David Martin Davies

President Obama convened voting rights advocates to the White House Monday, where he doubled down on his commitment to salvaging the Voting Rights Act. Texas state representative Trey Martinez Fischer, a San Antonio Democrat, was the only Texan invited, and he said Texas was frequently discussed in the meeting with Obama and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

“Just as the President is talking about discrimination at the polls, here we are in Texas arguing this case in front of federal judges," Martinez Fischer said.

Texans are learning to live with a new anti-abortion law, which will shut down 37 of the state’s 42 abortion clinics. The law bans abortion after 20 weeks, requires abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, restricts the use of the abortion drug RU-486 and requires clinics meet the standards of ambulatory surgical centers. 

For the border region of the Rio Grande Valley, this means women will have little choice but to turn to dangerous alternatives to deal with an unwanted pregnancy.

The race to see who will be the next governor of Texas is underway, but some say it’s already over. Election watchers say Texas Attorney General Gregg Abbott - a Republican candidate - is the clear front runner, and is not only gunning to win the election, but to bring Texas Latinos to the Republican Party.

New Abortion Laws Create Demand Across The Border

Texans are learning to live with a tough new anti-abortion law that will shut down 37 of the state’s 42 abortion clinics. The law bans abortions after 20 weeks, requires abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a near-by hospital, restricts the use of the abortion drug RU-486, and requires clinics to meet the standards of ambulatory surgical centers.  

Texas Matters: Since everyone can't seem to wait to get back into election mode, speculation over whether or not Wendy Davis enters the gubernatorial race continues to swirl. There are already two candidates in the Republican pool, and perceived front-runner Greg Abbott is already on the road. Also on this show: StateImpact's three-part series on eminent domain laws, and a look at how outsiders are helping an indigenous group in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Texas Matters: Abortion legislation gets nearer to Gov. Rick Perry's desk as I type this sentence, but Texas Democrats are still rallying against the bill behind new star Wendy Davis. The fight over abortion in the state is far from over -- even after the bill is signed -- but the debate has now galvanized both Republicans and Democrats in the state as candidates are beginning to announce intent for the 2014 mid-term election. Rick Perry announced he will not run for another term, which is shaking things up across the board.

Texas Matters: The battle over abortion hit a boiling point in Texas this week and it all started  with a 13-hour filibuster attempt by Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth, which was cut short, continued with Sen. Leticia Van De Putte of San Antonio challenging the Republican (male) dominance of the floor, which finally pushed the room into a frenzy with one ruckus crowd of supporters. This did not sit well with the governor.