Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, April 3, 2023:
What’s happening this week at the Texas Legislature
You may have heard that Texas has a large budget surplus this year: upwards of $32 billion. Advocacy groups have shared their thoughts on where they want that money to go, but lawmakers have the final say. The Texas Newsroom’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán joins us with an update.
The state’s appointing conservators to oversee Austin’s school district
The Texas Education Agency announced its intention to appoint conservators to supervise the Austin Independent School District, due to its shortcomings in providing adequate services to students with special education needs. KUT’s Becky Fogel brings us the story.
The Texas basketball stars going into the hall of fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame named its class of 2023 over the weekend – and several Texas legends are on the list. TPR’s Dan Katz reports:
Expanded treatment offers hope to Texans struggling with hallucinations and voices
Treatment for Texans experiencing hallucinations or hearing voices is rapidly expanding, and state lawmakers are now considering ways to further increase access. Houston Public Media’s Sara Willa Ernst spoke to one patient about how a highly effective treatment approach saved her life.
Central Texas county sees spike in fentanyl overdoses among minors
Hays County in Central Texas is one of the fastest-growing places in the nation. It’s also at the center of a drug overdose epidemic among teens. Nearly 40% of fentanyl overdoses recorded by the county sheriff in 2022 involved people younger than 18. Rachel Monroe wrote about it for The New Yorker and joins us today.
The big catches in this west central Texas lake are no fish story
Lake O.H. Ivie, about an hour east of San Angelo, has lots of big fish biting. Michael Marks shares more.
The CMT Awards make their Texas debut in Austin
For years the Country Music Television Awards have been hosted in Nashville. But last night, they made their Texas debut in Austin. Musician and Tejano music archivist Veronique Medrano covered the awards and joins us today.
East Texans fear they’ll miss out on federal broadband funding due to incorrect coverage maps
Despite so much relying on high-speed connectivity, many rural Texans still are without reliable internet service, even though state and federal broadband maps claim service is available. Pooja Salhotra covered the story for The Texas Tribune and joins us today.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
