AIPG-TX

No one covers Texas’ lawmakers and politicians like The Texas Tribune, and that’s never more in evidence than in the odd-numbered years when the Legislature is in session.

After an unprecedented year with four special legislative sessions and an impeachment trial of the state’s attorney general, our statehouse coverage gave Texans context for understanding major debates about schools, taxes and corruption and how these debates affect Texas communities, families and individuals. This kind of service journalism was woven throughout the entire year: We started the year with a foundational explanation of state government in Texas and finished with a detailed look at the effects of an $18 billion sweeping tax-cut package.

The Tribune remains true to its roots as a nonprofit, nonpartisan publication that covers state government more thoroughly than any news outfit in the state. Our coverage remains free to read and free to republish. During this challenging year, we remained committed to rigorous, impartial, evidence-based, verified journalism. We recently became a partner of The Trust Project, an international consortium of newsrooms that adhere to the highest standards of transparency and integrity.

Now, our sights are set on 2024.

• We continue to expand our regional team, which includes reporters based in Lubbock, Lufkin and Odessa, and are looking to hire our first full-time reporter based in the Rio Grande Valley, through a partnership with Report for America.

• We are gearing up for the primary and general elections, including the political conventions and a U.S. Senate race, but our coverage won’t be focused solely on polls or “horse-race” coverage. Instead, we are taking a grassroots approach, traveling across diverse communities to consider the state of democracy in Texas. Instead of letting only politicians set the agenda, we will seek to find out which issues and concerns Texans care about the most and how democracy is being experienced at the local level.  We will have more to share in the coming weeks.

• We’ll continue following issues that affect millions of Texans, including water supply and infrastructure, immigration and border security, the state takeover of Houston ISD, school safety, and debates over reproductive rights and the rights of transgender Texans.

• We will continue to publish pieces that help readers better understand how their government works and how to participate, including our popular voter guides.

As I sign off for this year, I ask that you consider supporting the work of our dedicated journalists. Original, factual reporting — conveyed without opinion or attitude — is in ever-shorter supply. Show your support for Texas journalism — and for democracy, which needs independent, nonpartisan watchdogs to hold power to account.

Will you make a year-end donation to The Texas Tribune now?