Voucher bill passes Senate, arrives in House

A bill to implement school vouchers in Texas sailed through the Senate largely on party lines last week and now awaits consideration in the House, the Austin American- Statesman reported.

Raw sewage in Vidor area ditches cited as health problem

5 YEARS AGOFebruary 12, 2020:Acting on a tip, deputies of the Orange County Sheriff executed a search warrant on a large tract of property on F.M. 1136 about halfway between Mauriceville and the Interstate 10 freeway.

Fort Clark Stands Watch On Border Badlands

On Feb. 17, 1848, Thomas Jefferson Rusk stepped out of Sam Houston’s giant shadow long enough to give his maiden speech in the United States Senate, a vigorous defense of the Mexican War.

Ask Rusty – Why was Social Security money moved to the General Treasury?

Dear Rusty: Why were the Social Security funds moved from the Social Security account to the General Fund with the government? Is it not then called a tax making it an entitlement? That then gives the government control of our retirement.

MY FIVE CENTS

An unspeakable tragedy unfolded in our nation’s capital this week after a midair collision between an Army Blackhawk helicopter and American Airlines flight 5342 in what may be one of the worst air disasters in decades.

Pine Forest to survey site of proposed annexation

5 years agoFebruary 5, 2020:Former Vidor City Manager Mike Kunst was visibly surprised when the Vidor Chamber of Commerce announced that he had been selected by the Chamber membership to be their 2020 Vidor Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year.

Patrick releases 25 legislative priorities

AUSTIN— Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has released his top 25 legislative priorities as the legislative session gets underway, The Texas Tribune reported.

Fort Clark Stands Watch On Border Badlands

After almost a century of standing watch on the border, Fort Clark was deactivated on Feb. 9, 1946 and turned into, of all things, a dude ranch. Hellbent-for-leather horse soldiers must have turned over in their graves.

Social Security Matters

By Russell Gloor, National Social Security Advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Association of Mature American CitizensDear Rusty: If a financially well-off individual had multiple ex-spouses, could it happen that the multiple ex-spouses could each be collecting Social Security...

MY FIVE CENTS

Session is starting to heat up in Austin – the budget has been filed, committees have been appointed in the Senate, and our first hearings are scheduled. We hit the ground running this year and are prepared to accomplish as much as we can in the short time we have.