Follow the Rural Trend
Your source for news, updates, and insights on various topics important to rural communities.
The Rural UPdate: Connecting Rural Communities
A Publication Dedicated to Keeping You Informed on Issues Impacting YOUR
Community and Uniting YOUR Position as a rural entity.
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Record Budget Headed to Conference
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Conference Committee 101
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Speaker Showdown
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School Choice Moves Forward
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House Chaos Unleashed
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Uncertainty Remains for the Texas High-Speed Rail Project
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Classroom Discipline Bill Advances
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Race for Texas Attorney General
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Reminder: Notify TCEQ of Boil Water Notices
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TX Hemp Farmers Sound Alarm
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HHSC Launches $6.25 Grant Program for Rural Hospitals
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Renewable Energy Powers Rural Texas
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TX Moves to Fund Safer Rail Crossings
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Authorization to Release/Display Information on TCEQ Website
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TX House Backs Business Tax Cut
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TX House Passes Bills to Strengthen Wildfire Response
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TX Senate Passes Regulatory Reform Bill, Cyber Proposal Advances in House
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Lights, Camera, Action!
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TX Disburses $44.8M in Opioid Settlement Funds
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House Committee Advances School Funding, ESA Bills
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Halfway Point of the Legislative Session
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60 Day Milestone
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Legislative Momentum
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TX Moves to Attract Corporate Giants
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Texas vs. New York
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Marathon Hearing on School Choice
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TX Invests $239 Million to Expand Mental Health Care in Rural
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Securing Texas' Water Future
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Death State 2.0
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TX Senate Advances Lobbying Bill with Rural Impact
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TWDB Seeking Landowner Partners
Previous Editions
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Did You Know?
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State Budget Process in Motion
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2025 TX Infrastructure Report Card
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Hegar Names Next Chancellor
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Push for Rural EMS Funding
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Small Business Freedom Council Report Released
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TORCH and TTUHSC Partner to Expand Mental Healthcare Access
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EPA to Host Free Webinar on Wastewater Treatment
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Speaker Burrows Announced Committee Assignments
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TX Senate Passes Property Tax Relief Bill
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Growing Wildfire Threat
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TX Senate Advances Bail Reform Legislation
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TX House Unveils ESA Plan
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TCEQ Can Help Find Interns
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Hegar Urges Broadband Flexibility
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TX Lottery Sparks Unlucky Scrutiny
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Gov. Abbott's Emergency Items and Rural TX
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Lt. Gov. Patrick's 2025 Priorities and Rural TX
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Meanwhile, in the TX House
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On the Fast Track
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Debate Over Countywide Voting in TX
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Comptroller Posts Property Value Study Results
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Burrows Takes the Gavel
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Boosting Broadband for Rural Texas
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Teas Budget Blueprint
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Texas Senate Considers ESA Proposal
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Texas House Restructures Committees and Leadership Roles
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Texas Senate Committee Assignments
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A Lifeline for Rural Growth
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Rural Texas Faces Critical Public Defense Shortage
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The Texas Speaker Race: Who Will Prevail?
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The 89th Session and What it Means for Rural Texas
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Rural Communities to Benefit from $17.9 Million in Grants
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Rural Texas Power Plant to Transition from Coal
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Tx Legislature Prepares for $20 Billion Surplus
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School Choice and Its Impact of Rural TX in 2025
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Proposed Tax Rule Sparks Concern
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Rural Rail Resistance
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Speaker Phelan Drops Bid for 3rd Term
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Speaker's Seat Uncertain
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The Speaker Explained
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A Lifeline for Rural Growth: The Power of Local Chambers
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Proposed THC Ban Sparks Debate in Texas
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Proposal Aims to Involve Counties in Federal Deportation Efforts
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Looking Ahead: Farewell 2024, Welcoming a Brighter 2025
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Texas Accepts Mexico's Water Allotment
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Texas Broadband Expansion
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Texas Looks to Tackle Food, Health Legislation
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Texas to Consider Dramatic Property Tax Reforms
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Amplifying Rural Voices
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Curriculum Debate and its Impact on Rural Texas
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Tackling Abandoned Wells
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Voting - By the Numbers
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Push for Legislative Action on Child Care Crisis
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Lawmakers Kick Off 89th Session with Bill Filings and Priorities
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Texas Rural Water Association Free Apprenticeship Webinar
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Lawmakers Prioritize Education at 89th Session Approaches
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Rural EMS Strain
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Who's Voting
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Texas Campaign Finance Report
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Record School Safety Reports in Texas
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If You Hit A Cow With Your Car, Who's at Fault?
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Texas Cannabis Showdown
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Texas Lead Pipe Upgrade
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Texas Disaster Funds
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New Reporting Rules Webinar: Scrap Tires & LRPUT's
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Understanding Opioids
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Texas School Safety Center Needs Assessment
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Upcoming Elections
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Going to the Polls
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Voter Registration Rush Amid Citizenship Controversy
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Vote Harvesting Controversy
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Texas Fundraising Cash
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EPA Mandates Lead Pipe Replacement
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Public Trust in Government
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Texas Boom
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The Rural Texas Vote
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Cook vs. Phelan
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Hegar Highlights $125M in Rural Law Enforcement Grants
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Texas Child Care Challenges
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Texas Resilience Grants
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Nominate Area of Rural Texas with Veterinary Shortages
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Urgency Grows for New Farm Bill
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Texas Politics in Full Swing
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Texas Speaker's Race Heats Up
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Rick Perry Reenters Texas Politics
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Lt. Gov. Patrick's New Interim Charges
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A Need for Statewide Water Infrastructure Support
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$1.1 Billion in Monthly Sales Tax Revenue Distributed
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House State Affairs Discusses Panhandle Wildfires
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Texas School Districts Urge Delay of New Data Systems
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Rural Texas: The Backbone of the State's Economy & Heritage
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Lt. Governor Launches New PAC
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Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture & Water Update
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A Fourth Candidate for Speaker
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New Laws Kick Off
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Texas Implements Standardized School Security Procedures
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SECO Seeks Community, Administrator Input
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$82 Million Allocated for Statewide Water, Wastewater Projects
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Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit Renewal
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2024 State and Regional Accountability Reports Available
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Rural Jails Facing Crisis
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Farm Bill Talks Stalled, Threatening Agriculture Support
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Phelan Names New Chief of Staff
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Texas Adopts Groundbreaking Statewide Flood Mitigation Plan
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McCraw to Retire as DPS Director
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Texas AG Sues to Block Federal Rule Threatening Nursing Homes
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Water System User Training: SWIFT Submittals - LSLI
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National Child Passenger Safety Week
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TEA Releases 2023-24 School Intruder Detection Audits Results
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Texas DSHS New Toolkit for Reducing Youth E-Cigarette Use
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Texas Voters Suspense List
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Texas Transportation Commission Adopts Long-Range Plan
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Texas Utilities Seek $24.4 Billion for Power Projects
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Texas GLO Allocates $66.4 Million
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Employer Input Needed
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The Wildfire Victim Tax Relief & Recovery Act
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Texas Budget Surplus Dispute
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Texas Marijuana Reform Surge
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TWDB Allocating Taxpayer-Approved Funds
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TCEQ Irrigator Advisory Council - Request for Nominations
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Rural Texas Faces Sharp Increase in Property Insurance Rates
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Foreign Land Ownership in Texas Sparks Security Concerns
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Texas Education Agency - Public School Funding Update
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FEMA Finalizes Federal Flood Risk Management Standard
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STARS Network Boosts College Access for Rural Texas Students
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Texas Prepaid Tuition Plan Newborn Enrollment Deadline
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Texas Sales Tax Holiday is Aug. 9-11, Marks 25th Year
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Strengthening Electricity Infrastructure at a Cost
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Tell Us Something Good: Community Shares
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Embracing the Charm and Grit of Rural Texas
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The Origins of Hurricane Names
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State of Texas Taiwan Office
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TxDOT Seek Public Feedback
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Gov. Abbott Announces Key Additions to Senior Staff
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Veterinarian Shortage in Texas
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DIR Seeks Feedback From Public
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$1.1 Billion in Monthly Sales Tax Revenue to Local Governments
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One Pill Kills Campaign
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2024 National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security
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Funding Opportunities
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TCEQ 21st Annual CMOM Workshop
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Challenges and Solutions: Aging Infrastructure Strains Rural Texas
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Lt. Gov. Patrick Announces Appointees to Sunset Commission
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The Unique History Behind Texas' Independent Electric Grid
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The Significance of July 4 in Rural Texas
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Texas Sets Record-High Employment for 10th Month
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Over 100 Texas Counties Lack Hazard Mitigation Plans
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SBOE Considers New Charter Schools
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The End of Primary Season
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Texas Speaker Phelan Wins Most Expensive House Race in History
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Texas Offers $15K Stipends to Keep Rural Nurses
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Texas Education Agency Unveils New State-Owned Curricula
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Texas Reports $4.01 Billion in May Sales Tax Revenue
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Texas A&M Health Texas Rural Engagement Program
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TCEQ Public Drinking Water Conference
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Guide to Navigating FEMA
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Texas Launches Fund to Boost Workforce in High-Demand Jobs
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Texas Secures Millions in Funding to Strengthen Wildfire Mitigation
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K-12 Bystander Reporting Toolkit
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Rural Texas: A Mosaic of Opportunity, Resilience, and Cultural Richness
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Texas Launches $17M Grant Program
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Texas Women's University Launches Rural Woman Grant
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Texas Launches Landowner Compensation Program
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Federal Government Approves Disaster Relief
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Summer Break Begins for Rural Schools
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Comptroller Hearing - Readoption of Local Sales Tax Sourcing Rules
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Texas Transportation: Planning for the Future
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Drought Response for Public Water Systems
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Free Rural Grant Writing Course
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Federal Funding Bootcamps for Small Cities and Towns
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Rural Event Guide
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U.S. House Passes Rural Weather Radar Coverage Legislation
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Empowering Rural Law Enforcement: Texas Grant Initiative
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Innovative Solutions: How a Rural Texas County Revolutionized Broadband Access
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The Rise of Unlicensed Teachers in Rural Texas Schools
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Speaker Phelan Interim Charges
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Texas' May 4 Local Elections
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Triangular Growth and the Shrinking Counties
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Forever Chemicals
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The Vulnerability of Rural Public Utilities
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Lt. Gov. Patrick Stops Rural Concrete Plant
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Free Water Filters for Schools and Childcare Facilities
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Texas House and Senate Interim Committee Hearings Announced
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Tell Me Something Good...Collaboration Corner
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The Lack of Childcare and the State's Economy
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The Employers for Childcare Task Force (E4C) is Recruiting Members
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The Hidden Costs of Wildfire Devastation
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Texas Senate Interim Charges Announced
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Rural Transportation Improvement Program Statewide Meetings
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2023-24 Annual School Health Survey
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$23 Million Awarded to Rural Hospitals
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Big Bucks for Brave Volunteers
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Chatbot Scorers
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Collaboration Corner for Best Practices
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Texas Counties Lead U.S. in Population Growth
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One Week and Counting: The Great Texas Eclipse
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JET Grant Program
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Grantsmanship Education: Rural Resources
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City-Wide Sustainability Innovation
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Tx House Speaker's Race Begins
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The Rural Way
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Navigating the Challenges of Rural Education in Texas
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Naloxone Distribution Grant Funding Opportunity
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Texas Teachers Can Register for SAI
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USDA Available to Assist in Wildfire Recovery Efforts
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Texas House Speaker Run-Off
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Winners, Losers and TBD
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AG Releases School Safety Guidelines
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2024 Report to the People
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Temporary Waiver of Restrictions for Diesel Fuel
February 20, 2024
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Rural Legislative Members
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In Other Rural Political News
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Need for Rural Transportation Planning
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Criminals Impersonating Comptroller's Office
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Texas Primary, March 5
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Broadband Boost: Texas' $3.3 Billion Chance
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Billions in Local Sales Tax Distributed
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TCEQ Input on OSSFs
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Texas Wildfires
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The Great Texas Eclipse
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State of Emergency
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Alamo, TX Recognized
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JETI Program Now Open
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$122 Billion in School Funding
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Texas School Safety Conference
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Rural Legislative Members
February 5, 2024
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A Silent Issue
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Cybercriminals Targeting Water Systems
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Constitutional Amendment Rules as Nor Honest
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Rural Texas Communities Solving Healthcare Challenges
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Texas Respiratory Virus Surveillance
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Overview of Texas Primary Election
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HD 2 Special Election
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RUR Welcomes Advisory Board Members
February 27, 2024
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Rural Legislative Members
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Early Voting Report
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In Other Rural Political News
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Texas Primary, March 5
January 22, 2024
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FEMA Makes $150 Million Available
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No Summer EBT for Texas
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Juvenile Curfews
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First Woman Serving as Texas Senate Dean
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School Boards Must Vote on Chaplain Policy
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$1.1 Billion in Sales Tax Revenue Distributed
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News Texas Business Licenses & Permits Guide
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Texans Caught in the Middle