‘Sanctuary city’ bill clears Texas Senate

After hours of debate on Tuesday, the Texas Senate moved forward on Senate Bill 4, which would punish communities like Travis County for their immigration policies. Gov. Greg Abbott put the issue on his list of emergency items for the session back in January after a skirmish with Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez, who followed through on a campaign promise to limit cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Having dispensed with more than three dozen amendments last night, the Senate is expected to take a final vote on the bill today.