Live Oak County Democratic Party

FYI LOC Voters!

Today is the last day to apply for a mail ballot for the primary runoff election!
REASONS FOR VOTING BY MAIL:
-65 years of age or older
-Disability
-Expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day
-Expected absence from the county
-Confinement in jail
If you need to vote by mail, you must print the application, fill it out, and take it to the Wilson County Elections Office before 4pm today! Application can be found here:https://www.wilsoncountytx.gov/upload/page/2254/docs/6-1f.pdf

Water is on everyone’s mind in South Texas. For residents in Three Rivers make sure you read this article and inform yourself on what Thomas Salazar, TR City Manager, has been working on to acquire an alternate water source for the City of Three Rivers. It’s quite impressive! Kudos to Thomas Salazar and all involved in this huge endeavor to provide water to needy rural communities.

Three Rivers City Council canvasses election, discusses water agreements, opens pool The Three Rivers City Council met May 11 to canvass and declare the results of the May 2 election, swear in council members, and discuss ongoing regional water and infrastructure

LOC Democrats out in the wild again yesterday evening. Mal Torres, Saenz Torres, and I attended election training for Judges and Co-Judges for the upcoming Primary Runoff Election. I also took an online training earlier that day from Texas Elections Network on maintaining voter rolls.

Chile just activated Cerro Dominador II — a 3,500-megawatt solar installation on the Atacama Desert plateau at 2,400 meters elevation, generating electricity at 1.9 US cents per kilowatt-hour — the cheapest clean electricity price ever recorded for any generating technology anywhere on Earth.

The Atacama receives the highest solar irradiance measured on the planet's surface at 3,500 kilowatt-hours per square meter annually — nearly three times northern Europe's resource. At this elevation, thinner atmosphere reduces light scattering and near-zero humidity eliminates panel soiling losses entirely. The facility combines photovoltaics with 24-hour molten salt thermal storage, delivering firm baseload power continuously.

Chile exports surplus generation to Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia through cross-border interconnectors, positioning itself as South America's primary clean energy exporter. The 1.9-cent generation cost makes Chilean solar competitive with natural gas at any price level.

Source: Cerro Dominador Chile, Chilean National Energy Commission, Inter-American Development Bank, 2025

The State Board of Education does not get as much attention as statewide offices, but it has enormous influence over what Texas students learn.

The SBOE plays a role in curriculum standards, instructional materials, and school finance-related responsibilities like the Permanent School Fund. SBOE materials also show the board makes decisions connected to testing instruments available to private schools.

So when Texans ask, “Who decided this curriculum?” or “Why are these materials in classrooms?” — the SBOE is often part of the answer.

Local school boards matter.

But state boards matter too.

Know who represents you on the SBOE. These races shape classrooms.

HUGE: Governor Gavin Newsom has balanced California’s budget—bringing its structural deficit down to $0 through 2028.

California’s updated budget includes a record $5 billion for education priorities such as recruiting and training teachers, $100 million to help wildfire survivors rebuild their homes, and a 50% tax cut for new small businesses.

“California is proof that fiscal discipline and progressive values go hand in hand,” said Gov. Newsom. “We’re balancing the budget, eliminating deficit, cutting spending, and building reserves—all while protecting healthcare, education, and essential services for Californians.”

This is what responsible, compassionate leadership looks like.