Editorials

Waves of support have swept across the Rio Grande Valley for Brownsville Memorial Early College High School High as it has advanced through the Texas UIL football playoffs. The team won in dramatic fashion at home against Corpus Christi Miller last week, winning 35-28 in the final minutes after trailing 28-7 with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

People continue to debate climate change, including whether it’s actually happening, how much people contribute to it and if we can stop or reverse it. Precipitation and warming trends in the Rio Grande Valley, however, can’t be denied.

Texas voters overwhelmingly — 78% of them — approved the creation of a state water development fund in the Nov. 7 constitutional referendum. Rio GrandeValley officials should be among those first in line with project proposals that can utilize funding to help ease the strain of chronic dry conditions that have plagued the region for decades and cost millions in agricultural losses and forced cities to impose mandatory water conservation measures.

The Texas Legislature has passed a bill that would enable local law enforcement agencies and courts to arrest suspected illegal immigrants and deport them to Mexico. Gov. Greg Abbott, who has clamored for stricter border policies in his calls for special sessions, is sure to sign it.

Gov. Greg Abbott doesn’t seem inclined to let the issue of school choice go until lawmakers approve the measure. After efforts to pass a voucher bill failed in the regular legislative session and three special sessions, Abbott has called a fourth session to continue pushing the measure as well as border security proposals.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley recently announced that it has been awarded a $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, allocated through the Maternal Health Research Network for Minority Serving Institutes.

Early voting for the Nov. 7 general election ends Friday. Eligible voters are encouraged to utilize the last early voting day, or plan to go to the polls Tuesday.

Pharmacists have been walking off the job at our nation’s two largest drug store chains, Walgreens and CVS, in recent weeks. So far it’s unknown whether or how the protests might affect the Rio Grande Valley, but it deserves our attention, as a loss of pharmacy services could affect patients’ access to vital drugs and other healthcare services, and threaten the health of many residents.

Early voting has begun for the Nov. 7 general election. In addition to local races and referendums across the Rio Grande Valley, voters are asked to decide the fate of 14 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. We trust that all voters will recognize the importance of rendering their opinions on matters that in many cases will affect all Texans’ tax burden, their freedoms and our economic future.

Many residents in the Laguna Madre area are concerned about the announced closure of the UT Health RGV Primary Care clinic in Laguna Vista. We hope that they, local officials and the medical community look for options that could keep primary care available at some level in the area.