NEWS
Expanding broadband access named emergency item
AUSTIN – During his State of the State speech on February 1st Texas Gov. Greg Abbott named expanding broadband access as one of his emergency items for the 87th Texas legislative session.
Many rural communities in Texas do not have access to reliable broadband Internet, which makes it difficult for them to complete tasks that require high-speed Internet, including virtual learning and telemedicine. During the pandemic, many schools have transferred to online classes. Children who live at homes without readily accessible broadband Internet access miss important content in their online classes, which leads to them falling behind in their schoolwork.
JJ McGrath, Founder of Connect2Educate, Owner/Operator of TekWav, and state director of the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) said he was not surprised Gov. Abbott named expanding broadband access in Texas as an emergency item. “The digital divide has become more widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic and it needs to be fixed right away. The distribution of devices and wifi hotspots is good, but it’s not going to solve this problem for the long term,” said McGrath.
“Too many children cannot attend online classes or complete their homework because they do not have reliable Internet access at home. Expanding broadband Internet access by utilizing fixed wireless Internet will help ensure that students continue receiving a quality education,” McGrath continued. Mr. McGrath is working on closing the digital divide through his new organization Connect2Educate.
Connect2Educate is a Texas-based partnership led by Internet service providers to expand Internet access throughout the state and ensure every student in Texas has access to the technology they need to access online classes. It works with local governments and ISDs to provide quality Internet services and software support to Texas families regardless of income level.
The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) is an organization of entrepreneurs who provide wireless and broadband solutions to consumers and businesses. Members of WISPA provide cost-effective Internet access to underserved areas of the country and support the investment and deployment of broadband Internet access to all Americans.
For more information about JJ McGrath, Connect2Educate and WISPA, please contact Rebecca Hucker at rebecca@steinhauserstrategies.com.
12.95% voter turnout (2,004 of 15,471 registered voters in the county)
Republican runoff
U.S. Senator
Ken Paxton, 1,433
John Cornyn, 496
Attorney General
Chip Roy, 835
Mayes Middleton, 1,062
Railroad Commission
Bo French, 1,018
Jim Wright, 813
Judge Court of Criminal Appeals
Alison Fox, 626
Thomas Smith, 1,068
Democratic runoff
Lt. Governor
Marcos Velez, 14
Vikki Goodwin, 53
Attorney General
Joe Jaworski, 33
Nathan Johnson, 34
Results unofficial until canvassed by county officials.
Members of the Amon Carter Lake Water Supply Corporation will meet at 6 p.m. on May 26 in the office at 607A Lindsey for a monthly meeting.
Items on the agenda include a consent agenda and minutes and financials. Possible discussion/action may be considered on the following topics: Treasurer’s report, review of finance and current loans; president’s report as to the written agreements with contractual employees; consider current water rates and a possible increase; and review of expenses and areas that need amendment.
An executive session may be entered to discuss personnel issues.
The City of Saint Jo has a new fire marshal as the city council made the appointment during its May 13 meeting.
Gary Hines, a retired professional firefighter and certified fire investigator, will take the position. City Secretary Debbie Dennis said the post is required by ordinance but has not been filled for a long period.
The council set dates for a budget workshop for 2 p.m. on June 14 and 2 p.m. on June 28 for the ordinance workshop, as the council works to update its rules.
Aldermen gave their support to a proposition by Councilman Jack Dunn who is asking the Legislature to allow Texas’ smallest cities, those with 2,500 or few in population, to receive an additional share of sales and use tax. He would like to see the funds used in these communities to repair and replace aging infrastructure without new taxes or reliance on state grants.
In letter to State Rep. David Spiller, whom Dunn will meet with on June 1, the alderman explains much of the state’s 6.25% share generated locally flows into general funds and is spent on other priorities. He would like Spiller to author this legislation. Dunn gave the letter to the council along with a powerpoint on the plan.
“A single water treatment plant upgrade or sewer rehab carries massive, fixed costs that do not shrink with population size. These communities, often with only a few hundred or a couple thousands residents, simply cannot spread those costs across enough ratepayers or a broad tax based,” the letter states.
Dunn suggests a “graduated sales tax retention policy:” 1% additional share for cities with 2,500 or fewer residents; .75% for those 2,500 and 5,000; and .50% for cities between 5,001 and 10,000. It would be dedicated to infrastructure. Dunn says the overall statewide fiscal impact would be negligible, but could help sustain small, rural cities.
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