Opinion

My wife recalls the night of December 31, 1999 as a time of anxiety and trepidation. (Of course she views every night as a time of anxiety and trepidation.

Letter to the Editor, Many of us take so many things for granted. We flip a switch, and we have electricity, we adjust a thermostat, and we have heat/AC.

Gov. Greg Abbott said last Thursday the state is initiating a billboard campaign across Central America and border cities in northern Mexico to discourage migrants from attempting to enter Texas, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

My Facebook “Memories” remind me that my son Gideon has always been ahead of his time. Fourteen years ago, I was reading a book of world history for his bedtime stories.

CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS The Public Utility Commission is providing residential consumers of electricity a way to save on their electricity bills by installing smart thermostats that allow retail electric providers to reduce energy use when demand is high, though only in areas with retail competition. “Ensuring grid reliability as Texas continues to grow requires both expanding our state’s power supply and finding ways to reduce demand and use electricity more efficiently,” PUCT Commissioner Kathleen Jackson said.

Some years, families are blessed to initiate festive new Christmas traditions. Other years, the new tradition is a solemn acquiescence to “the new normal.” The Tyrees fall into the latter category this year.

As 2024 draws to a close, I’m reminded of why I love public service. Public service is about people— meeting needs, easing burdens, and creating opportunities. Every service event, meeting, and decision we make is rooted in the stories and challenges of the families and communities that make up Senate District 29.

As a Baby Boomer, I looked on with bemusement; but December 10, 1974 was a cultural milestone for the oldest members of Generation X. That’s when ABC premiered the Rankin/Bass Productions animated Christmas special “The Year Without A Santa Claus” (a.k.a.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is seeking a $300 million transfusion of funds to bolster the state’s Medicaid application process, The Texas Tribune reported. The public health insurance program provides coverage for people or families with limited income, as well as pregnant women and people with disabilities.

House Speaker Dade Phelan withdrew last week from seeking another term leading that chamber. After three rounds of voting on Saturday, state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield emerged as the preference of most House Republicans. However, his opponent, state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, claims to have enough support from both Republicans and Democrats to clear the 76-vote threshold.