https://www.theazlenews.com/author/10,suzanne-bellsnyder en Tue, 22 Sep 2026 09:35:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/2164,this-is-texasDuring the fall of any given election year, my Twitter/X feed is usually all Texas Longhorn football and Texas politics. Boy, did those two worlds collide this past week when the conversation turned t...]]> Tue, 22 Sep 2026 09:35:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/2164,this-is-texas https://www.theazlenews.com/article/2134,texans-already-settled-thisReady. Set. Go.Election season is officially here.Conventional wisdom in politics says voters begin paying attention after Labor Day. And when election season collides with football season, campaigns...]]> Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:09:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/2134,texans-already-settled-this https://www.theazlenews.com/article/2120,pc-indictmentsIt’s no secret that many of my fellow Republicans are having an identity crisis, weighing what it means to be a Republican against the choices the political system has given us.I’m one of them.I still...]]> Tue, 08 Sep 2026 08:38:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/2120,pc-indictments https://www.theazlenews.com/article/2087,do-we-the-people-still-matter“Does this bore you?”I have spent more than two decades working in and around Texas government, and I was shocked by what happened next.A woman testifying before the Texas Railroad Commission asked Co...]]> Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:47:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/2087,do-we-the-people-still-matter https://www.theazlenews.com/article/2068,one-size-does-not-fit-every-texas-schoolIt is back-to-school time in Texas, and in a political season that means education plans are arriving almost as quickly as school-supply lists.It is good to see Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic challen...]]> Mon, 24 Aug 2026 17:22:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/2068,one-size-does-not-fit-every-texas-school https://www.theazlenews.com/article/2036,the-voucher-numbers-are-inI’ve spent two decades in and around the Texas Capitol, working with Republican officeholders who believed in school choice as part of a larger accountability system. That’s exactly why the first numb...]]> Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:51:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/2036,the-voucher-numbers-are-in https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1997,we-like-our-rural-way-of-life-thank-you-very-muchRural Texas is dying.I keep hearing some version of that statement as Texas debates data centers, economic development and the future of our rural communities.And frankly, I am tired of it.Rural Texas...]]> Mon, 10 Aug 2026 08:06:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1997,we-like-our-rural-way-of-life-thank-you-very-much https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1991,don-t-leave-rural-texas-behindOver the Fourth of July weekend, I watched a documentary about President Theodore Roosevelt. I have always been intrigued by Roosevelt, and his “Man in the Arena” speech on courage is one I return to...]]> Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:08:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1991,don-t-leave-rural-texas-behind https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1974,don-t-just-listen-to-the-speeches-watch-the-budgetOne of the first lessons I learned working in the Texas Capitol was that speeches are written for voters. Budgets are written for governing.That's why when I report on the happenings in local and stat...]]> Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:23:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1974,don-t-just-listen-to-the-speeches-watch-the-budget https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1946,gina-hinojosa-makes-her-case-to-rural-texasDemocratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa is running for governor of Texas.On paper, Hinojosa brings a trifecta of characteristics that have not historically translated into electoral success in rural red T...]]> Mon, 20 Jul 2026 08:45:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1946,gina-hinojosa-makes-her-case-to-rural-texas https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1928,five-political-fights-rural-texans-should-watchRural Texas has long been treated as settled red territory. Republicans count on our votes. Democrats try to get to know us during election years. And neither party expects rural loyalties to shift.Th...]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 17:53:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1928,five-political-fights-rural-texans-should-watch https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1872,what-kind-of-government-are-we-buildingRonald Reagan once joked that the nine most terrifying words in the English language were, "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."Conservatives laughed because we understood the principle beh...]]> Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:52:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1872,what-kind-of-government-are-we-building https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1846,texas-independence-isn-t-a-partyThere is no Independent Party in Texas.That's worth saying up front because when some people hear the word "independent," they assume we're talking about a third party. We're not. An independent candi...]]> Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:09:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1846,texas-independence-isn-t-a-party https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1827,the-governor-is-asking-the-wrong-question-about-data-centersThis week the governor did something rural Texans have been asking Austin to do for two years: he told state regulators that data centers — not households — should pay for the power lines their machin...]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:18:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1827,the-governor-is-asking-the-wrong-question-about-data-centers https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1804,how-do-we-decide-what-mattersI love to listen to podcasts, and it was The Mel Robbins Podcast that introduced me to a problem-solving exercise called the Five Whys.The premise is straightforward. When you're trying to understand...]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:53:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1804,how-do-we-decide-what-matters https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1759,you-don-t-have-to-pledge-loyalty-to-a-broken-systemThe results out of Texas last week told us something most of us already knew but didn't want to say out loud: the two-party system is broken. The primary process that's supposed to give voters a choic...]]> Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:47:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1759,you-don-t-have-to-pledge-loyalty-to-a-broken-system https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1732,a-water-hose-against-the-wind-what-the-panhandle-knows-about-living-on-the-marginsMy best friend's father lost his home this week.The entire house — gone in a few minutes. A spark, 40-mile-an-hour winds, drought-cured grass, and that was it. They tried to fight it with a garden hos...]]> Tue, 26 May 2026 12:00:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1732,a-water-hose-against-the-wind-what-the-panhandle-knows-about-living-on-the-margins https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1706,the-runoff-ballot-is-worth-a-closer-lookThe easiest election to miss may be one of the most important ones on the calendar.Next Tuesday, May 26 — the day after Memorial Day — Texans will return to the polls for the primary runoff election....]]> Mon, 18 May 2026 12:56:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1706,the-runoff-ballot-is-worth-a-closer-look https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1686,the-pharmacy-on-main-streetIf you live in rural Texas, you already know that your local pharmacist is part of the fabric that holds a town together.They know who’s been sick, who’s recovering, who just got home from the hospita...]]> Tue, 12 May 2026 09:17:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1686,the-pharmacy-on-main-street https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1656,texas-has-a-water-crisisA few weeks ago, the Texas Water Development Board put a number on what many of us in rural Texas have been feeling for years: $174 billion. That’s what it will cost to build and repair the water infr...]]> Tue, 05 May 2026 08:44:00 -0500 https://www.theazlenews.com/article/1656,texas-has-a-water-crisis