Columns

My friend Mel just got back from an aunt’s funeral, where he met family members he did not know he had.

The Texas House on Thursday passed Gov. Greg Abbott’s school voucher bill after a yearslong campaign by the governor and his allies, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, announced Friday he recommended that chamber accept the House version, which prioritizes children with special education needs for vouchers.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made it offi cial last week, announcing he will challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in next March’s Republican primary. The fireworks already have begun, the Austin American-Statesman reported, with Cornyn calling his rival “a con man and a fraud.”