Representative Donna Howard has represented Austin in the Texas House since her initial win in 2006 - for almost two decades, she's been a stalwart progressive standard-bearer across every issue imaginable, but in recent years has been notable as a fierce fighter for our reproductive rights, bolstered by her own professional background in nursing and healthcare.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about how you can support our important work as this pivotal session approaches at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Republican Fort Worth U.S. Congresswoman Kay Granger, missing from her post in D.C. since the early summer, has been located under the care of a memory care facility - a situation that her staff appears to have concealed: https://www.wfaa.com/video/news/politics/questions-swirl-after-congresswoman-kay-granger-misses-votes-lives-in-senior-facility/287-08b68494-e13d-47dd-a988-4554e1f8a9fe

Smarting from defeat in the recent government funding fight, expect Donald Trump to take his frustrustions out on lawmakers like Rep. Chip Roy who dared to undermine him on his first attempt in his second term to influence the direction of Congress: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2024/12/20/texas-rep-chip-roy-donald-trump-38-republicans-vote-debt-ceiling-government-shutdown/77106916007/

Yet another billionaire is added to Trump's plutocratic oligarchy as Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is appointed U.S. Ambassador to Italy: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/21/donald-trump-tilman-fertitta-ambassador/

One of America's nastiest coal-fired power plants, south of San Antonio, is set to be converted to solar and battery production: https://electrek.co/2024/12/21/one-of-texas-dirtiest-coal-plants-will-swap-to-solar-with-help-from-us-grant/

The Texas business sector may turn out to be an unlikely ally in the push from public school supporters against private school vouchers in the upcoming session: https://sanantonioreport.org/texas-business-leaders-public-education-funding-vouchers/

Inspiration from Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/12/19/jasmine-crockett-dallas-congress-leader-democrat/

Inspiration from Houston State Rep. and new House Minority Leader Gene Wu: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/inside-politics/texas-politics/texas-legislators-gene-wu-houston-demorat-house-leader-aggressive-deals-from-speaker/287-463efeef-002c-492c-b548-0136b8279187

Our annual rundown of the Top 10 Best And Worst Texans is up! Thanks for your help in compiling this year's list: ⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/best-and-worst-texans-2024⁠

Holiday shopping for your progressive pals is easy and fun at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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This is one of several episodes in a pod series previewing the upcoming 2025 Texas Legislative Session with a range of Democratic lawmakers. Texas State Senator and Senate Minority Leader Carol Alvarado has served in that body since 2018, following a decade of service in the Texas House representing the southeast Houston area. Senator Alvarado is known for her hard work and advocacy in public health, public education, economic development, voting rights (for which she engaged in a 15-hour filibuster in 2021), and notably in recent years the fight to regain and retain our reproductive freedom in Texas.

Thanks for listening! Learn how to support Progress Texas as our important work continues into a certainly-contentious legislative year at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

With each passing hour, a partial shutdown of the federal government during the busy Christmas travel season thanks to Elon Musk and Donald Trump's interference is looking more likely: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-congress-has-two-days-avert-shutdown-after-trump-rejects-spending-bill-2024-12-19/

...Seven Texas Republicans joined the Democrats in voting the hastily-drafted Trump replacement bill down: https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024516

...Dallas Rep. Jasmine Crockett shares the national consequences of such a shutdown: https://bsky.app/profile/repjasmine.bsky.social/post/3ldowgakbqk2l

...There are significant direct impacts likely for Texans as well: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/government-shutdown-san-antonio-texas-19990762.php

...Elon Musk has become a one-man "rogue state" who is primed to inflict massive damage on American democracy: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/20/elon-musk-is-becoming-a-one-man-rogue-state-its-time-we-reined-him-in

Rep. Crockett and the rest of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability are curious about Texas officials' decision to skip over the data from the irst two years of our state's abortion ban related to maternal mortality: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/19/texas-congress-maternal-mortality/

A Texas Tribune analysis shows that after over $3 billion spent or allocated, the Texas border wall is in small sections in remote locations - an almost zero ROI: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2024/texas-border-wall-greg-abbott-landowners/

Our annual rundown of the Top 10 Best And Worst Texans is up! Thanks for your help in compiling this year's list: https://progresstexas.org/blog/best-and-worst-texans-2024

Holiday shopping for your progressive pals is easy and fun at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Great fun at The Finch in Mockingbird Station in Dallas earlier this week for the second of our two holiday parties for 2024! Like our first pod from the Austin shindig, settle in and meet our Dallas guests, who had great things to say about determination and courage for Texas progressives as a challenging new chapter begins next month. Our holiday fundraiser was very successful, and we are grateful for ALL of our supporters, including you.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can join the team at ⁠https://progresstexas.org/⁠.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Texas transplant Elon Musk, apparently running things for Donald Trump, is pressing Republican members of Congress hard to strike down a stopgap measure that would keep the federal government running over the holidays: https://www.axios.com/2024/12/18/elon-musk-government-shutdown-bill-doge

...Texas Congressman Chip Roy is totally down for a government shutdown for Christmas - he's been gunning for it for years: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/article/chip-roy-gop-budget-cuts-19984456.php

Meanwhile back in Texas, three environmental groups are suing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, accusing them of ignoring their own rules to give Musk's SpaceX a green light to pollute their Cameron County launching area with abandon: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/spacex-tceq-lawsuit-19988870.php

Convicted - and pardoned - murderer Daniel Perry is trying to weasel out of a misdemeanor charge of deadly conduct connected to his killing of Black Lives Matter protestor Garrett Foster in 2020: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/crime/daniel-perry-court-deadly-conduct/269-5adb9f1b-c9a1-4e42-a94e-61e84f72780c

Holiday shopping for your progressive pals is easy and fun at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Texas transplant Elon Musk has come under scrutiny by multiple federal agencies for his failure to properly disclose his interactions with foreign governments: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/17/technology/elon-musk-spacex-national-security-reporting.html

...Musk is suspected of having failed to provide required information on his meetings with foriegn leaders - and on his own drug use - since at least 2021: https://newrepublic.com/post/189501/elon-musk-federal-review-clearance-rules?utm_campaign=SF_TNR&utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=social&utm_source=Twitter

Add to names like Dunn and Wilks on the list of activist GOP fat cats willing to spend tens millions of their own money to promote hard-right causes Amarillo businessman Alex Fairly, who has it in for House Speaker candidate Dustin Burrows: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/17/alex-fairly-texas-republican-political-group/

...In fact, the state GOP is threatening any Texas House Republican who dares to support Burrows with "RINO" smear campaigns in their home districts: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/17/texas-republican-party-speaker-race-attack-ads/

...Texas Tribune reporter Robert Downen, who does great work on religion and threats to democracy, is himself profiled in a new interview: https://sojo.net/articles/interview/reconstruct/why-does-religion-journalism-matter-democracy-ask-texas-reporter

...Federal complaints about Texas churches ignoring laws that prohibit them from making political endorsements seem likely to fall on deaf ears under Trump 2.0: https://www.chron.com/culture/religion/article/texas-churches-tax-exempt-status-19986767.php

Holiday shopping for your progressive pals is easy and fun at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Ken Paxton's lawsuit against a doctor based in New York who prescribed and delivered abortion-inducing drugs to a Texas woman may lead to consequential decisions about how U.S. states regard the laws of other states: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/12/texas-new-york-doctor-abortion-lawsuit-civil-war.html

...New York Governor Kathy Hochul condemns Ken Paxton for attempting to impose Texas' policies on New York's medical professionals: https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/12/16/texas-attacks-n-y-law-attorney-general-ken-paxton-must-fail-in-going-after-new-york-doc-for-abortion-pills/

...All of this likely to end up before the same U.S. Supreme Court that started all of this by overturning Roe V Wade: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/texas-ken-paxton-new-york-abortion-pill-lawsuit-rcna184410

Congratulations to Austin U.S. Congressman Greg Casar, who was recently (and unanimously!) elevated to the leadership position of the Congressional Progressive Caucus: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/17/greg-casar-congressional-progressive-caucus-chair/

Holiday shopping for your progressive pals is easy and fun at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Republican House Rep. Ryan Guillen of Rio Grande City in Starr County is excited that a new concentration facility for migrants rounded up by Donald Trump's deportation operation will provide economic opportunities for his county: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2024/12/16/potential-trump-texas-deportation-partnership-puts-spotlight-on-rural-starr-county/

Ken Paxton has sued a doctor in New York for providing abortion medication to a woman in Texas - a potentially pivotal test of anti-abortion states to impact doctors in pro-choice states with broad implications for telemedicine in general: https://www.reuters.com/legal/texas-ag-sues-new-york-doctor-over-abortion-pill-prescription-2024-12-13/

Paxton is also celebrating putting the brakes on Harris County's second attempt at a guaranteed income program to help its most vulnerable families: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/article/harris-county-ken-paxton-guarenteed-income-19981432.php

...While the Austin City Council sends funding through September to a homeless support center that's been under fire lately by Paxton: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/homeless/sunrise-homeless-navigation-center-funding-austin/269-32e64823-8d05-4b49-ad4d-bd70a69c8883

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick's fury against THC products could end up hurting the small number of Texans who have qualified for medical cannabis via our state's stingy "compassionate use" program: https://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/marijuana-thc-ban-texas-19978031.php

Our second holiday party for 2024 is TONIGHT in Dallas! Individual tickets are on sale here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/progress-texas-holiday-parties-2024⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Holiday shopping for your progressive pals is easy and fun at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett has been an elected fighter for Texas progressive people and causes for almost five decades, having become a member of the Texas Senate in 1973, an Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court in 1989, and a member of the U.S. House in 1994. Most recently, he's been notable as the first sitting federal official to have called for President Joe Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee, and has fought against H.R. 9495, a new piece of Republican legislation that would allow President Trump to single-handedly destroy non-profits like the ACLU, the NAACP, and yes, Progress Texas, simply for expressing views that are counter to Trump's MAGA plans. We appreciate Rep. Doggett for his years of service, which continue into a particularly precarious time for American democracy.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about how you can help Progress Texas counter the conservative disinformation machine at https://progresstexas.org/.