www.thecentersquare.com – By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-06-06 15:54:00
A group of 58 House Republicans urged Gov. Greg Abbott to veto SB 646, a bill expanding state-funded loan repayment for mental health professionals. The bill, authored by Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas), increases loan repayment amounts for various mental health workers, especially those serving rural areas or speaking languages other than English, and allocates \$1 million for advertising. Republicans criticized it as a “Biden style” expansion of loan programs and opposed student loan repayment programs broadly. West defended the bill, citing Texas’ severe shortage of mental health professionals across many counties. Separately, 41 House Republicans urged veto of SB 974 over potential conflicts of interest in property tax appraisal boards.
(The Center Square) – A group of House Republicans has called on Gov. Greg Abbott to veto a Democratic-authored bill related to expanding state-funded loan repayment programs for a range of mental health professionals.
SB 646 filed by state Sen. Royce, West, D-Dallas, would amend state law to expand and increase financial assistance provided through the Mental Health Professionals Loan Repayment Program.
It would increase the amount of loan repayments for physician psychiatrists, licensed clinical social workers, professional counselors, advanced practice registered nurses and a wide range of licensed social workers and counselors, according to the bill analysis. It also would increase the amount of awards to those who speak languages other than English and for those who practice in rural areas. It also allocates $1 million to the MHPLRP for advertising.
The majority of House Republicans, 58, voted against it. Thirty-four of them called on the governor to veto the bill.
The bill “expands a Biden style student loan repayment program,” House Republicans, led by Rep. Brent Money, wrote in a letter to the governor. “58 republican members voted against this bill and in opposition to student loan repayment programs. There are many laudable things that the legislature funds and expands during the session but few that received such significant opposition as SB 646. We humbly ask that you veto this legislation and in so doing encourage the legislature to make ‘loan repayment programs’ and their expansion something we have to avoid in future sessions.”
West argued the program was necessary to help more mental health professionals enter the field “given Texas’ stark shortage of mental health professionals.” The existing program isn’t helping meeting the shortfall, he says, which “remains critical.”
Of Texas’ 254 counties, 168 don’t ‘have any licensed psychiatrists; 147 don’t have any psychologists; 91 don’t have licensed clinical social workers; 78 don’t have licensed chemical dependency counselors; 41 don’t have licensed professional counselors; 211 don’t have psychiatric-mental health advanced practice registered nurses (as of 2019 data) and 148 school districts don’t have any school counselors, according to the bill analysis.
Earlier in the week, a group of 41 House Republicans called on Abbott to veto a bill they argue will only help increase property taxes, The Center Square reported.
SB 974, filed by state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, passed the legislature with bipartisan support. It would allow school board members and school district employees to serve on appraisal review boards, the entities responsible for assessing property tax appraisal challenges.
Those who voted against it argue it “establishes a clear conflict of interest … An employee who is paid by a school district should not be involved in the processes of determining the value of property that is taxed to generate funding for the district.”
Abbott previously vetoed similar legislation in the last legislative session.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article primarily reports on recent legislative developments in Texas, detailing both the positions and actions of Democratic lawmakers who proposed the bills and the Republican opposition to them. The language used is neutral and factual, presenting the content of the bills (SB 646 and SB 974), the arguments from both sides, and relevant statistics without loaded or emotive wording. The inclusion of direct quotes from Republican representatives and Democrats, and the provision of context around the votes, suggests an intent to inform rather than advocate for one side. Thus, the article presents the ideological positions of the parties involved without exhibiting a clear ideological stance or bias itself.
SUMMARY: Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, a promising NFL talent and Ohio State alumnus, visited Austin’s C4 Nutrabolt headquarters to film a C4 Energy video. His partnership with C4 began in college, and he values the brand’s community involvement. Stroud, who spends time in Austin due to his agent and charity events, appreciates the city’s nature and local spots like The Guest House and lakes. A man of faith, he credits spirituality and mentorship for his growth, encouraging young athletes to embrace failure and be authentic. Focused on personal improvement heading into the new season, Stroud feels grateful for his Houston home and C4 partnership.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced she will intervene in a legal battle over Texas’ abortion pill ban, responding to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against a New York doctor accused of illegally mailing abortion pills to Texas. Paxton sued Dr. Margaret Carpenter, who operates under New York’s shield law protecting abortion providers from out-of-state legal actions. After a Texas court ordered Carpenter to stop and pay penalties, a New York county clerk refused to enforce the judgment, citing the shield law. James aims to defend New York’s laws against Texas’ overreach, while Paxton and other Republican attorneys general challenge shield laws federally.
Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday said she will intervene in a legal fight over Texas’ ban on abortion pills, escalating a national showdown between states that have restricted abortion access and others that are defending practitioners who offer services to out-of-state women.
Her decision came over a month after Texas Attorney GeneralKen Paxton sued a New York county clerk for refusing to file a six-figure judgment against a doctor accused of prescribing abortion drugs to a Texas woman. This continues a legal battle over shield laws that experts say will likely reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
“I am stepping in to defend the integrity of our laws and our courts against this blatant overreach,” James said in a news release. “Texas has no authority in New York, and no power to impose its cruel abortion ban here.”
In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Paxton called the New York attorney general “a lawless abortionist” and said that he will defeat her in court.
The legal fight first started in December 2024 when Paxtonsued Dr. Margaret Carpenter, accusing her of mailing abortion pills from New York to a woman in Collin County in violation of Texas law. Carpenter is the co-founder of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, which helps abortion providers in states with so-called shield laws.
Shield law protections, which exist in over 20 states, seek to legally protect health care professionals and others who provide abortion-related services to those who live in states with abortion bans.
In February, a Collin County judge ordered the New York doctor to stop providing abortion pills to Texans and to pay more than $113,000 in penalties and fees.
Acting Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruckrefused to file the judgment in March and cited his state’s shield law, which was passed in 2023 following the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Paxton then sued the clerk later that month in Ulster County. His office also argued in a court document that New York’s shield law violates the U.S. Constitution’sfull faith and credit clause, which requires states to respect other states’ “public acts, records, and judicial proceedings.”
“No matter where [Carpenter] hides, our pro-life laws will be enforced, and justice will be served,” Paxton said Monday. “The Constitution expressly requires states to recognize the judicial enactments of other states’ courts, and New York, unsurprisingly, is choosing to ignore that constitutional requirement.”
James said she will submit a legal filing later this month to argue that New York has the legal right to safeguard its residents and courts against “out-of-state overreach.” She said Monday that she has formally notified the case’s judge of that decision.
“Our shield law exists to protect New Yorkers from out-of-state extremists, and New York will always stand strong as a safe haven for health care and freedom of choice,” she said in the news release.
Besides this legal fight with New York, Paxton has joined over a dozen other attorneys general from Republican-led states in July in calling on Congress to take action against abortion shield laws. They similarly argued that such laws infringe on the Constitution’s full faith and credit clause and the extradition clause.
The Texas Legislature also just advanced a bill allowing private residents to sue anyone who manufactures or distributes abortion drugs to or from the state. Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to take action on the legislation passed during the second special session.
Shape the future of Texas at the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin! We bring together Texas’ most inspiring thinkers, leaders and innovators to discuss the issues that matter to you. Get tickets now and join us this November.
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
This article is framed with a neutral to center-left leaning perspective. It reports on a contentious legal battle over abortion pill access, highlighting actions taken by Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James and Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. The article gives considerable attention to New York’s shield law protections and frames Texas’ abortion restrictions as “cruel” and an “overreach,” reflecting language often used in progressive discourse supporting abortion rights. However, it also fairly includes perspectives and legal actions from conservative actors, maintaining an overall factual tone typical of center-left news outlets focused on issues of reproductive rights and state-level legal conflicts.
www.kxan.com – The Associated Press – 2025-09-08 13:27:00
SUMMARY: At the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, Ariana Grande won Video of the Year and Best Pop Video, thanking “therapists and gay people” in her speech. Lady Gaga, the top nominee, won Artist of the Year and performed at Madison Square Garden, emphasizing the deep meaning of artistry. Mariah Carey received the Video Vanguard Award with a medley of hits, while a tribute celebrated the late Ozzy Osbourne with performances by rock legends. Busta Rhymes earned the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award, and Ricky Martin received the first Latin Icon Award. Hosted by LL Cool J, the show featured performances by Doja Cat, Post Malone, Taylor Swift, and more, broadcast on CBS for the first time.
