Good Morning! On this day in 1950, the Barker Texas History Center opened on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. Now known as the Eugene C. Barker Texas History Collection, it houses more than 130,000 books and periodicals, 750,000 photographs, 30,000 recordings, and thousands of personal papers and official records.
When’s the last time you played Skee-Ball in an arcade? Check out our Around Texas story on a restaurant bringing the retro game and more back.
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A state appeals court struck down the city of Austin’s attempt to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.
The order follows a ruling last week in which the same court struck down the city of San Marcos’ ordinance to decriminalize marijuana.
“Consistent with the City of San Marcos, we conclude that the (Austin) ordinance in this case is also preempted by state law,” Judge Scott Field said.
In Austin, voters in 2022 approved an ordinance that bans police from ticketing or arresting people carrying a small amount of marijuana.
School Voucher Bill Advances
A school voucher bill allowing up to 90,000 K-12 students to use public funds to pay for private education passed the state Senate and now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott, who is expected to approve.
The measure, geared toward low-income families and children with disabilities, would provide up to $10,000 per year per student for use on tuition and other school-related costs. Students with disabilities could receive as much as $30,000. You can read the bill’s text here.
The program would start in the 2026-2027 school year, and total state funding would be capped at $1 billion for the first two years of its existence. The bill provides for the program funding to expand up to $4.5 billion annually by 2030.
Abbott supports the measure and is expected to sign the bill soon.
Texas Makes Big Impact on NFL Draft
The state’s college football programs and many of its former prep football stars made a big impression with teams in this year’s NFL Draft that ended Sunday.
More than 20 former Texas high school players who went on to excel in college were selected in the draft’s first four rounds, by far the most of any state. Florida, California, and Georgia followed.
The state’s college programs also shared the spotlight, with TCU wide receiver Jack Bech one of the heartwarming stories. His brother Tiger was killed in the New Year’s terrorist attack in New Orleans, and the Bech family’s reaction when Jack was drafted was intense.
There was also no containing the excitement of University of Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins, among the first players taken in Friday’s second round.
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➤ Northern Texas: More than 5,900 customers in the Panhandle lost power Saturday morning following 100 mph winds. (More)
➤ Fort Worth: A charter bus carrying schoolchildren from Colorado collided with a rock hauler semi, hospitalizing 2 on Friday. (See Photos)
➤ Tyler: A mother was arrested for reportedly giving alcohol-spiked Jell-O shots to fifth graders at a party. She said she thought they were alcohol-free. (See Photo)
➤ Amarillo: Five members of the police department’s motorcycle division competed at a driving competition in Florida, with Sgt. Trent Thomas placing first. (See Photo)
➤ El Paso: A jury awarded $190 million to the surviving victims and families of a fatal 2023 hit-and-run crash that took place in New Mexico. (More)
➤ Plano: The owner of Planet Pizza added a cosmic-themed arcade featuring Skee-Ball, racing games, dart boards, and a pool table. (See Photos)
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➤ No. 1 Texas baseball beat Texas A&M 2-1, earning their seventh straight victory and improving their overall record to 35-5. (See Stats)
➤ The Houston Rockets faced off against Golden State in Game 3 of their first-round playoff matchup Saturday night. (Score, Game Recap)
➤ Texas Rangers pitching ace Jack Leiter will make his return to the starting rotation Sunday following his weeks-long recovery from a blister. (More)
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➤ A lawsuit was filed against San Antonio-based Bill Miller’s Bar-B-Q for selling hot barbeque sauce that allegedly “melted” a customer’s jeans. (See Photos)
➤ The Texas Senate passed a bill formally recognizing the Gulf of America on state maps and documents. (More)
➤ Dallas-based rapper BigXthaPlug presented talk show host Jimmy Kimmel with a $100,000 chain necklace with a Texas-shaped pendant. (See Photo)
Austin’s Pot Exemption Snuffed
