More State Capital Highlights

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Gov. Greg Abbott presided last week over the opening of new facility in Edinburg to produce sterile flies in order to combat a potential invasion of New World screwworms from Mexico that could threaten the nation’s leader in cattle production, The Tribune reported.

Cases of the screwworm, which lays eggs in open wounds on cattle, have been detected in Mexico as close as 70 miles from the border.

“I don’t want to underplay it because it is a big threat to our country, but I believe we’re as prepared as we could possibly be, if that happens, to deal with it, to move toward eradication, Rollins said. Sterile flies were released last week in Northern Mexico and in Texas within 50 miles of the border as a precautionary measure.

Abbott has issued a disaster declaration to enable a newly formed response team to have adequate resources. The USDA plans to open its own production facility in Edinburg by the end of 2027. For now, the facility is using larvae produced in Panama and flown to Texas.

Abbott breaks with Trump over nationalizing elections The governor has broken with Trump over the president’s call to nationalize elections in some parts of the country, kut.org reported. He was asked about Trump’s suggestion at a recent campaign event.

“Listen, my understanding of the United States Constitution, and that is elections for state positions are to be conducted by states, and I don’t think we should deviate from that,” Abbott said.

Legal experts and some Trump allies highlight that the Constitution grants states the primary authority over elections, making any effort to nationalize the process both legally complicated and logistically challenging.