Early voting underway across state
Early voting in this year’s midterm elections began Monday and continues through Friday, Nov. 4. Election Day is Nov. 8. Voters will pick the state’s next governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and comptroller in statewide races. 

Early voting begins Oct. 24
Early voting in the Nov. 8 general election begins Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 4. Applications for voting by mail must be received by Oct. 28, according to the secretary of state’s office. 

Texans urged to get flu shot
Flu season is underway, and health officials are urging Texans to get their vaccinations as soon as possible, since it takes about two weeks for the shot to take effect.

State sends resources to Florida
 
Texas has deployed state resources to Florida to assist in response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the devastation caused last week by Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States in the past decade.

Speaker opposes drive to end tenure

Hispanic Texans likely largest demographic group
 
The U.S. Census Bureau released its latest estimate, which indicates Hispanic residents in Texas make up more of the state’s population than white residents. The new population figures from the American Community Survey indicate Hispanic Texans comprise 40.2% of the state’s population last year, while non-Hispanic white Texans made up 39.4%, as reported in the Texas Tribune.

Poll: Most Texas teachers consider quitting

By Jim Pumarlo, consultant

I’m sick and tired of apologizing for being in the newspaper business, and I suspect you feel the same way.

Our industry suffers mightily from self-inflicted wounds. We’re more likely to publish stories about our problems than our successes. We focus on print copies trending down instead of digital readership going up. And we fail to engage detractors who claim falsely that nobody reads newspapers anymore.

By Leonard Woolsey, TPA President

Note: This is a bulldog edition of the  Capital Highlights column for the week of Sept. 5 - 9, to accommodate papers with early Labor Day deadlines. It will be updated on Sunday if events dictate.