Texas State Capitol

Misael Ramos, a Democratic Socialists of America member running for Austin city council, was arrested on a misdemeanor "riot participation" charge stemming from a September 20 protest over the ICE shooting of Venezuelan asylum seeker Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and special agents took Ramos, 40, into custody around 8:45 a.m. Saturday on an outstanding warrant, saying he was captured on camera taking construction barricades, sandbags and other items and attempting to obstruct traffic. He was booked into Travis County Sheriff's Office custody around 9:30 a.m. Ramos denies wrongdoing and plans to contest the charge; his attorney, Edmund "Skip" Davis, said Ramos was chanting and protesting, not rioting. Released later Saturday, Ramos addressed cheering supporters outside the jail, criticizing federal immigration raids.

Garces Perez was shot by an ICE officer during a DoorDash delivery after his car was sideswiped twice by an unmarked federal vehicle; he was later released into ICE custody with a bullet still in his back. ICE and DHS have said only that he was subject to "a targeted vehicle stop." The shooting has drawn criticism from Democrats and sparked ongoing protests in Austin, including a rally at the Texas Capitol.
Austin council candidate Misael Ramos was arrested on a riot charge tied to protests over an ICE shooting of a Venezuelan man.

Texas Republicans are moving to revive Senate Bill 7, a sweeping elections measure that died over the weekend after Democratic lawmakers staged a walkout to deny the House a quorum before a midnight deadline. Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to call a special session to pass the bill and possibly other stalled conservative priorities, including a ban on transgender athletes in girls' and women's sports.

The bill would cut polling hours, empower partisan poll watchers, ban drive-through and 24-hour voting, and includes a contested provision making it easier for judges to void election results over unproven fraud claims. Democrats objected especially to new limits on early Sunday voting, a key day for Black churchgoers, though one GOP negotiator called that provision a drafting error. Abbott has threatened to veto legislative salaries in retaliation and invoked the 2013 Wendy Davis filibuster, which Republicans overturned in a special session. President Biden urged Democrats nationally to intensify voting rights efforts as Congress prepares to debate federal elections legislation.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has opened applications for a new "Governor for a Day" contest aimed at seventh and eighth graders across the state. The winning student will join Polis at the State Capitol to shadow the governor's daily responsibilities, including sitting in on meetings and observing how Colorado's government functions.

To enter, students must complete an application form and submit a video explaining why they want to serve as governor for a day. Applications open Aug. 31 and close Sept. 7, with the winner set to be announced by the Governor's Office on Sept. 14. Polis framed the initiative as a way to engage young Coloradans in civic life and give a student firsthand exposure to state leadership.