Progress Texas Podcasts

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A new attempt to legally target a Texas woman who sought abortion care in Colorado represents a new effort by abortion rights opponents to frighten Texans away from exercising their reproductive rights: https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/05/us/texas-abortion-collin-davis-colorado/index.html

...It remains LEGAL to seek abortion care out of state: https://www.jezebel.com/texas-man-is-trying-to-sue-ex-partner-for-wrongful-death-over-alleged-abortion

...Colorado in particular has its own shield law protecting people who seek reproductive care there: https://www.cpr.org/2024/05/07/texas-woman-abortion-in-colorado-ex-legal-battle-state-shield-might-stand-in-way/

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar's current legal troubles frustrate progressives who've opposed him for years: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/03/henry-cuellar-indictment-political-impact/

...Donald Trump sees a common cause in Cuellar's dilemma: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13388247/Trump-Texas-Henry-Cuellar-bribes-FBI.html

The current oil and gas boom has proven a windfall for GOP officeholders friendly to polluters: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/07/texas-oil-gas-political-donations-august-pfluger/

Renewable sources, in contrast, tend to support Democrats - and a major new solar installation has just come online near Del Rio: https://solarquarter.com/2024/05/07/cypress-creek-renewables-completes-texas-largest-hybrid-solar-facility/

Congratulations to the Texas Tribune, who have been named a Pulitzer finalist for the first time: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/06/texas-tribune-pulitzer-prize-finalist/

Mark your calendar for May 9 at 12 noon for our "Burning Issues" town hall on liquid natural gas (LNG) pollution in Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-hosts-climate-justice-town-hall

Also for your calendar: a public forum will be held on May 20 by the Texas Medical Board on proposed exceptions to Texas' near-total ban on abortion: https://x.com/hannahnorton89/status/1785054901661216800?s=12&t=Bt_w1MN2AlTfFkWGHJiOJg

Progress Texas could use your help in funding our trip to June's Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso - thanks in advance! https://progresstexas.org/donate

It will soon be time to vote in the May 28 primary runoffs! https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/texas-voting-2024-runoff-elections/

Progress Texas invites progressive candidates to share their views with us - which we'll then share with our statewide audience - via our Certified Progressive questionnaire: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-certified-progressives-2024-progressive-values-questionnaire

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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:

Democratically-backed candidates for newly-created oversight positions with county tax appraisal did well in Saturday's election in Dallas County: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/lone-star-politics/texas-voters-elect-appraisal-board-members-denton-dallas-tarrant/3533277/

...And in Travis County: https://www.kut.org/politics/2024-05-05/austin-travis-county-property-taxes-tcad-may-4-2024-election-results

...Molly Cook, featured on our podcast recorded at March's Unified Jam in Austin, won Saturday's special election to serve out the rest of John Whitmire's term, becoming the first openly LGBTQ Texas Senator: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/houston-whitmire-senate-seat-19437490.php

Another pro-Palestinian protest at UT Austin on Sunday sees a heavy police presence but no arrests: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/ut-austin-palestine-protest-19432066.php

...While at the Texas State Capitol, the Central Texas Jewish community rallied for Jewish college students nationwide: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2024/05/05/shalom-austin-iac-walk-texas-capitol-jewish-israel-palestine-conflict-protest/73579217007/

Fort Worth's Opal Lee, the 97-year-old "Grandmother of Juneteenth", received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Friday: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/biden-opal-lee-presidential-medal-of-freedom-ceremony-grandmother-of-juneteenth/

Mark your calendar for May 9 at 12 noon for our "Burning Issues" town hall on liquid natural gas (LNG) pollution in Texas: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/townhall_24

Also for your calendar: a public forum will be held on May 20 by the Texas Medical Board on proposed exceptions to Texas' near-total ban on abortion: https://x.com/hannahnorton89/status/1785054901661216800?s=12&t=Bt_w1MN2AlTfFkWGHJiOJg

Progress Texas could use your help in funding our trip to June's Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso - thanks in advance! https://progresstexas.org/donate

It will soon be time to vote in the May 28 primary runoffs! https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/texas-voting-2024-runoff-elections/

Progress Texas invites progressive candidates to share their views with us - which we'll then share with our statewide audience - via our Certified Progressive questionnaire: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-certified-progressives-2024-progressive-values-questionnaire

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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:

Tomorrow, Saturday May 4, is Election Day for important municipal ballot items:

Our bigger cities and counties have new oversight positions over tax appraisal districts to vote on: https://progresstexas.org/blog/why-you-should-care-about-may-appraisal-district-elections

...In Lubbock, local cannabis decriminalization is on the ballot: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/02/lubbock-texas-marijuana-election/

A UT Arlington lecturer was arrested yesterday after testing the rules against tents: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/pro-palestinian-protestors-set-up-encampment-university-of-texas-arlington/287-72249ae5-2b52-45a2-bbae-7b74ad5aad95

...At UT Austin, claims by administrators of weapons and violence on the part of protestors is found highly doubtful by Travis County Judge Delia Garza: https://www.kut.org/crime-justice/2024-05-02/ut-says-pro-palestinian-demonstrators-carried-guns-and-assaulted-people-prosecutors-beg-to-differ

...Over 600 UT Austin faculty members have signed a letter expressing no confidence in president Jay Hartzell: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/education/university-of-texas/ut-no-confidence-president-hartzell/269-b1b50674-33ad-4db7-ab85-6ef47322aa59

Mark your calendar for May 9 at 12 noon for our "Burning Issues" town hall on liquid natural gas (LNG) pollution in Texas: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/townhall_24

Also for your calendar: a public forum will be held on May 20 by the Texas Medical Board on proposed exceptions to Texas' near-total ban on abortion: https://x.com/hannahnorton89/status/1785054901661216800?s=12&t=Bt_w1MN2AlTfFkWGHJiOJg

Progress Texas could use your help in funding our trip to June's Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso - thanks in advance! https://progresstexas.org/donate

Early voting in the May 4 municipal elections ends today! https://progresstexas.org/blog/why-you-should-care-about-may-appraisal-district-elections

...And it will soon be time to vote in the May 28 primary runoffs! https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/texas-voting-2024-runoff-elections/

Progress Texas invites progressive candidates to share their views with us - which we'll then share with our statewide audience - via our Certified Progressive questionnaire: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-certified-progressives-2024-progressive-values-questionnaire

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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:

That new ATF rule requiring more background checks for gun purchases has been targeted by the state in a lawsuit: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-ken-paxton-sue-rule-background-check-private-gun-sale/3529691/

Police arrested 21 pro-Palestinian protestors at UT Dallas yesterday in what's become a familiar scene across the country: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/gaza-protest-encampment-university-texas-dallas/

...The companies that protestors are demanding the UT System to divest from represent only about 1% of its total holdings: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/university-texas-system-investments-several-companies-with-ties-israel/287-dec3727c-d93a-4bda-8ae1-558c3682675f

...UT professor Jeremy Suri notes that conservative aggression towards college culture has exacerbated tensions during the recent protests: https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/29/opinions/campus-protests-university-of-texas-israel-gaza-suri/index.html

A sitting member of the Federal Elections Commission, in charge of the complaint against Ted Cruz that his campaign is improperly profiting from his podcast, has a Ted Cruz campaign sign in his front yard: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/federal-elections-regulator-from-texas-has-ted-cruz-campaign-sign-in-front-yard/ar-AA1nZWTT?ocid=BingNews

Bitcoin company Riot Platforms says they're set to make a bundle again this summer selling power back to the Texas power grid at a profit: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-01/bitcoin-miner-riot-riot-eyes-selling-power-in-texas-as-summer-nears

Elon Musk "borrows" the phrase "Don't Mess With Texas" for a cheesy Tesla belt buckle: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/elon-musk-dont-mess-texas-19429328.php

Mark your calendar for May 9 at 12 noon for our "Burning Issues" town hall on liquid natural gas (LNG) pollution in Texas: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/townhall_24

Also for your calendar: a public forum will be held on May 20 by the Texas Medical Board on proposed exceptions to Texas' near-total ban on abortion: https://x.com/hannahnorton89/status/1785054901661216800?s=12&t=Bt_w1MN2AlTfFkWGHJiOJg

Progress Texas could use your help in funding our trip to June's Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso - thanks in advance! https://progresstexas.org/donate

Early voting in the May 4 municipal elections ends today! https://progresstexas.org/blog/why-you-should-care-about-may-appraisal-district-elections

...And it will soon be time to vote in the May 28 primary runoffs! https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/texas-voting-2024-runoff-elections/

Progress Texas invites progressive candidates to share their views with us - which we'll then share with our statewide audience - via our Certified Progressive questionnaire: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-certified-progressives-2024-progressive-values-questionnaire

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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

Welcome to the first of a monthly series of six discussions of reproductive freedom in Texas - the Republican trampling of that freedom, the dire threat that denial of basic human rights poses to women and pregnant people across our state, where the GOP is likely to go next should they gain power in November - and what YOU can do to stop them.

Dallas State Rep. Julie Johnson - a Progress Texas endorsee in her outright primary win in her run for the U.S. House, can be found at https://juliejohnson.com/.

Second-term Austin City Council Member Paige Ellis can be found at https://www.austintexas.gov/department/district-8.

Democratic nominee for U.S. House District 8 Laura Jones can be found at https://www.laura4tx.com/.

There are many ways to join the fight to restore reproductive justice in Texas! Learn more at http://roevolution.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

15 pro-Palestinian organizations have called for another protest today at UT Austin - could be the biggest crowd yet: https://youtu.be/9esCRGZWNJg?si=fxsazmgTnaDRgp6s

...Travis County DA Delia Garza pipes up that protest arrests are clogging the County's criminal justice system - and that the crackdowns are likely inviting more unrest: https://www.aol.com/news/ut-austin-palestine-protest-travis-182653693.html

The DEA is moving to reduce the criminality of marijuana - what's that mean in Texas? https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/dea-to-reclassify-marijuana-what-it-means-for-dallas-texas-19254961

...Texas seems likely to move to keep pot as illegal as possible: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/texas-governor-condemns-local-marijuana-decriminalization-efforts-as-lubbock-voters-decide-on-reform-at-the-ballot/

ERCOT and the PUC are threatening energy reliability in Texas via their foot-dragging on infrastructure development: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2024/05/01/the-power-grid-puts-texas-growth-at-risk-again/

...All while battery tech costs are at an all-time low: https://www.techspot.com/news/102786-battery-cost-plunge-turbocharge-renewable-energy-shift-iea.html

Ken Paxton, rather than doing his job, has been hanging around Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/donald-trump-trial-ken-paxton-19430568.php

Ted Cruz's idea to provide unpopular politicians like himself taxpayer-funded airport security has been kicked to the curb: https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/4628183-cruz-amendmentfaa-reauthorization-special-security/

...And Ted's got a new idea: making it harder to get your money back from an airline after they've cancelled your flight: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/ted-cruz-airlines-automatic-refunds-faa-reauthorization-1235012248/

Owing to Texas' proliferation of guns, Houston ranks as the top American city for road rage deaths in the country, by a long shot: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/houston-road-rage-incidents-19428481.php

Mark your calendar for May 9 at 12 noon for our "Burning Issues" town hall on liquid natural gas (LNG) pollution in Texas: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/townhall_24

Also for your calendar: a public forum will be held on May 20 by the Texas Medical Board on proposed exceptions to Texas' near-total ban on abortion: https://x.com/hannahnorton89/status/1785054901661216800?s=12&t=Bt_w1MN2AlTfFkWGHJiOJg

Progress Texas could use your help in funding our trip to June's Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso - thanks in advance! https://progresstexas.org/donate

Early voting in the May 4 municipal elections ends today! https://progresstexas.org/blog/why-you-should-care-about-may-appraisal-district-elections

...And it will soon be time to vote in the May 28 primary runoffs! https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/texas-voting-2024-runoff-elections/

Progress Texas invites progressive candidates to share their views with us - which we'll then share with our statewide audience - via our Certified Progressive questionnaire: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-certified-progressives-2024-progressive-values-questionnaire

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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:

Law enforcement ratcheted up the rough treatment of protestors being arrested at UT Austin on Monday: https://www.kut.org/education/2024-04-29/ut-austin-protest-israel-hamas-war-palestinians

...Students harangued law enforcement about their failure at Uvalde: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/texas-students-protesting-war-gaza-question-troopers-failed-uvalde-response_n_662ffbe9e4b0eb5fda512ea5

...A Slate writer provides a first-person account of Monday's melee: https://slate.com/human-interest/2024/04/protests-columbia-ut-texas-austin-student-arrest.html

...Meanwhile administrators at Texas State University in San Marcos showed restraint, and thus its similar protest remained peaceful: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/student-protests-at-texas-state-and-ut-austin-differed-greatly-from-one-another

...All of this lays bare the hypocrisy Republican leaders and UT administrators are displaying in choosing which free speech to tolerate, and which to crush: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/29/ut-austin-pro-palestinian-demonstrations-free-speech/

Meanwhile, Governor Abbott and AG Ken Paxton are taking steps to resist new federal orders that LGBTQ students should be protected under Title IX from sexual discrimination: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/04/29/gov-greg-abbott-orders-texas-schools-to-defy-federal-nondiscrimination-rules/

A brave op-ed in the Nacogdoches County Daily Sentinel points out Governor Abbott's duplicity regarding a male teacher in Lewisville targeted for wearing a dress to school as a joke: https://www.dailysentinel.com/opinion/columns/greg-abbott-redefines-bully-pulpit/article_55ffd681-cfc7-51cf-89e1-686fe27c6b1d.html

Democratic Texas Railroad Commission nominee Katherine Culbert responds to reports of new permits being granted for oil producers to dump toxic produced water into Texas rivers and streams: https://www.facebook.com/Katherine4Texas

A public forum will be held on May 20 by the Texas Medical Board on proposed exceptions to Texas' near-total ban on abortion: https://x.com/hannahnorton89/status/1785054901661216800?s=12&t=Bt_w1MN2AlTfFkWGHJiOJg

Progress Texas could use your help in funding our trip to June's Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso - thanks in advance! https://progresstexas.org/donate

Early voting in the May 4 municipal elections ends today! https://progresstexas.org/blog/why-you-should-care-about-may-appraisal-district-elections

...And it will soon be time to vote in the May 28 primary runoffs! https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/texas-voting-2024-runoff-elections/

Progress Texas invites progressive candidates to share their views with us - which we'll then share with our statewide audience - via our Certified Progressive questionnaire: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-certified-progressives-2024-progressive-values-questionnaire

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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:

Austin Rep. Gina Hinojosa on WFAA's Inside Texas Politics: ⁠https://youtu.be/S471DfitaQk?si=70WK-VmY5gW4Ccen⁠

The state is now issuing permits for oil producers to dump millions of gallons of toxic "produced water" into Texas rivers and streams: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/29/texas-treated-produced-water-disposal-discharge-rivers/

...New satellite studies show the ground itself in the Permian Basin sinking and rising with oil extraction and wastewater injection: https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/in-americas-biggest-oil-field-the-ground-is-swelling-and-buckling-9d66eb42

...And ERCOT renews its argument against renewable energy: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/ercot-grid-failure-renewable-19416583.php

A federal judge has once again rejected the claim of Texas that our immigration situation at the border constitutes an "invasion": https://reason.com/volokh/2024/04/28/federal-court-again-rules-against-texas-claim-that-illegal-migration-qualifies-as-invasion/

Texas DPS is considering a criminal investigation of that news cameraman they arrested during last week's police crackdown on protestors at UT Austin: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/ut-austin-arrest-fox-7-photojournalist/

A letter to the editor of the Houston Chronicle reminds those thinking of sitting out the November election in protest over Gaza of the dire potential results: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/letters/article/gaza-palestine-protest-university-students-ut-19422782.php

West Texas oil billionaire and Christian Nationalist activist Tim Dunn argues that he shouldn't be considered a Christian Nationalist: https://midlandtimes.com/stories/658009552-opinion-the-christian-nationalist-label-will-not-stick

Hard-right Republican lawmakers are putting forth a 12-point plan to neutralize Democratic influence in the House and consolidate control for themselves: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/contract-with-texas-house-republicans/

Early voting in the May 4 municipal elections ends tomorrow!

...And it will soon be time to vote in the May 28 primary runoffs! https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/texas-voting-2024-runoff-elections/

Progress Texas invites progressive candidates to share their views with us - which we'll then share with our statewide audience - via our Certified Progressive questionnaire: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-certified-progressives-2024-progressive-values-questionnaire

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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:

Travis County Attorney Delia Garza's office will not prosecute any of the 46 trespassing cases resulting from Wednesday's police crackdown at UT Austin: https://thehill.com/homenews/4622384-texas-prosecutor-appeals-ruling-that-tossed-crystal-masons-voting-fraud-conviction/

...UT president Jay Hartzell releases a second statement: https://www.reddit.com/r/UTAustin/s/dbZOyovi3n

...Similar scenes have unfolded at college campuses across the country: https://www.npr.org/2024/04/25/1247091785/campus-protests-gaza-israel-arrests-usc-emerson-texas

...Progress Texas' statement: https://progresstexas.org/blog/abbott-tramples-our-american-freedoms-speech-and-assembly

...FIRE's statement: https://www.thefire.org/research-learn/fire-letter-university-texas-austin-april-25-2024

Governor Abbott has chosen the relatively-moderate U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzalez over his primary runoff challenger, "the A.K. Guy": https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4620838-texas-governor-abbott-backlash-mass-arrest-ut-austin-pro-palestine-protest/

Outgoing (thankfully) Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg has teamed up with Ken Paxton to allow his office to pursue an investigation against three staffers of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/houston/article/hidalgo-staffers-elevate-strategies-paxton-ogg-19422060.php

Not outgoing (unfortunately) Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells wants to reverse the recent acquittal of Crystal Mason on voter fraud charges from the 2016 election: https://thehill.com/homenews/4622384-texas-prosecutor-appeals-ruling-that-tossed-crystal-masons-voting-fraud-conviction/

Don't forget to vote! Early voting for new oversight positions over local tax apprasal districts started yesterday: https://progresstexas.org/blog/why-you-should-care-about-may-appraisal-district-elections

Progress Texas invites progressive candidates to share their views with us - which we'll then share with our statewide audience - via our Certified Progressive questionnaire: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-certified-progressives-2024-progressive-values-questionnaire

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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

The week started badly enough - with small-town Republicans taking advantage of a newly-modified state law that allowed them to threaten to replace popular Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza with a stooge of their choosing. Then it got worse, with a dramatic overplay of police force as administrators at UT Austin called in militarized DPS troopers to crush a pro-Palestinian protest. What do these attacks on small-D democracy by Greg Abbott's regime mean, both individually and as two parts of a growing trend of authoritarianism in Texas? We're joined by three of our favorite thinkers in this area: State Senator Sarah Eckhardt of Austin, renowned civil rights attorney Austin Kaplan, and MOVE Texas Senior Advocacy Reform Manager Amber Mills - what's REALLY going on behind the GOP curtain will shock and anger you - and hopefully, reinvigorate your passion for the fight ahead.

Learn more about State Senator Sarah Eckhardt at https://www.saraheckhardt.com/.

Learn more about Austin Kaplan at https://kaplanlawatx.com/team/austin-kaplan/.

Learn more about Amber Mills and MOVE Texas at https://movetexas.org/staff/amber-mills/.

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