Progress Texas Podcasts

The Progress Texas Happy Hour crew convenes - central to the discussion of the Lege are misplaced priorities by Republicans and a slate of voter suppression bills, we talk about what's in them and why they're bad. Wesley and Diana weigh in on the experience of diving in at the Capitol - including a close encounter with Beto O'Rourke, and procedural shenanigans from State Rep. Briscoe Cain who shut down a hearing before hundreds of people could testify. We offer a preview on anti-abortion legislation, and then we wrap up by sharing our vaccine experiences - get your shots y'all! Thanks for listening, and be sure to sign our very important petitions!

Texas Republicans have launched an all out attack on our voting rights: https://progresstexas.org/blog/texas-republicans-have-launched-all-out-attack-our-voting-rights

Demand Dan Patrick stop attacking our reproductive rights: https://progresstexas.actionkit.com/sign/petition-demand-legislators-stop-attacking-abortion-care?source=actionpage

Stop the Texas GOP from outlawing 2020 voting innovations: https://progresstexas.actionkit.com/sign/petition-demand-republicans-end-their-attack-on-our-voting-rights?source=actionpage

Abortion is healthcare Act would remove decades of Texas restrictions: https://progresstexas.org/blog/abortion-healthcare-act-would-remove-decades-texas-restrictions

7 anti-abortion bills the Texas Senate is wasting time on instead of bills to help Texans: https://progresstexas.org/blog/7-anti-abortion-bills-texas-senate-wasting-time-instead-bills-help-texans

Not all emergencies are priorities at the Texas Capitol: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/24/texas-mass-shootings-guns

Senior Strategist Glenn Smith joins the weekly Happy Hour crew for this week’s rundown of the crazy world of Texas politics. GOP efforts in the Lege to undermine voting rights are troubling and reminiscent of the Jim Crow era. Republicans also continue their typical attacks on reproductive rights – all of this even as the people of Texas demand action from lawmakers on COVID. We’re also now seeing the effects of racist Republican language about the pandemic, exemplified by Chip Roy’s tirade this week in D.C., in a rise of anti-Asian violence, which must be countered by all of us - “if one person is in chains, we’re all in chains”. On a hopeful note, we celebrate the huge progress under President Biden in the national vaccination effort, as well as the months-long sacrifice of most Texans to protect their communities - in spite of Governor Abbott’s attempts to undermine safety precautions. And the conversation on Matthew McConaughey continues – politically, where is he exactly?

This week, the Progress Texas team reflects on the lessons of the pandemic, one full year in. We also talk Polling: what do Texans think about Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz, the recent energy crisis, priorities at the Lege, the assault on reproductive rights, and the Texas response to COVID? We find, once again, that Progressive values are mainstream values. President Biden's American Rescue Plan is now a reality - what's it mean for Texas families? And, will Matthew McConaughey run for Governor - and if he does, what's that mean for Texas Democrats?

Coming soon - the seasoned team at Progress Texas brings you a weekly update and analysis of the continuing advance of Progressive values across our great state: The Progress Texas Happy Hour! Join us on our Facebook page each Friday afternoon for the Live Happy Hour, and join us here to catch our discussion in podcast form. The people and issues that continue to push Texas ever more blue, every week! Thanks for visiting - please subscribe and follow now!