Y'all-itics

EARLY RELEASE: You might not know his name and likely have trouble pronouncing it, but you’d better get to know Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. He has led some landmark legal cases from college sports to concert tickets. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court just ruled in his favor with a precedent setting decision that bans gender affirming care for minors. In a recent trip to Texas, Skrmetti stopped by the Y’all-itics studio to see the Jasons, defend his work and make a ruling on Texas or Tennessee BBQ.

Guest:

Jonathan Skrmetti / Tennessee Attorney General

On the June 15 episode, former Congressman Colin Allred, a Dallas Democrat, tells ITP that he is close to making a decision on whether to run for U.S. Senate. But what would be different about a 2026 campaign than the one he ran last year against Ted Cruz? Plus, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick defends the legislature's THC ban as Gov. Abbott faces political pressure to veto it this week. Patrick also reveals two more issues he wants lawmakers to tackle - to make Texas more affordable. And colleagues called her relentless in the legislature. State Rep. Aicha Davis - a freshman and a Democrat - got 15 bills passed – 11 going to the governor.

Guests

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick / R-Texas

Former U.S. Congressman Colin Allred / D-Dallas

State Rep. Aicha Davis / D-DeSoto

There’s a lot in play politically as we go into the summer. Will the legislature’s THC ban become law or get vetoed this month? Will Texas lawmakers come back for a special session next month at the request of President Trump? Every Texas legislature has gotten more conservative than the past. In this episode, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick discusses his priorities that passed, pushback and what he’s coming back for next session.

GUEST:

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, R-Texas

Now that the 89th Texas Legislative Session is over in Texas, the Y’all-itics team decided to revisit a report that ranked the Lone Star State DEAD LAST in personal freedom. In this rewind episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons were joined by Dr. William Ruger, a Texas native himself, who prepares the “Freedom in the 50 States” report for the Cato Institute. This episode originally aired on January 7, 2024.

“Freedom in the 50 States” 2023 report| Cato Institute: https://www.freedominthe50states.org/

Guest

William Ruger, CATO Institute

Keeping the lights on in Texas already ain’t cheap. Now, you can expect another surcharge on your electric bill. Four years after a severe winter storm nearly led to the total collapse of the Texas grid, the state is now allowing transmission utilities to produce plans to “harden” their equipment against a hodgepodge of threats like tree limbs, stronger storms, wildfires, and even hackers and substation saboteurs. The Jasons go to the headquarters of the largest utility in Texas to get details on the first resilience plan to be filed with the state… a $3 billion blueprint. How will it keep your lights on? And how will it be paid for?

Guest

Brian Lloyd, VP of Regulatory Policy for Oncor

Texas’ explosive population growth is putting immense pressure on the state’s largest cities and metropolitan areas. If you’re one of the nine out of 10 Texans who live in or visit these cities, you’ve likely already dealt firsthand with some of the challenges. Nearly 200 researchers and business leaders produced a plan to build better cities in the future. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons are joined by one of the lead researchers for the “Texas Metropolitan Blueprint” who explains why they took it to lawmakers in Austin and what’s at stake if those same lawmakers do nothing.

Guest

Steven Pedigo, Faculty Director/LBJ Urban Lab at The University of Texas at Austin

It’s not officially a campaign but Beto O’Rourke is touring the state and talking to Texans again. So, is he preparing to launch a new campaign in 2026? In our conversation with him, we couldn’t help but notice that it sounds like he’s moving more towards the middle now.

Guest

Beto O’Rourke, Former U.S. Congressman, D-El Paso

The Trump Administration’s budget cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have meteorologists and forecasters sounding the alarm about the impact on public safety. Some former NWS directors even warn that more cuts could lead to unnecessary deaths during severe weather events, such as hurricanes and tornadoes. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons share a pint with renowned Texas meteorologist Troy Kimmel who told them he thinks the cuts are already impacting safety.

Guest

Troy Kimmel, Meteorologist

More and more Americans are considering decamping from the USA and moving overseas… permanently. And a former Texas resident is leading the way. We first introduced you to Jana Lynn Sanchez last November when she announced she was leaving Fort Worth to move to The Netherlands after Donald Trump’s re-election. Nearly six months later, her new company, GTFO Tours, is, literally, helping people “GTFO” out of the country. Sanchez joined the Jasons to explain how it all works, and who is best suited for relocation.

* Warning: this episode contains adult language

Guest

Jana Lynn Sanchez, Texas Expatriate

You can be sued for sharing thoughts, opinions, or even facts. But Texas law protects you against frivolous lawsuits meant to intimidate you into shutting up. However, a proposed bill now threatens to weaken that protection. That has united some odd bedfellows to save the law.

Spoiler alert: At the end of this podcast, the staggering legal fees one lawmaker is owed after he was sued and invoked this very law. Our guest is Laura Lee Prather, a Texas attorney and fierce free speech advocate now leading the charge to protect a law that's now in jeopardy.

Guest: Laura Lee Prather, Attorney/Partner/Chair of Media Law Practice Group, Haynes Boone