A "wall of separation between church and state." Do you remember when you first heard about that concept? High school, perhaps? Indeed, schools have long been a battleground for conflicts over the First Amendment's twin guarantee against the "establishment of religion" by government or "prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

The "wall of separation" (a phrase coined by Thomas Jefferson and popularized in coverage of past Supreme Court decisions) has always been porous, but a pair of decisions during this term of the court could have profound implications for Texas students and their families. Those cases are among several from this term that are certain to have ripple effects we continue to assess – not the least of which is the groundbreaking Dobbs decision overturning almost 50 years of precedent on abortion law.

At this moment, no small amount of confusion reigns over the state of abortion law in Texas, with the Texas Supreme Court siding with the Texas attorney general in his claims that pre-Roe abortion laws on the books in Texas are once again in force (though the position continues to be contested in lower courts). But with a so-called "trigger law" looming in the wings , providers of abortion services are, as a practical matter, no longer operating in Texas. This has meant many Texans seeking abortions are trying to obtain them in neighboring New Mexico, where appointment calendars are backlogged and time is of the essence.

Though supporters of abortion rights say they plan to make themselves heard at the polls in November, Texas GOP leaders appear to be doubling down on their upcoming legislative agenda, which would appear to presage another battle over changes to Texas' voting laws . We encourage you to check out some of our most recent coverage below and to subscribe to the Texas Standard podcast so you can keep up with the latest, no matter where you are. Until next time, we'll see you on the radio.

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- David Brown

Supreme Court rulings take on religious freedoms, sparking concerns over church and state separation

The 6-3 conservative majority ruled in the favor of a high school football coach praying on the 50-yard line and rejected Maine’s ban on sending tuition aid to religious schools.

El Paso area seeing increased number of migrant deaths, many by drowning in irrigation canals

Nearly 40 migrants crossing the Mexico border into Texas have died in the El Paso region since October; 15 of those deaths were due to drowning in irrigation canals along the border.

Texas GOP’s proposed election reforms would restrict mail-in voting for seniors, early voting

Texas Republican Party leaders want the state to adopt laws that would shorten the early voting period and no longer allow mail-in voting for anyone 65 and up.

‘Pet Poems’ pairs images of colorful critters with fur family-friendly poetry

Hatched during the first few months of the pandemic, "Pet Poems" is more than just pets and animals – it’s also about exploring ideas through adversity and silliness.

Despite abortion ban, Planned Parenthood remains open for other health services (KUT Austin)
Uvalde school district police chief intends to resign from city council (Texas Public Radio)
Afghan refugee students in Houston experienced culture shock. Now many are thriving (Houston Public Media)
Fort Worth officials to examine safety standards after grass fires shut down July 4th fireworks show (KERA News)

A faded postcard of an open road with a Texas Standard sticker, It reads: Tour the 254! A trek through Texas' 254 counties.

The Talk of Texas is running down the state’s entire 254 counties – Anderson to Zavala – with points of interest pulled from the Texas Standard archives.

Is there a can't-miss attraction in your area? Drop us a line and let us know.

Bell County

Founded: 1850

County seat: Belton

Population: 370,647

That's a big bell: While Belton is the seat of this Central Texas county, it’s part of the Killeen-Temple Metropolitan Statistical Area, with both cities sitting inside the county borders. (Wikipedia alleges some folks call it “The Centroplex,” but a citation’s needed for that. Let us know if that’s actually a thing!)

Home to Fort Hood: Killeen is a city of 150,000 largely defined by the sprawling military installation that calls it home. It reflects on the city in some positive ways: as of 2018, it had the lowest gap between Black and white homeownership rates – which the Urban Institute attributes to the large military presence of Fort Hood. But the 2020 murder of Pfc. Vannessa Guillén shed light on a troubling and toxic culture at the so-called Great Place. The I Am Vanessa Guillén Act, passed in response to the killing, was said to represent the most sweeping change to military justice in half a century.

One last thing: Our state has no shortage of great names for small towns – but its hard to top Ding Dong, Texas.