More money and support for workforce training in rural areas and early college programs across Texas advanced in the Capitol this week.

They are among lawmakers’ efforts aimed at preparing young Texans for high-demand jobs this session. Gov. Greg Abbott’s emergency priority list includes a funding boost for career training programs in high school, from early college to partnerships in rural areas.

On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Education K-16 advanced a bill that would increase funding to public schools for more students to receive job training and mentorship opportunities through Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools, or P-TECH programs.

To address needs in rural areas, the House on Wednesday passed a bill to fund rural workforce development programs.

“Without an intentional systemwide effort to increase credential attainment for our young people, we will not be able to adequately fill the jobs that are being created in North Texas. And we will not adequately be able to sustain the economic growth that we’re seeing in North Texas,” said Katrina Fraser, the Commit Partnership’s director of postsecondary education policy.

But time is running out for lawmakers to pass legislation as the session’s final day approaches on June 2. A $7.7 billion proposal for schools is set for a Senate hearing Thursday, a month after the House passed its version of the bill.

About 60% of jobs in Texas will require education beyond a high school diploma in five years; however, less than 40% of Texans earn a degree or credential within six years of graduating high school, according to state data. About a third of workers have skills for those jobs, according to the Texas Workforce Commission’s labor market data.

Some Texas districts, including Dallas ISD, offer P-TECH programs that allow students to earn college credit — and even an associates degree — while in high school. Public schools that do so could see their funding triple from $50 to $150 per student enrolled in P-TECH under House Bill 120, introduced by Rep. Keith Bell, R-Forney.

“This bill responds to Governor Greg Abbott’s emergency item to improve and expand career training programs for Texas high school students,” according to Bell’s March 6 Facebook post. “Our legislature must continue creating multiple pathways to career success!”

A statewide high school advising program would be established and overseen by the Texas Education Agency to work with districts’ advisers, according to the bill. The bill would limit each district adviser who is participating in the TEA program to work with no more than 200 students, prioritizing grades 11 and 12.

Education advocates say access to such advisers boost students’ chances for success and financial stability, but high student-to-counselor ratios and limited resources hinder that support.

The schools would partner directly with colleges, employers and local workforce boards to support students’ transitions to college or careers. TEA’s program would support system-level collaboration and adviser training.

Schools would also receive $40,000 per full-time adviser through a new allotment created by the bill. Additionally, a grant funding program created by the bill would give districts $50,000 for having junior ROTC programs.

Rural programs could partner with colleges and universities to provide students job training for regional workforce needs — such as agriculture, maintenance or transportation — through a new Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership.

Bolstering the workforce in rural Texas

Another effort aims to boost workforce development in rural areas through a separate grant funding program.

The Rural Workforce Training Grant Program would support job-specific training and related services in counties with populations under 200,000. The grant amount is still undetermined, according to the Legislative Budget Board.

Many rural residents live below the poverty level or are retired, according to an analysis of House Bill 2545, introduced by Rep. Stan Gerdes, R-Smithville. Rural communities across Texas are losing population to urban and suburban areas due to a lack of opportunity, education and competitive local wages, according to the analysis.

Rural Texas contributes more than $200 billion to the state economy through agriculture, energy and a space industry, according to the think tank Texas 2036. But such areas lack access to health care, postsecondary education and internet, according to the group.

“They just do not have the resources,” said Grace Atkins, a Texas 2036 policy advisor.

Sustaining Texas’ prosperity requires increased access to career training for rural Texas’ over 4.7 million residents and 900,000 K-12 students, which is a larger rural population than in other rural areas nationwide, according to Texas 2036.

The nonprofit organizations Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and Texas Policy Research oppose the bill because it creates a new state-run program that picks “winners and losers” through grants instead of creating policies to “reduce barriers, red-tape and taxes for rural businesses,” according to statements from the groups.

The Texas Workforce Commission would award grants to public, private or nonprofit organizations that provide on-the-job training, apprenticeships, workforce education courses and other related activities, according to the bill. Eligible groups would include business associations, political subdivisions, local workforce development boards and educational institutions.

The grants could be used for training materials, instructor fees, wraparound expenses, facility fees, outreach, mentoring and other costs, according to the bill.

This reporting is part of the Future of North Texas, a community-funded journalism initiative supported by the Commit Partnership, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, the McCune-Losinger Family Fund, The Meadows Foundation, the Perot Foundation, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the University of Texas at Dallas. The News retains full editorial control of this coverage.

SAN ANTONIO – A Bexar County state senator filed a bill that would lower the interest rate for overdue child support payments.

Senate Bill 629 would drop the interest rate from 6% to 3%. The bill was filed by state Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D – Bexar County).

In an analysis, she said, in part, “lowering interest rates would make repayments more achievable, encouraging consistent payment behavior, especially among low-income earners.”

“We’ll get more payments because the payments are more affordable,” Zaffirini said during a committee meeting this session.

She’s gotten some support. Quentin Riser, an assistant professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, spoke in favor of the bill.

“This is not about letting anyone off the hook,” Riser said. “It’s about making repayment possible.”

But this bill has had backlash. John Gabriel, a senior visiting judge, wrote a letter to Sen. Zaffirini’s office in opposition.

“I didn’t think it was good policy, so I wanted to let her know,” Gabriel said.

Gabriel said he did not get a response.

Steven Sinkin, an attorney who specializes in the collection of past-due child support for all ages, said he was shocked to read the bill.

“It’s lowering the consequence, lowering the incentive, lowering and the protection for the women and children of the state,” Sinkin said. “Who are we helping? It is really incomprehensible.”

One of Sinkin’s clients is Veronica Posada. She’s working to collect child support from the father of her children and from her own dad, who didn’t pay her mother for years. She’s able to do this because there aren’t time limits for this kind of collection in Texas.

“I can’t understand their logic,” Posada said, talking about the bill. “You have families out there like mine. For 25 years, we didn’t collect child support because he thought it wasn’t necessary.”

She’s not the only San Antonio mom with concerns.

Josie Schlather it’s “a burden to fight, and it’s a burden not to fight.”

“There’s no loan that you can get that‘s 3% and it’s principal first,” Schlather said. “I have a daughter, and I have sons who witness all of this behavior. When you have obligations, you meet them and you honor them and you don’t get away with something because you can.”

KSAT reached out to Zaffirini for an interview, but she was unable to accommodate before the deadline.

“The rationale for filing my Senate Bill 629 is twofold: Representatives of the Office of the Attorney General requested the change, and national data, particularly from Wisconsin, show it works,” Zaffirini said in a statement, in part. “By making repayment more realistic, my bill would help more Texas families receive the support they deserve.”

KSAT reached out to the AG‘s office. A spokesperson said, “the OAG provides assistance strictly as a resource to all legislators and at no time should this be viewed as supporting or opposing specific legislation on any matter.”

The companion bill of SB 629 is HB 4213. It passed through to the Senate with an amendment. Instead of the proposed 3% interest rate, it says “the interest rate determined under Section 304.003, Finance Code.” KSAT is told that’s a higher rate than 6%.

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An air quality alert issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for two of Texas’ most populous metro areas is advising residents against idling in drive-thru lanes due to elevated ozone levels.

Why It Matters

With a combined metropolitan population of over 10 million, the recommendation affects a significant portion of the state’s urban population.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that even short-term exposure to elevated ozone can lead to breathing difficulties, lung inflammation, and worsening of conditions such as asthma.

What To Know

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issued Ozone Action Days for both the Dallas-Fort Worth and the San Antonio areas for Tuesday, an air quality alert published by the NWS said.

According to officials, atmospheric conditions were forecast to be favorable for producing high levels of ozone pollution.

“You can help prevent ozone pollution by sharing a ride, walking or riding a bicycle, taking your lunch to work, avoiding drive through lanes, conserving energy, and keeping your vehicle properly tuned,” the alert read.

Elsewhere, air quality alerts were also in effect for the western two-thirds of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities Metro, following previous alerts issued for the day prior.

“Mostly sunny skies, warm temperatures and low humidity will provide a favorable environment for two types of pollutants (volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides) to react with sunlight in the air to produce ground-level ozone,” the alerts for the state said.

“Ozone will remain elevated on Wednesday as sunny skies, warm temperatures and dry conditions persist.”

In the northeastern part of the state, an air quality alert had also been issued due to the ongoing Camp House, Jenkins Creek, and Munger Shaw fires, which had each burned over 1,000 acres as of Monday night. Smoke was expected to impact areas near and downwind of the blazes, with smoke being observed as far north as the Canadian border, the alert said.

What People Are Saying

AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham previously told Newsweek: “Ozone is a secondary pollutant, meaning it’s not emitted directly from sources but is formed through chemical reactions. These reactions require sunlight and higher temperatures, making warmer months more prone to ozone formation. When air is stagnant, pollutants don’t get dispersed, allowing ozone to build up to unhealthy levels.

“Ozone pollution is often more severe in urban areas where there are higher concentrations of pollutants from sources like cars, power plants, and industrial activities.”

Professor of pediatric respiratory and environmental medicine Jonathan Grigg, with Queen Mary, University of London, previously told Newsweek There are “very clear links” between inhaling particles and earlier death from both respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Additionally, he added that conditions such as asthma are also exacerbated by exposure to air pollution.

What Happens Next

At the time of writing, Ozone Action Days for Texas were in effect through Tuesday. The next ozone action day, if required, would be issued by 3 p.m. Tuesday.