Staff changes, additions at Texas Newspapers.

The 86th session of the Texas Legislature was the usual biennial adventure in high-stakes political poker and downright sneakiness. But in the midst of it all, lawmakers did something we hoped they’d do in 2017 — pass major transparency reform bills to address a series of destructive appeals court rulings.

Newspapers took a torpedo from a Memorial Day weekend sneak attack on public notice in SB 2, the high-profile property tax reform bill.
Legislative leaders, well aware that a firestorm would erupt if they operated under normal rules, avoided the messiness of public hearings, newspaper editorials and grassroots involvement with a parliamentary maneuver.

Pro-transparency bills supported by the Texas Press Association are alive and well with less than a month remaining in the legislative session. We’reoptimistic that lawmakers will pass long-overduereforms, but it’s still too early to celebrate.

Analysis by Donnis Baggett, Texas Press Association

From the Tyler Morning Telegraph
Former Tyler Morning Telegraph Publisher Nelson Clyde accepted the Sam C. Holloway Award when the North and East Texas Press Association met in Tyler for the group’s 93rd annual convention.

Sales training, contest awards, fellowship and fun were all on tap when the North and East Texas Press Association hosted its annual conference at the Hilton Garden Inn in Tyler April 4-6.