Broadband — an Internet connection with sufficient speed to deliver online experiences including full-motion video without significant lag time — is increasingly seen as a requirement for modern life. Yet census data indicate that nearly 20 percent of Texas households don’t have it — and until they do, they’ll continue to be shut out of the modern economy.As a result, during the regular session in 2021 of the Texas Legislature, state lawmakers approved – and Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law – House Bill 5, legislation which was directly shaped by Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen,