It is a one year anniversary that nobody wants to remember. One year ago today, the first Covid case was reported here in Texas. Lives lost, jobs lost, businesses lost, a year lost. Texas State Senator Charles Perry reflected to KTRH, "It's hard to believe it's been a year, and the devastation that it left. We took a lot of things for granted and we let a 'fear' narrative get loose, and we actually gave up liberty that I'm not sure we're going to get back." On an economic level, Perry says "We still don't the know the damage. The financial side of it is going to go into years and years. Our financial toll has not been told yet, but arguably it was self imposed." Perry points out the lockdowns led to over $42 million in unemployment benefits here in Texas, while the state's economy lost upwards of $50 million, but probably a lot more. "We started locking people up, telling them what they could or couldn't do, where they could go, where they could shop, and where they could eat , and so when you shut down your economy, there is a different cost besides just the financial." But now, with Texas set to open 100% beginning next week, Perry says, "Texas is going to be fine. We have a list of 196 businesses on the Governors list that want to come to Texas, so we're already rebounding."