New laws taking effect in New Year
A spate of new laws took effect on Jan. 1, The Dallas Morning News reported. Here’s a brief summary of the most notable new laws now in force:
EDITORS: This is an early bulldog edition of Capital Highlights to accommodate early holiday deadlines. It will be updated on Sunday if needed.
Five big moves from the Lege in 2025
The Texas Legislature made a host of major decisions in 2025, as The Dallas Morning News reported. Here are the highlights:
Editors: This is an early bulldog edition of Capital Highlights to accommodate early holiday deadlines. It will be updated Sunday if needed.
ERCOT: Little chance of blackouts this winter
Winter has officially arrived, and officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas say the Texas power grid is expected to hold up through most weather conditions, the Houston Chronicle reported. However, the boom in data centers across the state increases the risk of rolling brownouts to 1% to 2% through February.
A friend recently took a new job as a manager of a community weekly.
He is an experienced operator and a passionate newspaper guy. He went to work and hit the ground running.
By AUSTIN LEWTER, Director, Texas Center for Community Journalism
As with most managers these days, he has a foot in both the editorial and advertising world.
Local governments are putting the finishing touches on 2026 operations as this year nears a close. Budgets and tax levies have been presented to citizens, debated and adopted. Most newsrooms have been there at each step reporting on individual budgets of city, school, county and other bodies with taxing authority. Pause for a moment. Is your work done? Have you given readers a complete picture?
By Jim Pumarlo, consultant
Crockett, Talarico to face off in Democratic primary
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, entered the U.S. Senate race on the final day to file, pitting her against state Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock. The Austin American-Statesman reported the difference between the two is more of style than substance, with both raising the issues of income inequality, rising prices, corruption and polarization.
Older Texans face steep ACA price hikes
About 1 million Texans over the age of 45 who receive health insurance coverage through the federal Affordable Care Act will likely face monthly premiums of more than $1,000, the Austin American-Statesman reported. That accounts for one-fourth of the state’s 4 million ACA enrollees.
It’s becoming a familiar sight on college campuses and in high schools alike: students intentionally leaving their phones behind.
By Austin Lewter, Texas Center for Community Journalism
Well, our Texas high schoolers have had some help from the legislature who banned phones for them starting this year.
But the trend of ditching phones — at least temporarily — is finding support on some college campuses.
Here we are quickly approaching the end of 2025. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m in a time warp and 10 months flew by at light speed.
By Lisa Chappell, 2025-26 TPA President
As I work on planning and budgeting for 2026, I am sure many of you are doing the same. Every year I review our sales promotions – cutting the ones that fell flat and coming up with new ones to take the place of the losers. Every year there seems to be more losers than the year before, and 2025 was no different for us.
Premiums rise as ACA open enrollment begins
The window for signing up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act is now open through Jan. 15, with most Texans expected to pay considerably higher premiums, The Texas Tribune reported. Federal subsidies that reduced premium rates will expire at year’s end without congressional action.