• The Big Blue Obstacle to Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform
   
• Port of Corpus Christi Pushes Ahead with Oil Terminal Project, Environment Be Damned

• Religious Exemption Bill Could Leave LGBTQ Texans Scrambling for Health Care
   
• A Bold, Playful San Antonio Art Exhibit Celebrates Chicana Leaders

The Lede
Pipeline Protesters Could Face 20 Years in Prison Under Bill in Texas House

• Under a proposal being considered in the Texas House this week, activists who engage in civil disobedience to stop or delay construction on pipelines would be charged with the same level of felony as attempted murderers.
   
• House Bill 3557, by state Representative Chris Paddie, R-Marshall, would increase the penalties and fees for intentional acts that “impede, inhibit or interfere” with the operations of “critical infrastructure,” including electric power facilities, water treatment plants and oil and gas facilities. The bill would go beyond the state’s definition of critical infrastructure to include equipment and projects under construction.
   
• Alleged violators would be charged with second-degree felonies, which carry up to 20 years in prison, under HB 3557. Additionally, individuals would face a fine of up to $10,000 and organizations accused of violating the law would face a fine of $1 million. Violators would also be liable for damages.
   
• Indigenous people who attempt to protect native burial grounds in the pathway of oil and gas infrastructure could also be charged, according to Yolanda Bluehorse, a member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe of South Dakota and board member of the Dallas Peace and Justice Center. 

• In Historic Vote, Texas House OKs Bill to Soften Penalties for Marijuana Possession
   
• Henry Cuellar and the Art of the Deal

• Texas Observer Announces ProPublica’s Hannah Dreier as the 2019 MOLLY National Journalism Award Winner
   
• Bucking the Reign of Oil

From the archives
The Mystery of the San Antonio Four

• For more than 20 years, Elizabeth Ramirez, Kristie Mayhugh, Cassandra Rivera and Anna Vasquez fought to prove their innocence. In December 2018, the women finally had their criminal records expunged.
   
• From Maurice Chammah’s 2014 investigation into the case: “At the station, Matjeka asked if she knew a man named Javier Limon and his two daughters. Of course she did. Limon was her sister’s ex-boyfriend, and the two daughters were her 7- and 9-year-old nieces. She saw them often. About a month before, they had spent a week at her apartment. Matjeka’s tone grew less friendly. He explained to Elizabeth that her nieces were accusing her and several of her friends — who had also been at the apartment that week — of sexually abusing them. Elizabeth was stunned. She immediately denied the accusation. Matjeka typed her answers into a computer. His questions grew more personal. Had she been in lesbian relationships? She said yes. Had she ever left her nieces under the care of her friends? Yes. Were they lesbians? Yes. Matjeka told Elizabeth that if she had committed a crime, her son—due in about five months—would probably be taken by the authorities. He continued typing. She started to cry.”

What’s Happening at the Observer

• The Observer’s spring membership drive is here! We’re looking to add 200 new sustaining members to our roster by May 15. Our sustainers — who contribute between 99 cents and $8.34 per month — offer critical, predictable monthly support that ensures Observer reporters’ ability to pursue critical investigations. You can join here.
   
• Each year, the Texas Observer honors the best in U.S. journalism at our annual MOLLY gala and fundraiser. This year, we are honored to have Rebecca Traister speak at the event. Individual tickets are on sale now. More information here.
   
• The Texas Observer is pleased to co-present a screening of Charlotte Moore’s Black Bodies on Sunday, May 19, at 1:30 p.m. at the Alamo Drafthouse Mueller. From Moore: “Black Bodies is a Moore Media film production which takes candid, thoughtful, courageous exploration into what it means to be black in Austin, America, and in the world. Data shows that in our American "systems" — from education and health to housing and the economy — black people have the poorest outcomes. In this feature-length documentary, 16 Austin-area black people of different ages, backgrounds, nationalities, and skin tones share what it means to exist in their black bodies. The film offers audiences a view of everyday life from a black person's perspective. The mission of the film is to help raise our community’s collective consciousness with regard to the personal impact of racism.” We hope to see you there! Tickets here.