The chair of the agency that oversees electric generation and delivery in Texas announced her resignation hours after Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said that she should step down. In a statement released Monday, Patrick said that DeAnn Walker, chair of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) - as well as Bill Magness, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) - failed to warn state officials and the public of the danger the storm posed to the state’s power grid. “Instead, Texans and lawmakers were told there might be ‘rolling brownouts’ of short duration along with the typical messages we get when cold weather comes to the state - cover your plants and keep your pets inside,” said Patrick. “In short, they hoped for the best instead of planning for the worst.”

Governor Greg Abbott, on Tuesday, March 2, issued an Executive Order (GA-34) lifting the mask mandate in Texas and increasing capacity of all businesses and facilities in the state to 100 percent. The Governor made the announcement at Montelongo’s Mexican Restaurant in Lubbock in an address to the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce.

Political fallout fallout from winter storm continues As Texans across the state continue to deal with the damage from the mid-February winter storm, so does the political fallout in Austin. So far, seven of the 16 board members of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas have resigned.

The market for masks has changed dramatically during the past year. Until then, they were largely worn by health professionals, New Orleans Mardi Gras revelers, and, of course, robbers counting on ‘em to provide incognito status. That was then and this is now.

As millions of Texans were stranded in their homes without power and water, others had to brave the icy roads and single digit temperatures of the harshest winter storm ever to hit the state. In session Tuesday, the Senate officially recognized the vital contributions of police, firefighters, EMTs, utility line workers and grocery store employees that helped Texas get through a chaotic week. “Texas first responders were on the front lines,” said Conroe Senator Brandon Creighton. “They answered the call of duty and saved many lives fighting through the worst of conditions.”

Millions of Texans dealing with water supply issues Warmer temperatures over the weekend and continuing this week melted most of the snow from the state’s roadways and roofs. But Texans are still dealing with broken pipes that flooded homes and businesses, damaged municipal water systems, and continued power outages in scattered areas, mainly in East and Central Texas.

Dallas Cowboy great Drew Pearson’s candle of hope was down to final flickers. Recently, though, the Pro Football Hall of Fame recognized the greatness of this National Football League star who was named “all-pro” three times. Old number “88”—who set numerous team records in the 1970s-1980s—was named to the 2021 HOF class, unleashing tears from his 70-year-old eyes.

Senators on the Finance Committee this week heard testimony on how the COVID pandemic, economic downturn and federal aid will affect what they can spend on state services. Committee chair and Flower Mound Senator Jane Nelson said that despite all the challenges the state faced in 2020, Texas is poised to end the current biennium with a positive bank balance. According to testimony from state Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Monday, retail sales tax collections beat projections and a law passed last year allowing the state to collect sales taxes on online purchases buoyed state revenue. Combined with federal aid and a five percent reduction in most state agency budgets implemented last summer, the state’s ledgers should be in the black when the current biennium ends in September. “We made wise investments and they are paying dividends as we keep working to defeat this virus and get the economy on track,” said Nelson.

The clever and ever-so-simple message Julie Andrews conveyed in The Sound of Music—a classic if there ever was one—provided encouragement that thrilled a nation. We often chose to believe the obvious—that “just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down”—but it would have taken sugar fields much bigger than the “old cotton fields back home” to sweeten Super Bowl LV.

COVID-19 vaccine pace rises while statewide hospitalizations drop The number of people in Texas hospitalized with COVID-19 has declined more than 28 percent in the past month, according to the Texas Department of Health Services. As of Feb.