Opinion

No, I won’t make it to the Grand Military Parade in Washington, D.C. on June 14, but… … I’ll definitely be poring over my late father’s Army memorabilia, including the mimeographed bulletin from October 7, 1946 when the young draftee was appointed as a temporary Tech Fifth Grade in the 368th station hospital at Fort Gulick in the Panama Canal Zone.

CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS With the legislative session ending on Monday, June 2, lawmakers are scrambling to pass or kill bills, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Among the bills passed or likely to soon pass: • All handgun licenses issued in other states will be honored in Texas if, as expected, Gov.

Recently, my wife and I took one of our semi-grown daughters and her friend to the American Rodeo Championship Weekend at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. But we weren’t there to see the adult, full-contact petting zoo that is a championship rodeo.

Leaders from the Texas House and Senate have agreed on an $8 billion school funding package, which is being called the largest in state history, The Dallas Morning News reported. The latest version of House Bill 2 was unveiled at a Senate hearing Thursday.

In the current climate of political animosity, I should have known better than to write about Worcestershire sauce. Sure enough, after my most recent column, when I dared to mention that some Americans keep decades-old bottles of Worcestershire sauce in their refrigerators, I was roundly excoriated by a few scandalized readers who sought to educate me on the waste of time, energy and perfectly good greenhouse gasses it is to refrigerate that immortal condiment.

My son recently interviewed for an internship as part of his master’s degree program in engineering management. We’re still waiting for news, but it started me thinking about the whole phenomenon of job interviews.

Gov. Greg Abbott last week signed a $1 billion private school voucher bill into law in front of a large crowd at the Governor’s Mansion, the San Antonio Express-News and other media outlets reported. Abbott called the new law the biggest legislative win of his time in the governor’s office and touted the new program as the largest in the nation.

As your principal, it brings me immense pride and joy to celebrate this incredible milestone with you. You have made tremendous strides academically, with many of you earning associate degrees, workforce licenses, and industry-recognized certificates— accomplishments that speak volumes about your hard work, resilience, and commitment to success. You have also received acceptances to technical schools, colleges, and universities, while others have chosen the honorable path of military service—each of you stepping boldly into your future.

CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS A Texas House bill would eliminate the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness test and replace it with a test comparing students’ performance to one another rather than state-set standards, the Austin American-Statesman reported. House Bill 4 would also create benchmark tests to measure students’ academic performance throughout the year.

GUEST COLUMNIST When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law on July 30, 1965, did my five-yearold self truly comprehend the personal milestone that I would someday reach? Nah.