proposal is now headed to the Texas House of Representatives, where similar legislation stalled in the last special session. At the same time, House lawmakers are also debating their own voucher proposal, which has some significant differences from the Senate's. -
Abbott's announcement Tuesday suggests a renewed effort to divert public funds to private schools. Phelan’s office stopped short of calling it an agreement, saying the Republican speaker “looks forward to having robust discussions on school funding, teacher pay, and other critical issues with his House colleagues." -
Sessions is one of nine Republicans — and the only Texan — vying to secure the nomination after a group of GOP lawmakers ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. -
The Colony Ridge development in southeast Texas has been accused of being a haven for undocumented immigrants and a hotbed of crime. The developer refutes those claims. -
The proposal is now headed to the Texas House of Representatives, where it faces an uphill battle. -
The measure could be considered by the full Senate as early as this week. -
Gov. Greg Abbott said he’d call lawmakers back to Austin as many times as necessary to get his plan passed. He’s even vowing to get involved in next year’s primaries by supporting challengers to incumbent Republicans who don’t vote his way.
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School vouchers and border security are the focus of a special legislative session beginning this week in the Texas Statehouse. Both are key issues for the state's Republican governor.
