Texas Rural Report - News Clips 4.8.2024
#TXLEGE
State-managed air resources, better communication, and support for local rural volunteer firefighters emerge as priorities for the Panhandle Wildfires Investigative Committee
The Texas House Investigative Committee on the Panhandle Wildfires held meetings this week in Pampa to identify breakdowns in communication and the region's access to necessary firefighting resources during the state's response to the wildfires that ravaged the region and had a devastating impact on the rural counties of Hemphill, Hutchison Robertson, and Gray. The Legislative Committee, commissioned by Speaker Dade Phelan, was led by Chairman Ken King of Canadian. Representative King's hometown and family ranch were affected by the recent wildfires, which burned over one million acres this time, making it the largest wildfire in US history.
Texas Rural Volunteer Fire Departments Receive $1.3 Million In Grants
On Tuesday, April 2, Texas A&M Forest Service held the second of three funding meetings of fiscal year 2024 for the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, awarding 74 grants totaling approximately $1.3 million. Grant funding from the program will help Texas rural volunteer fire department recipients from this allocation purchase equipment such as dry hydrants, fire and rescue equipment, personal protective equipment and training aids.
Rural Texas counties to receive grant funding following passage of 2023 state law
Legislation supported by State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R- Odessa ) has resulted in significant grant funding for law enforcement agencies in the four counties he represents in the Texas House of Representatives. Landgraf voted for SB 22 during the 2023 legislative session to provide salary assistance for rural law enforcement, a need he is well aware of as the state representative for the West Texas counties of Ector, Loving, Ward, and Winkler.
POLITICS
Trump’s weaknesses with GOP voters go beyond the suburbs
The battle for Trump-skeptical Republican voters isn’t just about the suburbs. It’s true that the hundreds of thousands of GOP primary voters who voted against former President Donald Trump this year were concentrated in highly educated, suburban areas that have swung blue over the past decade. But a POLITICO analysis shows there’s also a significant bloc of voters who did not want Trump in more exurban, red-leaning counties — the kinds of places that were skeptical of Trump in the 2016 GOP primary and, while largely voting for him in the 2016 and 2020 general elections, have remained somewhat resistant to his takeover of the Republican Party.
Texas Ethics Commission looks to require disclosure for paid influencer ads on social media
Last week, the Texas Ethics Commission took the first step in adopting rulemaking that would require social media influencers to include political advertising disclosures when they are paid to post political advertising online. While the Texas Election Code generally requires paid political advertising that appears on an internet website to include a disclosure statement that includes the name of the person who paid for the advertising, current Texas Ethics Commission rules carve out some exceptions to this.
Former Texas House speaker says GOP megadonor Tim Dunn told him only Christians should hold leadership positions
Former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said on Thursday that Midland oil magnate Tim Dunn, one of the state’s most powerful and influential GOP megadonors, once told him that only Christians should hold leadership positions in the lower chamber. Straus, a Republican who is Jewish, relayed the encounter in an interview with former Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. It appeared to be the first time Straus publicly confirmed the anecdote, which was first reported by Texas Monthly in a 2018 story that cited “Straus insiders.”
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Urban Institute Researchers Examine Fallout from Texas Wildfires on Rural Communities in the Region
Several factors will need to be addressed to provide equitable recovery to those living in West Texas who experienced losses from the wildfires sweeping through the area, according to a new analysis from the Urban Institute. As of March 5, 2024, the fires in the Texas Panhandle have left at least two people dead and burned more than 1.3 million acres of land. Several towns have been evacuated. The report found that housing will be a major issue for the rural, agricultural-based region.
Ag Secretary Vilsack announces $124M in funding for smaller farms and rural businesses, 19 in NE
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Omaha Thursday and announced $124 million in grants and loans to projects in 44 states that are aimed at saving energy and creating more income streams for smaller farmers and rural businesses. The heftiest award — nearly $4 million — went to Nebraska’s Bluestem Systems to help boost a creative process that removes water and pathogens from manure. In doing so, the company produces dry fertilizer and recycles the water for on-site use.
Rural Population Grows for Second Consecutive Year
A Daily Yonder analysis of 2023 Census Bureau data showed that rural America gained population for the second year in a row, continuing to reverse a decade-long trend of rural population loss. The gain came primarily in counties that are closest to metropolitan areas and was the result of people moving to those counties from other parts of the country or internationally.
Texas Tech Has $2.5M to Address Rural Electricity Cyber Readiness
With about $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Texas Tech University is set to “develop a single framework that addresses the various stages of cyber-physical attacks such as attack detection, prevention, impact analysis, and recovery plans” for rural electric providers. The project title is “A Clean Energy and Rural Electric Industry-focused University Cyber-Physical Security Center” and was chosen for the grant by DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER).
High Plains Agriculture: Dissecting the reasons behind area veterinarian shortages
The shortage of veterinarians in rural communities is an ongoing issue faced within the agriculture industry, and industry leaders are working to find solutions to combat this issue. MyHighPlains.com staff spoke with Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the Muleshoe Animal Clinic Dustin Urbantke to understand the meaning behind the lack of veterinarians in the area.
Texas Housing Insight
Housing sales rebounded from last month’s drop despite mortgage rates remaining at elevated levels. The average home price grew alongside sales, with the cost rising over $9,000 since December 2023. According to the latest data, Texas had a 14.6 percent increase in total home sales month over month (MOM), resulting in 29,209 homes sold (Table 1). Notably, all major cities in Texas experienced an upswing in housing sales compared to fourth quarter 2023. The most significant increase was in Houston (37.3 percent) with a remarkable surge of over 2,000 additional sales compared to December. The rest of the Big Four experienced strong monthly gains of over 10 percent.
Grants for Small Towns and Rural Areas Focus on Enhancing Civic Life
A new philanthropic organization will roll out $10 million in grants to rural communities and small towns in 2024, funding projects aimed at enhancing civic participation. The Trust for Civic Life, a collaborative that launched in February, funds small town entrepreneurs, cultural centers, hobby groups, and public venues to create avenues for community participation. The trust is currently reviewing its first round of nominations for funding, and a second round of nominations will open in August.
EDUCATION
This Teachers Union Leader Wants to Turn Rural Schools Into Community Hubs
Melissa Cropper, a 58, has served as president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) since 2012. The OFT represents 20,000 active and retired teachers in 45 school districts across Ohio and five community/technical colleges, as well as librarians and social workers. The mother of five became involved in the union while working as a school librarian in Georgetown, Ohio, a town of 4,463 about 36 miles southeast of Cincinnati. In 2019, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) convened a Rural Task Force to identify ways to connect with union members who live in rural areas or small towns. As a continuation of that work, Cropper is working with the AFT to establish a Rural Caucus within the union. Cropper represented the AFT at the Rural Policy Action Summit in Omaha in April 2023, which became the basis for the Rural Democracy Institute’s Rural Policy Action Report.
Two Denton school district principals indicted on charges of illegal electioneering
Two public school principals in North Texas have been indicted for allegedly using their school email accounts to urge staff to vote for certain political candidates in the March Republican primary election. The two Denton principals, who are married, are accused of violating state election law and could face up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000 if convicted of the misdemeanor charges, which a Denton County grand jury handed down on Tuesday.
HEALTH
Health Care Closer to Home – It’s Good for the Heart
In Arizona, Benson Hospital’s telehealth services cut a 100-mile round trip to metropolitan Tucson, allowing residents to focus on what matters most – their health. Before the pandemic, telehealth was nearly nonexistent in Graham and Cochise County, forcing rural Arizonans in the southeast region to travel more than 50 miles for health appointments. For cardiac patients, individuals must travel 100 miles roundtrip, twice a week for rehabilitation sessions. Patients and caregivers face geographical challenges, transportation insecurity, and missed working hours to make the journey to the nearest healthcare facility.
Here's What Medicaid Expansion Can Do for the Health of Your State
As the Texas House and Senate decide which issues to consider in the 2025 legislative session, we want to bring your attention to a matter that requires immediate action in our state: the need to accept expanded federal funding from Medicaid to support the health of Texans.
Uninsured Country: Affordable Health Care Eludes Many Family Farmers and Ranchers
Super glue and animal antibiotics are in the medicine cabinets of many farmers and ranchers in Texas — tools of the trade they sometimes use on themselves to avoid a trip to the doctor. It’s not that they have anything against physicians. It’s because they either lack health insurance or their coverage is so limited that a doctor visit could saddle them with a hefty bill.