www.thecentersquare.com – By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-05-16 15:50:00
In April, Texas’s oil and natural gas industry reversed March job losses, adding 1,700 upstream jobs, including 900 in services and 800 in extraction. From April 2024 to 2025, the sector gained over 206,000 upstream jobs, a 1% rise. Since September 2020, upstream jobs increased by 31.2%. Jobs pay an average $128,000. Despite fewer unique job postings in April (8,826) versus March (10,120), Texas leads U.S. states in energy job postings. The industry paid $669 million in production taxes in April and a record $27.3 billion in fiscal 2024. Growing U.S. power demand highlights the need for domestic oil and gas development.
(The Center Square) – Reversing from job losses in March, the Texas oil and natural gas industry posted job gains in April, according to the latest employment data.
The industry contributed to the state’s job gains, which again led the U.S. in job creation and broke multiple employment records last month, The Center Square reported.
Upstream oil and natural gas employment climbed by 1,700 in April over the month, representing an increase in 900 jobs in the services sector and 800 jobs in oil and natural gas extraction. In March, the industry reported job losses of 800 after reporting gains in January and February of 2,600 and 1,600, respectively, The Center Square previously reported.
From April 2024 to April 2025, the industry added more than 206,000 upstream jobs, a 1% increase. The upstream sector involves oil and natural gas extraction and some types of mining. It excludes other industry sectors like refining, petrochemicals, fuels wholesaling, oilfield equipment manufacturing, pipelines, and gas utilities that support hundreds of thousands of additional jobs statewide. Industry jobs pay among the highest wages in Texas, with an average salary of $128,000 in 2024.
“The oil and natural gas industry continues to demonstrate resiliency while facing uncertainty with underlying demand concerns,” Texas Oil & Gas Association President Todd Staples said. “These positive job numbers are a tremendous benefit to the families who are supported by this industry and are important for the communities in which they occur. Sound policies that support fair business practices and laws that keep our state competitive are necessary if Texas is going to continue to benefit from oil and natural gas activity.”
Since the COVID-era low point of September 2020, the industry has added 49,000 Texas upstream jobs, a 31.2% increase, averaging monthly growth of 891 jobs, TXOGA notes. Over the same time-period, months with upstream oil and gas employment increases outnumbered those with decreases by 39 to 15.
While there were new job postings, there was a decline in overall unique postings in April compared to March, according to an analysis of the employment data by the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO). Last month, there were 8,826 active unique jobs postings for the Texas oil and natural gas industry, compared to 10,120 in March.
Texas still had more postings than other states by far. California had 2,611 unique job postings in April, followed by New York’s 2,392, Florida’s 1,744, and Colorado’s 1,290, according to the data.
The top three companies posting the greatest number of unique jobs in April were Love’s (665), Cefco (655) and John Wood Group (280), TIPRO found. Of the top ten companies listed by unique job postings last month, five were in the services sector; two were in a gasoline station/convenience store category, two in midstream and one in the oil and gas operator category.
In April, Texas energy producers paid $436 million in oil production taxes and $233 million in natural gas production taxes, according to Texas comptroller data.
This is after the industry paid a record $27.3 billion in state and local taxes and state royalties in fiscal 2024, The Center Square reported.
According to a recent U.S. Energy Information Administration Short-Term Energy Outlook report, U.S. power consumption is expected to reach record highs in 2025 and 2026. “The forecasts for surging power demands underscore the need for reliable power generation from domestic energy sources, including oil and natural gas,” TIPRO said. “Energy policies that support greater oil and gas development will continue to prove critical to keep up with the rising power generation needs in the U.S.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The content provides a factual, data-driven account of Texas’s oil and natural gas industry job performance. However, the inclusion of quotes from industry representatives, such as Todd Staples of the Texas Oil & Gas Association, and the emphasis on the industry’s positive economic impact, including high wages and tax contributions, suggests a framing that aligns more with a pro-industry perspective. The article highlights policies favorable to the industry and advocates for continued support of the sector, which subtly leans toward a center-right viewpoint. The reporting largely focuses on the economic benefits of the oil and gas industry without delving into environmental or regulatory concerns, a common characteristic of center-right coverage on energy topics.
www.kxan.com – Julia Manchester – 2025-08-18 05:02:00
SUMMARY: Texas Democrats face a potential primary clash as redistricting pits Rep. Lloyd Doggett, 78, against Rep. Greg Casar, 36, in Austin. Republicans’ proposed map merges districts, prompting Doggett to urge Casar to run in the new, more conservative 35th district with a 57% Hispanic population. Casar’s team rejects the idea, noting most of his base lies in Austin’s new 37th district. Critics accuse Doggett of clinging to power despite urging Biden to step aside last year. Party strategists warn the fight risks draining resources and dividing Democrats, benefiting Republicans. Latino leaders strongly back Casar, framing Doggett’s push as out of touch.
The 2025 Texas legislative session brought major changes to public education. Lawmakers approved a $1 billion school voucher program and boosted public school funding by $8.5 billion, including significant teacher pay raises. New laws ban student cell phone use during school hours and require Ten Commandments posters in classrooms, sparking legal challenges. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs are banned in K-12 schools, limiting discussions on race, gender, and sexual orientation. Parents and school boards gain more control over library materials, potentially increasing book bans. Discipline policies are expanded, allowing more suspensions and alternative education placements to address student behavior.
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The 2025 legislative session was transformative for public education in Texas.
Lawmakers approved a $1 billion school voucher program that will let Texas families use taxpayer funds to pay for their children’s private schooling. They invested back into the public school system with a $8.5 billion boost after years of stagnant state funding. In addition, they passed legislation that banned cell phones; barred diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in K-12 schools; and ordered that they display Ten Commandments posters in classrooms.
Here is a look at some of the biggest changes students, parents and teachers can expect as they return for a new school year:
$8.5 billion boost will pay for teacher raises and more
House Bill 2, among other things, establishes a long-term teacher pay raise system.
Teachers with three to four years of experience in districts with 5,000 or fewer students will receive a $4,000 raise, while those with five or more years of experience will receive a $8,000 raise. In districts with more than 5,000 students, teachers with three to four years of experience will receive a $2,500 raise, while those with five or more years of experience will receive a $5,000 raise.
The law also expands the Teacher Incentive Allotment, a state program that awards raises to educators who demonstrate they have improved student’s academic performance.
Additionally, the bill overhauled the way Texas funds special education in school districts. The state will now give funding based on the individual needs of a student with disability, which public education advocates and lawmakers consider a more equitable way to distribute funds. Districts will also receive $1,000 for each evaluation they conduct assessing a student for a disability.
Students will be banned from using their cell phones
House Bill 1481, authored by Rep. Caroline Fairly, R- Amarillo, will limit the use of personal wireless devices by students during school hours. The proposal received bipartisan support in both chambers.
“That’s a pretty substantial change…especially for high school students. Probably less of a change for the younger grades,” said Brian Woods, deputy executive director of the Texas Association of School Administrators.
The legislation requires districts to implement disciplinary actions for students who violate the policy. It gives them flexibility on how to enforce the new rules. School districts are ironing out their policies as the new school year begins, Woods said.
Supporters of the law say it will help with students’ focus levels, improve their mental health and reduce bullying.
Critics say the legislation limits the ability of students to contact their parents or emergency services — and parents’ ability to keep track of their children’s whereabouts.
The legislation allows students to use their cell phones outside of school hours, so students will be able to contact their parents about extracurricular activities and other issues as necessary, Woods said.
“I don’t see that school safety is materially, negatively impacted by students not having access to their cell phones. In my experience, virtually every classroom has a phone in it, and also has an alternative method of contacting an office area in the school,” Woods said.
Ten Commandments and other bills to push religion in public schools
Next month, students will start seeing the Ten Commandments displayed in their classrooms as part of a larger push from Republican lawmakers to infuse more religion in schools.
Senate Bill 10, will require classrooms to visibly display a poster sized by at least 16 by 20 inches. The poster can’t include any text other than the language laid out in the legislation. The law mandates that schools accept and hang up the posters if they are privately donated but does not require districts to purchase the materials.
A federal court deemed a similar bill in Louisiana unconstitutional. Louisiana is appealing the decision.
The American Civil Liberties Union and a group of parents have filed a lawsuit against the Texas legislation. A U.S. district court in San Antonio started hearing oral arguments on the case Friday.
Lawmakers also passed Senate Bill 11, a measure that will allow a school district to provide students and employees time to pray or read religious texts during the school day.
The law bans reading any religious text or prayer over a school’s speakers, or in the presence of a student that does not have a signed consent form.
Lawmakers extend DEI ban to K-12 grades
Senate Bill 12, authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, eliminates DEI programs in K-12 schools. It prohibits schools from considering race, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation in hiring and training practices. The law also prohibits public schools from sponsoring or authorizing a club based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
The legislation upholds parental authority by allowing them to make choices for the programs their children can partake in, Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, said in May.
Critics of the law argue that the legislation disproportionately targets marginalized groups, especially LGBTQ+ students, could limit the students’ sense of belonging and harm their mental health. The legislation could also lead to teachers self-censoring, which could hamper students’ education, critics said.
In June, the ACLU and other civil rights groups announced plans to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the legislation.
The ban comes two years after legislators passed Senate Bill 17, which eliminated DEI offices, programs and training at public universities in Texas.
School boards and parents will have more oversight on library materials
The Legislature passed Senate Bill 13, authored by Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, which will allow parents and school boards to challenge any school library material.
The law will allow school boards to delegate this responsibility to parents if 50 parents or 10% of parents in the district — whichever is less — sign a petition calling for the creation of a local school advisory council.
“No child should pick up a book in their school library of all places and be exposed to inappropriate, harmful material within its pages,” Paxton said in March. “These young brains cannot unsee what they see.”
The law will ban schools from keeping library materials that contain “indecent content or profane content.”
Critics say SB 13 will lead to the banning of books that have topics of sexuality and gender identity and limit stories from marginalized groups. Texas banned 540 books during the 2023-24 school year, according to PEN America, an organization that tracks book bans throughout the country.
Schools will have more flexibility with disciplinary actions
As teachers struggle to manage the rise in student violence since the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas lawmakers said their solution was in giving schools more flexibility to punish students.
House Bill 6 expands when schools can dole out out-of-school suspensions to Texas’ youngest and homeless students. It does this by undoing state laws from 2017 and 2019 that put limitations on when and how those students could be disciplined.
The legislation also extends how long students can face in-school suspensions — from three days to as long as schools see fit, so long as the placement is reviewed every 10 days.
HB 6 wades into when schools can send students to alternative education settings, strict environments that often remove children from their regular school buildings and lean on computer-based work. While students caught vaping were previously required to go to alternative education settings, schools can now discipline those students less severely if it is their first offense.
Schools can also teach students in alternative education programs remotely — a mode of instruction that was shown to contribute to learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lawmakers shepherding the legislation emphasized that removing students from the classroom is a way to protect other students and allow learning to continue. Critics worry more discipline won’t change the behavior of the student acting out, which can often signal underlying emotional needs.
Sneha Dey contributed to this story.
Disclosure: Texas Association of School Administrators has been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
More all-star speakers confirmed for The Texas Tribune Festival, Nov. 13–15! This year’s lineup just got even more exciting with the addition of State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo; former United States Attorney General Eric Holder; Abby Phillip, anchor of “CNN NewsNight”; Aaron Reitz, 2026 Republican candidate for Texas Attorney General; and State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin. Get your tickets today!
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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The content presents a factual overview of recent Texas education legislation, highlighting conservative policy changes such as school vouchers, bans on DEI programs, restrictions on library materials, and the promotion of religious displays in public schools. While it includes some criticism and concerns from opponents, the overall tone is balanced and informative, reflecting a perspective that aligns with mainstream conservative priorities in education policy without overt editorializing. This suggests a center-right bias focused on reporting legislative developments from a perspective sympathetic to conservative educational reforms.
SUMMARY: The animated show “South Park” has intensified its satirical attacks on President Trump and his administration, featuring outrageous depictions that have sparked backlash from Trump officials. Despite the administration’s dismissive and angry responses, the controversy has boosted the show’s ratings, with its Season 27 premiere marking Comedy Central’s highest viewership since the 1990s. Experts note the clash resembles a rivalry between two TV entities, with “South Park” reviving its classic government critique amid a politically charged climate. The show’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, continue to push boundaries, benefiting from creative freedom and a lucrative Paramount deal, while capitalizing on renewed public interest.
