Jessica Montoya Coggins

Jessica Montoya Coggins
Abbott Receives Big Bucks From Voucher Advocates

Abbott Receives Big Bucks From Voucher Advocates

In June, Greg Abbott released a semi-annual campaign finance report that showed eye-popping figures from two school voucher advocates: Jeff Yass and Jim Walton. The donations, totaling $4.2 million, are a continuing saga in Abbott’s overtures towards school choice backers.  Texas is the largest red state that has

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Kamala Harris On The Campaign Trail

Kamala Harris On The Campaign Trail

The last couple of days for Vice President Kamala Harris have been a whirlwind, but as she takes on her first events as the presumptive Democratic nominee for President it’s clearly emerging that she is delivering a distinct communicative style that leans into some of the salient issues concerning

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
President Biden Ends Re-Election Bid, Endorses Harris

President Biden Ends Re-Election Bid, Endorses Harris

On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced that he was ending his re-election bid in a statement published to social media. He quickly followed up the stunning announcement with his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for President.  The Chair of the Texas Democratic Party, Gilberto Hinojosa,

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
J.D. Vance: Anti-Abortion Acolyte

J.D. Vance: Anti-Abortion Acolyte

On Wednesday, the Republican National Convention formally introduced its Vice-Presidential nominee J.D. Vance. The Ohio Senator is a 39-year-old former venture capitalist who rose to prominence thanks to his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, which offered a harshly critical lens on his upbringing.    A one-time critic of Trump, Vance changed his

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Incendiary Rhetoric And Misinformation Over Immigration

Incendiary Rhetoric And Misinformation Over Immigration

On the second day of the GOP Convention in Milwaukee, the Republican Party hammered a message centered on immigration. The day of programming, known as “Make America Safe Once Again,” featured a series of speeches promoting anti-immigrant talking points, many of which are factually untrue. Ahead of the day’s

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
The Future Project 2025 Envisions

The Future Project 2025 Envisions

While the drama surrounding President Biden appears to have reached a fever-pitch, with no clear sign of what’s to come, Donald Trump’s campaign churns along. And as the former president looks to reclaim his past position, Project 2025 has emerged as a visceral siren for what another Trump

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Millions Still Without Power As Temperatures Soar

Millions Still Without Power As Temperatures Soar

On Tuesday July 9, Texans in the wake of Hurricane Beryl had their first full day to assess the damage of the Category 1 storm. Millions of customers remain without power as temperatures are expected to rise to a heat index of 105 degrees. Beryl made landfall near the small

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Abbott Promotes Pro-Voucher Major Donor

Abbott Promotes Pro-Voucher Major Donor

With the runoff elections in Texas over, Greg Abbott has been touting school vouchers as a major priority for the state. Earlier this year, the pro-voucher agenda received a boost after several rural Republicans lost to school choice candidates. Before that Abbott had called four special elections to try and

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Afiya Center Set To Host HIV Testing Event

Afiya Center Set To Host HIV Testing Event

On Saturday, June 29 the Afiya Center will be hosting their eleventh annual “Get Tested, Grab A Bite” at Glendale Park in Dallas. The yearly HIV testing event has been a hallmark feature for the Afiya Center, which is the only reproductive justice organization in North Texas founded by, and

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Confronting The Reality Of Anti-Abortion Centers

Confronting The Reality Of Anti-Abortion Centers

At twenty, Maleeha found herself with an unplanned pregnancy. She had come to America just a year before and was a college student in north Texas. Maleeha had been on birth control and didn’t think it was possible for her to be pregnant. After eight pregnancy tests, though, she

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
A DACA Anniversary Amid Uncertain Future

A DACA Anniversary Amid Uncertain Future

Over the weekend the Biden Administration celebrated the twelfth anniversary of DACA with a poignant video highlighting several Dreamers who have benefited from the policy. The acknowledgment of the anniversary arrives as the Obama-era program has been hobbled by a hostile court system and faces a potentially grimmer future.  In

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Supreme Court Tosses Abortion Medication Challenge

Supreme Court Tosses Abortion Medication Challenge

Earlier today the Supreme Court, in an unanimous decision authored by Brett Kavanaugh, tossed a lawsuit that was seeking to revoke the FDA approval of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in a medication abortion. Kavanaugh’s opinion made it clear that the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, a conservative medical

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Threats To IVF In Texas

Threats To IVF In Texas

Ever since a surprise ruling in Alabama, advocates for IVF have been apprehensive that the procedure could be threatened in states like Texas, which is under essentially a total abortion ban. Though many Republicans lawmakers in Texas are downplaying any threats to IVF in the state, there are warning signs

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Problems Plague Affordable Housing Agency

Problems Plague Affordable Housing Agency

Republican leaders in the state, especially Governor Abbott, love touting the economic successes of Texas. Despite drastic positions like banning abortion, enacting permitless carry, and implementing a host of other ‘cultural’ issues like banning Diversity and Inclusion programs on state campuses, the people are flocking to Texas. But moving here

By Jessica Montoya Coggins
Texas Supreme Court Rejects Challenge To Abortion Ban

Texas Supreme Court Rejects Challenge To Abortion Ban

On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court finally issued a ruling in a widely anticipated case concerning the state’s strict abortion laws. In a unanimous decision, the Court declined to uphold a challenge brought forth by several plaintiffs that were seeking to clarify the medical exemptions to the abortion ban

By Jessica Montoya Coggins