Jessica Montoya Coggins

Jessica Montoya Coggins
Remembering Cecile Richards

Remembering Cecile Richards

On Monday, the family of Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood, announced that she had died. Richards is now being remembered by many as an advocate for women’s and worker’s rights. Richards was born in Waco to David and Ann Richards, the former governor of Texas.

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
A Dangerous New Immigration Bill

A Dangerous New Immigration Bill

Earlier this week, the U.S. Congress passed its first bill of the new session, which is known as the Laken Riley Act. The sweeping immigration bill would demand the detention of any undocumented immigrant that is charged with a nonviolent crime like theft or burglary. The bill is named

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
A Timeline Of Texas Republicans And January 6th

A Timeline Of Texas Republicans And January 6th

This article originally appeared on Texas Signal three years ago, before we transitioned to a nonprofit newsroom. Four years after the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob intent on stopping the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral win, we are re-publishing. Even before he officially

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
The Abortion Wars Enter A New Front

The Abortion Wars Enter A New Front

As many were celebrating the holidays, Attorney General Ken Paxton was amping up another round of abortion-related lawsuits in the state. Last month his office announced a lawsuit against a doctor in New York for providing “abortion-inducing drugs to Texas residents in direct violation of state law.”  Paxton’s lawsuit

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
The Company Making It Easier For Texans To Access Birth Control

The Company Making It Easier For Texans To Access Birth Control

For many women in Texas, obtaining birth control is surprisingly difficult. It often involves a doctor’s visit, a prescription, and monthly refills. But there’s a company that’s trying to make that easier. Pandia Health was founded in 2016 and is now one of the largest online health

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
The Potential New Laws Of Texas

The Potential New Laws Of Texas

The Texas Legislature is set to reconvene on January 14. And when that new session arrives, Texans can expect even more rightward shifts on several issues including immigration, abortion, and education. Perhaps no issue is going to dominate the session as much as vouchers that would allow parents to send

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
A Very Red Texas

A Very Red Texas

Yesterday’s election was a bitter disappointment for Texas Democrats. While there was some optimism that the state could potentially elect a statewide Democratic candidate for the first time in nearly thirty years, Texas lurched farther to the right.  Ted Cruz easily won his re-election by over ten points. Former

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
The Toll Of An Abortion Ban

The Toll Of An Abortion Ban

Last night on 60 Minutes, the long running news program aired a segment about the grim ramifications of being in a state with a near-total abortion ban. The story, which included the dire warnings of doctors in the state, aired just days after reporting from ProPublica described how two pregnant

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Ted Cruz’s Final Pitch

Ted Cruz’s Final Pitch

With the Election just days away, Ted Cruz is making his final pitch to voters. As part of his last appeal Cruz is banking on bigotry and transphobia. His biggest ad buys this campaign season have involved commercials claiming his challenger Colin Allred supports men in women’s sports, and

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
New Documentary Profiles Texas Abortion Plaintiffs

New Documentary Profiles Texas Abortion Plaintiffs

As Election Day gets closer and closer, audiences in Texas and around the country have been raving about a documentary that puts a human face on abortion bans, and the men and women working every day to try and reverse them. Zurawski v Texas, from independent filmmakers Maisie Crow and

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Harris Rallies In Houston

Harris Rallies In Houston

On Friday night, Vice President Kamala Harris touched down in Houston for a rally at Shell Energy Stadium.  The crowd in Houston was well over 20,000 and it was often raucous: dancing to songs spun by a DJ before the main programming started. For many in the large crowd

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
The End Goal Of Project 2025

The End Goal Of Project 2025

With less than two weeks until Election Day, Texas likely remains just on the edge of being a true battleground state. Still, Vice President Kamala Harris is en route to Houston for a rally with Beyoncé, Willie Nelson, and candidates like Colin Allred. It’s the first time in decades

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Races To Watch In Texas

Races To Watch In Texas

In Texas, early voting is officially underway. On the presidential level, Texas is not considered one of the major battleground states. But in 2020 Donald Trump won the state by 5.6 points against Joe Biden. That was the closest margin in decades. With Vice President Kamala Harris now at

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Overcoming Barriers For Black Women And Abortion Care

Overcoming Barriers For Black Women And Abortion Care

It has been over three years since Texas has been under what is essentially an entire abortion ban when Senate Bill 8 was enacted on September 1, 2021 (months before Roe v. Wade was overturned). Many reproductive rights organizations warned that the consequences would be dire: overall healthcare would be

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Testy Debate Between Cruz And Allred

Testy Debate Between Cruz And Allred

The first and likely only debate for the Texas Senate took place in Dallas last night. As Congressman Colin Allred and Senator Ted Cruz entered the stage they shook hands. And that’s about when the pleasantries ended.  As the challenger, Allred got right to the point in his introduction,

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Dr. Austin Dennard On Life Campaigning Against Texas Abortion Bans

Dr. Austin Dennard On Life Campaigning Against Texas Abortion Bans

Dr. Austin Dennard is an OB/GYN from Dallas who was forced to leave the state for an abortion after a devastating diagnosis during a pregnancy. She was a plaintiff in the lawsuit Zurawski v. Texas, which sought to clarify the medical exceptions to the state’s abortion ban that

By Jessica Montoya Coggins