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Senate Bill 12, passed in the 2023 Texas Legislative session is set to go into effect for the first time tomorrow. Our reporter Samantha Larned explains the so-called 'drag ban bill' has been blocked from enforcement for two years. The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that state Attorney General Ken Paxton can obtain records from LGBTQ+ advocacy group PFLAG. The Texas Newsroom’s Lucio Vasquez reports it’s part of an investigation tied to Texas’ ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors.

Yesterday, Lubbock County officially opened its new Medical Examiner’s Office, bringing death investigations back to Lubbock after years of outsourcing autopsies. Officials gathered in the panhandle this week for the anniversary of the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest wildfire in Texas history. The 2025 legislative session passed several improvements to the state’s wildfire preparedness, but our Brad Burt reports that lawmakers say the work is not yet done.

February is Black History Month, a time to reflect on the resilience and achievements of African Americans across the country and here in our own community. KTTZ's Mia Shephard spoke with members of the Lubbock Roots Historical Council at their exhibition at the beginning of the month, highlighting Black artists.

As the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents met in Dallas, students and faculty gathered at Memorial Circle to protest policies from System Chancellor Brandon Creighton. Our Michelle Waida spoke with a Tech professor who was out advocating for her students. In a Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees meeting last week, Superintendent Kathy Rollo addressed the response to a bomb threat that prompted the evacuation of Lubbock High School on Feb. 20.

Today is Election Day for the 2026 Texas primaries. Polls are open from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. New state legislation has allowed Texas public schools to implement a designated prayer period. Along with making a decision on in-school prayer, our Bishop Van Buren reports that Lubbock ISD's Board of Trustees addressed public discourse surrounding books in school libraries.

One of the region's toughest competitions in yesterday's primary elections was for which Republican candidate would represent their party in the race for U.S. Congressional District 19. Tom Sell came out as an early leader, but much of the evening was an exchange for who would come in second, between Matt Smith and Abraham Enriquez. In the end it's Sell and Enriquez who will compete in the runoff election on May 26.

Lubbock County saw historic 23% voter turnout for the joint primary election – more than 30,000 early voters and an additional more than 15,000 in-person on Election Day. It was a packed ballot for Republican and Democratic voters alike and our reporter Samantha Larned breaks down county offices which will return to ballots for runoff elections on May 26.

Today is the first day of early voting in the Texas primary elections, with various federal, state, and local offices on the ballot. Early voting runs through Feb. 27. Texas is boosting wildfire preparedness across the state, with new funding for volunteer firefighters and emergency plans. Our Bishop Van Buren reports this comes as fire danger in the region is on the rise.

This week, the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce announced that the Hub City BBQ Cookoff, scheduled as a two day event in September, will not be open to the public this year. The UT System board of regents have approved a measure for faculty to avoid quote “controversial topics.” KUT’s Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vazquez tells us faculty and advocates are worried this might lead to censorship.

Activist and United Farm Workers co-leader Dolores Huerta issued a statement on social media reinforcing sex abuse allegations against labor icon Cesar Chavez. Texas Public Radio's Kory Cook has the details. In Lubbock, the Democratic Party is asking city leaders to change the name of Cesar E. Chavez Drive. Nonprofit Los Hermanos Familia, which organized Lubbock's event honoring Chavez for more than 25 years, has announced that instead of cancelling, they will hold the "CommUNITY Day of Service" on March 28.