Featuring Austin Bureau Chief Mike Ward; Scott Braddock, editor of The Quorum Report, an acclaimed Texas political newsletter; and Austin Bureau Reporter Brian M. Rosenthal, this week's conversation is about the real reasons behind all the chatter about bathroom bills and severance packages paid to employees in some state departments.

The Lone Star State’s politicians are outspoken, colorful, humorous and sometimes maddening characters who exemplify the historical Bigger Than Life view that Texas has of itself, whether in Austin or on the national stage. That ensures that Texas politics is seldom boring, often amusing and never lacking in colorful intrigue and drama. The Houston Chronicle’s Austin Bureau covers all the action, from smoke-filled room to raucous filibuster, and each week we go behind the top headlines for an insider’s skinny on what’s really going on with insiders at the storied Pink Dome. Informative, relevant, entertaining and often hilarious. Direct from Austin, this is the “Texas Take.”