(Austin, TX) — Several new state laws passed by the Texas Legislature in this year’s second special session take effect on Thursday.

Two of them, the election reform bill, and the pro-life “heartbeat” bill, are already the subjects of court challenges.

Other laws ban the teaching of critical race theory in schools, prohibit social media platforms from censoring conservative views, limit the availability of abortion-inducing drugs, ban no-cash bail for violent crime suspects, and require schools to teach prevention of child abuse, family violence, and sex trafficking.

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