Progress Texas Podcasts

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

An announcement yesterday by Governor Greg Abbott on a voucher breakthrough is news to voucher opponents, whose positions have not changed, at least publicly: https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/abbott-school-voucher-deal-18459828.php

...Meanwhile a ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates by Texas business owners heads to Abbott's desk: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/31/texas-legislature-covid-vaccine-mandates-ban-bill/

...As does $1.5 billion for border walls and patrolling of the Colony Ridge neighborhood: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/31/texas-senate-senate-bill-6-border-wall-colony-ridge/

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico demands that Texas remove barriers erected on that state's border: https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/vasquez-demands-texas-governor-remove-razor-wire-along-new-mexico-border/article_d8deb6d4-7804-11ee-a9fc-cbe4522fbbeb.html

Longtime Fort Worth U.S. Rep. Kay Granger is expected to announce her retirement this week: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/31/kay-granger-congress-texas-expected-stepping-down/

Reminders on why a NO vote on Prop 7 is vital for Texas progressives: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/31/texas-infrastructure-constitutional-amendments/

...And after you vote YES on Prop 14, head out to a Texas State Park on Sunday for free: https://www.orangeleader.com/2023/11/01/free-admission-to-texas-state-parks-on-sunday/

And, the Texas Rangers are one win away from their first-ever World Series title: https://krocnews.com/texas-rangers-need-one-more-for-world-series-crown/

Thanks for listening! Grab our handy voting guide and consider making a contribution to help us continue our important work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

After an eight-year delay, a trial date is set for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, indicted on securities fraud charges - April 15, 2024: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/10/30/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxtons-criminal-trial-set-for-april-15/

A federal judge has ordered federal border agents to stop cutting razor wire - notably, unless that razor wire threatens to hurt migrants: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/10/31/judge-texas-razor-wire-mexico-united-states-border/71387164007/

...While new immigration bills in process at the Capitol would transfer federal border authority to local "peace officers": https://www.texasobserver.org/immigration-local-police-border-hb-4/

That expletive-laden recording of U.S. Representative and Progress Texas-endorsed Houston mayoral candidate Sheila Jackson Lee came up in a debate at Texas Southern University: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/houston/article/mayoral-debate-jackson-lee-audio-18453370.php

U.S. Representative Chip Roy of Austin (which is crazy) refuses to say whether he'll make any effort to avoid a federal government shutdown: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4283701-chip-roy-spars-fox-business-varney-government-shutdown/#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16987086096865&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fhomenews%2Fhouse%2F4283701-chip-roy-spars-fox-business-varney-government-shutdown%2F

Four of sixteen new federally-funded maternal mortality research centers will be located in Texas: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/30/texas-maternal-health-center-mortality/

Texas Republicans have been even goofier than usual lately on Twitter: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/texas-republicans-tweets-are-batshit-crazy-this-week-17771366

And no surprise here, but Texas looms large nationally when it comes to new residents moving in from other states: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article281207018.html

Don't forget to vote! Early voting ends Friday, and election day is in one week, on Tuesday November 7. Grab our handy voter guide, and consider making a donation to help us continue our important work, at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

As a new week begins, the line against vouchers at the special session is holding...for now: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/inside-politics/texas-politics/san-angelo-republican-school-voucher-program-doa-texas-house-without-major-increase-public-school-funding/287-75354955-4380-41dc-af8e-3c77a6906c4b

...While religious schools eye the prospect of expanding into rural areas should vouchers pass: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/30/private-school-expansion-texas-vouchers/

...Catholic schools for example, where enrollment has been sliding for decades: https://www.expressnews.com/news/education/article/texas-vouchers-catholic-schools-18452765.php

U.S. Representative Colin Allred leads a Senate race poll - but ranks far behind respondents with no opinion or knowledge of the race: https://www.kxan.com/news/your-local-election-hq/allred-leads-crowded-field-in-new-texas-democratic-primary-poll/

El Paso Matters op-ed calls immigration bills speeding through the special session "bad legislation": https://elpasomatters.org/2023/10/28/opinion-texas-immigration-bills-wasteful-unconstitutional-dangerous/

Guns are still the leading cause of death among young Texans - and the numbers are getting worse: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/30/gun-fatalities-texas-youths/

And while some progressive organizations have gotten behind Prop 1, the farming and agricultural rights amendment, Progress Texas still recommends a NO vote, due to the potential of abuse by large corporate agribusiness: https://www.kxan.com/news/protections-for-texas-farmers-on-the-november-ballot/

Thanks for listening! Grab our handy voting guide and consider making a donation to help us continue our work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

New immigration bills, which will pave the way for regular harassment of Texas Latinos, continue towards the Governor's desk: https://www.axios.com/2023/10/26/texas-migrants-border-arrest-bill

...While Houston Representative Armando Walle becomes a touchstone of his community's frustration: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/texas-latino-democrat-walle-slams-republicans-immigration-bill-detain-rcna122335

A judge rules that the TEA cannot release school and district ratings, which had been challenged due to changes in rubric: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/education/2023/10/26/judge-halts-texas-education-agency-from-releasing-a-f-school-ratings/71338396007/

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether a proven dangerous person retains his right to possess a gun under the 2nd Amendment: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2023/10/27/supreme-court-must-correct-course-on-gun-rights-with-texas-case/

Ken Paxton's crusade against renewable energy is now disrupting the Texas municipal bond market: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-27/wells-fargo-rbc-losing-texas-deals-on-ken-paxton-probe-into-energy-policies

Opaque explanation of routine voter roll discrepancies in Harris County threatens to fuel conspiracies about election fraud in 2024: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/26/harris-county-election-2022-audit-voter-conspiracy/

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo details her struggle with depression, and with getting help for it: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/health-science/medicine-wellness/2023/10/26/467700/ive-been-dealing-with-it-for-about-8-years-harris-county-judge-lina-hidalgo-discusses-her-battle-with-depression-treatment/

Robot car company Cruise has suspended operations in Texas as it seeks to "rebuild public trust": https://cbsaustin.com/renderer/cbsaustin/amp/news/local/cruise-halts-all-driverless-operations-including-texas-to-rebuild-public-trust-after-license-suspension

The Texas Rangers - who have never won the Major League Baseball championship - start the 2023 World Series in Arlington tonight vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks: https://www.npr.org/2023/10/27/1208946022/7-game-world-series-matchup-starts-in-texas-rangers-meet-arizona-diamondbacks

Thanks for listening! Grab our handy voter guide, and consider making a contribution to help Progress Texas continue our important work, at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Houston Rep. Armando Walle had strong words for House Republicans after debate over harsh new immigration laws was cut short: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/25/texas-legislature-house-immigration-bills/

...While GOP efforts for vouchers appear to have made little progress: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/25/texas-vouchers-house-abbott-legislature/

New U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has ties to Texas based on efforts on behalf of "religious liberty": https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/national-politics/new-speaker-of-the-house-once-practiced-law-in-collin-county/287-ca3988e1-2e93-434c-8d74-8a8f52089917

...While Texas MAGA types are big Johnson fans, but House Dems highlight major problems: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/texas-reactions-speaker-johnson-18447628.php

A Waco JP who wants to continue discriminating against LGBTQ+ Texans gets her day before the Texas Supreme Court: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/can-a-texas-judge-refuse-to-marry-gay-couples-texas-supreme-court-to-rule/

Inter-party battles over anti-Semitisim within the Texas GOP draw national attention: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4275361-texas-republicans-anti-semitism-allegations-feed-civil-war/

...While Steven Monacelli exposes a particularly gross North Texas Nazi group: https://www.texasobserver.org/unmasking-texas-neo-nazis/

...And the Texas Tribune covers Texans For Strong Borders, whose leader is a well-established hate-mongerer: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/25/chris-russo-texans-for-strong-borders-immigration-nick-fuentes/

Thanks for listening! Grab our guide to the ongoing constitutional amendments election and consider supporting our work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Both Republican U.S. Reps Pete Sessions and Roger Williams have seen their aspirations to become Speaker of the House dashed: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/24/pete-sessions-us-speaker-race-texas/

Ken Paxton sues the Biden administration, this time for removing deadly razor wire from the border: https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/24/politics/texas-paxton-biden-administration-border-razor-wire-lawsuit/index.html

Houston U.S. Representative and mayoral candidate Sheila Jackson Lee apologizes for a profanity-laden recording in which she berates her staff: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/24/sheila-jackson-lee-houston-mayor-audio-leak-staffer/

5,000 workers at Arlington's GM assembly plant join the national UAW strike: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/24/arlington-texas-gm-auto-workers-strike/

Rice University finds that not only is it hard to recruit faculty into Texas, a large number of existing Texas faculty are planning to leave the state: https://www.ricethresher.org/article/2023/10/texas-politics-pose-challenge-to-hiring-faculty-desroches-says

...While Rice stands out from other Texas universities by doubling down on DEI efforts: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/25/texas-dei-ban-rice-university/

A story that five Texas Longhorns football players lost scholarships for kneeling during the National Anthem, popular among right-wing online trolls, appears to be false: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/texas-anthem-kneeling-scholarships/

Essential reading on how white supremacist conspiracy theories are now intersecting with Texas Republican lawmaking: https://www.justsecurity.org/89704/white-supremacist-conspiracy-theory-is-fueling-extreme-border-policy-in-texas/

Many Texas retired teachers are spending their entire pensions on rent alone - vote YES on Prop 9: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/vote/texas-proposition-9-retired-teachers-pension/269-1b5dc2cc-24bc-4d5a-a250-5cf5ecb30ff2

A Texas toddler has become the youngest American to visit all 63 national parks - vote YES on Prop 14: https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/texas-toddler-becomes-youngest-person-to-visit-all-63-national-parks-196336709522

And we encourage positive thoughts and energy for Acapulco, Mexico, who overnight bore the brunt of a Category 5 hurricane: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/25/world/hurricane-otis-acapulco

Thanks for listening! Please grab our handy voter guide, and consider helping us continue our important work, at https://progresstexas.org/.

Progress Texas is proud to endorse former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins in his run for Houston City Controller - a somewhat low-profile but pivotal position in the government of our state's biggest and most diverse city. His performance during the pandemic election of 2020 was outstanding - so much so, that Republicans have been doing all they can to undermine the voters of Houston ever since. We know he'll bring that same dedication and expertise to the job of Controller. Join us for a great talk with Chris Hollins - one of our state's most dynamic young progressive leaders!

Learn more about Chris and support his campaign at https://chrishollins.com/.

And, grab our popular and handy voter guide for the election happening NOW, and consider supporting our work as well, at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The state's lawsuit will go to trial in April, following a ruling by anti-abortion activist judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo: https://news.yahoo.com/planned-parenthood-must-face-trial-005536520.html

...While Lubbock County becomes the fourth, and largest so far, Texas county to establish a so-called "abortion travel ban":

$1.5 billion of YOUR taxpayer money for the building of more border wall heads to the House floor this week: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/house-panel-weighs-15-billion-investment-in-border-wall-after-request-from-abbott

...While a USA Today writer recommends a wall all the way around Texas: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2023/10/24/abbott-texas-border-wall-construction-razor-wire/71292239007/

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick's purchase of $3 million in Israeli bonds, seeking to defuse controversy over a pre-impeachment donation by Defend Texas Liberty, is a sidestep at best: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/10/23/texas-lt-gov-patrick-seeks-to-deflate-nick-fuentes-flap-by-buying-3m-of-israel-bonds/

...While the Texas GOP's associations with the hard-right lunatic fringe run far deeper than just Nick Fuentes: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/23/defend-texas-liberty-nick-fuentes-jonathan-stickland/

Harris Democrats square off with the Harris County DA - herself a Democrat: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/houston/article/harris-county-admonish-kim-ogg-18442301.php

Thanks for listening - and don't forget to VOTE! Grab our voting guide, and consider making a donation to help us keep on keeping on, at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Early voting on 14 constitutional amendment propositions and a variety of local matters begins today! Learn all about voting in Texas at https://govotetexas.org/, and grab our handy guide to those 14 amendments at https://progresstexas.org/2023-texas-statewide-ballot-guide.

The special session nears its third week - the lower amount of taxpayer money the House version of school vouchers would give Texas families would put private school even further out of reach for lower-income families: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/texas-legislative-special-session-for-school-vouchers-drags-on-17727793

...While Democrats and most Rural Republicans, for now, appear unswayed: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/inside-politics/texas-politics/texas-school-voucher-bill-debate-opposition-ron-reynolds/287-80ddb75e-fa9d-42c4-b3c8-421da2d5ca84

U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions of Waco, who has thrown his name into the hat for Speaker, is a relatively quiet but virulent and vicious MAGA crusader: https://www.texasdemocrats.org/media/pete-sessions-announced-run-for-speaker

A Waco Justice Of The Peace, on a seven-year-long fight to be able to deny LGBTQ+ couples her services as a wedding officiant, gets her day before the Texas Supreme Court this week: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/10/22/texas-judge-gay-marriage-lawsuit-christian-dianne-hensley-supreme-court-interview/

Texas State Parks is honored by the Texas Travel Alliance as its 2023 Heritage Award winner: https://www.myhighplains.com/news/texas/texas-state-parks-named-texas-travel-alliance-heritage-award-winner/

The LBJ Foundation has begun an effort to have Austin-Bergstrom International Airport re-named for President Lyndon Baines Johnson: https://www.kut.org/2023-10-20/austin-airport-name-change-campaign-lbj-abia

And the biggest baseball game in years in Texas goes down tonight, as the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers face off in Game 7 of the ALCS: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/lone-star-game-7-showdown-rangers-astros-battle-for-al-pennant-in-houston/

Who's ready to VOTE? We sure are - and with early voting starting Monday, with tons on the line - key funding for Texas' retired teachers and state parks, a big oil money grab to block, major races in Houston and elsewhere across Texas - we figured it was a great time to host a guest episode of Pod Bless Texas, hosted by our pal and fresh-faced groom Kendall Scuddar, and featuring our own Executive Director Kathleen Thompson. K & K talk all about the 14 amendments and (generally) agree on which way Texas progressives should vote in each one - of course, all of this is up to YOU - the main thing is to show up!

Find our voting guide at https://progresstexas.org/2023-texas-statewide-ballot-guide.

Learn all about voting in Texas at https://govotetexas.org/.

Find Pod Bless Texas at https://www.podblesstexas.com/.

Enjoy the weekend and see you at the polls!