Texas Legislature convenes in 85th regular session

Ed Sterling   Lawmakers gathered at the state Capitol in their respective houses on Jan. 10, opening day for the 85th regular session of the Texas Legislature. The 140-day session will conclude on May 29.

I’m island hunting, sort of

Lynette Sowell   When numbers of the Mega Millions jackpot hits the stratosphere, some of us don’t put our money on winning a lottery with the chances of winning. We’d have a better chance of getting struck by a meteor.

New crayons

Renae Brumbaugh Green   Last Monday was my first day of kindergarten. I mean, grad school . . . but it felt like kindergarten, because I was nervous and excited and, though I didn’t actually buy a new box of crayons or a Barbie lunch box, I kind of wanted to.

Defund the UN

Rich Lowry   We’ve come a long way from Daniel Patrick Moynihan excoriating the U.N.’s 1975 “Zionism is racism” resolution in one of the finer exhibits of righteous indignation in the history of American speechifying.

We’re mean

by Lynette Sowell  One of my favorite books from childhood begins like this: “It was a dull autumn day and Jill Pole was crying behind the gym. She was crying because they had been bullying her.

Legislation proposes to regulate access to restrooms, locker rooms

by Ed Sterling  Texas now has a “bathroom bill.

Fan Mail

Renae Brumbaugh Green   I currently have seventy-five thousand, four hundred eighty-five pieces of unread fan mail sitting in my bedroom. I feel so humbled, and so honored, and really, just . . . overwhelmed.

Who’s the Boss?

Rich Lowry   Donald Trump was supposed to take over the Republican Party, but the question going forward will be whether the Republican Party takes over him.

Patrick applauds action preserving North Carolina’s ‘bathroom bill’

Ed Sterling   Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has applauded the North Carolina legislature’s refusal to repeal a law banning individuals from using public bathrooms designated for the opposite sex.   Patrick, who has made the passage of similar legislation in Texas one of his priorities, said in a Dec.

Our own little bubbles

Lynette Sowell   I’m about to launch into a nonsensical rant. Sometimes, there’s a time to be pithy. Meaningful. Profound. Other times, a little hissy fit or rant is called for. Hey, it makes me feel better. And, this is my front porch, soI can rant if I want to.