The 86th Texas Legislature is about to gavel out, y'all! We learn about zombie bills, WTF "sine die" means, and how special sessions are made with founder of Blue Ocean Strategic Solutions and former legislative staffer Kolby Monnig. Plus, did Ted Cruz do something f*ckable? We'll let you decide. Becky shares her experience testifying before a Texas House committee for the first time, and we start to look beyond the legislative session.

Gun safety and voting rights and abortion, oh my! The end of the 86th Texas Legislature is just a few days away (May 27!) so things are moving at lightning speed over at the Capitol. It's hard to drink from the drama firehouse at this point, but we're trying! Super organizer and Annie's List powerhouse Shellie Hayes-McMahon filled in for Ashley this week and dropped some serious truth bombs about local elections, why representation matters in our cities, and how those of us who aren't people of color can go about making ourselves into allies and accomplices. We talked to shero A'shanti Gholar, who is helping women of color claim the power they deserve with The Brown Girls Guide to Politics. And so much more!

We made a Mother's Day episode without even meaning to! This week we're keepin' pregnant women out of jail, creating art for moms and kids awaiting their asylum hearings, advocating for medical cannabis for more Texans, and trying to protect black and brown lives from an unfair criminal justice system. Good thing we didn't wear mascara today.

This ep accidentally became a tribute to young people because youngin's are doing ALL THE DANG THINGS, Y'ALL (except voting in local elections, derp. Let's please change that this Saturday, May 4, mmmmmkay?). Here's where you can find info about the May 4 local elections: https://my.lwv.org/texas/election-information

We share our experiences from inside the #SheThePeople2020 presidential forum in Houston and also what it was like to be in the media "gaggle" talking to candidates (spoiler: not all candidates are treated equally). Plus, we are pumped about the possibility of cannabis decriminalization in Texas, we are Dallas's #1 fans this week for so many reasons, and we're frustrated about how poor kids aren't being treated well in Texas.

On this week's first ever LIVE podcast, recorded at the Austin Young Democrats meeting at Cheer Up Charlies, we debuted a new game (of thrones) we call "Westeros or Texas?" There are some forehead-smacking similarities... We heard that progressive advocates are being out-organized at the Texas legislature by conservative extremists (YIKES) and how we can start showing up better. Plus, we interviewed one of our ALL-TIME FAV young Democrats, Mason Reid from Texas Rep. James Talarico's office (he's working at the Capitol while finish his senior year of HIGH SCHOOL, y'all). This is a party you don't wanna miss!

Grab your popcorn, 'cuz this week's episode is full of drama. We get into the soap opera of Texas gun extremists vs. "mainstream" Republicans, plus we hear about how Tony Tinderholt wants to kill women (and missed his calling for the WWF), Ashley dance-battles InfoWars in a pink spandex leotard, and Beto's former campaign manager Jody Casey joins us to talk about parenthood and politics. And so much more!

We try to maintain our cool while interviewing shero Wendy Davis about her plans for 2020, lessons learned from 2014, and how a "painfully shy" book-loving little girl grows up to become a modern feminist icon and rabble rouser. Plus, we wade into the "Creepy Uncle Joe"-infested waters and discuss intent vs impact. And we get a primer in how our Texas schools get their dollar bills and learn about HB3, the most comprehensive school funding legislation Texas has passed in decades (no thanks to Rep. Jonathan Stickland, the lone "no" vote). And so much more!

We have major FOMO re: RBG's notorious retirement party. But we console ourselves by planning a road trip to historic Pound Town (formerly known as Dripping Springs). And more!

This might be our fav ep so far. We welcome OITNB actress Ashley Jordyn to talk about #StartByBelieving day April 3 and how we can support survivors. We are FOR HB2789, which would make sending unwanted dick pics a crime, and we are AGAINST SB17, which would make it easier for bigots to discriminate against the LGBTQJ+ community.