Texas Education Agency Secretary Mike Moras told CBS News Texas that he opposes changing the model for how schools in the state are funded. The European Union ambassador to the United States said Texas could soon benefit from additional sales of liquefied natural gas to EU+. Commissioner John Wiley Price, Dallas County’s longest-serving elected official, talks about his 40 years in public service. Jack Fink covers these stories in the latest episode of Eye On Politics. (Original air date: November 17, 2024)
school funding issues
Texas Education Agency Secretary Mike Moras opposes proposals to change how public schools are funded. In preparation for the next legislative session, some lawmakers want the state to base school fees on the number of students enrolled in a district, rather than the current policy of daily attendance. In this scenario, districts would receive more money than they currently do because they would still be paid even if students missed school.
Secretary Moras disagreed with the proposal and said he believed changing state policy would be detrimental to students. “In general, we believe the benefits of an attendance-based funding model are significant,” Moras said. “If we switched to a model where one day a child showed up and they got all the money for the year, I think bad things would happen. So I don’t support switching from suspensions.” Because it is ultimately harmful to students. ”
Moras said funding for Texas school districts is at an all-time high. Some school districts are experiencing budget issues. Moras explained that the reason is because the district received additional funding from the federal government during COVID-19, and now that federal funding is gone. Some districts said they expected more funding from the state but did not receive it.
Watch Jack’s full interview with TEA Commissioner Mike Moras:
energy boost
Texas’ oil and gas industry could soon be revitalized by increased exports of liquefied natural gas produced in the state.
European Union Ambassador to the United States Jovita Neliupsien raised that possibility in an exclusive interview with Jack during a recent visit to Fort Worth. “What Europe is currently experiencing is huge pressure, not just from energy prices but from the weaponization of energy.”
Neriupsien accuses Russia of weaponizing energy against Europe. “Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a joint decision was made by 27 member states to phase out Russian gas and oil,” he said. It said it was buying liquefied natural gas, or LNG, an increase of 70% from before.
The Texas Comptroller’s Office announced that in 2023, Texas exported more than 130 million cubic feet of LNG worth more than $9 billion, accounting for about one-third of LNG exports from the United States.
Asked if he expected the EU to buy more LNG from Texas, Neriupsien said: “I hope that Russian LNG will also be phased out. So states like Texas There will be great potential for further exports.”
He said the EU is committed to supporting Ukraine against Russia. “For us, it’s an existential threat,” Neriupsien said.
The EU reportedly relies on U.S. fighter jets such as the F-35, which is manufactured by Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth. “In fact, more than half of the money we spend on national defense is spent here in the United States and in Texas.” He said it would generate more than $1,000.
“I heard that everything is bigger in Texas, so we see that our trade cooperation with Texas is the largest among all the states,” Neriupsien said.
Asked about the possibility that the new Trump administration could impose tariffs on foreign goods, Neriupsien said he wanted to focus on the positive relationship between the EU and the US, and said he could potentially buy more energy products produced in Texas. He said there is.
Watch Jack’s full interview with Ambassador Neriupcine.
Texans join Trump administration
Texans will be working with President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration.
President Trump nominated John Ratcliffe to head the CIA. Ratcliffe served as Director of National Intelligence during the latter half of President Trump’s first term. Prior to that, Mr. Ratcliffe was a member of the House of Representatives for the 4th District of North Texas and also served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, which includes Collin and Denton counties. He was also Mayor of Heath.
The president-elect also named Elon Musk, a new Texas resident and majority owner of Tesla, was nominated. The department would be more like a committee, operating outside the government and advising the White House on how to reform the federal government.
Other Texans frequently mentioned as candidates for cabinet positions are Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Senate majority leader race
The race that drew national attention involved Texas Sen. John Cornyn and his campaign to become the next Senate Majority Leader among Republican senators. However, he missed his chance by finishing runner-up.
A majority of the 53 Republican senators who will serve in the next Congress chose Sen. John Thune of South Dakota over Mr. Cornyn.
A third candidate, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, missed the first round.
In a move that raised some eyebrows, Sen. Ted Cruz announced that he would vote for Sen. Scott over Cornyn in the first round. It’s unclear whether he voted for Cornyn in the second round. Cornyn is up for re-election in 2026.
Texas House speaker race
Next, we’ll bring you the latest information on the Texas House Speaker election. Current chair Dade Phelan hopes to continue in his role. He faces a challenge from fellow Republican Rep. David Cook of Mansfield.
At Thursday’s Platform He said it was only members of Congress. Other issues. Mr George said Speaker Phelan had not made any public statements about the party’s priorities. “I think the state of Texas needs to hear from him about where he stands on this. I don’t even know what position I’m in.”
Two Democratic state representatives, Ana Maria Ramos and John Bryant, both of Dallas, have joined the House race. Neither is likely to win because Democrats are in the minority in Congress.
John Wiley Price: 40 years as a Dallas County elected official
JWP: Those three letters have become synonymous with longtime Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price. When he was first elected in 1984, he broke down barriers and has set new standards for county public services ever since. He spoke about his 40 years in office in an exclusive interview with Steve Pickett.
Check out Steve Pickett’s article on John Wiley Price.
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