costs, a major omission since schools are struggling to help students recover from learning losses during the pandemic and to retain teachers.on new water supplies, fixing aging drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, and developing flood control and mitigation projects, according to the think tank Texas 2036.
in lost economic activity, from agriculture to energy production to commercial and residential growth.There is a lot more on the state’s to-do list, such as improving transportation, expanding high-speed broadband, improving the power grid and keeping electricity rates affordable. To varying degrees, the state has begun to address these concerns but still has a long trek ahead.
None of these are one-and-done issues, however, and will require money and commitment for policymakers to look beyond the success of the past and present to the challenges of the future. Texas is a strong state, but our growth and prosperity won’t be assured by low taxes and light regulation alone. We need serious policy commitments to address challenges that are already weighing us down.
State leaders must commit to continuing to make investments for the future or risk giving up Texas’ economic gains.