The Civics Lab

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In this Quick Take, we sat down with Claire Campos-O'Neal, a candidate for state representative from an Austin district.  She discusses her passion for education and the way more women can run for office.   And check out Cosmic on South Congress!

Websites:

https://www.clairefortexas.com/

https://annieslist.com/

https://www.raiseyourhandtexas.org/

https://www.cosmiccoffeebeer.com/

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Civic Arts is an organization that promotes equity, justice, and civic engagement through the arts. We sat down with Civic Arts' Executive Director Lynn Osgood to hear her thoughts on the state of civics in America, how we can make engagement more inclusive, and how civics and art go together and inspire communities.

Civic Arts website is:  https://www.civicarts.org

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Ross Ramsey.  co-founder and chief editor of the Texas Tribune, sat down in the Civics Lab Studio this week.  A lively and information conversation, Ramsey shares his thoughts on the state of Texas politics.  We cover the primary voter turnout, controversial statements by statewide leaders, how Denton in the 1970's ended up passing liquor laws and whether Blue Bell Ice Cream is worth fighting over  Plus much more!  React to the conversation on our twitter feed:  @thecivicslab

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We did a quick take with Erika Thompson (@texasbeeworks), founder of Texas Beeworks and professional bee keeper, along with advocates from UT  and the community, on a recent Austin City Council to make Austin a Bee City.  What's a Bee City?  Have a listen!  If you want to know more about the work Erika Thompson is conducting, take a look at her profile article in Texas Monthly.  https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/erika-thompson-beekeeper-tiktok/

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In this episode, the Civics Lab team discusses the recent questions of Republican leadership and the Jan. 6 insurrection, SCOTUS vacancy,  Religion in Politics and the Russian threat to the Ukraine.  Join us this week for a great conversation in the Civics Lab.

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In this episode, we discuss the nature and scope of civics education.  We sit down with Braver Angels, Generation Citizen, and the Holy Cross Institute, as we explore what it means to be a citizen and how education plays a vital role in shaping our character and identity.  

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What do fishing, clean water, public land access, and conservation all have in common? That's the topic of today's discussion as we sat down with Trout Unlimited's Greg McReynolds, who arguably has the coolest job title in America, Intermountain Regional Director of the Angler Conservation Program. In the episode we discuss: what Trout Unlimited is and what they aim to accomplish, Mr. McReynolds role in Trout Unlimited, why people who don't fish should care about native populations and clean water access, how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted participation in the outdoors, and so much more!

To learn more about Trout Unlimited head over to their website https://www.tu.org/

Respond to this episode of The Civics Lab @TheCivicsLab on Instagram and Twitter. Stay tuned for our next episode as we sit down with Generation Citizen and Braver Angels to discuss what the term civics means and why it's paramount to our society. 

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On this episode, we had a conversation with Andrew Allison, chair and member of the group Austinites for Progressive Reform. We discuss 5 Propositions on the May Ballot, ones that Austinites for Progressive reform introduced and are advocating for. Some of these propositions: moving to a mayor-council form of government, rank choice voting, and "Democracy Dollars", will drastically change the way the City of Austin conducts its day to day operations, or more importantly, shape the way it governs moving forward. To learn more about Austinites for Progressive Reform and propositions D, E, F, G, and H, head to their website austinprogress.org. 

Respond to this weeks episode of The Civics Lab @TheCivicsLab on Instagram and Twitter.   Stay tuned for our next episode as we dive deeper into the meaning of "civics", what it encompasses, and why it  is paramount to our democratic society. 

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On this episode, we had a conversation with James Barragan, reporter for the Dallas Morning News who covers Texas politics and the Texas Legislature. Days after the historic winter storm that blew through Texas, we discussed power outages across the state, ERCOT hearings at the Capitol, how the Covid-19 Pandemic has affected how reporters like himself receive information and cover the legislative session, the importance of free press in our society, and much more. 

Respond to this weeks episode of The Civics Lab @TheCivicsLab on Instagram and Twitter.   Stay tuned for our next episode as we talk with Austinites for Progressive Reform on the future of Austin's city government, what reforms and amendments they are pushing, and how a change in Austin's government could affect the state as a whole.