Stories we're following at Progress Texas:

Senate-approved legislation allowing private school vouchers heads to the House today: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/lone-star-politics/passing-the-texas-senate-education-savings-accounts-have-tougher-road-in-house/3360879/

...Governor Abbott is confident that vouchers are "on the one-yard line": https://www.kxan.com/state-of-texas/state-of-texas-public-funds-for-private-schools-plan-on-the-one-yard-line/

A big win for opponents of Galveston County's 2021 voting maps, drawn to disenfranchise voters of color: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/10/a-trump-appointed-federal-judge-just-ruled-a-texas-county-violated-the-voting-rights-act/

Rallies supporting Israel and Palestine were held at the Texas State Capitol yesterday with only minimal conflict: https://www.kxan.com/news/hundreds-attend-israel-palestine-rallies-at-texas-capitol/

A handful of Texas U.S. Representatives have rallied behind Ohio's Jim Jordan in his bid to be Speaker of the House, but he's nowhere near there: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/13/texas-congress-speaker-vote-jim-jordan/

...Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee condemns GOP incompetence: https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/texas-congresswoman-calls-out-dramatic-cost-of-house-gop-leadership-vacuum-195370053726

Following a shooting on Saturday, the Texas State Fair's policy covering the carrying of guns on its grounds is contradictory: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2023/10/15/does-the-state-fair-of-texas-allow-guns-its-policy-appears-to-be-contradictory/

...They've beefed up security for the last week of the Fair: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/state-fair-of-texas-reopens-with-added-safety-precautions-after-3-shot/

Watch for the term "special interest alien", which is being used interchangeably with "suspected terrorist" by right-wing media: https://www.politifact.com/article/2023/sep/21/special-interest-alien-designation-is-based-largel/

Austin and Dallas both make the top 5 in a new study of America's most overworked cities: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/texas-cities-rank-in-the-top-5-most-overworked-cities-in-us-study-says/

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

As expected, school vouchers have passed the Texas Senate: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/senate-school-vouchers-18421617.php

Governor Abbott says he'll only add funding for public schools and raises for teachers to the agenda if the House also passes vouchers: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/12/greg-abbott-school-vouchers-teacher-raises/

The Senate also passed two immigration-related bills yesterday: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/12/special-session-border-immigration-bills/

...While Operation Lone Star is now razor-wiring the NEW Mexican border: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/texas/article-12624001/Texas-starts-border-wall-razor-New-Mexico-Governor-Greg-Abbott-illegal-immigrants-out.html

Wondering which Texas Republicans are still accepting Defend Texas Liberty money, even after their partnership with Nick Fuentes was revealed? Here's a list: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/12/defend-texas-liberty-pac-nick-fuentes-jonathan-stickland/

Austin U.S. Rep. Greg Casar gets into a verbal scrape with a fellow Democrat over his comments about Muslims during a Hamas/Israel discussion: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/2023/10/12/israel-hamas-war-us-rep-greg-casar-austin-tx-democrat-josh-gottheimer-confronts-over-comments/71159256007/

Barbers Hill ISD escalates its fight with a student over his cultural hairstyle by sending him to a disciplinary alternative school: https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/11/us/darryl-george-alternative-school-reaj/index.html

Thanks for listening! Check out our voter guide for the November election, and kick us a donation if you're appreciating our work, at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Vouchers, should they pass, threaten to bankrupt the state - and are also fundamentally unfair to Texas taxpayers without children: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/tomlinson/article/vouchers-financial-cost-unfair-texas-18415344.php

GOP Rep. Tony Tinderholt has filed a resolution apologizing to Ken Paxton for the impeachment effort: https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2023-10-11/something-nice-for-paxton-new-resolution-would-apologize-for-impeachment-trial/

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and several other Republicans will keep their now-Nazi-tainted contributions from Defend Texas Liberty: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/11/jared-patterson-nick-fuentes-defend-texas-liberty-jonathan-stickland/

Torchy's responds to an incel invasion of one of its Fort Worth stores, saying "Fuck Hate": https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/trending/article/torchys-tacos-responds-nazi-hate-group-18419286.php

Texas U.S. Representatives Chip Roy and Michael Cloud continue threatening gridlock as the House GOP struggles to name a Speaker: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/11/chip-roy-michael-cloud-steve-scalise-house-speaker/

A harrowing abortion rights story reminds us that the reproductive rights of Texans remain at historic lows: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/11/texas-abortion-law-texas-abortion-ban-nonviable-pregnancies/

Starr County residents are as confused as you are about Biden's Border Wall: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/11/us/border-wall-biden-texas-starr-county.html

ERCOT's CEO pegs our odds of an energy emergency this winter at about one in five: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-11/texas-power-grid-boss-sees-tight-winter-supply-as-demand-grows

Colin Allred announces just shy of $5 million in third-quarter donations: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4250481-texas-democrat-allred-raises-4-7-million-in-third-quarter-to-challenge-cruz/

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Governor Abbott's school voucher bill passed easily on party lines by the Senate Education Committee, now goes to the full body: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2023/10/10/texas-senates-education-savings-account-proposal-kicks-off-school-choice-debate/

...Over the objections of advocates for students with disabilities: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/10/texas-school-vouchers-disabilities-special-session/

...All eyes on House Republicans representing rural districts, who hold the key to beating back vouchers: https://www.kut.org/politics/2023-10-10/in-texas-rural-republicans-hold-the-line-against-school-vouchers

...Meanwhile, a new ban on COVID vaccine requirements by private employers - including healthcare providers - also breezes through committee: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/texas-senate-committee-passes-expanded-ban-on-covid-19-vaccine-mandates/

Elon Musk, who owns extensive industrial property in Texas, is under fire by the EU over Hamas misinformation spreading on X/Twitter: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/eu-warns-elon-musk-potential-investigation-hamas-content-rcna119783#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16970193763111&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Ftech%2Fsocial-media%2Feu-warns-elon-musk-potential-investigation-hamas-content-rcna119783

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador files a complaint with federal officials over Texas DPS border safety inspections, which are backing up millions of dollars of cargo: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/mexican-president-blames-texas-run-border-inspections-for-delays

Texas has executed a death row inmate whose execution delay was just upheld by a court on Monday, due to an appeal by the Texas Attorney General's office: https://apnews.com/article/texas-execution-murphy-supreme-court-6d9cd44d7c7a6817d53e1bcb74e8534f

And Texas music phenom Kacey Musgraves weighs in in favor of Prop 14, which will establish funds for new state parks - video at the link: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/article/kacey-musgraves-constitutional-amendment-18418182.php

Thanks for listening! Find our handy voter guide for next month's election, and consider making a donation to help Progress Texas continue our important work, at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Texas Republicans are at each other's throats as the special session on school vouchers opens: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/09/special-session-school-vouchers-dan-patrick-dade-phelan/

Headline of the month: "Why Texas Moms Could Sink School Choice": https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/yall-itics/texas-moms-could-sink-school-choice/287-acab7fd5-3f4f-4d5e-9294-9e3284ba0e38

The effects of the new Israel/Hamas clash will be felt acutely in the Lone Star State: https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/texans-are-already-feeling-the-impacts-of-the-attacks-in-israel/

...While Governor Abbott moves to increase security at Texas synagogues and Jewish schools: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/texas-gov-abbott-spends-4-million-dollars-to-secure-jewish-schools-synagogues-in-texas-blocks-state-purchase-of-goods-from-gaza-strip/3356063/

Ken Paxton is set to file criminal complaints over doxing by Texas House impeachment managers: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/10/09/texas-ag-paxton-to-file-anti-doxing-complaints-against-house-impeachment-managers/

TODAY - Tuesday October 10 - is the last day to confirm your registration for next month's election: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2023/10/04/you-can-shape-how-texas-amends-its-constitution/

And a Texas A&M physics professor has become an internet sensation with her insane experiment shows: https://www.khou.com/article/news/education/texas-am-physics-performance/285-1634808e-3e40-4216-b360-5cd1ab7556e7

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A third special session called this year by Governor Greg Abbott is set to kick off this morning at the Texas State Capitol: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/school-vouchers-border-security-and-covid-mandate-bans-heres-what-to-expect-in-texas-3rd-special-session/

...Which we covered extensively in this weekend's special edition of the Progress Texas Happy Hour: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happy-hour-130-why-school-vouchers-are-bad-for-texas/id1552998795?i=1000630493979

...Already breaking ranks, at least one Democratic lawmaker: Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins of San Antonio: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/inside-politics/texas-politics/texas-democrat-compromise-school-choice-vouchers/287-2c051461-4bc3-47ee-8cd0-c479a7f2b084

...And another House Democrat, Gene Wu, has a theory on why public school funding was left off the agenda: https://x.com/GeneforTexas/status/1710296945225306451?t=wYU0An7_knEQmhND-7BClg&s=03

...As protests begin over the weekend at the Capitol grounds and Governor's Mansion: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/texas-legislature/austin-state-capitol-anti-voucher-rally/269-c7589d65-a454-4abd-994f-9506832d1393

...And Republicans remain smugly confident that vouchers will pass: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/inside-politics/texas-politics/texas-school-choice-bill-legislation-chair-house-public-education-committee-likes-odds-passing/287-d0a89ea3-a3ae-4b59-bb01-de7966ffaaa9

Also on the special session agenda: immigration, with the Colony Ridge neighborhood near Houston singled out by name: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/08/us/texas-migrants-housing-colony-ridge.html

...While progressives puzzle over the Biden Administration's decision to authorize 20 more miles of border wall through an environmentally sensitive zone: https://www.npr.org/2023/10/08/1204545880/the-biden-administration-is-building-a-controversial-part-of-the-border-wall-in-

Texas law enforcement steps up monitoring of worship sites and military installations in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/law-enforcement-increase-patrols-in-metroplex-after-attack-on-israel/

...While U.S. Rep Michael McCaul worries that his own party's fragmented leadership may encourage American foreign adversaries: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/08/congress-israel-hamas-mike-mccaul-00120514

Prominent Texas Republican operatives Jonathan Stickland and Matt Rinaldi are caught hosting notorious anti-Semite and generally gross person Nick Fuentes at a Fort Worth office building (warning that this read is particularly disgusting): https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/08/nick-fuentes-kyle-rittenhouse-jonathan-stickland/

A high-ranking Exxon executive is busted for sexual assault at a Magnolia hotel: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/exxon-mobils-top-shale-exec-arrested-on-sexual-assault-charge-in-texas-df29c965

And there IS a little good news this morning, for South Texas anyway: looks like it's gonna rain: https://www.expressnews.com/san-antonio-weather/forecast/article/tropical-storm-lidia-south-texas-18412692.php

Thanks for listening! Find out all you need to know about voting in the constitutional amendment proposition election next month at https://govotetexas.org/ , and consider helping Progress Texas continue our important work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Governor Greg Abbott has followed through with his promise to call the Texas Legislature back for a third time - at the very least - in his effort to push through his deeply unpopular plan to redirect millions of taxpayer dollars to private schools - many of them with church ties - at the expense of the public schools those dollars were collected to support. School vouchers have been defeated over, and over, and over for decades in Texas - WHY is the Governor so dead set on something almost nobody, save the minority of well-off Texans already opting for private education, wants at all? We try to answer that question, and measure the potential for resistance, with a special talk featuring Texas Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, Patty Quinzi of the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, and Dr. Chloe Latham Sikes of IDRA - the Intercultural Development Research Association. The session starts Monday October 9 - the time to express your opposition to school vouchers to your elected representatives in Austin is NOW.

Thanks for listening! Find our freshly-published progressive voter guide for November's constitutional amendment proposition election - and consider supporting our important work - at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

President Joe Biden says he had "no choice" but to authorize 20 miles of new border wall through a sensitive environmental zone in South Texas: https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-mexico-border-wall-immigration-texas-f99fd10257292a898618236df3613979

Biden's lack of faith in the efficacy of border walls clashes with a statement by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who says they're needed: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/05/biden-border-wall-texas-starr-county/

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro will file a resolution today condemning right-wing talk of military intervention south of the Mexican border: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/10/05/texas-congressman-wants-house-renounce-gop-contenders-threats-of-military-strikes-mexico.html

Governor Abbott releases his agenda for the third special legislative session, set to begin Monday - public school funding is a glaring omission: https://t.co/0ciFXa93Mm

And the third annual Trans Pride Fest happens Saturday in Denton: https://www.click2houston.com/news/texas/2023/10/06/amid-anti-lgbtq-legislation-a-north-texas-college-town-hosts-its-third-annual-trans-pride-event/

Our super-popular progressive voting guide is up! Study up: https://progresstexas.org/2023-texas-statewide-ballot-guide

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Both sides of the political divide now recognize that the U.S. is experiencing an immigration crisis: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/influx-migrants-border-gains-renewed-attention-crisis-rhetoric-spreads-rcna118595#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16964949969634&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fpolitics-news%2Finflux-migrants-border-gains-renewed-attention-crisis-rhetoric-spreads-rcna118595

...While the Biden Administration gives an emphatic green light to Trump-reminiscent border wall construction: https://apnews.com/article/border-wall-biden-immigration-texas-rio-grande-147d7ab497e6991e9ea929242f21ceb2

...A Liberty County housing development comes under Republican fire for selling homes to undocumented citizens (which is legal): https://news.yahoo.com/texas-neighborhood-became-target-over-222036668.html

...And El Paso sees an uptick of high-speed chases related to illegal immigration, complete with gunfire: https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/crime/2023/10/04/texas-dps-el-paso-border-smuggler-pursuit-chases-intensify/71045860007/

The Texas GOP delegation in the U.S. House is being courted by multiple candidates to replace Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/mccarthy-speaker-race-18406295.php

...While talk of Donald Trump taking the job is exciting his cult following, but remains a remote possibility: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/04/texas-republicans-scalise-jordan-hern-speaker/

...And Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan faces a similar challenge to his position at the outset of the third special session: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/after-mccarthy-texas-speaker-phelan-to-face-challenge-for-gavel/

Texas House Rep. James Talarico sounds the alarm on West Texas oil tycoons spending huge money to exert religious influence on Texas government: https://t.co/pUCZqtsXak

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave a long and brainy talk at the University of Texas at Austin this week: https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-during-a-conversation-at-the-university-of-texas-at-austin-moderated-by-former-u-s-ambassador-to-nato-kay-bailey-hutchison/

And Texas may be home to the nation's biggest concentration of cheaters - but at least they're honest about it: https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-cheaters/285-000833ca-28cc-4298-8f3a-8d7cba19e653#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16964920665746&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.khou.com%2Farticle%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Ftexas%2Ftexas-cheaters%2F285-000833ca-28cc-4298-8f3a-8d7cba19e653

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

After resisting his nomination, all Texas U.S. Reps stuck with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to the end: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/03/texas-republicans-kevin-mccarthy-speaker-vote/

...And now, Fort Bend Rep. Troy Nehls wants Donald Trump to be the new Speaker: https://www.khou.com/article/news/politics/troy-nehls-nominates-donald-trump-speaker-of-the-house/285-ac4a2f55-bbe0-4df0-90f5-ae0d8f7dc843

House impeachment managers release more dirt on Attorney General Ken Paxton, which they say they didn't have time to use during the impeachment trial: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/special-reports/paxton-impeachment-trial/new-evidence-ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-texas/269-9189a8fe-e8f9-4c6a-a55e-311f705821ad

A new outline of efforts by petroleum power players and their Republican protectors to undermine renewable energy and resist federal regulation is a frustrating read: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/tomlinson/article/texas-air-pollution-gop-lawuits-climate-change-18401627.php

...While ERCOT calls for power plants shut down due to pollution to be revived in case they're needed for winter energy shortages: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/texas-power-grid-seeks-increase-operating-reserves-winter-preparation-2023-10-02/

...One of those is a coal-fired plant near San Antonio that's been mothballed for five years: https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/ercot-calls-closed-power-plants-texas-grid-winter-18403794.php

The encroachment of conservative politics and religion into North Texas public school districts is the subject of a new podcast series from NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/politics-and-religion-s-growing-influence-in-three-texas-school-districts-194360901777

Another Democrat has declared a run for the soon-to-be-vacated Texas House seat representing El Paso: https://kfoxtv.com/renderer/kfoxtv/amp/news/local/el-paso-city-rep-alexsandra-annello-announces-bid-for-texas-state-representative

And the long process of opening a sample from an asteroid is taking even longer than expected at Johnson Space Center: https://gizmodo.com/osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-return-excess-materials-1850894913

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