The Texas primary season is nearly over as early voting closes Friday and election day is Tuesday.

All across the state, Texans have been turning out in record numbers for a non-presidential election, with huge enthusiasm on the Democratic side.

Meantime, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus says business leaders need to be asking candidates three questions:

• Do you support more investment in public schools?
• Do you support local control?
• Would you vote for a bathroom bill if it comes up in the 2019 session of the Legislature?

Gov. Greg Abbott this week told President Trump about the state's school marshal program as a possible model for the national following the tragic school shooting in Florida. Trump was happy to hear about the program created through legislation by Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas.

Candidates across Texas spent big out of their campaign accounts for things like SUV's, Christmas ornaments, and paper weights. Yes, paper weights.

And, one way a candidate raised money for her campaign raised quite a few eyebrows – she received deer semen donations to auction off and netted more than $50,000.

Our sponsor this week: The Texas Association of Counties.

With Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, and Ryan Poppe, Texas Public Radio's Capitol Reporter, sitting in for Mike Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau Chief who is out on assignment, this is Texas' leading podcast about Lone Star politics -- coming to you in collaboration with Texas Public Radio.