Editorials

Not too late to relate

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Not too late to relate

Sue Jane Sullivan

Thursday, January 15, 2026

“We were on a family trip, and we were on a flight—on Delta, from here to somewhere—and we were all sitting in the back of the airplane together.

NEW LAWS TAKING EFFECT IN NEW YEAR

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NEW LAWS TAKING EFFECT IN NEW YEAR

Gary Borders, Texas Press Association

Thursday, January 8, 2026

A spate of new laws took effect on Jan. 1, The Dallas Morning News reported. Here’s a brief summary of the most notable new laws now in force:• County sheriff’s offices are now required to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the passage of Senate Bill 8.

GRIEVANCES AND THE REDRESSING OF

Jeff Hurt - Editor

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Many DMC readers choose to begin their weekly local news ritual on the editorial page. I know this because they have told me and explained why they do it.

“What would happen to school funding if property taxes were eliminated?”

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“What would happen to school funding if property taxes were eliminated?”

News Staff

Thursday, January 8, 2026

If property taxes were eliminated and the state and federal funding did not cover the lost revenue for schools; it would be a burden for a lot of smaller schools to remain open.

Brush Up & Show Up: Rural Voices Matter in the March Primary Election

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Brush Up & Show Up: Rural Voices Matter in the March Primary Election

Suzanne Bellsnyder

Thursday, January 8, 2026

In much of rural Texas, elections are effectively decided in March. By the time the November election rolls around, the field is narrowed, the outcome is possibly set, and the real choice is long past.

2025: THE YEAR NO ONE WAS LOOKING

Jeff Hurt - Editor

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Looking back on 2025, the year began, appropriately enough, with a good deal of swearing. In early January, newly appointed Sheriff John Patrick Dickson took his oath of office, a reminder that local government often runs less on certainty than it does on contingency.

Closed Primaries, Closed Futures: Why a Court Fight in Amarillo Matters to Rural Texas

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Closed Primaries, Closed Futures: Why a Court Fight in Amarillo Matters to Rural Texas

Suzanne Bellsnyder

Thursday, January 1, 2026

A few weeks ago, while driving across parts of rural West Texas, I spoke with Nick Troiano, the executive director of Unite America.

WE THE GOVERNMENT

Jeff Hurt, Editor

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Whether it was intention or happenstance, this month not only marks the end of the year but also the end of a decade-long journey to overturn the will of Fisher County voters. Last week, officials turned the final page in a chapter that many would say they began writing after the 2014 election.

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Abbott’s Tax Plan Promises Relief — But Puts Rural Texas on the Chopping Block

Suzanne Bellsnyder

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Last month, Governor Greg Abbott unveiled what he calls a “bold” plan: eliminate school district property taxes on homesteads and replace roughly $35 to $39 billion in local school funding with the state’s current budget surplus and other state revenues.

BE NICE OR BE QUIET

Jeff Hurt, Editor

Thursday, December 11, 2025

I didn’t plan on taking so long to provide editorial commentary after the City of Rotan’s revised public comment rules, and I apologize. When I read Rotan’s new policy, I immediately realized the discovery of a political valve that allows citizens in and keeps criticism out.