Joshua Fechter
Texas Tribune
San Antonio, TX, United States
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Past articles by Joshua:
Austin voters elect Kirk Watson, who served as mayor two decades ago, to lead the city again
Watson, a former state senator who was Austin’s mayor from 1997 to 2001, pitched himself as a back-to-basics candidate who could ease the city’s growing affordability crisis. → Read More
How Austin’s housing crisis has shaped the race for a new mayor
The capital city’s mayoral race is something of a test case in how the state’s rising housing costs might influence local races in major cities. → Read More
Lina Hidalgo, a rising Democratic star, faces a tough reelection race to lead Harris County
The Houston region’s high number of homicides, the state’s new abortion ban and a flood of campaign cash have made for a dramatic race to lead the state’s most populous county. → Read More
After Uvalde school shooting, Texas police wonder how much training is enough — and will it matter?
Police officials and law enforcement experts say there’s no guarantee that officers will follow their training and confront a shooter — no matter how much training they have. → Read More
Protesters across U.S. and Texas join March for Our Lives rallies against gun violence
Outside the Capitol in Austin, relatives of Jackie Cazares, 9, and Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10, two of the 19 students killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, tearfully addressed a crowd. → Read More
Authorities took an hour to stop Uvalde gunman, raising questions about law enforcement response
Officials clarified the timeline of the shooting Thursday after giving varying accounts. They refused to answer many questions about the tactics. → Read More
Texas voters approve two modest property tax relief measures
The state’s high property taxes have taken center stage as Texas’ real estate market explodes and drives up home values. → Read More
As Texas home values skyrocket, state officials wrestle with how to slow property tax increases
Texas school districts, cities and counties rely heavily on property taxes to pay for roads, libraries, police, firefighters and public schools. But lowering tax bills has long been a difficult endeavor. → Read More
Texas voters will decide whether to lower some property tax bills in May election
If two propositions pass, the state will increase school funding to make up for revenues lost from a decrease in property taxes. → Read More
Texas’ power grid held up during last week’s winter weather. Experts say it wasn’t seriously tested.
Experts say it’s unclear whether changes mandated by Texas lawmakers to prevent widespread power outages like those last February made a significant difference during a weaker winter storm. → Read More
The man who brought drive-thru voting to Texas wants to be Houston’s next mayor
Former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins rose to prominence by pushing ways to expand voting access in Texas’ most populous county during the November 2020 election. → Read More
Texas eviction filings among the nation's highest as millions of rent relief dollars go unspent
The U.S. Treasury Department seized $1.9 million in unspent rent relief from five Texas counties and one city because local officials didn’t spend the money fast enough. → Read More
Austin voters could decriminalize small amounts of pot in November
“Small possession of marijuana is not the type of violation that we want to stockpile jails with,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday. → Read More
Home prices soared during the pandemic. Here’s what that looks like in one East Texas city.
Texas’ housing crunch has spread outside of the state’s major metropolitan areas and into more rural parts of Texas. Smaller cities and towns saw steep increases in home prices as COVID-19 spread. → Read More
Citing overwhelming demand, Texas Rent Relief Program will stop taking new applications after Friday
Housing advocates worry some Texans won’t get the help they need as the state enters the cold winter months. → Read More
Texas House wants to use federal COVID relief funds to send out $525 checks — but only to homeowners
Republican lawmakers have faced pressure to provide some form of property tax relief this year. Critics of a new proposal say it’s politically timed. → Read More
Texas House wants to use federal COVID relief funds to send out $525 checks — but only to homeowners
Republican lawmakers have faced pressure to provide some form of property tax relief this year. Critics of a new proposal say it’s politically timed. → Read More
Gov. Greg Abbott wanted state lawmakers to ban mask mandates in public schools. They didn’t.
As Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to punish any school district that defied Abbott’s ban on mask mandates, Republican legislators were largely indifferent on the matter. → Read More
The nationwide ban on evictions is over. Here’s what Texas renters need to know.
There’s $1 billion in rental assistance available to struggling Texas tenants. But for many renters, getting the help they need depends on where they live. → Read More
Texas Supreme Court temporarily allows school mask mandates to remain
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott wanted the high court to disallow mask mandates in Texas school districts. Justices dismissed their request on a technicality, without issuing a ruling on their legal arguments. → Read More