Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A Senate bill aimed at teacher pay raises will only benefit those who stick around through years of the terrible pay and conditions that have heavily damaged the profession in Texas: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/18/texas-senate-teacher-pay/

...Another Senate bill wants to direct Texas funds into a Bitcoin reserve - exposing state dollars to high degrees of risk and volatility: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/crypto-reserve-proposed-at-texas-legislature/

Governor Abbott spoke Monday at a San Antonio parochial school whose annual tuition is almost double the amount his private school voucher scam would give parents to offset that cost: https://www.tpr.org/education/2025-02-18/gov-greg-abbott-visits-san-antonio-christian-school-to-promote-voucher-legislation

...Abbott also told this Christian school audience that Texas private school teachers have been forcing school kids to "become transgender" against their will - an outlandish, preposterous lie: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/at-san-antonio-speech-texas-governor-claims-teachers-forcing-kids-to-change-their-genders-36791033

The Gaines County measles outbreak has reached a count of 58 - certainly an undercount - and now includes at least 4 people who say they're vaccinated: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/18/texas-measles-outbreak-climbs/

...Gaines County serves as an example of what to expect from rural communities where vaccine skepticism provides an opportunity for once-defeated diseases to stage comebacks: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/measles-outbreak-texas-symptoms-vaccine-b2700388.html

We celebrate Black History Month throughout February! See a great essay on this year's celebration, happening amidst so much turmoil, and a listing of related events happening across Texas:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/black-history-month-2025-celebrating-texas-culture⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

...Check out a terrific essay for Black History Month by Progress Texas Institute Board Chair Louis Bedford:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/trickle-down-diversity-doesn%E2%80%99t-work⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The early giving period for this year's Amplify Austin Day has begun! Support Progress Texas at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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