STATE CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide disaster declaration late last week after the New World screwworm was found in two newborn calves in South Texas, according to The Dallas Morning News.

The cases have been identified in Zavala County, about 5.6 miles apart. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said a strike team was on site and restrictions were in place to prevent the movement of cattle.

“We have, in the past, prevented as well as eradicated this pest, and we can do it again,” Abbott said.

The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly that lays eggs in open wounds, nearly always in cattle. In the past, sterile male flies have proven effective in eradicating infestations. The federal government is building a $750 million facility to produce sterilized flies, but it won’t be complete until November 2027.

In the meantime, the government is purchasing sterile flies from a facility in Panama and using federal funds to revamp another facility in Mexico. However, total fly production from those two plants accounts for only 40% of what is needed, The News reported.

State officials have stressed the New World screwworm does not pose a food or disease risk to humans. A widespread infestation could further drive up beef prices, already elevated by a ban on importing Mexican cattle and a drop in domestic production.

Record power demand likely this summer

A hot summer and exponential growth in power-hungry data centers could mean Texas uses more power than ever before, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

ERCOT, which operates most of the state’s power grid, is forecasting demand will reach 92 gigawatts this summer, breaking the previous record of 85.5 gigawatts set during the 2023 summer heat wave, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Despite the anticipated demand, Pablo Vegas, ERCOT’s chief executive officer, said there is a low risk of blackouts this summer.

“As we continue to see (power demand) growth coming on, that profile and picture obviously can evolve, and we expect it to evolve,” Vegas said. “But what we have published at this point is still showing fairly adequate capacity and low likelihood of emergency conditions going into the June and July months.”

ERCOT has the legal authority to order large power users, such as data centers and cryptocurrency miners, to reduce their power draw from the grid if necessary. According to ERCOT, the risk of rolling blackouts has dropped because nearly 11 gigawatts of new power capacity has been added since last summer.

That’s enough to supply more than 2.7 million households on the hottest summer days, Vegas said.

Secretary of State Nelson stepping down Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced last week she will resign effective July 17 from the position she has held since 2023, the Texas Standard reported.

“It has been my goal to ensure that voting in Texas is secure, accessible and fair,” Nelson said in a press release. “We have worked extensively to ensure accurate voter rolls and to educate voters about what they need to know to vote with confidence.”

Abbott is responsible for appointing her successor.

“Secretary Jane Nelson has been a true champion for the people of Texas and an extraordinary secretary of state,” he said.

Nelson served in the Texas Senate for 30 years before being appointed to her current role. That office oversees the state’s elections.

Backers of Texas Dream Act head to court Thousands of non-citizen college students last year lost access to in-state tuition when a federal judge blocked the Texas Dream Act, passed 25 years earlier. Now, a coalition of immigration nonprofits, a student group and Austin Community College are fighting that ruling, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

They have asked the 5th U.S. Circuit of Appeals to overturn that order, issued last June.

The appellate court heard arguments last week that the Dream Act should be restored. The Legislature passed it in 2001, guaranteeing in-state tuition for students who had lived in Texas for at least three years and graduated from a Texas high school. The measure was signed by then-Gov. Rick Perry.

Students without legal status are not eligible for federal financial aid or government loans. The end of the Dream Act means those students must pay much higher tuition rates. For example, at ACC, students who lost access to in-state tuition saw their credit-hour tuition rates nearly quadruple.

Tax break approved for SpaceX’s chipmaking project Grimes County officials approved a tax break for a $55 billion chipmaking facility that SpaceX proposes to build outside College Station. The Houston Chronicle reported the project could create 1,800 jobs, but it has prompted concerns from residents that it could change their rural lifestyle and adversely affect property values.

Four of the five county commissioners voted to waive SpaceX’s property taxes in exchange for SpaceX paying the county $10 million up front and $20 million a year for 35 years. The facility is still in its early stages.

“Texas is where the integrated circuit was born and where the future of the semiconductor industry is being built,” Andrew Mahaleris, press secretary for Gov. Greg Abbott, said in a statement.

Elon Musk’s company is building Terafab to create chips for its Starlink broadband internet satellites and other future projects. Its hub is expected to be located near the Gibbons Creek Reservoir, previously used to cool a coal-fired power plant.

One commissioner expressed concern about a lack of information ahead of last week’s meeting.

“I don’t think that we’ve had honest negotiation with SpaceX, to this point, to allow the core of our constituency to be informed of what’s at stake,” Commissioner David Tullos said.

Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@ texaspress.com.

“We are not what we know but what we are willing to learn.” — Mary Catherine Bateson

“When I was 16, I was convinced my father was the dumbest human on the planet,” a regular at our weekly “coffee committee” recently confessed.

A few of us chuckled knowingly. “But by the time I neared 30,” he continued, “I was astounded by how much the old man had learned in just a few years!”

We laughed. It was funny because it was true.

That anecdote triggered memories of an eye-opening corporate session years ago. We affectionately referred to those meetings as “hostage situations with stale pastries.”

This one was at a gorgeous Arizona resort with thrilling agenda titles such as “Financial Reviews” and “Insurance Open Enrollment.” But tucked away near the bottom was a mysterious listing that piqued our curiosity: “The Key to Sure Success.”

“Brace yourselves for the motivational poster speech,” a cynical sales rep whispered.

I expected a slideshow with soaring eagles and Comic Sans type fonts. Instead, the CEO refrained from a PowerPoint presentation and instead summoned two people to the front.

The first was a fresh-faced university marketing graduate. The second was a grizzled veteran sales rep. Their assignment was deceptively simple.

“Tell me three things about the person at the other end of the table,” the CEO instructed. “Specifically, what you hope they will contribute to our corporate success this year, wisdom you want to share with them and things you look forward to learning from them.”

The room came alive. We weren’t just witnessing a polite exchange of pleasantries, we watched a cross-generational bridge being engineered.

You could feel and see a mutual understanding of the future.

I thought about my dad. He was never the type of parent to drop unsolicited “knowledge bombs” on me. Instead, he quietly dispensed his most profound wisdom in places such as the kitchen, usually over a bedtime snack.

I remembered one night pitching my need for a souped-up hot rod. I explained how this vehicle would improve my life and skyrocket my social standing.

He listened patiently, finished his cereal, then spoke.

“Spending your hard-earned money on that car is not a great idea,” he calmly said. “But you’ll probably have to learn that lesson the same way I did — the hard way.”

And time proved him right, of course.

This exact same scenario is playing out across the modern corporate landscape today. Examples include the rise of “silent weedings” — early retirement buyouts offered to seasoned veterans while favoring younger, techie types; hiring cheaper managers while passing over employees with proven organizational wisdom and backgrounds; and creating workforce models where repeated, expensive mistakes occur rather than tapping into the knowledge of veteran workers.

“Say,” I whispered to the sales guy. “How about this for a motivational poster worth printing? ‘While the view is great from the mountaintop, it’s smart to make the climb with someone who knows where the loose rocks are.’” “Perfect,” he said. “Hey, you think those blueberry muffins are still sitting back there?”

Data from the American Clean Power Association indicates the state has 54 wind projects stalled as part of a nationwide delay affecting 165 onshore wind projects.

President Donald Trump has long opposed wind power.

Energy experts such as Environment Texas Executive Director Luke Metzger say the administration is using the regulations, such as ensuring a wind project would not affect military airspace, as an attack on renewable power.

“It’s hard to see this as anything other than an effort to slow or stop wind power regardless of the consequences for consumers, the environment and grid reliability,” Metzger said.

In a statement, a Defense Department official said the military is still evaluating the projects.

The department’s evaluation of wind turbines “is inherently complex and time-consuming because it involves balancing two critical, and sometimes competing, interests: developing energy sources while ensuring military operations and readiness are not degraded or impaired to the extent an unacceptable risk to national security is created,” the official said.

R&D plays vital role in state’s economy

Texas is one of the top five states contributing to research and development, according to a recent report from the State Comptroller’s Office.

The federal Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates R&D’s contribution to gross domestic product “after accounting for the resources used to produce goods and services, employment and compensation from 2012 to 2023.”

The R&D value added by Texas businesses reached $29.2 billion in 2023, a 131% increase from 2012. Further, R&D in the state supplied nearly 195,000 jobs and $30.1 billion in wages, salaries and benefits in 2023.

Texas has 15 Tier 1 colleges and universities, the most in any state. In 2024, more than 11,800 patents were issued in Texas, the second highest in the country, after California.

“When investments are made in research, the returns multiply — strengthening our competitiveness, securing our future and improving the lives of all Texans,” said Fernanda Leite, interim vice president for research at the University of Texas at Austin.

First case in 2026 of West Nile virus reported The year’s first case of West Nile virus has been reported in a Harris County resident, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported. The virus is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes, though 80% of people infected with West Nile never experience symptoms.

“West Nile and other mosquitoborne illnesses are a fact of life in Texas in the warmer months, and all Texans should take precautions against mosquito bites to stay safe and healthy,” said DSHS Commissioner Jennifer A. Shuford.

She advised removing standing water from homes and yards, such as in buckets, old tires and other items.

The symptoms experienced by the unlucky 20% include fever, headache, nausea, muscle and joint aches, and fatigue. Though rare, West Nile virus can be fatal.

In the past five years, there have been 976 cases of West Nile in Texas, according to DSHS, with 106 deaths during that period.

Franklin Mountains State Park grows by 1,000 acres Franklin Mountains State Park, 15 minutes from El Paso, is now 1,054 acres larger to the east as the result of a new land acquisition, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reported.

“I am excited about this acquisition,” said Superintendent Cesar Mendez, “which extends the buffer zone all the way to Martin Luther King Boulevard, adding some lower elevation and flatter land to Franklin Mountains State Park and securing access points (trailheads).”

With 28,000 acres — or 43 square miles — the park is one of the largest urban wilderness parks in the world. It has more than 120 miles of trail and is a popular site with birders.

The acquisition helps safeguard the main mountain area of desert bighorn sheep habitat.

Federal aid for Panhandle wildfire victims

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a request for grant funds to assist victims of the Hungate Fire in Randall County, which has merged with the Chocolate Chip Fire, burning an estimated 14,000 acres and threatening more than 1,245 homes. Aid has also been granted for the Stinky Fire in Potter County, which has burned more than 2,500 acres and prompted evacuation of more than 500 acres.

“Texas has secured federal resources to further guard against wildfire threats in the Panhandle,” said Gov. Greg Abbott. “With this grant approval, Texas has additional tools to help Texans remain safe from wildfire danger.”

The approval of a Fire Management Assistance Grant makes the state eligible for 75% reimbursement from the federal government for eligible costs associated with wildfire suppression. These grants are available to states, counties and cities to support the mitigation, management and control of fires that threaten to become major disasters.

Broker imposter scams being reported

Several attempted broker-imposter scams over the past few months have prompted the Texas Department of Banking to warn that such ruses could pose a significant threat to financial institutions and consumers.

According to a TDB news release, “consumers are targeted after conducting searches for high-rate investment opportunities. Individuals contacted by the fraudsters are often not existing bank customers and are located across the United States.”

Some red flags to look for are cold calls, an incorrect or bogus email address, low-risk/high-reward offers and unusual funding procedures.

Anyone who is targeted by a broker imposter is encouraged to contact the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority at finra.org.

Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.com.

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION

STATE CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS

State officials began sending out the first notices to families awarded education vouchers last week, the Houston Chronicle reported. In the initial round, 42,644 qualified, mostly students with special needs who are considered the highest priority.

More than a quarter- million students have applied to the state’s voucher program, with a lottery determining who gets a spot. Initial funding for the program is $1 billion, and it is projected to support 100,000 students in its first year.

The program offers taxpayer money to help pay for private and homeschool education. The amount of each voucher awarded in the initial round varied, from $2,000 each for the 11,000 children applying for homeschool funding to an average of $15,585 for parents who documented their children’s special educational needs.

Appeals court rules for Ten Commandments in classrooms A federal appeals court last week ordered public school districts to place copies of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, the Austin America- Statesman reported.

Parents and a group of faith leaders in nine school districts sued over a 2025 state law that requires public schools to post donated posters of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

By a split vote, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided the law does not violate the U.S. Constitution, overturning a San Antonio federal judge’s ruling last

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION

year. The case could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Students are neither catechized on the Commandments nor taught to adopt them,” the judges wrote. “Nor are teachers commanded to proselytize students who ask about the displays or contradict students who disagree with them.”

Six judges on the appeals court dissented, with Judge Lesl ie H. Southwick writing that “(Texas Senate Bill) 10 is facially unconstitutional under the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses.”

Smokable hemp ban temporarily blocked A ban on the sale of natural smokeable hemp products has been blocked, possibly unti l the end of April, by a Travis County district judge. A court hearing is set for this week.

The Texas Tribune reported lawyers for the hemp industry argue state agencies overstepped their constitutional authority by imposing new testing requirements that created a 0.3% total THC threshold.

The industry says that effectively eliminated smokeable products by essentially rewriting the statutory definitions of hemp created by legislators in 2019.

Whi le that 2019 law also limited THC levels to 0.3%, manufacturers got around it by cultivating hemp plants with another type of THC called THCA, which produces a high when ignited.

The newly written limits on any type of THC mirror those that will be imposed by the federal government in November.

STAAR ends after this spring After 15 years, this spring marks one of the final times Texas students will take the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exams, according to the Houston Chronicle. Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, that end-ofyear assessment will be replaced by three shorter tests.

Backers of the change say it will reduce classroom time spent preparing for the test and be a more accurate measure of students’ progress. Critics say the changes will still place too much emphasis and classroom time preparing for the tests.

“The only evidence is that it will create more testing,” said state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, Gov. Greg Abbot t ’s Democrat ic challenger for governor. “We’re going from 15 tests to 51 tests by the time a kid’s done with eighth grade. It’s outrageous.”

The new Student Success Tool will provide three tests through the school year, instead of a single high-stakes test at the end of the year. Results will be available within 48 hours of each test, unl ike STAAR results, which are usually released in mid-June, months after students take the test.

Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.