More than 90,000 fathers will be living in a Texas prison on Father’s Day this year.

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On January 1, HB 1510, a bill that exempts landlords from the threat of civil liability for renting to people with criminal records, took effect.

Read the rest of this article at Austin Chronicle.

A new law protects Texas landlords from liability if they lease to a person with a non-violent criminal history. 

Read the rest of this article at Public News Service.

Inspired by what he sees as a proliferation of debtor prisons, a state representative has filed a bill that permits judges to waive fines and fees imposed on poor people charged with Class C misdemeanors.

Read the rest of this article at Victoria Advocate.

The last time Lewis Conway Jr. voted was in 1992, when he cast his ballot for Bill Clinton. This November, he will head to the polls for the first time in more than two decades.

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Texas Puts Money in Taxpayer Pockets, Needs to Spend Better

Texans will save an estimated $92 million when shopping for school supplies during this weekend’s “tax free” days. Everyone enjoys a good discount, and that money will help families buy their kids the learning tools they need. But Texas faces a big budget shortfall this year thanks to lower gas prices. State leaders will be looking for more efficient, less costly ways to fix roads, fund schools, and secure our communities while still giving money like this back to taxpayers.

More than 90,000 fathers will be living in a Texas prison on Father’s Day this year.  Some of them will soon be coming home.  The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition calls for changes that will give those families a fighting chance at success.

Each year, over 70,000 people are released from Texas’ prison system.  More than half have actually completed their sentence, are not under supervision, and get little or no help as they try to reestablish their lives.  

Thanks to the Internet, it's never been easier to search for a job. Landing an interview - let alone an offer - is harder than ever for applicants with criminal records since the Internet also puts those at employers' fingertips.

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A mere decade and a half into the new millennium, state lawmakers appear to be grasping a basic tenet of facilitating employment: If you want all your citizens to have jobs, maybe don’t prevent them from getting jobs.

Read the rest of this article at the Texas Observer.