House proposes $7.5 billion in new school funding
Critics say a House bill proposing $7.5 billion in new funding for public education doesn’t go far enough, The Dallas Morning News reported. House Bill 2 would raise the per-student allotment by $220, to $6,360 a year. It would also invest $750 million in teacher pay and $450 million in teacher training. The bill by Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, would increase the amount of allotment used to raise salaries for non-administrative staff from the current 30% to 40%. Some testifying against the bill said the proposed raises for teachers is inadequate. “The pay teachers receive demonstrates the level of respect afforded to our children,” said Megan Holden, a 10th-grade English teacher at an Austin-area high school. “They are getting the message that Texas doesn’t value them or their future.” The basic allotment would need to increase by $1,300 to keep up with inflation since 2019, according to The News. That’s the last time the allotment was increased. The Texas Senate has already passed its version of a public education bill: a measure that would give $10,000 raises to teachers with at least five years working in districts with fewer than 5,000 students, with teachers in larger districts getting $5,500 raises. The average teacher in Texas made $62,500 last year, according to the Texas Education Agency, up from $54,000 in 2019. According to the federal Consumer Price Index, cumulative inflation over that period is about 20%, meaning teacher salaries have not quite kept up with inflation. State workers must return in person to offices Gov. Greg Abbott has directed heads of state agencies to phase out remote work “as soon as practicable,” the Texas Standard reported. That follows a similar mandate for federal workers issued by President Trump last week. “Texans expect their public servants to be present and engaged in the work on their behalf,” Andrew Mahaleris, the governor’s press secretary, said in a statement. “With remote federal workers returning to the office where possible, it’s important that state agencies ensure they do the same.” No written policy has been given to department heads, but they were directed to transition to in-person work “as soon as practicable.” Risk of wildfires increasing; feds provide funding Wildfire season is underway in the state with burn bans in place in 111 counties, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The Welder Complex fire in Sinton was the only active fire as of Sunday. It had burned 803 acres and was 95% contained. Abbott’s office announced last week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved the state’s request for federal assistance for the Welder Fire in San Patricio County and the Duke Fire in Bexar County. The approval from FEMA makes the state eligible to be reimbursed for 75% of the costs associated with fighting the two fires. On a single day last week, state emergency responders battled 41 new wildfires that burned more than 4,400 acres. Measles cases in South Plains near 200 The number of measles cases reported in the South Plains region of the state reached 198 as of last Friday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Twenty-three people have been hospitalized and one unvaccinated school-aged child has died. More than two-thirds of the cases have been in Gaines County, southwest of Lubbock. An unvaccinated New Mexico adult in Lea County, just over the border from Gaines County, died last week. Measles is highly contagious, and DSHS has said additional cases are likely to occur “in the outbreak area and the surrounding areas.” Spring break drunk driving prevention campaign underway Many college students are celebrating spring break this week, and the Texas Department of Transportation has launched a campaign to prevent drunk driving accidents as part of its “Drive Sober. No Regrets” initiative. During the 2023 spring break period, TxDOT said there were 375 alcohol-related crashes resulting in nine deaths in Texas involving drivers between the ages of 17 and 30. Students can save lives by designating a sober driver, using ride shares, taxis and mass transit, or simply staying put after drinking.
The Origins of ‘Bless You’
Have you ever thought, “How could I have lived this long and not known that?” This past Sunday, our pastor mentioned the common expression people use when someone sneezes. People routinely say, “God bless you” or simply “Bless you.” In fact, I often say that whenever someone sneezes near me; it feels like the polite thing to do. Back in the 14th century, the bubonic plague, known as the “Black Death,” swept through Asia, Europe, and Africa, killing an estimated 50 million people. This disease is also considered the cause of the Plague of Justinian in the 6th century, which originated in the Eastern Roman Empire. Bubonic plague likely caused another epidemic in China, Mongolia, and India in 1855. The phrase “God bless you” or “Bless you” in response to sneezing is reportedly traced back to Pope Gregory I. He was born into a tumultuous time in Italy. In 542, the Plague of Justinian ravaged the provinces of the Roman Empire, including Italy, causing famine, panic, and sometimes riots. In some areas, more than a third of the population was wiped out, leading to profound spiritual and emotional impacts on the people. The Plague of Justinian is estimated to have killed between 25 million and 100 million people, though the exact number is difficult to determine. This outbreak occurred between 541 and 542 CE and marks the first recorded instance of the bubonic plague. In Constantinople, it reportedly claimed the lives of around 5,000 people a day. This gruesome history highlights the importance of location, location, location regarding real estate prices. I might have considered moving out of Constantinople during such perilous times, but the plague only lasted a year. Who had time to move, and where could they go? Pope Gregory I encouraged people to say a blessing after someone sneezed because sneezing was a prominent symptom of the disease. The blessing served as a way to protect the sneezer from potential illness and death—a short prayer for their good health. It was believed that the bubonic plague might have begun with a sneeze. Can you imagine how much anxiety a sneeze could introduce into one’s life? Some thought that a person’s heart stopped when they sneezed. Others believed that sneezing could temporarily expel one’s soul, leaving them vulnerable to evil spirits. Therefore, the prayer “God bless you” was also seen as a protective measure against those spirits. In today’s world, saying “Bless you” is generally just a polite gesture. However, when it comes to our health, how often do we worry the worst when things start to go wrong? I once went for some tests and was called back to the doctor’s office for more testing to rule out something serious. The doctor had noticed something concerning on an MRI report. When I missed a call from the doctor’s office on a Friday afternoon, I was left with an entire weekend to wonder about the implications. Did I mention that I don’t handle waiting very well? On the off chance that I was gravely ill, I decided to wash windows. I thought it would be the least I could do if my days were numbered. When I learned on Monday that the tests were negative, I was relieved and still pleased that I had clean windows. All My Best!
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