WEATHER ALERT
Unregulated oilfield power lines are suspected of sparking Texas wildfires
Read full article: Unregulated oilfield power lines are suspected of sparking Texas wildfiresNo state agency is taking responsibility for making sure the privately built lines that power many oil and gas sites are safe. Such lines have been blamed for sparking two recent Panhandle fires.
Three months after the Texas’ largest wildfire, Panhandle residents are preparing for the next one
Read full article: Three months after the Texas’ largest wildfire, Panhandle residents are preparing for the next oneShort of an immediate statewide response, Texans who lost homes and livestock are taking matters into their own hands to better prepare their property for a wildfire.
Public blasts Texas agencies, regulators for poor communication and oversight at wildfire hearings
Read full article: Public blasts Texas agencies, regulators for poor communication and oversight at wildfire hearingsThursday’s hearing marked the end of the Legislature’s three-day marathon of public hearings.
Utility pole inspection company declines to testify at Texas Panhandle wildfire investigation hearing
Read full article: Utility pole inspection company declines to testify at Texas Panhandle wildfire investigation hearingThe Texas A&M Forest Service concluded that a fallen decayed utility pole caused the Smokehouse Creek fire.
Texas emergency director calls for firefighting air force after historic Panhandle fires
Read full article: Texas emergency director calls for firefighting air force after historic Panhandle firesA special legislative committee is investigating what caused the Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest in state history.
Abbott vowed to campaign against anti-voucher GOP House members. Why did these six candidates get spared?
Read full article: Abbott vowed to campaign against anti-voucher GOP House members. Why did these six candidates get spared?With the March 5 election just a few days away, six anti-voucher House GOP incumbents managed to sidestep Abbott’s revenge warpath.
Lawmakers approve school safety bill that would require an armed person at every Texas campus
Read full article: Lawmakers approve school safety bill that would require an armed person at every Texas campusThe bill comes in response to the Uvalde school shooting last year that left 19 children and two adults dead.
Texas Senate committee revamps school funding bill to revive voucher-like proposal
Read full article: Texas Senate committee revamps school funding bill to revive voucher-like proposalThe Senate education committee has drastically changed House Bill 100 after Gov. Greg Abbott signaled he would call a special session if a voucher-like program didn’t pass.
Texas House advances $4.5 billion school funding bill
Read full article: Texas House advances $4.5 billion school funding billLawmakers have already proposed directing billions of dollars to schools so they can lower property taxes and pay for safety upgrades. But House Bill 100 would be the first to increase the amount of money districts receive to raise teacher pay and cover the actual costs of educating students.
Texas bill proposes up to $25K for armed school 'sentinels'
Read full article: Texas bill proposes up to $25K for armed school 'sentinels'Texas schools could offer up to $25,000 stipends to teachers and staff who accept the dual role of being armed campus “sentinels” with specialized mental health training under a proposal that state lawmakers advanced Tuesday in response to the Uvalde classroom shooting.
Texas’ private and rural schools again brace for a showdown on school choice
Read full article: Texas’ private and rural schools again brace for a showdown on school choiceRural school leaders in Texas have been able to stave off the legislative priority of some of the state’s most prominent Republicans. But private school officials hope this year will be different.