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BY: @MattMackowiak [ [link removed] ]
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THURSDAY || 4/24/2025
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“If something of importance is known in Texas, Matt knows it. With a decline in the number of credible news organizations, the Must Read Texas morning email is indispensable for anyone that wants to continue to be informed.” – Former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX)
AUSTIN NEWSLETTER LAUNCHED
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TOP NEWS
"Four Texas school districts at risk for state takeover after 2023 ratings released,” Texas Tribune's Sneha Dey -- "At least four Texas school districts could be forced to shut down their chronically underperforming schools or submit to a takeover from the state, based on annual state ratings released Thursday morning.
The Texas Education Agency released its A-F grades for the 2022-23 school year, the first complete set in five years. Ratings had not been released due to court battles and pauses to the rating system during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Beaumont, Midland, Fort Worth and Wichita Falls school districts all have one or more campuses that failed state ratings for at least four years in a row, putting them at risk of bruising state penalties.
Of the 8,539 public schools evaluated in the state, 19.3% got an A. Another 33.6% got a B and 24.7% got a C. About one in five campuses failed to meet academic standards, with 14.8% earning a D and 7.6% earning an F.
Performance scores for schools and districts are determined based on three categories: how students perform on state tests and meet college and career readiness benchmarks; how students improve over time; and how well schools are educating their most disadvantaged students.
Overall grades declined for many campuses since the 2021-2022 school year. Half of the state’s campuses received A or B grades, a decline of about 20 percentage points from the previous school year. The state only released partial scores that year.
TEA Commissioner Mike Morath attributed that decline to a drop in academic growth as schools worked to recover from the pandemic.
Many school district leaders, meanwhile, have attributed the declines to stricter college and career readiness standards. For the first time, schools had to show that 88% of their graduating high school students were college or career-ready to get an A, up from the 60% benchmark in previous years. About 10,000 more students met the requirements to prove college and career readiness.
“We keep raising the bar so that Texas is a leader in preparing students for postsecondary success,” Morath said at a press roundtable.
The release of the A-F ratings comes after legal battles [ [link removed] ] over changes to how schools are scored. More than 120 school districts sought to block the release of the 2023 ratings because they said TEA had not given them adequate notice before rolling out stricter college and career readiness benchmarks.
Earlier this month, an appeals court cleared TEA to make the 2023 A-F grades public, ruling that Morath did not overstep his authority when he changed the scoring metrics." Texas Tribune [ [link removed] ]
FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS HAVE ENDED: As of July 11, 2022, we have moved to a paywall for free subscribers. Free subscribers will only receive the top story in their morning email. Free subscribers will need to become paid subscribers to receive full story summaries.
#TXLEGE
Dennis Farris guest column: "Lives Are on The Line as Texas Lawmakers Debate Drone Ban,” via The Hayride -- "I’ve lost too many friends in the line of duty. When lives are on the line, we must do everything in our power to ensure first responders have the best possible tools to protect themselves and the public. That’s why I must weigh in to oppose Texas lawmakers push to pass House Bill 41 – a well-intentioned but misguided piece of legislation that would force law enforcement and firefighters to abandon one of our most effective tools for saving lives: drones.
Drones have revolutionized emergency response. They can be deployed instantly, providing officers with real-time intelligence before they step into dangerous situations. In active shooter incidents, fires, search-and-rescue missions, and disaster recovery efforts, drones allow first responders to quickly and accurately assess threats, locate victims, and make high stakes decisions – without putting human lives at unnecessary risk.
I’ve seen it firsthand. When someone is lost in the wilderness or trapped under rubble, thermal imaging on drones has helped locate them when every second counts. When armed suspects flee into the night, drones offer aerial thermal imaging that keeps officers and civilians safe. Drones navigate environments that human responders can’t: collapsed buildings, chemical spills, raging floodwaters, and dangerous terrain.
Yet, instead of recognizing their life-saving value, HB41 would force police and fire departments to throw out these critical tools because they contain foreign-made parts. Why? There is concern foreign-made drones pose a security threat, but right now there is no specific evidence backing this fear. In fact, Congress already mandated a federal security study on these drones, set to be completed by December 2025. Texas legislators are rushing to ban them before the facts are even in. Legislators shouldn’t pass a ban with very real life-and-death consequences based on theoretical threats.
Law enforcement has been outspoken against this bill, and their main concern is the rapid timeline the bill imposes for stopping use and procurement of this technology. Departments would have no time to transition their drone programs and no good options for replacing their current drones. Right now, American manufacturers simply do not produce enough drones to replace the foreign-made models at the scale first responders require. Those that are available cost much more and often lack the capabilities law enforcement relies on – meaning agencies will either be forced to cut their drone programs entirely or spend astronomical sums on inferior equipment. It would be like telling people to throw out their iPhone and replace it with a $3,000 flip phone because the chip in their smartphone isn’t American-made.
This issue shouldn’t be about politics or splashy anti-China headlines. Officer safety is on the line. Texas has always stood by its first responders, ensuring we have the support needed to protect our communities. Restricting access to drones will make our work more dangerous, put officers and firefighters at unnecessary risk, and ultimately jeopardize the very communities we are sworn to protect.
We owe it to every first responder who has put their life on the line to ensure they have the tools they need to come home safely. HB41 is a step in the wrong direction. Let’s not let fear dictate policy when lives—both first responders’ and civilians’—are at stake.
Dennis Farris is President of the Austin Retired Police Officers Association and has had a 30-year law enforcement career." The Hayride [ [link removed] ]
#TXLEGE
"After the failed attempt to impeach AG Paxton, state senators wants to change Texas' impeachment law” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
"Batteries hold promise of clean, reliable Texas energy, if problems can be overcome” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
STATE GOVERNMENT
“Ag Commissioner Miller Makes Splash at EarthX with Water Warnings” Dallas Express [ [link removed] ]
TEXANS IN DC
John Cornyn guest column: “I’ve worked hand-in-glove with President Trump to accomplish his agenda during his first 100 days” Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)
2025
“Business, community leaders rally behind $987M Alamo Colleges bond” SA Report [ [link removed] ]
BUSINESS NEWS
“American Airlines loses $473M as demand falters, momentum ‘quickly shifted’ on tariffs” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
“Southwest Airlines posts $149M loss, cuts guidance on ‘macroeconomic uncertainty’” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> FW REPORT: "Fort Worth Opera returns to Bass Performance Hall with first full-scale production in 6 years" FW REPORT [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: "House Partially Passes $3 Billion Dementia Prevention Research Institute of Texas Legislation" THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> AAS: "Gov. Greg Abbott signs 'DOGE Bill' into law: 'Texas is getting too burdensome'" AAS [ [link removed] ]
> MRT: "Texas governor signs bill creating another DOGE-inspired effort at the state level" MRT [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: "Bill to Create Texas AI Council, Strengthen Regulations Passes House" THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: "Texas Senate Passes $50,000 Homestead Exemption Increase for Elderly, Disabled Homeowners" THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> MY RGV: "Truth or abuse? LGBTQ advocates, Texas lawmakers debate bill protecting misgendering kids" MY RGV [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: "Harris County Adopts 'Climate Justice' Plan" THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> AAS: "Texas property tax cut bill could bring relief to some homeowners. Here's what's proposed." AAS [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: "Texas House Bill to Require Voter Approval for Toll Roads Meets Resistance from Anti-Toll Group" THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> AAS: "Is a 'nuclear power renaissance' coming to Texas? House Bill 14 proposes to boost industry" AAS [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: "Irving chamber, Sands accused of ‘backroom deal’ for former Texas Stadium land" DMN [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: "'Solar Geoengineering' Ban Discussed in Texas House Committee Hearing" THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: "Texas Attorney General Sues City of Dallas Twice Over Alleged Firearm Carry Rights Violations" THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> THE TEXAN: "REDACTED #057: The Pandemic Partisan Split" THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
> AAS: "Austin City Council to vote on $26 million purchase of office building" AAS [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: "Collin County man executed for death of young mother: ‘Justice was finally carried out’" DMN [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: "Deloitte to start work on office space in new Uptown tower" DMN [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: "Texas AG Ken Paxton seeks records from Plano ISD as part of EPIC City investigation" DMN [ [link removed] ]
> AAS: "Fossil of giant Alamosaurus dinosaur found at Texas national park" AAS [ [link removed] ]
> TPR: "Uvalde City Council approves financial settlement with families affected by 2022 shooting" TPR [ [link removed] ]
> AAS: "2 Texas Gulf towns named among best beach towns in the South. Can you guess which?" AAS [ [link removed] ]
> TPR: "Secret Service details Sutherland Springs shooter's long history of sexual and domestic violence" TPR [ [link removed] ]
> AAS: "'I turned into the devil': Texas death row inmate Moises Mendoza to be executed Wednesday" AAS [ [link removed] ]
> SA REPORT: "‘Viva Fiesta, Viva Safety’: officials warn of tightened security measures" SA REPORT [ [link removed] ]
EXTRA POINTS
Last night's Texas sports scores:
> MLB: Houston 109, Toronto 94
> NBA: Houston 3, Golden State 1
> NHL: Colorado at Dallas (ESPN)
> MLB: Oakland 5, Texas 2
Tonight's Texas sports schedule:
> 9:05pm: MLB: Texas at Oakland
Tomorrow's Texas sports schedule:
> 6:40pm: MLB: Houston at Kansas City
> 9:15pm: MLB: Texas at Oakland
DALLAS STARS: "Stars’ vets Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin still getting it done as Dallas takes series lead" DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
TEXAS RANGERS: "How Texas Rangers’ Joc Pederson remained positive throughout his historic slump" DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
TEXAS MEN'S BASKETBALL: "Texas basketball: St. John's guard Simeon Wilcher pledges to UT in portal, per report" AAS [ [link removed] ] ($)

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