Progress Texas Podcasts

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Orange river buoys deployed by Governor Abbott and Operation Lone Star are modified with razor-sharp circular saw blades: https://theweek.com/greg-abbott/1025651/circular-saw-blades-divide-controversial-rio-grande-buoys-installed-by-texas

Texas officials at the border have defied warnings about breaking international and Federal law for months: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/08/08/docs-show-rio-grande-agency-warned-texas-for-months-on-border-buoys-before-turning-to-doj/

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro isn't buying DPS claims of "working well" with U.S. Border Patrol: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/border-eagle-pass-democrats-18284715.php

A Texas A&M professor says all this cruelty at the border won't work anyway: https://theeagle.com/opinion/column/abbotts-barrels-wire-fences-wont-work/article_d9a953be-34c3-11ee-ab39-17dc6a41f352.html

Texas gets another national black eye, this time from Rolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/texas-abortion-bounty-law-ruling-1234802301

Texas abortion ban, lifted for a few hours last week, now heads on appeal to the Texas Supreme Court: https://www.npr.org/2023/08/08/1192750247/what-just-happened-when-texas-abortion-bans-briefly-lifted-and-what-comes-next

Watch Ted Cruz squirm as he explains voting against a wave of funding for Dallas-area microchip manufacturing: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/texas-politics/sen-ted-cruz-explains-vote-against-chips-act-after-tour-of-dallas-county-inland-port/3312776/

Patriot Front finds itself on opposing ends of two lawsuits: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2023/08/08/texas-extremist-group-patriot-front-sued-over-boston-attack-of-black-man/

Texas judge orders Southwest Airlines lawyers to undergo training...by an extremist hate group: https://newrepublic.com/post/174906/texas-judge-orders-airline-lawyers-take-training-far-right-hate-group-adf

A climate change-related migration OUT of Texas may be on the horizon: https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/heat-climate-change-migration-texas-south-southwest/

Before you flee, plant a tree! Free fruit trees offered in San Antonio this weekend: https://www.mysanantonio.com/lifestyle/outdoors/article/free-trees-san-antonio-parks-18285502.php

Thanks for your support! Learn more about Progress Texas at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we covered on our FIRST Progress Texas Daily Dispatch:

Gerrymandering trial starts in packed Galveston courtroom: https://www.galvnews.com/news/gerrymandering-trial-starts-in-packed-galveston-courtroom/article_f86c3afd-c325-5b95-829b-3aed69ab7452.html

Gov. Abbott holds ceremonial signing for law restricting trans athletes in the name of supporting women's sports: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/gov-abbott-holds-ceremonial-signing-for-law-restricting-transgender-athlete-participation-womens-sports/287-e18f29db-322c-4c7d-a5a4-3e331d90bb1b

...While Trump trashes U.S. Women's National Soccer Team: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/07/trump-us-womens-soccer-team-00110074

Both Cruz and Cornyn voted to confirm "Far Left" judge Trump wants removed from Jan. 6 trial In 2014: https://www.businessinsider.com/which-republican-senators-voted-tanya-chutkan-judge-trump-january-6-2023-8

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo bravely goes public about seeking mental health care: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/08/07/harris-county-judge-lina-hidalgo-taking-leave-of-absence-to-receive-treatment-for-clinical-depression/

Ken Paxton's lawyers, unsatisfied with 19 of 20, now want ALL impeachment articles thrown out ahead of trial: https://www.axios.com/2023/08/08/ken-paxton-impeachment-dismissed-effort

And this horrible Texas heat may be having horrible impacts on your mental health: https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/heat-impact-mental-health/285-cbea6a81-f966-4b7c-86b4-dc22c1c675f0

Learn more about President Biden's new 988 suicide prevention chat and hotline: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-biden-administration-rolls-out-new-988-suicide-and-crisis-hotline

Thanks for listening! Find out more about Progress Texas and our ongoing mission at https://progresstexas.org/.

A pair of scandals involving political meddling by conservatives at Texas A&M have rocked academia across the state recently - an esteemed journalism professor whose hiring was publicly celebrated found her arrangement with A&M curtailed following input from powerful Aggieland conservatives, and an adjunct professor who had dared to point out that state policies regarding fentanyl testing are exacerbating the death toll in Texas found herself in the crosshairs of none other than Lt. Governor Dan Patrick - nearly losing her job.

New laws regarding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies at Texas' institutions of higher learning have hit the ground fast in College Station. Should collegiate faculty across Texas now be worried about keeping their gigs - or even seeking them in such an environment to begin with? To help us understand what's at stake and what to expect next, we've invited Pat Heintzelman, President of the Texas Faculty Association, and Alex Morey, Director of Campus Rights Advocacy for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression or FIRE to join us.

Learn more about the TFA at https://www.texasfacultyassociation.org/, and about FIRE at https://www.thefire.org/.

And as always, THANKS for your support! Please consider helping us continue to expand our mission for progress in Texas at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

The scene in Texas on the eve of crucial 2024 elections: defiance of Federal elections law in Galveston County. The inexplicable dumping of a solid national voter roll verification system. The monkey-wrenching of election procedures in Texas' largest county. Contradictory and confusing laws surrounding behavior at polling locations - some carrying felony-level penalties. Sensing imminent irrelevance, the Texas GOP has launched a full assault on the elections process in the Lone Star State - and we can't counter this attack unless we fully understand it. With that as our goal, we've invited two Texans in prime position to lead the fight for voting rights and election integrity in Texas: Jenna Royal is the new Voter Protection Director for the Texas Democratic Party, and Louis Bedford is a Dallas-based attorney with extensive experience in elections justice, having worked with both the Texas Civil Rights Project and the Dallas County Democratic Party on voter protection programs.

WE NEED PROGRESSIVE POLL WATCHERS. If you've wondered how YOU can stand up to bullying from the right, this is a perfect opportunity. Learn more: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedHuGsvh9bXsTWuxs623SaWODLGW8wGcC_EdsXBSwBYhIODg/viewform?usp=send_form

Thanks as always for listening - as these crucial elections approach, our work at Progress Texas is more important than ever. Please consider supporting our work at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Note: we made an error in discussing whether poll workers, and not solely election judges in Texas, are allowed by law to carry firearms - they are not. But, it's not like Texas Republicans didn't try: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/05/08/nation/texas-bill-that-would-permit-poll-workers-carry-guns-moves-forward/

The entire nation has been shocked by the news of whistleblower allegations of cruel and inhumane treatment of migrants at the Texas border on the orders of Texas DPS commanders aligned with Governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star program. Both Texas State Senator (and U.S. Senate candidate) Roland Gutierrez and Progress Texas Executive Director Kathleen Thompson are in Washington D.C. on the invitation of the Biden Administration, but both took time out of that busy trip to discuss the horrific stories coming from our border with Mexico, and what we can do to bring this sad chapter in our state's history to a close.

Learn more about Senator Gutierrez's campaign to send Ted Cruz packing at https://rolandfortexas.com/.

It's times like these that rapid responses to Republican outrage are most needed in Texas. Please help support Progress Texas in our continued efforts: https://progresstexas.org/donate.

With so much bad news surrounding the Texas Legislature, we think it's important to celebrate the good news when it comes - and from the otherwise-lamentable 88th Session came the overwhelming, bipartisan success of the CROWN Act, which was signed into law and takes effect on September 1, outlawing discrimination based upon ethnic and cultural hairstyles in Texas.

When we celebrate these rare successes, it's important to learn as much as we can about how they were achieved - so we're proud to welcome the CROWN Act's primary author, Texas State Representative Rhetta Bowers, to give us the story of how it was accomplished, and what relevant strategies and tactics Texas Democrats might be able to carry forward to future success.

Learn more about Representative Bowers at https://house.texas.gov/members/member-page/?district=113.

As always, we can't do what we do without your support! Please consider joining our effort at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

We love nothing more than occasions to gather in person with our fellow progressives and raise a little hell - and that's exactly what we did at our brand new HQ in the Deep Ellum section of downtown Dallas a few days back. Proud to welcome back to the podcast Texas State Representative Venton Jones (as Kathleen loves to point out, HER State Rep) and brand new chair of the Dallas County Democratic Party, Kardal Coleman. A great discussion of what's now behind us, as well as the crucial work that lies ahead. THANKS to those of you who attended and stay tuned for more live events in D/FW, Austin and beyond.

Find State Representative Jones at https://house.texas.gov/members/member-page/?district=100, and Kardal Coleman and the Dallas Dems at https://www.dallasdemocrats.org/.

And as always, if you're loving the podcast - we could use your help in our efforts! Please consider joining the fight at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

If there was one silver lining in the dark clouds hovering over the U.S. Supreme Court last week, it was the ruling that requires Alabama to redraw electoral maps, finding likelihood that they were drawn to dilute Black voting power in that state. By popular demand, we've convened with Common Cause's Texas Voting Rights Program Manager Katya Ehresman to walk us through that organization's ongoing work for redistricting justice and describe what to expect on the path ahead nationally, including here in Texas.

Learn more about Common Cause Texas at https://www.commoncause.org/texas/., and follow Katya Ehresman on Twitter at https://twitter.com/EhresmanKatya.

Find the hilarious (and frustrating) Twitter thread referenced in this episode comparing gerrymandered districts to Pokemon characters at https://twitter.com/MEPFuller/status/1354904383708934153?s=20.

And, if you're digging the podcast, please consider supporting our efforts to make more! Join the fight at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

This last Friday, we joined our friends at Unified for their June monthly meetup, which served as a wrap and summary of Pride Month 2023 with two of Texas' most prominent LGBTQ activists: Adri Perez of the Texas Freedom Network and Pamela Williamson-Wylie of the Human Rights Campaign. This taping happened to come within hours of the announcment of the SCOTUS 303 Creative decision - proof positive that this fight is by no means over.

Learn more about Unified at https://www.joinunified.us/.

Learn more about the Texas Freedom Network at https://tfn.org/.

Learn more about the Human Rights Campaign at https://www.hrc.org/.

And, if you're enjoying our podcast, please consider supporting our work with a donation! Go to https://progresstexas.org/donate.

The second of our two podcast episodes marking the first year beyond the fall of Roe v Wade focuses on efforts in one of Texas' most politically and culturally important regions: the Rio Grande Valley. We're proud to welcome Cathy Torres, Organizing Manager of Frontera Fund, and Laura Terrill, CEO of Planned Parenthood South Texas, two terrific orgs dedicated to providing medical, financial and emotional support to RGV residents in need of reproductive care.

The Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline referenced in this episode is (833) 246-2632, and there's more on this important resource at https://www.mahotline.org/.

Learn more about Frontera Fund at https://fronterafundrgv.org/, and learn more about Planned Parenthood of South Texas at https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-south-texas.

Thanks as always for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how YOU can become part of our mission via your financial support at https://progresstexas.org/.