5 days ago
Texas bill for permanent daylight saving time is already doomed
House Bill 1393 attempts to adopt permanent daylight saving time for Texas. If the governor signs it, this bill will, at best, accomplish nothing — not even eliminating the semiannual clock switches — because federal law prohibits year-round daylight saving time.
At worst, Congress will pass the Sunshine Protection Act, championed by Sen. Ted Cruz, to remove this prohibition and allow implementation of permanent daylight saving time here. The result would be year-round alignment of Texas' clocks with New Jersey's sunrises and sunsets.
Permanent daylight saving time was tried twice before, during World War II and the oil embargo of the 1970s. Rejected by Texans, it failed both times. Permanent standard time is most Texans' preferred solution. Let's stop waking our young children in the dark and putting them to bed in the light, the result of daylight saving in the spring and fall.
- Josh Findley, Dallas
As a Tarrant County resident and attorney, I am deeply concerned about the proposed Commissioners Court precinct maps and the racial gerrymandering they represent. These maps intentionally pack high-minority populations into Precinct 1, concentrating our voting power while minimizing our influence in surrounding precincts.
This is not only unjust — it's undemocratic. The redistricting process should reflect the diversity of our county, not suppress it. Communities of color deserve fair representation across all precincts, not to be strategically confined to one.
The proposed maps send a clear message: Our voices are being sidelined. I urge commissioners to reject any plan that undermines equitable representation and to commit to drawing maps that serve all residents of Tarrant County.
- MarQuetta Clayton, Fort Worth
I don't know why the Fort Worth City Council is in such an uproar over the so-called gerrymandering of the proposed Tarrant County Commissioners Court maps. Take a look at what council members did to east Fort Worth when they did their redistricting. District 11 is a joke. In my advanced years, it's the worst map I've ever seen.
- Wanda Conlin, Fort Worth
Jonathan Butcher and Lindsey M. Burke of The Heritage Foundation wrote that teaching the 'classic texts' of Western literature will produce better military graduates, skilled in 'critical thinking and logic.' (May 18, 8C, 'A Test Fit for U.S. Service Academies') That is typical conservative claptrap that longs for a return to the 'good old days.' They have obviously never taught critical thinking or even had a course in it.
We pay lip service to critical thinking, but it is not taught in American public schools or even in colleges. I have taught it in Europe, and simply reading texts — whether the Declaration of Independence (suggested by the authors) or Maya Angelou — does not instill critical thinking skills.
Book learning in the classics, even military classics such as Carl von Clausewitz and Antoine-Henri Jomini, does not make better soldiers.
- Dr. Richard Selcer, Fort Worth
Days before the anniversary of George Floyd's murder, the Trump administration declared it would stop overseeing many local police agencies accused of violence and abuses, particularly against Black people. I hope the Justice Department continues to oversee local police agencies accused of abuses against all communities, including white, Hispanic and Asian populations.
Let's not forget that Donald Trump granted pardons to many of the Jan. 6 rioters who were involved in violent actions and abuses targeting police officers. The officers represented a diverse range of backgrounds. Which side is Trump on?
- Leslie J. Smith, Grapevine
