TXLege

Dr. Stuart gives a short update on where some of the session's most important legislation stands in the process. Will it pass or not?

The hottest national issue has now come to Texas: will biological males be allowed to participate in girls' sports? Our guest is our regular host: the head of the Austin Institute's policy shop, executive director Dr. Kevin E. Stuart, who has been back and forth to the Capitol multiple times on this issue during the session. He brings us up to speed with a quick primer on the legislation, the testimony the legislature is hearing, and the science behind it all.

Melissa Moschella- Dualism, Transgender Identity Claims, & False Hope of Gender Reassignment Therapy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf9A_MhXkQs

"When Harry Became Sally" Responding to the Transgender Moment by Ryan T. Anderson

https://www.encounterbooks.com/books/when-harry-became-sally-responding-to-the-transgender-moment/

There are lots of opinions about whether or not churches should be exempt from shutdown orders, but what does the science say? Dr. Kevin Stuart leads us through the studies of the effects of religious belief and church participation on everything from anxiety, depression, and overall mental health to cholesterol and cancer. In the Covid pandemic, churches were treated like restaurants and bars... this episode is about how they're different.

Dr. Joe Pojman of Texas Alliance for Life joins us for a wide-ranging discussion of the status of the law in Texas regarding abortions and the prospects for additional pro-life legislation in the current session. Where have things been, where are they now, and where are they going? Is now the time to try to ban abortion? How will the new Supreme Court factor in? We ask Dr. Pojman all that and more.

https://www.texasallianceforlife.org/texas-alliance-for-life-legislative-priorities-for-the-87th-legislature/

Texas has over 100,000 kids in contact with the child welfare system, which just a few years ago was one of the most broken and abusive systems in the country. Andrew Brown of the Texas Public Policy Foundation joins us to talk about the effort to make it better and even transform Texas's foster system into a national leader.

Links:

“Do No Harm” podcast by NBC and Wondery:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3myfFNASUuE7Aoy6Y93RiG

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services: Community-Based Care:

https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Protection/Foster_Care/Community-Based_Care/default.asp

Family First Act (preventing children from needing to enter into the foster care system by supporting families)

https://familyfirstact.org

Texas Public Policy Foundation’s work on the family:

https://www.texaspolicy.com/issues/?issues=family

How will the legislature's debate on the $250B Texas budget affect you and your family? What can we do to help those hardest hit in the current economy? How should a conservative think about social policy and welfare programs? Our wide-ranging interview with the chief economist at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Dr. Vance Ginn.

Minimum Wage debate the Austin Institute hosted, featuring Professor Jonathan Meer from the Department of Economics at Texas A&M: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puPXbYFTV6A

Welcome to our new Podcast, TXLege, your source of information on the decisions and policies that are made and will affect families in Texas while the Texas state legislature is in session!

This intro episode is a little on the dry side because it lays out some of the basic structures of Texas government. Feel free to skip to Episode 2 and get right into the issues when it is released.

In this episode, Dr. Kevin Stuart, Executive Director of the Austin Institute, breaks down how the Texas state legislature operates and shares insight into policies being discussed: budget, redistricting and sex education. More topics to be discussed in the coming weeks!