Archives for October 2021

Clarendon College has received a grant of $670,423 to expand distance learning opportunities, according to information from CC and the USDA.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Monday a significant expansion of access to health care and educational services for millions of rural Americans nationwide. This announcement continues to move forward President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda by prioritizing economic growth in rural America and investing in the middle class.

The money for Clarendon College will be used to purchase state-of-the-art video communication systems to be located on the main campus in Clarendon, as well as branch locations in Childress, Pampa, and Shamrock.

The college will use these systems to allow instructors on one campus to teach classes at other rural sites that lack the faculty for those subjects. Specifically, expanding the availability of nursing courses and in the delivery of ranch and feedlot operations courses will address workforce needs in the Texas Panhandle and benefit approximately 29,000 residents.

“The college is excited to use the grant funds to enhance learning for current and future students,” CC President Tex Buckhaults said.

The grant will allow CC to work with other schools in the region, other counties, states, and even globally. Specific plans include expanding educational opportunities to provide students with core courses, electives, dual credit courses, and advanced placement. The college also aims to use the grant to improve academic achievement and expand opportunities for dual credit and college readiness and to provide a community resource for the facilitation of workforce development, job training, community meetings, continuing education, and professional development.

Enhancements on the Clarendon campus will include a digital screen and new sound system in the Bairfield Activity Center and improvements in the Courson Ranch Operations Center and in the CC video conference room in the Instructional Center, Buckhaults told the Enterprise.

“For too long, the ‘digital divide’ has left too many people living in rural communities behind: unable to compete in the global economy and unable to access the services and resources that all Americans need,” Vilsack said. “As we build back better than we were before, the actions I am announcing today will go a long way toward ensuring that people who live or work in rural areas are able to tap into the benefits of broadband, including access to specialized health care, educational opportunities and the global marketplace. Rural people, businesses and communities must have affordable, reliable, high-speed internet so they can fully participate in modern society and the modern economy.”

The Donley County Health Fair will be held Thursday, October 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Clarendon College Bairfield Activity Center.

Eighteen booths will be featured at this year’s health fair with retina screenings and oral health care, along with many more services available to the area communities. The health fair features free COVID vaccinations, flu shots, and blood screenings (fasting) for PSA, A1C, Lipids, Glucose, and more.

Additionally, Coffee Memorial will be on hand Thursday to host a community blood drive at the Bairfield Activity Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The health fair is sponsored by the Donley County AgriLife Extension, Donley County Hospital District, Clarendon College, Clarendon Family Medical Center, and Mike’s Pharmacy.
For more information, call the Extension Office at 806-874-2141.

Texas voters will head to the polls Tuesday, November 2, to decide the fate of eight proposed amendments to the state constitution.

Early voting continues this week through Friday. Early votes can be cast at the Courthouse Annex.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. next Tuesday for the General Election. Voters must bring their voter’s registration card and their driver’s license or similar ID with them. Check your registration card for your voting precinct.

Polling locations are Precinct Box 101 – Bairfield Activity Center, Clarendon College; Precinct Box 102 – Howardwick City Hall; Precinct Box 201 – Donley County Courthouse, Clarendon; Precinct Box 301 – Fellowship Hall, Assembly of God Church, Clarendon; Precinct Box 303 – First Baptist Church, Hedley; and Precinct Box 401 – Family Life Center, Church of Christ Church, Clarendon.

By Andrew Zhang, The Texas Tribune

Texas voters can soon weigh in on potential changes to the state’s Constitution regarding religious services, eligibility requirements for judges, county infrastructure and more.
Election day is November 2, and early voting lasts until October 29.

The proposed additions to the Texas Constitution were passed as bills during this year’s legislative session, and a majority of voters in the state must approve each amendment before it can be officially added to the Constitution. In 2017, Texas voters approved all seven amendments on the ballot; in 2019, voters greenlighted nine out of 10 proposed changes.
There are no state elected seats on the ballot this November.

Under each proposition, we have included the recommendations from Progress Texas, the Texas Freedom Caucus and the editorial boards of some major Texas newspapers: Austin American-Statesman, The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth-Star Telegram, San Antonio Express-News (Propositions 1-4, 5-8) and Houston Chronicle (only endorsed for Propositions 2 and 3). Progress Texas is a progressive media organization, and the Freedom Caucus is a conservative advocacy group in the Texas House of Representatives.

Here’s the breakdown of each proposed amendment.

Proposition 1: rodeo raffles

Proposition 1 would allow charitable raffles at rodeo events. Unauthorized raffles can be considered illegal gambling under Texas law.

In 2015, voters approved a rule to allow charitable raffles at professional sports games. The resulting change created fundraising opportunities for education, cancer research and youth programs, according to an amendment analysis.

The constitutional amendment on the ballot this November would extend that permission to rodeo events by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association or the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association.

For: Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board, The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board, Progress Texas, San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board

Against: Texas Freedom Caucus

Proposition 2: tax financing for county infrastructure

This amendment would authorize counties to issue bonds or notes to raise funds for transportation infrastructure in underdeveloped areas. Already, cities and towns have the authority to fund projects with this financing method.

Counties would repay these bonds by pledging increased property tax revenues, but these funds cannot be used for construction, maintenance or acquisition of toll roads.

For: Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board, The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board, Houston Chronicle Editorial Board, Progress Texas, San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board

Against: Texas Freedom Caucus

Proposition 3: restrictions on religious services

If approved, Proposition 3 would ban the state from prohibiting or limiting religious services, including those in churches and other places of worship.
The move stems from conflicts over churches that closed during the early months of the pandemic in 2020. Some local officials extended stay-at-home orders to include places of worship, requiring them to limit attendance or make services virtual — a trend Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans pushed back on.

But critics of the proposal worry the change could prevent the government from acting to protect people in future emergencies, such as evacuations and public health emergencies.

For: The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board, Texas Freedom Caucus

Against: Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board, Houston Chronicle Editorial Board, Progress Texas, San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board

Proposition 4: state judge eligibility

Proposition 4 would require candidates to have 10 years of experience practicing law in Texas to be eligible for election to the Texas Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals or a Texas court of appeals. Currently, the law requires 10 years of experience but allows for out-of-state experience.

Additionally, candidates running to be a district judge would need eight years of law practice or judicial experience in a Texas court, up from the current requirement of four years.

Proponents of the change argue it could create a higher-quality judiciary, but opponents say the proposed requirements could reduce voter choice and diversity within the candidate pool. In Texas, judges are elected by popular vote.

For: Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board, The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board, San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board

Against: Progress Texas

Neutral: Texas Freedom Caucus

Proposition 5: judicial misconduct process

Proposition 5 would allow the State Commission on Judicial Conduct to have oversight of candidates running for judicial seats by accepting complaints or reports, conducting investigations and reprimanding them. The commission, an independent agency created by the state Constitution, already has these powers over current judicial officeholders.

For: Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board, The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board, San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board, Texas Freedom Caucus

Against: Progress Texas

Proposition 6: essential caregiver designation

This amendment would allow residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities to designate one essential caregiver who cannot be denied in-person visitation rights. If the proposition passes, the Legislature would create further guidelines for these caregivers.

Like Proposition 3, Proposition 6 also comes as a response to pandemic-era restrictions. Nursing homes, which were hit particularly hard by COVID-19, saw extended visitation restrictions that prevented residents from seeing family and friends for months.

For: Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board, The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board, Progress Texas, San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board, Texas Freedom Caucus

Proposition 7: property tax exemptions for bereaved families

Proposition 7 would put a limit on school district property taxes incurred by the surviving spouse of a person with disabilities older than 65 who has died. The surviving spouse must be at least 55 years old at the partner’s time of death and still live in the home.

The amendment is necessary to update the Constitution in accordance with the tax code, which was modified in the 2019 legislative session to include this change. If approved, individuals eligible for these tax breaks could receive refunds on collections in 2020 and 2021.

The resolution could reduce school district property tax revenue and increase state funding in accordance with Texas public school funding formulas, according to analysis of the amendment. However, the exact cost of the change cannot be estimated because the number of surviving spouses is unknown.

For: Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board, The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board, Progress Texas, San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board, Texas Freedom Caucus

Proposition 8: property tax exemptions for military families

Proposition 8 would expand eligibility for residential homestead tax exemptions to include spouses of military members killed or fatally injured in the line of duty.

Currently, the exemption is extended to spouses of military members killed in action. The new eligibility would include people killed in accidental vehicle crashes or non-hostile events.
This exemption would apply to fewer than 10 people per year, according to analysis of the amendment.

For: Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board, The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board, Progress Texas, San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board, Texas Freedom Caucus

The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them – about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/15/texas-constitution-amendment-election/