With another backstage update from Chicago, as the 2024 Democratic National Convention moves into its climactic fourth day, Progress Texas Advocacy Manager Reagan Stone brings us a view from behind the scenes with two of our favorite Texas progressive players: we welcome back our long-time bud Kendall Scudder, among other important roles Vice Chair for Finance of the Texas Democratic Party. And, for the first time, Lisa Reyna Loe joins us - Lisa is an activist for disability-related causes in Texas and is also the state lead for Women For Harris.

Find out more about Kendall Scudder at https://www.kendallscudder.com/, and learn more about Lisa Reyna Loe at https://twitter.com/lisareynaloe.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can help support our important work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Prominent Texans during the third day ofthe Democratic National Convention included El Paso U.S. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, influencers Carlos Espina and Olivia Julianna, and Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar: ⁠https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/dnc-bexar-county-sheriff-salazar-19716505.php⁠

Could DNC buzz put Harris/Walz over the top in Texas? New polling shows a narrowing lead for Donald Trump: ⁠https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/22/donald-trump-vs-kamala-harris-presidential-poll-texas-election/74889635007/⁠

Ken Paxton, setting the stage for a challenge to the 2024 vote, has begun raiding election offices in the San Antonio area: ⁠https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/elections-search-warrant-bexar-county-19712552.php⁠

...While voter intimidation is also part of the Trump Party plan, as Fort Worth mom Crystal Mason's election fraud case will be heard for a second time by the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals: ⁠https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/21/crystal-mason-texas-voting-court-case⁠

Texas DPS has ended a policy that allowed transgender Texans to change the sex listed on their driver's licenses: ⁠https://www.kut.org/texas/2024-08-21/texas-transgender-trans-drivers-license-change-update-policy

Progress Texas will set up our official HQ during TribFests' Open Congress on Saturday September 7 at Hideout Coffee at 7th and Congress! We'll be live all day recording for the podcast, hanging out with progressive activists including YOU, and moving our stylish merch. Come see us - it's free! ⁠⁠⁠https://festival.texastribune.org/event/651560b0-5404-4ea0-b75e-8725c648826d/websitePage:64071bfd-7c25-49f7-a1ca-90f3fa6ff376⁠⁠⁠

See Progress Texas' analysis of Project 2025, and what it will mean for Texas should it be enacted: ⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/project-2025-vs-progress-2025⁠⁠⁠

...And a complete guide to Project 2025 from Media Matters: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-republican-administration⁠⁠⁠

The deadline to register for the November election is October 7. Are you registered? Are you sure? ALL Texas voters should confirm their registration, right now: ⁠⁠⁠https://govotetexas.org/⁠⁠⁠

...Please pitch in to help fund our recent expansion of that important voting resource with Hindi, Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese translation: ⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/coming-soon-govotetexasorg-adds-commonly-spoken-languages-increase-ballot-access⁠⁠⁠

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:

Abortion rights and reproductive freedom are a central theme for Texans in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention: ⁠https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/08/20/dnc-live-updates-coverage/abortion-front-and-center-texas-delegation-00175254⁠

...Key issue figures including Kate Cox and Amanda Zurawski have been prominently featured: ⁠https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/20/cox-zurawski-texas-abortion-laws-dnc/⁠

...Other issues with major implications in Texas are highlighted as well, including immigration: ⁠https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/lone-star-politics/democratic-party-platform-texas-issues/3625922/⁠

...Activist and platform committee member Olivia Julianna has a marquee speaking slot Wednesday night: ⁠https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/dnc-gen-z-activist-olivia-juliana-share-life-19667069.php⁠

...Catch our inside look at the first two days of the DNC from Advocacy Manager Reagan Stone and Progress Texas board member Jason Smith: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-mini-sode-an-update-from-the-democratic/id1552998795?i=1000666058984⁠

Meanwhile back in Texas - it's ridiculously hot and we set a new all-time power demand record yesterday: ⁠https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/texas-power-demand-breaks-record-during-heat-wave-grid-operator-says/ar-AA1p94JP⁠

...ERCOT's CEO says the main reason we're keeping up with power demand is the growth of renewable energy in Texas: ⁠https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas-power-grid-holding-record-demand-thanks-to-renewables-and-battery-storage/269-278934aa-e7a8-4af1-bc6c-a319ec604139⁠

A Texas-based, Trump-appointed federal judge has blocked a new FTC ban on non-compete agreements: ⁠https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/20/business/economy/noncompete-ban-ftc-texas.html⁠

Progress Texas will set up our official HQ during TribFests' Open Congress on Saturday Septmeber 7 at Hideout Coffee at 7th and Congress! We'll be live all day recording for the podcast, hanging out with progressive activists including YOU, and moving our stylish merch. Come see us - it's free! ⁠https://festival.texastribune.org/event/651560b0-5404-4ea0-b75e-8725c648826d/websitePage:64071bfd-7c25-49f7-a1ca-90f3fa6ff376⁠

See Progress Texas' analysis of Project 2025, and what it will mean for Texas should it be enacted: ⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/project-2025-vs-progress-2025⁠

...And a complete guide to Project 2025 from Media Matters: ⁠https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-republican-administration⁠

The deadline to register for the November election is October 7. Are you registered? Are you sure? ALL Texas voters should confirm their registration, right now: ⁠https://govotetexas.org/⁠

...Please pitch in to help fund our recent expansion of that important voting resource with Hindi, Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese translation: ⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/coming-soon-govotetexasorg-adds-commonly-spoken-languages-increase-ballot-access⁠

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

Progress Texas Advocacy Manager Reagan Stone has been rubbin' elbows with a TON of our nation's top progressive leaders since he arrived in Chicago on Sunday, and so has Progress Texas board member and Fort Worth-based attorney Jason Smith! Reagan and Jason sit down to share what they've seen and heard so far, and to describe the scene - it sounds like a LOT of terrific fun! More updates to come - watch our website, this podcast feed and our social accounts for more.

Thanks for listening! Learn how YOU can support Progress Texas and our ongoing mission at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Last night's opening night of the Democratic National Convention was full of highlights, including Texas abortion rights activist Amanda Zurawski: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/08/19/us/dnc-harris-trump-election

...Harris County Lina Hidalgo sang the praises of both President Biden and Vice President Harris: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/lina-hidalgo-kamala-harris-19664933.php

Could Texas flip blue this year? While it's long seemed unthinkable, the topic keeps coming up: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/18/kamala-harris-tim-walz-democratic-nominees-affect-texas-2024-elections/74722944007/

The civil trial targeting the parents of the shooter in the Santa Fe High School mass killing has found them not liable for their son's actions: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/santafe-shooter-parents-not-liable-19665393.php

A Wallethub study finds Texas #49 of the 50 U.S. states ranked by equality for women - even without weighing in reproductive restrictions: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2024/08/19/texas-ranked-among-worst-states-in-the-us-for-womens-equality-report-says/

...While a Twinkl study finds that most people believe our public school teachers are both overworked and underpaid: https://www.expressnews.com/news/education/article/texas-teacher-school-workload-education-salary-19663364.php

Progress Texas will set up our official HQ during TribFests' Open Congress on Saturday Septmeber 7 at Hideout Coffee at 7th and Congress! We'll be live all day recording for the podcast, hanging out with progressive activists including YOU, and moving our stylish merch. Come see us - it's free! https://festival.texastribune.org/event/651560b0-5404-4ea0-b75e-8725c648826d/websitePage:64071bfd-7c25-49f7-a1ca-90f3fa6ff376

See Progress Texas' analysis of Project 2025, and what it will mean for Texas should it be enacted: https://progresstexas.org/blog/project-2025-vs-progress-2025

...And a complete guide to Project 2025 from Media Matters: https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-republican-administration

The deadline to register for the November election is October 7. Are you registered? Are you sure? ALL Texas voters should confirm their registration, right now: https://govotetexas.org/

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 is sending the third-largest delegation in the country to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which starts today: https://www.nbcdfw.com/decision-2024/texas-democrats-at-2024-dnc-process-the-biden-to-harris-transition/3624046/

...Kate Cox will be at the DNC at the invitation of the Harris campaign: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-woman-who-left-state-abortion-back-harris-convention-2024-08-15/

...There are DNC and Harris nomination watch parties happening all across Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/harris-nomination-watch-party-we-are-not-going-back

The Texas Freedom Network has released a study finding ever more encroachment by Christian materials into public school curricula: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/education/2024/08/16/christianity-religion-in-school-texas-freedom-network-study-bible-stories-curriculum/74827368007/

...David Brockman, a religious studies scholar at TCU and Rice, says the state should just start over: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2024/08/15/sunday-schools-or-texas-public-schools-report-questions-christianity-in-proposed-lessons/

...These materials could be in Texas public school elementary classrooms by this time next year: https://www.chron.com/culture/religion/article/texas-public-schools-religion-curriculum-19659548.php

Ken Paxton is trying to sue a Houston immigrant-rights advocacy nonprofit out of existence over its public opposition to Republican policy: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/16/texas-paxton-attorney-general-lawsuit-immigrants-rights-fiel-houston/

The UK-based banking firm NatWest has been added to the list of companies forbidden from doing business with Texas agencies over their ESG policies: https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/aug/15/texas-comptroller-adds-natwest-to-list-of-firms-said-to-be-boycotting-energy-companies

A former staffer for MAGA U.S. Congressman Troy Nehls is suing the lawmaker, alleging a hostile and homophobic work environment: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/16/nehls-gay-worker-hostile-workplace-lawsuit/

Progress Texas will set up our official HQ during TribFests' Open Congress on Saturday Septmeber 7 at Hideout Coffee at 7th and Congress! We'll be live all day recording for the podcast, hanging out with progressive activists including YOU, and moving our stylish merch. Come see us - it's free! https://festival.texastribune.org/event/651560b0-5404-4ea0-b75e-8725c648826d/websitePage:64071bfd-7c25-49f7-a1ca-90f3fa6ff376

See Progress Texas' analysis of Project 2025, and what it will mean for Texas should it be enacted: https://progresstexas.org/blog/project-2025-vs-progress-2025

...And a complete guide to Project 2025 from Media Matters: https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-republican-administration

The deadline to register for the November election is October 7. Are you registered? Are you sure? ALL Texas voters should confirm their registration, right now: https://govotetexas.org/

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

We've been honored to host and meet a great and growing group of Texas progressive activists, officeholders and advocates in our ongoing series on reproductive freedom and the fight to regain our abortion rights in the Lone Star State. For this fifth talk in the series, we welcome three Texas women who have all taken on potentially the greatest political challenge in our state: running as Democrats in some of Texas' most egregiously gerrymandered Congressional districts. Dr. Kristin Hook (whose PhD is in reproductive biology!) is taking on MAGA incumbent Chip Roy, Theresa Boisseau is running against incumbent Michael McCaul, and Dayna Steele (who some Texans will know from rock radio!) is taking on Brian Babin. Yet another great, insightful, and sometimes heartbreaking talk on this difficult and immensely important topic.

Learn more about Dayna Steele at https://www.daynasteele.com/.

Learn more about Theresa Boisseau at https://www.theresa4texas.com/.

And, learn more about Dr. Kristin Hook at https://www.drkristinhook.org/.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how YOU can pitch in to keep up the fight for progress in Texas at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A Houston-based right-wing group has been bombarding election officials in Texas with thousands of objections to voter rolls: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/16/voter-registration-challenges-texas/

...The Texas Tribune has posted a great guide on the obstacles and opportunies that Texans with disabilities need to be aware of for November: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/16/texas-voter-disabilities-election-2024/

Yet another child sex abuse scandal has popped up related to Gateway Church in Southlake: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/gateway-church-new-lawsuit-child-sex-abuse/

Texas has been revealed as the national leader - by a long shot - in child marraiges: https://www.newsweek.com/child-marriages-map-1937901

Ken Paxton will atone for those felony securities fraud charges he dodged for almost a decade by volunteering at a food bank: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/ken-paxton-food-bank-19658618.php

Arts supporters in Lubbock are pushing back against their MAGA City Council and mayor who have stripped funding from their montly arts walk: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/15/lubbock-art-trail-drag-show-council-vote/

Progress Texas will set up our official HQ during TribFests' Open Congress on Saturday Septmeber 7 at Hideout Coffee at 7th and Congress! We'll be live all day recording for the podcast, hanging out with progressive activists including YOU, and moving our stylish merch. Come see us - it's free! https://festival.texastribune.org/event/651560b0-5404-4ea0-b75e-8725c648826d/websitePage:64071bfd-7c25-49f7-a1ca-90f3fa6ff376

See Progress Texas' analysis of Project 2025, and what it will mean for Texas should it be enacted: https://progresstexas.org/blog/project-2025-vs-progress-2025

...And a complete guide to Project 2025 from Media Matters: https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-republican-administration

The deadline to register for the November election is October 7. Are you registered? Are you sure? ALL Texas voters should confirm their registration, right now: https://govotetexas.org/

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:

A Texas-based, reliably-conservative activist Federal judge (and Federalist Society member) has blocked future protections for LGBTQ+ school kids under Title IX: https://www.lonestarlive.com/news/2024/08/texas-based-judge-expands-ban-on-title-ix-gender-sexuality-protections.html

Ken Paxton threatens legal action against the City of Dallas if the State Fair of Texas doesn't rescind their planned ban on most guns at this fall's event: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-ken-paxton-state-fair-gun-policy-ban-lawsuit-attorney-general/287-9813c745-1eb1-42f3-8755-4cd627ac35b3

That massive dump of data on the Robb Elementary school massacre last weekend, it turns out, was incomplete: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/14/uvalde-shooting-police-footage/

Governor Greg Abbott's promise to his MAGA base to keep busing migrants into northern cities faces a critical shortage of migrants to victimize: https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/texas-gov-greg-abbott-vows-keep-busing-migrants-north-one-problem-not-rcna166412

"Zombie" wells are haunting the Texas oil patch - and the role of the Texas Railroad Commission is coming under increased scrutiny: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/texas-oil-regulator-under-scrutiny-zombie-wells-gush-back-life-2024-08-14/

Progress Texas will set up our official HQ during TribFests' Open Congress on Saturday Septmeber 7 at Hideout Coffee at 7th and Congress! We'll be live all day recording for the podcast, hanging out with progressive activists including YOU, and moving our stylish merch. Come see us - it's free! https://festival.texastribune.org/event/651560b0-5404-4ea0-b75e-8725c648826d/websitePage:64071bfd-7c25-49f7-a1ca-90f3fa6ff376

See Progress Texas' analysis of Project 2025, and what it will mean for Texas should it be enacted: https://progresstexas.org/blog/project-2025-vs-progress-2025

...And a complete guide to Project 2025 from Media Matters: https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-republican-administration

The deadline to register for the November election is October 7. Are you registered? Are you sure? ALL Texas voters should confirm their registration, right now: https://govotetexas.org/

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:

In a narrow vote, a committee of the Harris County Democratic Party picked former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner as their nominee to replace the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee in the U.S. House: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/13/turner-jackson-lee-november-ballot-houston/

Harris County DA Kim Ogg's "big announcement" is that a joint investigation between her office and the Texas Rangers of suspected election fraud in 2022 has turned up nothing: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/houston/article/ogg-corruption-election-texas-harris-no-fraud-19653715.php

That droning, two-hour Donald Trump/Elon Musk borefest earlier this week may have violated federal campaign finance laws: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4826806-end-citizens-united-fec-complaint-trump-musk-interview/

El Paso slaps a huge delinquency charge onto an almost-half-million-dollar debt it's owed by Donald Trump over a 2019 rally he held there: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-rally-el-paso-payment-b2595353.html

The civil trial regarding the responsibility of the parents of the shooter in the 2018 Santa Fe High School massacre continues in Galveston: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/14/us/shooting-parents-santa-fe-texas-trial.html

As college kids head back to their campuses for the fall, the task of voting from outside their home counties is difficult and requires advance planning: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/14/vote-by-mail-texas-2024-election/

Progress Texas will set up our official HQ during TribFests' Open Congress on Saturday Septmeber 7 at Hideout Coffee at 7th and Congress! We'll be live all day recording for the podcast, hanging out with progressive activists including YOU, and moving our stylish merch. Come see us - it's free! https://festival.texastribune.org/event/651560b0-5404-4ea0-b75e-8725c648826d/websitePage:64071bfd-7c25-49f7-a1ca-90f3fa6ff376

See Progress Texas' analysis of Project 2025, and what it will mean for Texas should it be enacted: https://progresstexas.org/blog/project-2025-vs-progress-2025

...And a complete guide to Project 2025 from Media Matters: https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-republican-administration

The deadline to register for the November election is October 7. Are you registered? Are you sure? ALL Texas voters should confirm their registration, right now: https://govotetexas.org/

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