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Wide open Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott did Wednesday what many people would like other governors to do. He threw the state wide open by repealing most of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. He said “100% of businesses are open “100 %,” and dropped the requirement for wearing masks. Did he do it on the recommendation of scientists and health experts? No. Health experts are still saying that wearing face masks is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of the virus. Schools are still requiring students to wear masks, and many retail businesses are requiring their customers to wear masks. ...

Fair, free elections must be the goal

In states across the country, conservative groups and legislators are pushing legislation they say will make elections more secure. They worry that potential voters don’t trust the process, a worry that should be put to rest by the record-setting voter turnout in the last election. Voters don’t seem to have a problem with the voting system, it is party officials who don’t like the outcome who worry. Some of the proposals would make it harder to vote — requiring people to show a picture ID, for instance (not hard for people who have an ID, but difficult for those who don’t, ...

No easy path through Congress

President Joe Biden’s first big legislative goal is to get a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid bill through Congress. But even though Democrats have control (barely) of House and Senate, they are proving that their majority is not enough to ram a Democrat agenda through. One issue of contention in the bill is the wish of a large number of Democrats to attach a $15 national minimum wage to the bill. First, the Senate parliamentarian ruled that the Senate can’t include a straight out $15 wage in the bill. So, they’ve been trying to find ways around and through the loopholes, like ...

Another vaccine approved

With the approval of the Johnson & Johnson one-shot COVID-19 vaccine, the nation now has a third bullet in the battle against this disease, which has killed over 500,000 Americans. Johnson & Johnson were shipping out the entire stock Sunday night to the states, and injections should be starting today. That’s 4 million doses, with 16 million more due by the end of March, and 100 million total by the end of June. We have frequently stressed the importance of vaccinations in bringing COVID-19 under control and allowing a relaxation of the safety precautions and rules that we have been ...

Renewable energy should be common ground

We know common ground in the state government is hard to come by, but let us suggest something that really shouldn’t be difficult. We’d like to see the Legislature find ways to boost renewable energy in Wisconsin. There are sound reasons for such an effort that should satisfy both conservatives and liberals. Renewable energy has traditionally been pitched as an environmental cause, and there are certainly benefits there. But the reality is that the advantages go far beyond tree-hugging. Renewable energy has the potential to be an economic driver, a source of new technological ...

Educating students for the trades

School District 88 in New Ulm, like other school districts in southwest Minnesota, has been working hard in the last few years to expand its program for students to prepare them for work in the vocational trades. We think this is highly commendable and we think the district should take Superintendent Jeff Bertrang’s recommendation to buy buildings to become the district’s trade center. Bertrang is recommending the district purchase the former Windings building. Education in the trades has become a growing trend in schools around the country. There is a desperate need for skilled ...