Texas Take

The tragic church shooting in South Texas instantly revived debate over gun control in Texas. One question is whether a key to preventing future tragedies might be for more Texans to carry handguns -- on Sundays, to work and everywhere else.

Attorney General Ken Paxton became the first Republican state official to suggest that, a comment that drew former CNN host Piers Morgan to call Paxton "a brainless moron."

Morgan, the British commentator who a lot of Second Amendment supporters in Texas love to hate, is the same guy who several years ago engaged Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on guns in what has become a famous exchange, where Patrick disparaged "northeast Liberals" for making fun of the Lone Star State's 

As the political season ramps up for the filing period for candidates, Texas' congressional delegation continues to make news with retirements and Democrats are still looking for a flagship candidate for governor.

With Mike Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau chief, and Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, it's Texas' leading online podcast about Lone Star politics -- now coming to you in collaboration with Texas Public Radio.

Politicians in Washington are arguing over how to cut taxes, and Texans are suggesting they should quit all the talking and just get it done. Let's not make this another drawn-out debate by Republicans where nothing happens in the end, like the Obamacare repeal, average folks are saying.

Gov. Greg Abbott makes a pitch to Congress to give Texas $61 billion -- yes, that's billion, with a 'b' -- to repair public infrastructure hammered Hurricane Harvey, and he gets a cool reception to any fast approval of such a big amount.

And as the political season ramps up for primary elections next spring, incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick gets a GOP challenger who disagrees with him on public education and school vouchers, among other things. 

With Mike Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau chief, and Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, it's Texas' leading online podcast about Lone Star politics -- now coming to you in collaboration with Texas Public Radio.

Give us a listen by using the player on this page, or even better search for "Texas Take" on Apple Podcasts and click subscribe. You can find us on Stitcher, too.

Texas House Speaker Joe Straus delivered a stunner this week when he announced he will retire from his job as presiding officer. Unlike other top Texas Republicans who retired, he’s not expected anytime soon on Dancing with the Stars. Instead, he may get very involved in the GOP primary. 

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick insists his differences with Straus were never personal, even if it sure sounded that way as recently as Monday with Patrick arguing Straus should change his behavior and stop attacking Gov. Greg Abbott. 

President Donald Trump visits Texas with supporters cheering him and handing over their cash while opponents call him a “liar, liar, liar.” 

And Gov. Abbott thinks he can get the UT and Texas A&M game going again, but that’s easier said than done. 

With Mike Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau chief, and Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, it's Texas' leading online podcast about Lone Star politics -- now coming to you in collaboration with Texas Public Radio. Listen to more of their podcasts on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com.

The President started it all, with some Trump-speak about how some former presidents didn't call the families of dead soldiers to express condolences. After he walked those comments back, Energy Secretary Perry, a veteran himself, called the public controversy over The Donald's remarks as "asinine."

Add a CNN debate between U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Bernie Sanders to a week supposed corruption in the Texas House -- part of a political drama show that's just beginning to unfold, involving the controversial bathroom bill.

That and more on this week's show, the lowdown on all the political entertainment in Austin and Washington -- and what it all means to average Texans.

With Mike Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau chief, and Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, it's Texas' leading online podcast about Lone Star politics -- now coming to you in collaboration with Texas Public Radio. Listen to more of their podcasts on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com.

An angry Gov. Greg Abbott takes on fellow Republicans in the U.S. House for getting "rolled" by not demanding that Texas gets an additional $18 billion now in Hurricane Harvey relief funding.

And former top Trump adviser Steve Bannon says he's fixin' to unseat all Republican U.S. senators except Texan Ted Cruz, as U.S. Rep. Al Green of Houston files paperwork to impeach Donald Trump for . . . well, being Trump.

That and more on this week's show, the lowdown on all the political entertainment in Austin and Washington -- and what it all means to average Texans.

With Mike Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau chief, and Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, it's Texas' leading online podcast about Lone Star politics -- now coming to you in collaboration with Texas Public Radio.

The worst shooting massacre in modern U.S. history sparks an intense new debate over gun control, including a ban on "bump stocks" that can make rifles function like an automatic weapon.

Gov. Greg Abbott shuts down complaints in Houston about the pace of Hurricane Harvey recovery by writing the Bayou City a $50 million check.

And Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to terminate gerrymandering.

That and more on this week's show, the lowdown on all the political action under the Pink Dome in Austin -- and what it means to Texans.

 With Mike Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau chief, and Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, comes Texas' leading online podcast about Lone Star politics -- now coming to you in collaboration with Texas Public Radio.

 If you thought (or hoped) the mention of the controversial "bathroom bill" would never come up again, think again.

In competing to snare the location of Amazon's second headquarters, a mega-big get for whichever city the online retail giant selects, several Texas competitors including Houston, Dallas and Austin have wondered whether their bids might be crimped by Texas' dalliance with a new law limiting bathroom access to a person's birth gender.

To be sure, the legislation failed to be approved in both the regular and special legislative sessions. But supporters have suggested it might be filed again in 2019, not a good sign to Amazon that was among many large Fortune 500 corporations that dislike discriminatory laws like that that and warned Gov. Greg Abbott against making the controversial idea law.

Dallas business tycoon Mark Cuban is among those who think that even the possibility of Texas' considering the measure again could drop-kick any Lone Star State site from the list of finalists.

From the supporters, there were crickets.

Then came the new controversy over NFL teams kneeling during the National Anthem to protest police brutality, racial bias, U.S. foreign policy, President Trump, you name it. "Taking a knee has become the latest craze after Trump blasted pro football players, which prompted entire teams -- including the Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones -- to drop on one to show their support for free speech.

U.S. Rep. Shiela Jackson Lee, D-Houston, took a knee in the U.S. House to show her support, followed by other lawmakers.

Former Land Commissioner Garry Mauro irritated some fellow Democrats by suggesting that the party in Texas that hasn't held statewide office in two decades, and that so far has been unable to sign up a sparkling sure-thing candidate to run for governor, maybe should concentrate its efforts on lower-ballot races that they might be able to win.

You know, targeting Republicans like indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton. Or U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who Democrats hate more than almost anyone. Or Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who has developed a bad habit of making headlines for stupid things he says or does.

Then there was the unpleasantness between Gov. Greg Abbott and Houston Mayor Sylvester over Hurricane Harvey recovery funds -- and how fast they were, or weren't arriving in the Bayou City.

You really can't make up stuff this good.

From Mike Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau chief, and Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, comes Texas' leading online podcast about Lone Star politics -- now coming to you in collaboration with Texas Public Radio. We've got the lowdown on all the political action under the Pink Dome in this week's Texas Take, a weekly insiders look at Texas politics -- and what it means to average Texans.

AUSTIN -- There are weeks when no one seems happy, especially when public officials are giving them such good reasons to be grouchy.

Take Gordy Bunch, who heads The Woodlands township board, suggested at a community meeting that the Confederate statutes being pulled down across Texas cold find a new home in his happy community.

Make that formerly happy.

Within two days, Bunch was backing up on that offer faster than greased lightning. Someone went to the woodshed in The Woodlands, we'd guess.

Next came the nomination of Jeff Mateer for a federal judgeship in the Lone Star State. Critics quickly pointed out that he had once called the LGBT agenda "Satan's plan."

And then the Texas Railroad Commission, always a fun group, went public with a nasty family spat over the future of executive director Kimberly Corley. Seems that Commission Chairman Christi Craddick met with Corley and told her to look for work elsewhere, unbeknownst to the other two commissioners.

Not good, said miffed Commissioner Ryan Sitton, who quizzed Craddick in a public meeting about what happened, at one labeling Craddick a "dictator." He then filed a request for an opinion from Attorney General Ken Paxton about whether Craddick overstepped her authority.

For her part, Corley turned in her resignation letter effective Nov. 7, enough time for the commission to have another blowout or two in public over Craddick's handling of her departure. 

Finally, state Rep. Dawnna Dukes, the Austin Democrat who is under indictment on corruption charges, provided this capper: She spent $51,000 on an online psychic, appeared for work at the Capitol impaired and hid a cellphone from investigators.

In a case straight from TMZ, with all its twists and turns so far, this is a new one.

You really can't make up stuff this good.

From Mike Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau chief, and Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, comes Texas' leading online podcast about Lone Star politics -- now coming to you in collaboration with Texas Public Radio. We've got the lowdown on all the political action under the Pink Dome in this week's Texas Take, a weekly insiders look at Texas politics -- and what it means to average Texans.

With the recovery from Hurricane Harvey ramping up to full speed in Texas, the first political shots were fired over Washington's approval of an initial aid package for Texas -- and why four U.S. Texas congressmen voted against it. They're all from Dallas-Fort Worth and North Texas.

At the same time, Gov. Greg Abbott was confident that additional federal funding will soon be on its way to bolster the recovery in the Lone Star State, where Harvey cut a 300-mile swath of devastation along the Texas coast, from Corpus Christi to Houston and points east.

Though it's been called a once-in-a-thousand-years storm, it's the third in a decade.

Along with the federal disaster aid, Abbott and other Texas leaders seem to be together in using several billion dollars from the state's so-called Rainy Day Fund -- its $10 billion savings account -- for the recovery. A final decision on just how much is needed may await the Texas Legislature's return to Austin for its next regularly scheduled legislative session in January 2019.

Add to the week's political chatter a U.S. Supreme Court decision most likely leaving Texas' current legislative boundary maps in place for next year's elections. Those maps are the ones drawn by the Republican-controlled legislature that have been facing legal challenges for years over court findings that they discriminate against Hispanic and African-American voters.

And then there's Miss Texas, who was asked at the Miss America pageant about President Donald Trump's lack of a strong enough denunciation of the neo-Nazi demonstrators after a protest over a Confederate monument in Charlottesville, Va., turned deadly. It took her 15 seconds to blister The Donald on national TV.

This is Texas. You can't make up stuff this good.

From Mike Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau chief, and Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, comes Texas' leading online podcast about Lone Star politics -- now coming to you in collaboration with Texas Public Radio. We've got the lowdown on all the political action under the Pink Dome in this week's Texas Take, a weekly insiders look at Texas politics -- and what it means to average Texans.

Just when Texans were getting past their hurricane fears from the destructive Harvey, a stronger Irma was bearing down on Florida -- and Jose and Katia were churning away in tropical waters with no threat to the Gulf Coast.

As the cleanup in devastated Houston and a 350-mile stretch of the Texas coast got underway, Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp was named the state's recovery czar by Gov. Greg Abbott to oversee the restoration of public infrastructure that sustained at least $432.9 million in damage -- $101.6 million in Houston alone, with the tab growing by the day.

Abbott says he expects the final damage figure from Harvey to top $150 billion -- with a 'b' -- and continues to be confident that Washington will make good on its promises to fully fund Texas' full recovery, after the most expensive hurricane in history.

The most expensive, probably, until the more powerful Irma hits the Sunshine State.

With Abbott pushing hard to get the Lone Star recovery underway, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is praising the can-do spirit of storm-damaged Texans to get clean up their homes and businesses, and get back to work and normal lives.

But lines at the gas pumps, traffic gridlock in Houston from still-flooded expressways and mountains of storm debris may delay that normalcy for some time in the hardest-hit areas, even as the the recovery seems to be moving ahead with bipartisan support -- and absolutely none of the political rancor evident on a number of other issues before Harvey blew in.

Still, politicians are fighting over the Trump Administration decision to repeal an immigration sidestep known as DACA, and over court decisions regarding Texas' ban on sanctuary cities, redistricting, voter ID and voter rights, among other things.

Add to that some nasty Republican primary challenges for Senate and House seats, including one where Angela Paxton, the wife of Attorney General Ken Paxton, has announced she is running for a state Senate seat against a fellow tea party conservative Republican named Phillip Huffines.

While Huffines -- the twin brother of state Sen. Don Huffines -- has announced support from a Who's Who of conservative Republican luminaries. But Angela Paxton, with strong supporters of her own, also has her song.

In 2015, about the time her husband was indicted for alleged securities violations, she was a hit with a song she wrote and played at GOP functions. 

"I'm a pistol packin' mama and my husband sues Obama."

This is Texas. You can't make up stuff this good.

We've got the lowdown on all the political action under the Pink Dome in this week's Texas Take, a weekly insiders look at Texas politics  -- in what it means to average Texans.

From Mike Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau chief, and Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, comes Texas' leading online podcast about Lone Star politics -- now coming to you in collaboration with Texas Public Radio.