Progress Texas Podcasts

In what seemed to us - and likely many of you - as either a joke or a typo, South Carolina U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has proposed a federal ban on abortion past 15 weeks. And curiously, this comes right at a moment when Republicans across the country (especially in places like Texas) are doing all they can to avoid the subject. Chris Mosser hosts a roundtable discussion with Brett Isaacs, Diana Gomez and Glenn Smith: is this a rogue Graham temper tantrum designed to sabotage the GOP in the mid-terms? Is it simply the Republicans showing their true intent ahead of a chance to regain control in Congress? Is there some twelve-moves-deep chess strategy happening here - or has Graham just petulantly shot his party in the foot? Thanks for joining us, and for your support of Progress Texas.

Sam Gonzalez hosts a trio of powerhouse progressive Texas women this week: our own Diana Gomez and Brett Isaacs, alongside super special guest Ana Ramon, who has just been announced as the new Executive Director of Annie's List, the undisputed champion in the encouragement and support of female political candidates here in Texas. We get a close look at what Annie's List does, and also take a deep dive on Attorney General candidate Rochelle Garza, who is at present giving our indicted current AG Ken Paxton a much stronger run for his money (and likely, his political future, not to mention his freedom) than he likely expected. Thanks for your support of Progress Texas!

Chris Mosser hosts this week as Ed Espinoza extrapolates what would appear to be some pretty promising recent polling for Texas progressives - that is, if Texas progressives hadn't been burned by promising polling time and time again. Still - it does look pretty good at the moment, and should serve as inspiration to double down and work even harder to elect Democrats all the way down the ballot. And, we review what's been a crazy hot summer both literally and figuratively in Texas and national politics on a range of topics, including the FBI (Brett Isaacs is not a fan), Rochelle Garza (Sam Gonzales is a tremendous fan), Judge Maya Guerra Gamble (we're ALL giant fans), Beto's convention speech and penchant for pottymouth, Dark Brandon, 2 Million Texans, and tons more. A Happy Fall, y'all - and onward to November.

As of today – Thursday, August 25, 2022 – Texas’ so-called trigger ban on abortion, which was set to take effect 30 days beyond the striking down of Roe v Wade and represents a significant escalation beyond the nefarious SB8, is officially the law of the land in the Lone Star State. It’s a grim moment indeed – and one that calls for a review of the ruins of reproductive rights in our state. Meanwhile, there are indications that the attack on abortion rights may have consequences for Republicans this fall – which may be why Texas GOP types are now making efforts to distract voters and distance themselves from the issue. What can we do as the fight continues? We discuss.

And, on a personal note – we’re sad to see our friend and colleague Wesley Story leave the Progress Texas nest! After over four years, his positive impact on our organization and mission is remarkable, and we wish Wesley all the best (listen to the end for some great parting words of Wesley wisdom).

The majority of schoolkids in Texas return to the classroom this week, and while this is normally an exciting time of adventure and fun, it's lost on nobody - including the kids themselves - that they're returning to a Texas public school system in the throes of crisis. Political culture battles at school board meetings, massive staffing shortfalls, continued threats from Republican leadership on multiple levels - all of that would be very difficult to overcome, and that's not even considering the horror of Uvalde and its continued aftermath of obfuscation and failure. Chris Mosser is joined by guest co-host Lana Hansen, Executive Director of Texas Blue Action Democrats, for a conversation with Patty Quinzi, Director of Public Affairs & Legislative Counsel for the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, covering the near-impossible circumstances facing Texas school districts, the long-term risks presented by our state government's continued fumbling of education, and the way out of this historic mess - ultimately, it all comes down to your VOTE this November. Thanks as always for supporting Progress Texas, who express our eternal support for our Texas educators.

We've sat in bemusement from yet another wave of crazy from MAGA-Land since the FBI executed a (perfectly legal and justified) search warrant at Donald Trump's place. And when Trump-world gets fired up, it's not only funny - it can also be dangerous, in a number of different ways. Will the burst of sympathy for TFG sustain itself into November with positive impact for a new crew of Trumpy candidates? Are moderates tired of the over-half-decade of this particular circus yet, and like us, ready to see Trump get some degree of comeuppance? Do Roe and recent Biden wins blunt some of this impact? And, what does all of this mean in Texas? We discuss, and we thank you as always for joining us.

Texas Democrats are understandably wary of optimism - but lately, there are abundant signs that things may be turning around for the better. Recent wins for the Biden Administration, huge enthusiasm and turnout on Beto O'Rourke's Texas tour, the amazing outcome of the Kansas referendum on abortion rights, and the spectacular implosion of Alex Jones' defense in the ongoing Sandy Hook damages trial are all reasons for progressives to buck up. Chris Mosser hosts this week as we take stock of a rare bright spot, and energize for the continued, tough fight awaiting Texas progressives as November draws nigh.

As the countdown continues towards August 25 - the day that Texas' trigger law officially outlawing abortion in the state will take effect - the Austin City Council has passed a resolution known as the GRACE Act, which essentially relegates abortion-related cases to the lowest priority for local agencies and law enforcement. Will it provide meaningful protection, and become a model for individual jurisdictions within states where the fall of Roe means the end of abortion care? What more can we do as the fight for reproductive justice continues? We discuss. THANK YOU for listening, and for your support of Progress Texas.

Yes, we know - Texas Democrats have been burned by optimistic polling more than once - but, these are not typical times, nor a typical political climate, and there's reason to pay attention to the direction that data for both polling AND fundraising for the November midterms is taking. Not only ticket-topper Beto O'Rourke, but also down-ballot progressives including Mike Collier, Rochelle Garza, Susan Hays and the rest of our truly impressive slate are significantly narrowing polling gaps, and also out-fundraising their Republican incumbent opponents - a scenario that has not occurred in Texas since the Ann Richards days. We go over these numbers, and also give our reactions to sections of Beto's speech at last weekend's Texas Democratic Convention - which, by the way, can be heard in its entirety here. Thanks for listening and supporting Progress Texas! 

Since the beginning of this historically horrible heat wave, the Texas power grid has teetered on the brink of repeating the disaster of Winter Storm Uri - but, losing power in the summer would be an even more devastating blow for Texans than the horror we endured that winter. Governor Abbott's promises that "the grid is fixed" are clearly baloney, so we thought it a good time for a clear discussion on the nature of our state's energy problem, how we got here, and how we can finally put this sorry, embarrassing affair behind us. We're joined by Texas Railroad Commission nominee Luke Warford, who's clearly doing all he can to bring forward solutions, and Blue Action Democrats co-founder and esteemed energy attorney Carrie Collier-Brown - our go-to expert for all things grid - for a clear discussion on the power problems that continue to plague our state, and what can be done about them - starting with your VOTE this November.