Seeing Red: A Texas Politics Podcast

Texas just had, by one measure, its best legislative session for housing reform in the country, and almost nobody outside the Capitol knows the job that makes bills like that actually work. Legislative lawyer Sam Hooper, aka "the Lege Lawyer," joins Garrett to pull back the curtain on how a policy idea becomes real statute, why Texas's new starter-home and mixed-use laws are already putting thousands of units online, and why AI-drafted bills could be the next headache at the Capitol. Then Garrett breaks down the Angela Paxton ad running in markets nationwide and the growing Republican fight over who to blame if November goes badly.

Sam Hooper spent a session drafting bills for the nonpartisan Texas Legislative Council before moving to the Institute for Justice to work on property rights and economic liberty, and now runs his own solo legislative practice. He and Garrett dig into the real fights behind housing policy, property rights vs. neighborhood control, state preemption vs. local control, and why Houston's lack of zoning lets a law student live next to River Oaks for under $2,000 a month. They also cover occupational licensing reciprocity, how "bracketing" lets lawmakers target specific cities without naming them, and why AI-written "slop bills" might flood the Capitol next session. Garrett closes with a rundown of the Texas Senate race ad everyone's talking about and Luke Macias's take on GOP accountability heading into the midterms.

**Topics discussed:**
- Sam Hooper's path from English management consultant to Texas legislative lawyer
- What Texas Legislative Council does and how bill drafting actually works
- The 2023 housing bill failures vs. the 2025 housing reform wins (starter homes, ADUs, mixed-use zoning, occupancy limits, single-stair reform)
- Early data from Senate Bill 840 and the mixed-use housing law
- "Bracketing": how bills target specific cities without naming them
- The property-rights vs. neighborhood-control debate, and the YIMBY/NIMBY divide
- State preemption vs. local control, and why housing became a statewide issue
- Houston's no-zoning model vs. Austin's permitting maze
- Occupational licensing reform, reciprocity, and universal license recognition
- How AI could change (and complicate) bill drafting ahead of the next session
- Pre-filing season and who might become the next "point of order" power player
- The Angela Paxton ad airing in national markets ahead of the Senate race
- Luke Macias's commentary on GOP accountability if Republicans underperform in November

**Guest:** Sam Hooper, independent legislative lawyer ("the Lege Lawyer"), formerly of Texas Legislative Council and the Institute for Justice. Find him on Substack and X at @LegeLawyer (also on Instagram and TikTok).

**Sources:**
- *The Texas Tribune*, By Colleen DeGuzman, Oct. 3-4, 2026, [In TV ad, Angela Paxton urges voters to back "the Republican ticket" that includes her estranged husband](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/10/03/angela-paxton-tv-ad-ken-paxton-texas-senate-2026/)
- *The Washington Times*, Oct. 3, 2026, [Paxton's estranged wife backs Texas GOP ticket in new ad](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/oct/3/paxtons-estranged-wife-backs-texas-gop-ticket-new-ad/)
- *The Texas Tribune*, By Gabby Birenbaum, Sept. 22, 2026, [Senate Republicans increase ad buy for Ken Paxton to $100 million](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/22/texas-paxton-ads-100-million-senate-race-talarico/)
- *The Luke Macias Show* (Texas Scorecard), [Who Will You Blame If November Goes Badly?](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-luke-macias-show/id1450702621)

Find us at seeingredpodcast.substack.com for full episodes. Follow us on all socials at @theseeingredpod and online at our website Seeing Red Podcast. x.com/gwfulce 

Texas just quietly sat on one of the largest rare earth mineral deposits outside of China's control — and the state's Land Commissioner is the one turning it into cash for schools. Dawn Buckingham joins Garrett to explain how the General Land Office manages 13 million acres of Texas land, why that makes Texas the "tip of the spear" on energy, minerals, and border security, and what's really happening with the $450 million Alamo overhaul. Then Garrett runs the solo rundown: a $7.5 billion border security reimbursement finally landing at the Comptroller's Office, a voter registration glitch affecting thousands of Texans, and where the Abbott-Hinojosa and Paxton-Talarico races actually stand five weeks out.

Commissioner Buckingham breaks down how the GLO's mineral leases fund the Permanent School Fund, why she declared cartel-controlled islands in the Rio Grande part of Texas, and how "Mines to Magnets" is meant to end America's reliance on China for the minerals that power phones, jets, and the grid. Garrett also covers the ongoing GOP fight over Railroad Commission nominee Bo French and where the debate season stands for Senate and Governor.

**Topics discussed:**
- Dawn Buckingham's path from medical practice to Texas Senate to Land Commissioner
- What the General Land Office does and why it predates the state government
- The Permanent School Fund and its impact on Texas schools and property taxes
- The "Texas Engine" plan: energy, rare earth minerals, and produced water
- Breaking China's rare earth mineral monopoly with USA Rare Earth and El Paso Minerals
- The $450 million Alamo restoration and the new Visitor Center
- Big Bend border wall strategy and protecting state ranchland from contractors
- The Veterans Land Board's nursing homes, cemeteries, and mortgage program
- The Comptroller's Office, the $7.5 billion Operation Lone Star reimbursement, and staff shakeups
- A voter registration processing glitch affecting thousands of Texans
- Where the Abbott-Hinojosa and Paxton-Talarico races stand, and the fight over debates

**Guest:** Dawn Buckingham, MD — Texas Land Commissioner, former Texas State Senator. More info: dawnbuckingham.com

**Sources:**
- *Texas Tribune* — By Gabby Birenbaum — Sept. 18, 2026 — [Feds reimburse Texas for $7.5 billion in border spending, ending delay](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/18/texas-border-money-reimburse-billions/)
- *Texas Tribune* — By Alejandro Serrano — Sept. 15, 2026 — [This Gen-Z politico is running the Texas comptroller's office](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/15/texas-comptroller-shakeup-don-huffines-noah-betz/)
- *Texas Tribune* — Sept. 25, 2026 — [Texas' delayed voter applications highlight registration woes](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/25/texas-voter-registration-delay-backlog-online-dps/)
- *Texas Tribune* — By Alex Nguyen — Sept. 13, 2026 — [Cornyn calls out Bo French over racist social media post](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/13/bo-french-john-cornyn-republican-texas-railroad-commissioner-ut/)
- *The Washington Times* — Sept. 3, 2026 — [Ken Paxton turns down CNN debate offer in Senate race](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/3/ken-paxton-turns-cnn-debate-offer-senate-race/)

Chapters
0:00 Intro & Episode Preview
0:44 Meet Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham
2:57 GLO 101: History & Duties
7:32 Texas Engine: Power, Minerals & Water
13:21 Restoring the Alamo
19:44 Big Bend Border Wall Fight
23:53 Veterans Land Board
25:13 Comptroller Shakeup & $7.5B Border Check
29:14 178K Voter Registrations in Limbo
33:19 Horse Race & Debate Watch

Find us at seeingredpodcast.substack.com for full episodes. Follow us on all socials at @theseeingredpod and online at our website Seeing Red Podcast. x.com/gwfulce 

Want a job in Republican politics? Dustin Tropp, the headhunter who runs republicanjobs.gop, has placed more than 3,500 people in GOP jobs and says entry-level D.C. staffers are now starting at $70,000 — a number that didn't exist for Garrett's generation. Garrett sits down with Tropp to break down exactly how to get in the door, move up the ladder, and avoid torching your career before it starts.

Dustin built Republican Jobs from a headhunting side project into the GOP's largest political staffing operation, working with nearly 500 organizations and running the party's biggest virtual career fair. He and Garrett dig into why AI hasn't killed political jobs (and might be creating more of them), why the hardest jump in politics isn't getting your first job but your second one, and why Gen Z keeps turning down perfectly good stepping-stone jobs. Then Garrett goes solo to explain his recent Houston Chronicle op-ed on why he came out against Bo French, and breaks down some of the wildest statewide polling Texas has seen in years.

Topics discussed:
- How Dustin Tropp built republicanjobs.gop into the GOP's top political headhunting firm
- Why entry-level political jobs are easier to land than ever, with $70K starting pay in D.C.
- How AI is actually changing political jobs (and why it hasn't eliminated them)
- The real career path from campaign volunteer to political operative
- Comms, lobbying, and vendor jobs beyond just campaigns and the legislature
- Dustin's new podcast "Staffed Up" and Republican Jobs' December 3rd virtual career fair
- Garrett's Houston Chronicle op-ed explaining why he came out against Bo French
- Fresh Texas polling showing Republicans running behind the generic ballot statewide

Guest: Dustin Tropp, President of Republican Jobs (republicanjobs.gop). Apply, browse openings, or sign up for the newsletter at republicanjobs.gop.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro & Episode Preview
0:55 Meet Dustin Tropp, Republican Jobs Founder
1:58 Building Republican Jobs From Scratch
7:07 Why Entry-Level Jobs Got Easier
10:42 AI's Real Impact on Political Jobs
15:59 Breaking In: Entry to Mid-Career
22:37 Comms, Lobbying & Vendor Jobs
32:51 Staffed Up Podcast & Career Fair
39:30 Garrett Goes Solo: Bo French Fallout
45:33 Texas's Wild New Poll Numbers

Sources:
- Houston Chronicle — By Garrett W. Fulce — Want to keep Texas red? Say no to Bo. — https://houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/no-bo-french-garrett-fulce-save-texas-republicans-22435711.php
- The Texas Tribune — By Alex Nguyen — Sept. 13, 2026 — Cornyn calls out Bo French over racist social media post — https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/13/bo-french-john-cornyn-republican-texas-railroad-commissioner-ut/
- The Texas Tribune — By Carlos Nogueras Ramos — Sept. 14, 2026 — Bo French doubles down on racist post made after UT-Ohio football game — https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/14/bo-french-post-ut-ohio-football-game/
- The Texas Tribune — By Will Hammann — Sept. 17, 2026 — John Cornyn says he won't vote for Bo French as backlash to racist post rises — https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/17/john-cornyn-bo-french-texas-railroad-commission-racist-post/
- The Texas Tribune — Sept. 14, 2026 — Karl Rove will vote for Democrat over Bo French — https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/14/bo-french-kal-rove-endorsement-jon-rosenthal/
- Chron.com (Houston Chronicle) — Aug. 13, 2026 — Fort Bend Constable Ali Sheikhani responds to anti-Muslim attacks — https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/ali-sheikhani-anti-muslim-attacks-22387359.php
- Emerson College Polling / Nexstar Media — Sept. 17, 2026 — Texas 2026 Poll: Talarico and Paxton in Dead Heat, Abbott Maintains Edge — https://emersoncollegepolling.com/texas-2026-poll-talarico-and-paxton-in-dead-heat-abbott-maintains-edge/
- TelevisaUnivision (N+ Univision) — Sept. 9, 2026 — N+ Univision News Poll Finds Texas Governor's and Senate Races Deadlocked — https://corporate.televisaunivision.com/press/2026/09/09/n-univision-news-poll-finds-texas-governors-and-senate-races-deadlocked-ahead-of-2026-midterms/

Find us at seeingredpodcast.substack.com for full episodes. Follow us on all socials at @theseeingredpod and online at our website Seeing Red Podcast. x.com/gwfulce 

A pickup truck crashed through State Rep. Charles Cunningham's living room at 4 a.m.—and it's the reason he's now fighting bail reform battles in Austin. Rep. Cunningham (House District 127, Humble) joins Garrett Fulce to break down Texas's $51 billion in property tax relief, why school districts are "underfunded" rather than "unfunded," and how his district turned a flood-control headache into a funding fix by selling sand out of Lake Houston. Then Garrett runs through the week's fights back home: a Texas GOP statewide candidate's racist meltdown over University of Texas students, a flood of Republican outside money rushing in to save Ken Paxton's Senate campaign, Jimmy Kimmel spiking a Talarico interview, and Galveston County getting slapped down by the Texas Supreme Court for trying to redraw its voting maps mid-cycle.

Rep. Cunningham walks through his path from a 30-year career at CenterPoint Energy and 12 years on the Humble ISD school board into the Texas House, where he's pushed bail reform legislation, worked on the state's multi-year property tax relief package, and helped stand up a first-of-its-kind dredging district to fund flood control on Lake Houston. Garrett then covers the biggest fights heating up Texas politics 60 days before Election Day.

**Topics discussed:**
- The 4 a.m. truck crash that pushed Cunningham into running for office
- Bail reform: the Minimum Bond Act, "Felony on Bond," and ending the "revolving door"
- Fights over who pays for judges — state vs. county funding
- $51 billion in property tax relief over two legislative sessions
- The push to cut state agency spending 3% to fund more property tax relief
- School district budgets, personnel costs, and "underfunded" vs. "unfunded" mandates
- Education Savings Accounts and school choice competition in Humble ISD
- Flooding, dredging, and turning Lake Houston sediment into a funding source
- A statewide GOP candidate's controversial post about UT students and the backlash from Texas Republican leadership
- Republican outside money rushing in to boost Ken Paxton's Senate campaign
- Jimmy Kimmel pulling a James Talarico interview off broadcast TV
- Galveston County's blocked mid-cycle redistricting plan

**Guest:** Charles Cunningham represents Texas House District 127 (Humble area) and serves on the Public Education, Local & Consent Calendars, and Public Health committees. He spent more than 30 years at CenterPoint Energy and served 12 years on the Humble ISD school board before his election in 2022. He pointed listeners to Texas Legislature Online and his campaign website for more information — exact URL not clearly stated on air, producer to confirm and fill in.

**Sources:**
- *Houston Public Media* — Sept. 14, 2026 — [Several Texas Republicans condemn Bo French's racist posts calling Asian students at UT a "problem"](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/election-2026/2026/09/14/561685/several-texas-republicans-condemn-bo-frenchs-racist-posts-calling-asian-students-at-ut-a-problem/)
- *KERA News (Texas Tribune)* — By Gabby Birenbaum — Sept. 14, 2026 — [Senate Republicans finally mobilize with big money for Ken Paxton in Texas](https://www.keranews.org/politics/2026-09-14/senate-republicans-finally-mobilize-with-big-money-for-ken-paxton-in-texas)
- *NBC News* — Sept. 10, 2026 — [Jimmy Kimmel says show won't air James Talarico interview on TV, citing FCC threats](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/jimmy-kimmel-abc-tv-show-wont-air-james-talarico-interview-fcc-threats-rcna596994)
- *Houston Public Media* — By Julianna Washburn — Sept. 11, 2026 — [Texas Supreme Court blocks Galveston County from using new precinct map in November election](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/galveston-county/2026/09/11/561599/texas-supreme-court-blocks-galveston-county-from-using-new-precinct-map-in-november-election/)

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open: This Week's Fights
0:45 Meet Rep. Charles Cunningham
1:33 The Wreck That Started It
3:56 Bail Reform Wins & Fights
11:27 Property Tax Relief Explained
20:29 School Choice Rollout in Humble
24:23 Flooding & the Dredging Fix
34:06 A GOP Candidate's Meltdown
41:13 Cash Floods In for Paxton
45:00 Kimmel, Galveston & More News

Find us at seeingredpodcast.substack.com for full episodes. Follow us on all socials at @theseeingredpod and online at our website Seeing Red Podcast. x.com/gwfulce 

Ryan Patrick, runs the group that's been the single biggest force behind Texas tort reform for 30 years. And right now, trial lawyer money is quietly flowing into Republican primaries to take him down. Ryan Patrick, CEO of Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR), joins Garrett to break down "nuclear verdicts," the medical billing fraud scheme inflating your insurance bill, and the shadowy Delaware-incorporated group of Republicans fighting his organization from the inside.

The former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas under President Trump, a former Harris County state district judge, and now the CEO of TL, Ryan walks through how a small number of Texas counties and aggressive "billboard lawyers" are driving up insurance costs for every Texan, why Texas now leads the nation in verdicts over $10 million, and why a group of Republicans is now taking trial lawyer money to fight tort reform from inside the party.

**Topics discussed:**
- The history of Texans for Lawsuit Reform and Texas's "judicial hellhole" era in the 1990s
- What a "nuclear verdict" actually is and why Texas now leads the country in them
- How medical billing fraud and "letter of protection" schemes inflate lawsuit payouts
- The hidden "lawsuit tax" — $3,000 to $4,200 a year added to Texas insurance premiums
- TLR's push to put medical billing benchmarks in front of juries
- The "RATLR's" — a Delaware-incorporated, trial-lawyer-funded group attacking TLR from inside the GOP
- Judicial Fairness PAC and the fight to elect conservative judges in Harris, Dallas, and other urban counties
- Third-party litigation funding, and concerns over foreign (including Chinese) money bankrolling Texas lawsuits
- Why Ryan Patrick believes the 2026 elections could decide the future of tort reform in Texas

**Guest:** Ryan Patrick, CEO of Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR). Find TLR at tortreform.com. 

**Sources:**
- *Texas Tribune* — Aug. 12, 2026 — [Trial lawyers, once a force for Democrats, reclaim political clout in Texas GOP's MAGA wing](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/12/texas-trial-lawyers-gop-texans-for-lawsuit-reform-tort-civil-justice/)
- *Dowd Bennett* — May 15, 2025 — [Texas codifies the Business Judgment Rule (SB 29)](https://www.dowdbennett.com/news/texas-codifies-the-business-judgment-rule/)
- *Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC* — [TLRPAC- and JFPAC-Supported Candidates Dominate in General Election Contests](https://tlrpac.org/press_release/tlrpac-and-jfpac-supported-candidates-dominate-in-general-election-contests/)

Chapters
0:00 Meet Ryan Patrick, TLR's CEO
0:53 What Texans for Lawsuit Reform Does
6:45 What Are "Nuclear Verdicts"
12:24 Inside the Medical Billing Fraud Scheme
23:00 TLR's Fix: Benchmarking Jury Bills
28:21 GOP Civil War: Meet the "Rattlers"
37:22 Winning Texas's Judicial Races
44:33 Foreign Money in Texas Lawsuits
49:11 Where to Find TLR

Find us at seeingredpodcast.substack.com for full episodes. Follow us on all socials at @theseeingredpod and online at our website Seeing Red Podcast. x.com/gwfulce 

Garrett spent this week at the Texas Young Republican Federation's 69th Annual Convention in San Marcos, and the mood among the campaign staffers, volunteers, and college Republicans he talked to wasn't confidence. It was worry. Back in Austin, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick wants to fail entire school districts a letter grade over library books (including a Holocaust memoir), Governor Abbott just yanked state money out of Flock surveillance cameras, and Texas public schools are quietly losing more students than anyone in the Capitol is talking about.

This week Garrett brings you convention interviews with Texas Young Republican Federation leadership and college Republicans on what's actually driving young conservatives into 2026: affordability, immigration, and turnout. Then he breaks down why even hardened Republican staffers are starting to sound nervous about November, walks through the fight over Flock license-plate cameras, digs into Lt. Governor Dan Patrick's push to dock school accountability grades over "dirty books," and flags an under-covered enrollment crisis hitting Texas school districts heading into the 90th legislative session.

**Topics discussed:**
- Inside the Texas Young Republican Federation's 69th Annual Convention in San Marcos
- What's actually driving young conservatives: affordability, property taxes, and immigration
- Block walking, GOTV mechanics, and how Young Republicans plug into campaigns
- Campus fights: RSO restrictions, free speech, and volunteer turnout on Texas college campuses
- 2028 dream candidates: Rubio, Vance, and Cruz name-checked by convention attendees
- Why Republican staffers are nervous about November for the first time since 2018
- Money flowing into Ken Paxton's Senate campaign and what it signals
- How polling actually works and why turnout modeling matters more than topline numbers
- The end of straight-ticket voting and what it means for down-ballot Republicans
- Flock license-plate cameras: security tool, Big Brother, or both
- Lt. Governor Dan Patrick's push to dock school accountability ratings over library books
- Why "Night" by Elie Wiesel landing on a "dirty books" list undercuts the argument
- Meta's data center investment in El Paso and the growing backlash to AI infrastructure
- A quiet, under-reported enrollment crisis facing Texas public schools

**This week's convention voices:** Derek Wilson (Chairman, Texas Young Republican Federation), Eric Perikakis (Policy Director, Texas Young Republican Federation), William (Chairman, Texas College Republicans), and Joanne Luke and Will French (Texas Federation of College Republicans). Handles and additional titles not stated in transcript, producer to fill in.

**Sources:**
- *The Texas Tribune* — By Alejandro Serrano — August 19, 2026 — [Dan Patrick: "We're coming for the books" in school libraries](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/19/texas-dan-patrick-obscene-books-school-libraries-penalties/)
- *Houston Chronicle* — August 2026 — [Holocaust book among titles flagged for removal from Texas schools](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/banned-books-schools-dan-patrick-22402659.php)
- *The Texas Tribune* — By Ayden Runnels — August 28, 2026 — [Gov. Abbott blocks state agencies from spending money on Flock cameras](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/28/texas-greg-abbott-flock-cameras-order-state-money/)
- *Axios* — August 21, 2026 — [Scoop: Cruz-linked super PAC jumps into Texas Senate race](https://www.axios.com/2026/08/21/ted-cruz-super-pac-ken-paxton-texas-senate-race-republicans-midterms)
- *Houston Public Media* — By Andrew Schneider — August 24, 2026 (updated August 27, 2026) — [Trump to headline RNC fundraiser in Houston aimed at boosting Ken Paxton's Senate campaign](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/election-2026/2026/08/24/560231/trump-to-headline-rnc-fundraiser-in-houston-aimed-at-boosting-ken-paxtons-senate-campaign/)
- *The Texas Tribune* — July 30, 2026 — [What is still legal under Texas' latest THC ban](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/07/30/texas-thc-cannabis-ban-delta-9-8-marijuana/)

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open: This Week's Rundown
1:28 Derek Wilson: TYRF Chairman on 2026
10:03 Eric Perikakis: Policy Priorities and 2028 Picks
14:43 College Republicans on Campus Fights
17:39 College Republicans on Voter Fear and Turnout
27:48 Why Young Republicans Are Getting Nervous
38:56 Flock Cameras: Security Tool or Big Brother
47:58 Dan Patrick's "Dirty Books" Fight
55:35 Texas Schools' Quiet Enrollment Crisis

Find us at seeingredpodcast.substack.com for full episodes. Follow us on all socials at @theseeingredpod and online at our website Seeing Red Podcast. x.com/gwfulce 

State Rep. Jeff Barry (R-Pearland) sits on the two committees at the center of next session's biggest fight: the governor, lieutenant governor, and House Speaker all want agencies to cut spending 3% across the board — and Barry breaks down why you can't cut property taxes without cutting state spending first. As a freshman on Appropriations, he walks through how a budget bill actually becomes law, why "Robin Hood" school funding is about to collide with the push to eliminate local school taxes, and the insurance reform bill he says already stopped a rate hike for coastal homeowners.

Then Garrett takes over solo to break down the Talarico-Paxton Senate race turning into a real toss-up, why Governor Abbott's numbers are sliding in his own re-election bid, how data centers became the wedge issue nobody in the GOP wants to touch, and a wild pilot program out of El Paso ISD that's putting administrators back in the classroom as substitute teachers.

**Topics discussed:**
- The Texas budget process, from subcommittees to conference committee to the governor's veto pen
- The "Big 3's" push for 3% across-the-board agency budget cuts ahead of the 90th Legislature
- Why cutting property taxes requires cutting state spending first
- Property tax compression, homestead exemptions, and the fight over eliminating the M&O school tax
- Robin Hood recapture and funding for rural school districts
- The taxpayer-funded lobbying fight and the role of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB)
- Barry's bill eliminating the TWIA insurance tax and his push for a state reinsurance program
- New building codes aimed at making homes more storm-resistant
- The Ike Dike and protecting the Houston Ship Channel from storm surge
- Privatizing operation of state mental health hospitals
- The Talarico-Paxton U.S. Senate race and the Abbott-Hinojosa governor's race
- Data centers becoming a rural-vs-suburban political wedge issue
- El Paso ISD's plan to have central office administrators substitute teach

**Guest:** State Rep. Jeff Barry represents House District 29 (Pearland/Brazoria County) and serves on the House Appropriations and Natural Resources committees. Learn more or get involved at votejeffbarry.com.

**Sources:**
- *The Hill* — August 20, 2026 — [Texas, Iowa Senate races shift to toss-ups: Cook Political Report](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6041660-cook-political-report-texas-iowa-senate-races/)
- *The Texas Tribune* — By Gabby Birenbaum — August 20, 2026 — [Talarico floods Texas airwaves in U.S. Senate race as Paxton, GOP stay quiet](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/20/texas-us-senate-race-donors-ken-paxton-james-talarico/)
- *The Center Square* — [Polls show tight Texas governor race, closest margin in Abbott's career](https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_5e175925-bc41-467f-a20c-4682c21a9422.html)
- *The Texas Tribune* — By Paul Cobler and Alejandra Martinez — August 3, 2026 — [New Texas data center projects frozen until state audits them](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/03/texas-data-center-project-audit-greg-abbott/)
- *Texas Tribune* (via Houston Public Media) — By Jaden Edison — July 22-23, 2026 — [Texas' longstanding 'Robin Hood' school finance system will face a new legal challenge](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/education/2026/07/23/557775/west-texas-midland-district-lawsuit-school-finance-robin-hood/)
- *KFOX14/CBS4 El Paso* — [EPISD confirms central office staff, including superintendent, must sub eight days](https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/episd-confirms-central-office-staff-including-superintendent-must-sub-eight-days-this-year)
- *Houston Public Media* — By Lucio Vasquez — August 14, 2026 — [Texas schools see modest improvement in 2026 A-F ratings. Here's how they fared](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/education-news/2026/08/14/559560/texas-schools-see-modest-improvement-in-2026-a-f-ratings-heres-how-they-fared/)

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open & Episode Preview
1:17 Rep. Jeff Barry Joins the Show
4:27 How the Texas Budget Process Works
13:17 Cutting Spending to Cut Property Taxes
18:15 Robin Hood School Funding Explained
31:49 TWIA Tax Cut & Insurance Reform
40:53 The Ike Dike & Storm Surge Risk
48:32 Solo Segment: Senate Race Toss-Up
52:16 Data Centers Become a Political Wedge
54:34 El Paso ISD's Substitute Teacher Plan

Find us at seeingredpodcast.substack.com for full episodes. Follow us on all socials at @theseeingredpod and online at our website Seeing Red Podcast. x.com/gwfulce 

Governor Abbott just ordered Texas regulators to freeze new data center hookups to the power grid until they pass an audit, and former Republican Party of Texas chair James Dickey joins Garrett Fulce to explain exactly why, plus what it means for the fight over massive new 765-kilovolt transmission lines cutting across the state. Dickey, who now runs JD Key Consulting and publishes Hyperscale News, breaks down the difference between a real policy fight over eminent domain and water use versus manufactured outrage, plus what he's seeing on the 2026 campaign trail. Then Garrett goes solo to break down the TEA's new A-F school ratings, why Austin ISD is on track for a state takeover, and why that's a political headache for a certain gubernatorial candidate.

This week: Abbott's PUC and ERCOT audit of data centers, the messy fight over 765kV transmission lines connecting the Permian Basin to the rest of the state, what a former state party chair is seeing on the campaign trail heading into November, and predictions for what actually passes in the 90th Legislature. Then, the state's newest school ratings are out, and Austin ISD's repeated failing grades are about to become both a policy problem and a campaign problem.

Topics discussed:
- Governor Abbott's directive requiring PUC and ERCOT audits before new data centers connect to the grid
- How Senate Bill 6's new "batch" process is supposed to fix ERCOT's endless interconnection evaluations
- Why data centers' water-use survey compliance came in under 20%
- The fight over 765-kilovolt transmission lines linking the Permian Basin to the Texas Triangle
- Eminent domain, property rights, and who's really driving the need for new transmission
- Balancing renewable and dispatchable power on the Texas grid
- James Dickey's read on 2026 campaign unity and messaging discipline
- Predictions for the 90th Legislature: property tax cuts, school choice, water infrastructure
- The TEA's new A-F school ratings and a likely Austin ISD state takeover
- Why Austin ISD's failing grades are a political problem for Gina Hinojosa
- Houston ISD's state takeover results, merit pay, and early-intervention teaching

Guest: James Dickey is the founder and principal of JD Key Consulting, publisher of Hyperscale News, and former chair of the Republican Party of Texas (2017–2020). Find him on X and LinkedIn.

Chapters:
0:00 Cold Open
0:29 Meet James Dickey
1:35 Abbott's Grid Audit Explained
10:36 765kV Transmission Line Fight
22:24 GOP Campaign Trail Insights
29:33 2027 Session Priorities Preview
33:58 TEA Ratings & Austin ISD Crisis
44:45 Houston ISD Takeover Lessons

Sources:
- The Texas Tribune — By Paul Cobler — August 3, 2026 — New Texas data center projects frozen until state audits them — https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/03/texas-data-center-project-audit-greg-abbott/
- Texas Policy Research — August 4, 2026 — Texas Releases First Education Freedom Accounts Report — https://www.texaspolicyresearch.com/texas-releases-first-education-freedom-accounts-report/
- The Texas Tribune — July 31, 2026 — Texas must rethink massive transmission lines, lawmakers say — https://www.texastribune.org/2026/07/31/texas-transmission-lines-dan-patrick/
- Texas Scorecard — Patrick, Schwertner Call on PUC To Reject Controversial 765-kV Transmission Applications — https://texasscorecard.com/state/patrick-schwertner-call-on-puc-to-reject-controversial-765-kv-transmission-applications/
- The Texas Tribune — By Andrea Ball — August 14, 2026 — Failing AISD campuses reach Texas threshold for state intervention — https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/14/austin-isd-ratings-texas-school-takeover-trigger/
- KERA News — August 14, 2026 — Texas schools see modest improvement in 2026 A-F ratings. Here's how they fared — https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2026-08-14/texas-education-public-school-rating-tea-2026
- Houston Public Media — August 13, 2026 — 4 HISD schools receive F ratings, Mike Miles says, a year after there were no failing campuses — https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/education/2026/08/13/559474/hisd-accountability-ratings-houston-schools-wheatley-high-school/
- K-12 Dive — Houston ISD stays at B rating in 2025-26 — https://www.k12dive.com/news/houston-isd-stays-at-b-rating-in-2025-26/827960/
- MyRGV.com — October 24, 2025 — Democrat cites Valley roots in bid to challenge Republican Gov. Greg Abbott — https://myrgv.com/local-news/2025/10/24/democrat-cites-valley-roots-in-bid-to-challenge-republican-gov-greg-abbott/

Find us at seeingredpodcast.substack.com for full episodes. Follow us on all socials at @theseeingredpod and online at our website Seeing Red Podcast. x.com/gwfulce 

Garrett Fulce sits down with Peyton Hornberger of the Alliance for Secure AI for a genuinely spirited debate on how (or whether) government should regulate artificial intelligence.

Garrett and Peyton go back and forth on AI policy, data centers, age verification, and what it means that AI agents from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta have all recently "escaped" test environments and hacked into other companies. Then Garrett dives into the Paxton-Talarico Senate race and what shifting prediction markets actually tell us, two major Second Amendment rulings out of Texas courts, and a new legal fight over the state's Ten Commandments classroom law.

**Topics discussed:**
- Inside the Alliance for Secure AI's mission and policy priorities
- Lessons from the "Wild West" of Internet 1.0 and 2.0 applied to AI
- Age verification laws, app stores, and the fight over online anonymity
- Whether AI is becoming a partisan wedge issue heading into 2026
- Data centers, the power grid, and fears the issue becomes "climate change 2.0"
- AI agents going rogue: the OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta cybersecurity incidents
- Betting markets (Kalshi, Polymarket) show a dead-even Paxton vs. Talarico race
- A federal judge guts National Firearms Act registration for suppressors
- Ken Paxton's latest courtroom loss over the State Fair of Texas gun ban
- A new legal challenge to Texas' Ten Commandments classroom law

**Guest:** Peyton Hornberger, Alliance for Secure AI (secureainow.org) — find her on X/Twitter at @peytonhb_

**Sources:**
- *The Texas Tribune* — By Gabby Birenbaum — July 28, 2026 — [Talarico leads Paxton by 5 points in new Texas Senate poll](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/07/28/texas-senate-poll-james-talarico-ken-paxton-july-2026/)
- *Houston Public Media* — By Andrew Schneider — August 4, 2026 — [Another poll shows James Talarico leading Ken Paxton in their race for the U.S. Senate](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/election-2026/2026/08/04/558614/talarico-paxton-poll-senate-texas-southern-university-black-voters/)
- *Fox 7 Austin* — August 7, 2026 — [New Texas polls show a tight Senate race between Talarico and Paxton](https://www.fox7austin.com/news/talarico-paxton-senate-race-polling-august)
- *Associated Press (via Washington Post)* — August 5, 2026 — [Texas judge rules that law regulating firearm suppressors and some guns can't be enforced](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2026/08/05/gun-law-firearms-rifle-silencer-texas-judge/61fecd62-9127-11f1-9fdc-0a725c989a7b_story.html)
- *The Texas Tribune* — By Alex Nguyen — August 6, 2026 — [Appeals court rejects Attorney General Ken Paxton's effort to overturn Texas State Fair gun ban](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/06/texas-state-fair-dallas-gun-ban-paxton-appeals-court-ruling/)
- *Click2Houston/KPRC* — By Christian Hudspeth — August 7, 2026 — [Houston moms lose first round in fight over Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms](https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/08/07/ten-commandments-classroom-mandate-lawsuit-heads-to-injunction-hearing-after-judge-denies-emergency-order/)
- *CNN Business* — July 22, 2026 — [An OpenAI test model escaped and broke into a real company's servers](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/22/tech/openai-hugging-face-ai-cybersecurity)
- *Axios* — July 30, 2026 — [Anthropic says three Claude models reached real-world systems during cyber tests](https://www.axios.com/2026/07/30/anthropic-mythos-security-testing)
- *CNN Business* — August 5, 2026 — [An AI model from Meta also hacked another company during testing](https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/05/tech/meta-ai-hacking)

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open: This Week's Rundown
0:48 Guest: Peyton Hornberger Joins
2:44 AI vs. The Internet 1.0 Playbook
11:30 Age Verification & App Stores
14:27 How Peyton Actually Uses AI
17:29 Is AI Becoming a Voting Issue?
26:44 Data Centers: The Left's Next Cause?
32:40 AI Agents Going Rogue
37:47 Senate Race Betting Markets Flip
42:40 Gun Law Gutted + State Fair Fight
49:27 Ten Commandments Law Challenge

Find us at seeingredpodcast.substack.com for full episodes. Follow us on all socials at @theseeingredpod and online at our website Seeing Red Podcast. x.com/gwfulce 

Texas just shattered its all-time power demand record during a brutal heat wave — and for the first time in years, ERCOT didn't ask anyone to turn down their AC. Former State Senator Drew Springer joins Garrett to break down exactly why, and what's coming next as data centers and AI reshape the Texas grid.

Drew Springer was in the Texas Senate for Winter Storm Uri and helped write the reforms that followed. Now running Springer Financial Services, he comes back on Seeing Red to explain the post-Uri grid overhaul, the Texas Energy Fund, the fight over massive new 765-kilovolt transmission lines, and why the "Wild Wild West" era of data center growth is about to get its first real guardrails from the Legislature. Garrett also breaks down Gov. Abbott's new affordability push and the fresh trouble brewing for Senate candidate James Talarico.

**Topics discussed:**
- Why ERCOT didn't issue conservation alerts during last week's record heat wave
- What actually caused Winter Storm Uri's grid failure — and the SB3 reforms that followed
- 40,000+ megawatts added to the grid since 2021 — wind, solar, batteries, and gas
- The Texas Energy Fund and the push for more reliable, dispatchable power
- What an "interim charge" is and how the real legislative work gets done between sessions
- The fight over 765-kilovolt transmission lines and rural landowners pushing back
- Why data centers took off with zero regulation — and what guardrails are coming
- AI as a national security issue and why banning data centers outright would be a mistake
- How AI could change opportunity for the next generation of Texans

**Guest:** Drew Springer, former Texas State Representative and State Senator; now runs Springer Financial Services. (Social handle not stated in transcript — producer to fill in.)

**Sources:**
- *NATiVE Solar* — [ERCOT Breaks Demand Record July 2026](https://nativesolar.com/ercot-breaks-demand-record-july-2026/)
- *Houston Public Media* — [ERCOT prepares for record demand during Texas heat wave](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/infrastructure/2026/07/22/557719/texas-heat-wave-ercot-power-grid-demand/) — July 22, 2026
- *The Texas Tribune* — [ERCOT forecasts energy demand to double in six years](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/07/29/texas-ercot-power-grid-record-data-center/) — July 29, 2026
- *KXAN Austin* — [Tanya Tucker testifies, sings at Texas Senate committee hearing on massive power line project](https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/tanya-tucker-testifies-sings-at-texas-senate-committee-hearing-on-massive-power-line-project/)
- *The Texas Tribune* — [Texas must rethink massive transmission lines, lawmakers say](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/07/31/texas-transmission-lines-dan-patrick/) — July 31, 2026
- *KERA News* — [Gov. Greg Abbott rolls out initiatives to limit growth in home, car insurance costs](https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2026-07-16/gov-greg-abbott-rolls-out-initiatives-to-limit-growth-in-home-car-insurance-costs) — July 16, 2026
- *The Federalist* — By Matt Kittle — July 28, 2026 — [Mama's Boy Talarico Appears To Have Broken Texas Election Law](https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/28/exclusive-mamas-boy-talarico-appears-to-have-broken-texas-election-law/)
- *The Texas Tribune* — By Gabby Birenbaum — July 28, 2026 — [Talarico leads Paxton by 5 points in new Texas Senate poll](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/07/28/texas-senate-poll-james-talarico-ken-paxton-july-2026/)

Chapters
0:00 Cold open & episode tease
4:36 Welcoming back Drew Springer
6:14 What really caused Uri's grid failure
8:07 Renewables, gas & the new energy mix
9:18 The Texas Energy Fund, explained
11:58 What's an "interim charge"?
13:06 Tanya Tucker sings at the Capitol
14:37 Data centers: Wild West to guardrails
16:52 AI, opportunity & winning the future
18:55 AI is more than chatbots
20:47 The 765-kV lines & the Permian power crunch
21:58 Eminent domain: routes, fairness & the cost of delay
24:34 ERCOT's warning & the severance tax
25:55 Energy Fund + Water Fund: catching up on infrastructure
27:36 Data centers as neighbors: the Childress property tax cut
29:29 The $6 billion incentive math
31:21 Repealing the data center sales tax exemption
32:58 Grayson County: cement plant vs. semiconductors
36:05 Local control & the Death Star Bill
38:37 Life after the lege ($600 a month)
40:07 "Show up at a town hall"
41:45 Solo: Abbott's 5-point property tax plan
49:00 Housing, millennials & why spending cuts matter
52:37 Talarico's residency problem
56:10 Border wall fight in Big Bend
59:55 Reservoirs refill: Corpus Christi's reprieve

Find us at seeingredpodcast.substack.com for full episodes. Follow us on all socials at @theseeingredpod and online at our website Seeing Red Podcast. x.com/gwfulce