Tag Archives: Sid Miller
Could Hemp be an Economic Lifeline for Rural Texas Towns?
As the Legislature considers greenlighting hemp production, a litany of farmers, rural economic development advocates and even conservative Republicans are singing its praises.
Haskell, a town of 3,200 an hour north of Abilene, is in high cotton. It has not one, but two grocery stores. Most of the storefronts in the downtown square are...Read More
Six Stories About Rural Texas You Should Read Before 2018 Ends
From the shuttering of Dairy Queens, driver's license offices and rural hospitals across the state to an only-in-Texas alligator tale, you may have missed this great reporting.
I understand if the wild and weird news cycle of 2018 has got your head spinning. This rollercoaster ride of state and national politics has some reporters near...Read More
Ted Cruz Won Because of Rural Texas, but Beto Made Small Gains for Democrats
O’Rourke’s strategy of hitting all 254 counties didn’t win him the race, but it likely gained Democratic ground in small-town Texas, Republicans’ most reliable stronghold.
At first glance, it would appear as if Democrats were dealt a series of miserable defeats in rural Texas Tuesday. Beto O’Rourke, who spent beaucoup time and m...Read More
The Texas Democratic Women Hoping to Give Republicans the Pink Slip
Former pilot Kim Olson, running for ag commissioner, has become a mentor to women running in 2018, organizing a conference, giving campaign advice and impressing the importance of women in politics.
On a dreary Saturday in late September, Kim Olson is building to the conclusion of her stump speech in front of a small crowd at a brewery in Wylie. She avoids ...Read More
Sid Miller’s Ag Department Knew About Dangerous Pesticide Violations in 2015, Did Nothing for Two Years
A state inspector found that USDA's fever tick teams broke state and federal rules by indiscriminately spraying poison and dumping toxic pesticides on ranchland.
On August 17, 2015, Harlingen rancher Danny Davis called in a complaint to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). Like many others who raise cattle and hors...Read More
In New ‘Spray Box’ Decision, Sid Miller Dances Himself Right Back to Where He Started
In a dizzying two weeks for the Texas ag commissioner, cattle spray boxes have been closed and reopened with little explanation.
Illustration/Sunny Sone For the last two weeks, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has choreographed a dizzying do-si-do with cattle ranchers, state and ...Read More
Sid Miller Ticks off Farm and Ranch Groups by Personally Shutting Down ‘Spray Boxes’
After some ranchers complained, the state’s agriculture commissioner halted 16 pesticide operations in South Texas that were allegedly misapplying a poison.
Remember when Sid Miller suggested that the entire “Muslim world” should be nuked? How about when he brought back deep fryers and sugary drinks to school ca...Read More
God and Guns: Courting the Christian Fringe in the Texas GOP Primaries
As Texans become less conservative and more religiously diverse, chasing far-right Christian voters may become a liability for Republicans.
White conservative Christians have long been key to Republican dominance in Texas politics. They’re especially critical in GOP primaries, where low turnout me...Read More
Citizen Group Promises to Be ‘Thorn in the Side’ of New East Texas Factory Farm
Big chicken gets bigger in East Texas.
One of the world’s poultry heavyweights is expanding in East Texas, and rural landowners concerned about the stench and pollution have a message for the compa...Read More