Texas Rural News Clips 1.15.24
#TXLEGE
District 71 Rep. Stan Lambert discusses new laws regarding the border, education funding & more
In this week’s Big Country Politics Sunday conversation, District 71 State Representative Stan Lambert spoke about laws that went into effect on January 1, 2024. Senate Bill 717 bans DEI initiatives at public institutions of higher education. Lambert shared that this came about when legislation noticed more divisiveness with DEI programs.
Texas' Greg Abbott goes after fellow Republicans
Aiming for political payback, Gov. Greg Abbott's campaign announced Wednesday he will spend big this primary season to undercut fellow GOPers who defied him on school voucher legislation last year.
Greg Abbott will use $19 million he raised in 2023 to target anti-voucher Republicans
Gov. Greg Abbott raised a record $19 million over the last six months — money he intends to use toward his crusade to oust anti-school voucher Texas House Republicans in the primary season. Abbott’s campaign announced the sum Wednesday, adding that he also has $38 million cash on hand across two political accounts. “With the primary elections just around the corner, Governor Abbott has the resources needed to back strong conservative candidates who support his bold agenda to keep Texas the greatest state in the nation, including expanding school choice for all Texas families and students,” Abbott campaign manager Kim Snyder said in a statement.
POLITICS
Texas Supreme Court rules against AG Ken Paxton, greenlights his deposition in whistleblower case
The Texas Supreme Court has denied Attorney General Ken Paxton's motion to end a lawsuit brought forward by a group of former employees who were terminated after reporting the Republican to the FBI. The court’s late Friday ruling means Paxton will have to answer questions under oath in the case that prompted his impeachment last year.
WSJ Opinion: Trump’s Hold on Rural America Is Key to His Resilience
GARNER, Iowa—Republican voters in Hancock County largely rejected Donald Trump eight years ago, giving him less than a fifth of the vote in the GOP caucuses. As recently as a year ago, some party faithful here and elsewhere in Iowa seemed eager to move on, saying they were tired of the former president’s chaos and liabilities.
Will Congress Do Its Job and Pass a Farm Bill This Year?
If 2023 is any indication, the 118th Congress will likely go down as one of the least productive, and worthless, in history. As Annie Karni reports in the New York Times, despite holding over 700 votes in 2023, the Republican-majority House passed only 27 laws. Even the infamous Republican-controlled “Do Nothing Congress” of 1947-48 passed 906 laws. Somehow in spite of their incompetence, Congress managed to stumble upon a one-year extension of the federal farm bill. That means that contentious issues like nutrition programs, climate programs, farm conservation programs and the enormous wealth and income disparities between farmers will be hot topics throughout the 2024 election cycle.
Q&A: Rural Voter Behavior Is Driven By Economics, Not Just ‘Culture Wars’
Keith Orejel is a historian of rural 20th-century political economy who teaches at Wilmington College in Ohio. Below, we discuss the industrialization of the American countryside, the geographic diversity of culture wars, and “Bidenomics” in rural places.
Axios Vibes: America's unhappiest people
Republicans, rural residents, renters, women and singles disproportionately feel like they're in a big fat funk financially, our debut Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll reveals.
Texas GOP chair Matt Rinaldi backed a group with white supremacist ties — while working for its billionaire funder
For more than three months, Republican Party of Texas Chair Matt Rinaldi has vigorously attacked critics of Defend Texas Liberty, and rebuffed calls to distance the state party from the powerful group over its ties to white supremacists. As he did so, Rinaldi was also working as an attorney for one of the group’s two billionaire funders, Farris Wilks, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Mike Olcott: The Billionaire’s Choice (That Can’t Denounce Anti-Semitism)
As primary season kicks into high gear, the Defend Texas Liberty PAC has remained at the forefront of issues facing Republican candidates. Last month, the Texas GOP State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) voted to kill a ban on associating with “known Nazi sympathizers and Holocaust deniers.” This was followed by an effort of many of those who voted against the ban to keep a record of the vote from being kept as part of the party’s official record.
Woke Wilks: Major Donors’ Business Promotes Leftist Initiatives
Conservatives across America in recent years have expressed alarm at the growing proliferation of Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) and Diversity and Inclusion (“DI”) initiatives throughout various aspects of society, including government, academia, and the corporate world. Concerns about ESG and DI initiatives stem from the belief that these initiatives are frequently used to promote liberal ideologies.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Broadband Director: The Challenges are Bigger in Texas
A former infantryman in the Army, Greg Conte is used to volunteering for tasks that others may shy away from. In an interview with Telecompetitor, Texas’ Broadband Development Office (BDO) Director explains why $3.3 billion in BEAD funding might not be as appealing as it sounds.
Kerrville expected to welcome nearly 500k visitors for total eclipse
A total solar eclipse is months away, and many have already booked their flights and secured their hotels. A recent prediction shows that one Texas Hill Country city is expected to see nearly 500,000 visitors during the celestial event.
Federal Money to Pay for EV Charging Across North Texas
The five-year grant is intended to expand EV charging access in underserved areas before another $70 million grant will be used to build up to five hydrogen fueling stations in the state, officials announced.
Governor Abbott Names Chair, Appoints Four To Texas Commission On The Arts
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Nancy C. Windham to the Texas Commission on the Arts. Nancy C. Windham of Nacogdoches is president and CEO of the Texas Forest Country Partnership. She previously served as interim executive director of the Lufkin Economic Development Corporation, president and CEO of Nacogdoches Economic Development Corporation, and vice president of the Frisco Economic Development Corporation. She is an honorary life member of the Texas Economic Development Council and fellow of the Industrial Assets Management Council.
TFB: Awaiting Release of New Census of Agriculture Data
he Census of Agriculture is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. The calendar is circled for Feb. 13. That’s the day when data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture will be released. The census is taken only once every five years. The survey looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures.
EDUCATION
Colleges step up recruiting in rural areas
As colleges look to up their diversity on campus, they’re traveling to places they’ve skipped over before: rural communities.
HEALTHCARE
In the Texas Panhandle, a nonprofit is fighting rural child care deserts
The economy in this Panhandle town of about 4,100 people has long rested on the backs of its working-class residents, who for decades have dutifully filled the ranks at meatpacking facilities, school buildings and other vital businesses. But city officials noticed a shift after the COVID-19 pandemic. Fewer residents were interested in taking in-person jobs at companies in the town. One key reason: It was too difficult and costly to find child care.