It is time to make your way to your local polling place. Early voting for the Texas primary will end this Friday, May 25th. Election Day is next Tuesday, May 29th. As always, we will send out a recap of the election results next Wednesday morning. For you political junkies, you can see the results in real time by following the Texas Secretary of State’s website (www.sos.state.tx.us) or your local county website if you are keeping an eye on local races.
Billy Millwee, who currently oversees the Texas Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance programs, will retire in August. Millwee has worked as a state employee for more than 20 years, 18 of them with Texas’ Medicaid program.
Good news for the Texas economy. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased in April to 6.9 percent, down from 7.0 percent in March and from 8.0 percent a year ago. This is well below the national unemployment rate of 8.1 percent. The state’s unemployment rate has decreased for eight consecutive months. Texas has seen an increase of 225,800 jobs over the year.
If you are in the market for a new appliance, the upcoming Memorial Day weekend is the time to buy. Buyers will get a break from state and local sales taxes on the purchase of select ENERGY STAR appliances and products Saturday, May 26 through close of business on Monday, May 28. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy for products that meet strict energy efficiency guidelines.