Austin, TX

Megadonors are controlling the Speaker vote in Austin

Published

1 year ago

December 7, 2024

Megadonors are controlling the Speaker vote in Austin

The signs of a dysfunctional Texas House were on full display over the last several weeks as the Republican Caucus sparred over who should be the Speaker of the House for the 89th Legislative Session. Gone are the days of the “Vote your district” mantra in the Texas Capitol. This new wave of extreme freshmen legislators have ushered in a new age of “Vote Wilks and Dunn.” The losers are the citizens of Texas.

If there even was any chance of the Texas House holding onto its integrity, it is now mostly gone, as former Speaker Dade Phelan dropped out of the Speaker’s race on Friday.

Look at the facts and ignore the lies: Phelan led the two most conservative sessions in Texas history. It was an honor to help pass Constitutional Carry, pro-life bills, property tax relief, critical border security and anti-woke legislation in the 87th and 88th legislative sessions under the leadership of Speaker Phelan.

The far-right rage machine, financed by megadonors Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, spent the last few years smearing Phelan as a “liberal” simply because he refused to kiss their rings. Political consultants, searching to cash in on tough, and expensive, political campaigns, made the 2024 primary season one of the nastiest elections Texas has ever seen. Grifters lied about Republican representatives’ records, used AI to generate deceitful images for political ads and spent millions of dollars to manipulate the voting public and defeat the legislators who served their districts and not the interests of theo-oligarch kingmakers. Again, the losers are the citizens of Texas.

The Wilks and Dunn camp continues to stifle open debate and conscious-based voting, the very cornerstones of democracy. They wear down anyone with integrity by launching non-stop barrages of hate and misinformation towards them. It looks as if Phelan did not want to keep putting his family and himself through that chaos and meanness. Who can blame him?

The shrillest voices in the House Republican Caucus were very clear in their intentions to remove Phelan as Speaker of the House and install their own hand-picked candidate. Follow the money and find the common denominator among them. Dunn and Wilks donated millions to political campaigns and to dark money supporting organizations. Their looming threat of a well-funded primary opponent sways the minds of many Texas legislators.

But while it may look like two billionaires control the Texas Legislature this session, Texans should not be completely dismayed. There are those who will get down to Austin and realize that the people of their districts are more important than two mega-donors.

For the sake of all Texans, let’s hope they will decide to remember the words of Sam Houston: “Do right, and risk the consequences.”

Rep. Glenn Rogers, R-Graford, represents District 60 in the Texas House of Representatives. His service in the Texas House will end in January.

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com

Source link

Austin, TX

Texas Plans Second Execution of the Year

Published

8 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Texas Plans Second Execution of the Year

Cedric Ricks spoke in his own defense at his 2013 murder trial, something most defendants accused of a terrible crime do not do. Ricks confessed that he had killed his girlfriend, Roxann Sanchez, and her 8-year-old son. He admitted he was aggressive and had trouble controlling his anger, stating that he was “sorry about everything.” […]

Source link

Austin, TX

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Published

20 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Austin had a particularly itchy and drippy cedar fever season to start the year. Many winter days, from late December into February, had high or very high ashe juniper (aka cedar) pollen counts.

Central Texas has a year-round allergy season with mold popping up at any time. For the more traditional spring and fall allergy seasons, forecasters at AccuWeather are predicting some of the allergens across the country will be worse this year than average.

Texas, though, is a different story.

For grass allergies, which happen now through September, AccuWeather estimates Austin will have an average season. However, just west of the Interstate 35 corridor in the Hill Country to almost El Paso, that season is expected to be worse than normal.

“Texas may experience above-average grass pollen for a few weeks,” AccuWeather’s allergy report said, “though the season could be shorter-lived compared to northern areas.”

It all depends on the weather

How much rain we get in the next six months and the perennial Texas heat will all affect the growing season for grasses and weeds, as well as the amount of pollen trees produce. The Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac are both predicting a wetter and warmer spring.

Rain helps plants grow, which can increase pollen production over time. However, rainfall during allergy season can also bring temporary relief by washing pollen out of the air. That’s what we’re expecting this weekend, with our first meaningful rain chance in nearly three weeks. Tree and weed pollen levels might briefly drop, but mold could spike because it thrives in damp, humid weather.

If spring continues with excessive heat like we saw in February, it could limit the growth of some plants and trees. Extreme heat can reduce how much they grow, and how much pollen they produce. On the other hand, if we get a healthy balance of rain and only slightly above-normal temperatures — not extreme heat — pollen counts could climb. That’s especially true as we head into April, typically our windiest month of the year, which helps spread pollen more easily.

How can you treat allergies in Austin?

If you are feeling the effects of allergies, here are some things you can do to lessen them:

Start taking allergy medication at least two weeks before your allergen’s season is supposed to start. Keep taking your allergy medication throughout your allergen’s season, even on low-pollen days.
Vary your allergy medication. You can take a nasal spray, an eye drop and an oral antihistamine at the same time to treat the different symptoms. If one kind of allergy medication isn’t working, consult your doctor about whether you should add a second one or switch out the medication.
Take a shower before going to bed.
Take off outside clothes or shoes when you get into the house.
Do a daily nasal wash such as a neti pot or saline spray.
Consider seeing an allergist to get drops or shots to lessen your reaction to the allergen.

Consider these household tips to improve your chances of keeping allergens away:

Change the filters in your house regularly during cedar fever season.
Vacuum and sweep regularly.
Change your sheets, especially your pillow regularly.
Keep doors and windows closed.
Clean out the vents in your home.
Have your home tested for indoor allergens such as mold.
Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air.
Wear a mask outside or inside while you are trying to lessen the pollen or mold indoors.

Source link

Austin, TX

Texas Primary: Breakdown of Texas races

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Democrats tried to stop a mid-decade redistricting effort, but were unsuccessful. Now, we are starting to see some of the candidates emerging in those newly drawn districts. FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski gives a full breakdown.

Posted March 3, 2026 10:32pm CST

Source link