The Texan Podcast

This week on The Texan’s “Weekly Roundup,” the team discusses the end of the third special session and calls from elected officials for a fourth, more lawmaker retirements, tuition revenue bonds for public universities, attrition in the Austin Police Department, local news workers fired due to their vaccination status, a progressive group in Austin leading the charge on many of the city’s controversial reforms, all 8 propositions currently on the ballot, and the latest in the whistleblower lawsuit against Attorney General Ken Paxton.

This week on The Texan’s “Weekly Roundup,” the team discusses Governor Abbott’s latest vaccine mandate ban after mounting GOP pressure, the U.S. opening the border with Mexico and Canada for fully vaccinated non-essential travelers, Trump placing pressure on the Texas House speaker to pass an election audit bill, an Abbott primary challenger affecting state agency policy, backlogs at Southwest Airlines, a pilot seeking a vaccine exemption at United Airlines, issues within the Texas foster care system for children without placement, the Texas House approving its redistricting maps, a bill requiring public school athletes to compete according to their biological sex making progress in the legislature, and yet another lawmaker retirement.

This week on The Texan’s “Weekly Roundup,” the team discusses our reporter’s firsthand account of a press conference with Gov. Greg Abbott and a litany of other GOP governors at the Texas border, the latest on the legal challenges to the Texas Heartbeat Act, updates on efforts to finalize redistricting maps in the legislature, why lawmakers are still talking about the power grid, candidates lining up to challenge Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, the House and Senate at odds over a new agenda item from the governor, comparisons between schools with and without mask mandates, a recap of the debacle in Del Rio, a GOP Texas senator receiving opposition from Trump, and an update on the sanctuary city for the unborn movement.

Today, The Texan reporters talk through newly released Texas House and congressional redistricting maps, border plans from Texas’ GOP candidates for governor, two special elections to fill Texas House seats, the lieutenant governor wading into senate races, COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the Texas National Guard, how Texas universities rank according to free speech metrics, the secretary of state responding to Trump’s request for an audit of the 2020 election, what the blocking of family unit illegal alien deportations will mean for Texas, and how rural hospitals may have to pause birthing services due to vaccine mandates and employee attrition. 

This week on The Texan’s “Weekly Roundup,” the team details the start of the third special session of the 87th legislature, newly proposed redistricting maps, four lawmaker retirements, a familiar name jumping back into contention for a Texas Senate seat, a doctor sued under the newly implemented Heartbeat bill, an update on the border crisis in Del Rio, developments in the Paxton whistleblower lawsuit, the federal government's investigation of mask prohibitions in Texas public schools, and a high profile Democrat preparing for a run for governor.

This week on The Texan’s “Weekly Roundup,” the team discusses the latest candidate to jump in the race for Texas attorney general, a quorum-breaking lawmaker donating her per diem to Planned Parenthood, how the third special session could affect the governor’s reelection campaign, the latest on the Texas border wall, an update from the Austin police chief as homicide numbers spike in the city, the scheduling of a Texas House runoff election, conflict between gubernatorial candidates over the storage of nuclear waste, controversy over mask mandates at a Central Texas school district, and a lawsuit that highlights the growing problem of foster children without placement.

This week on The Texan’s “Weekly Roundup,” the team discusses the upcoming third special session, the controversial election reform bill finally signed by the governor, lawsuits taking aim at the Heartbeat Bill, fundraising numbers from Democrats who fled the state to prevent a quorum, an Austin-based company looking to aid those seeking abortions, the details surrounding the arrest of Allen West’s wife, what the latest COVID-19 hospitalization numbers mean for Texas, how the state has fared in terms of tax collections in 2021, record breaking lottery sales, where the state’s takeover of Houston ISD stands, a Samsung plant coming to Central Texas with help from taxpayers, and finally — in another “Today in Texas History” segment — the 1900 hurricane that ravaged Galveston.

This week on The Texan’s “Weekly Roundup,” the team talks through new bills that went into effect in Texas this week, election reform finally making its way to the governor’s desk, what to expect during the final days of the second special session, the U.S. Supreme Court allowing implementation of the Heartbeat bill, efforts to strip Democrats of their leadership positions after they fled the state, a new Democrat-led redistricting lawsuit, school districts taking new approaches to mask mandates, TxDOT parting ways with a vendor after millions of dollars of overcharges were billed to customers, and Bexar County’s ongoing battle with the state over mask requirements.

This week on The Texan’s “Weekly Roundup,” reporter Holly Hansen joins us from Houston to talk about vaccine incentives in Harris County. Additionally, the team breaks down the election reform bill finally on the floor of the Texas House, San Antonio ISD's vaccine requirement for staff, the Supreme Court's ruling on the “remain in Mexico policy,” a new report following an internal investigation from the attorney general’s office, border wall funding, Austin business owners taking aim at the city’s implementation of a public camping ban, the Texas House looking to provide funding for virtual learning, and new rule proposals that look to punish future quorum breakers.

State Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler) joined The Texan’s reporter Daniel Friend to discuss the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the ensuing chaos in Kabul.