Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick outlined his goals for the upcoming legislative session, calling them “general concepts,” according to the Austin American-Statesman.
Texas legislators are off to the races, filing more than 850 bills on Monday, the first day of filing season for the 88th session, which begins Jan. 10.
Voter turnout in the midterm elections again dropped statewide, with just over 45% of registered voters either casting ballots early or at the polls on Nov. 8. Republican candidates continued to hold a hammerlock on statewide positions, with incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott handily winning a third term over challenger Beto O’ Rourke.
Texas public schools would have to install panic buttons in classrooms and ensure all doors and windows are locked and monitored under new proposed safety standards released last week by the Texas Education Agency. The proposal is the latest effort to strengthen school safety after 19 children and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary in Uvalde last May in the state’s deadliest school shooting.
It is election season! It is easy to get fatigued during election season. With a corporate media incentivized to cause division, the banter and rhetoric associated with candidates from both sides of the isle can become exhausting. Combine this with the rise of social media and the algorithms that push users into echo chambers, it makes me long for the days of journalistic integrity and the FCC fairness doctrine. It appears that the fringe groups from the right and left are in control of their respective parties. Is there a path forward to sanity for our country? Can Americans realize that both sides of the isle are manipulating us? It seems to be the time for congress to step up with media reformation and possibly a legitimate third party to step forward and rein in this mess. Who will run on this platform? I will definitely be watching and praying.
P.O. Box 440
Groesbeck, TX 76642
Phone: 254-729-5103
Fax: 254-729-0362