Y'all-itics

Can you honestly say Austin is still ‘weird’? Many now say it’s unaffordable with terrible traffic and a skyline that keeps ascending. Has all of that destroyed what made the city such a cool, hip place? Austin has had cultural booms and busts before. But can it recover from the explosive growth it’s experiencing now? The Jasons shared a beer with Author Alex Hannaford, an Austinite for 20 years who just released a book titled Lost In Austin, documenting where the capitol city went wrong – and what it can do to salvage what made it so special.

GUEST

Alex Hannaford, Author

Ted Cruz and Colin Allred are facing off in their first -- and only -- televised debate of their 2024 campaigns to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate. The debate moderators are WFAA senior political reporter Jason Whitely and Dallas Morning News political writer Gromer Jeffers.

When have three letters ever caused such a stink? Propositions S, T and U on the November 5 ballot in Dallas would, among other things, force the city of Dallas to hire more police officers and open city leaders up to citizen-led lawsuits. Dozens of former mayors and city leaders recently came out against the propositions, arguing they would cripple Dallas for years, if not decades. In this episode of Y’all-itics, former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk tells the Jasons why he thinks passing the charter amendments would be like rolling a hand grenade into City Hall and destroying it, and why the effort to fight them isn’t too little, too late.

Guest

Ron Kirk, Former Dallas Mayor

There may not be any official courtrooms just yet. There aren’t even enough judges. But the new Business Court in Texas is up and running. And you can’t have Texas’ version of Wall Street, “Y’all Street,” without it. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons sit down with attorney David Harper from the huge Texas law firm Haynes and Boone. Harper explains why the court is needed, how it’s operating without any physical space to call its own and why big businesses involved in big disputes don’t want to be standing in line in district court behind a bunch of car crash cases.

Guest

David Harper, Haynes and Boone

Location

Jaquval Brewing Company

312 W Seventh St, Dallas, TX 75208

America is divided, there’s no question about it. So, how do we go about fixing our problems with so many extremes on both sides? What if it was as easy as calling an engineer, instead of a politician? We’re doing just that in this episode of Y’all-itics. Texas author William Taggart examined some of the largest issues facing our country, but searched for solutions through the eyes of an engineer. The end result? A completely different way to view some of the most intractable issues dividing the nation.

Guest

William Taggart, Author

We told you back in February how the state of Texas, last year, abandoned a fraud-fighting database that is designed to catch repeat voters and keep voter rolls accurate. And Texas pulled out without finding a replacement. Fast forward seven MORE months, and Texas still hasn’t found a replacement for the Electronic Registration Information Center, ERIC, because none really exists. And in this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons are joined once again by Jessica Huseman, editorial director of Votebeat, who explains why that could make our voter rolls “dirty” this November.

Guest

Jessica Huseman, Votebeat Editorial Director

Location

Community Beer Co. / 3110 Commonwealth Dr. Dallas, TX 75247

It has been 48 hours since the first Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. But has anything really changed since the fiery exchange? In this early release episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons discuss whether the political needle is moving at all here in Texas with WFAA Political Producer Berna Dean Steptoe and Fort Worth Star Telegram columnist Bud Kennedy.

Guests

Berna Dean Steptoe, WFAA Political Producer

Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star Telegram

The fundraising figures for Kamala Harris’ bid for President are staggering. $310 Million in July. Another $361 Million in August. She could raise more than $1 Billion before Election Day and she didn’t start until late July. But that money has to come from somewhere… and someone has to get it. In this episode of Y’all-itics, one of Texas’ most prolific Democratic fundraisers sits down with the Jasons to explain why Texas is a political ATM, why fundraising is an art form and how two extremes are fueling political contributions.

Guest

Erika Barrera, Barrera Consulting Group

It is ambitious. It is far reaching. And it is also quite expensive, with a price tag of up to $54.5 Billion. But why now? In this episode of Y’all-itics, the chairwoman of the Texas Water Development Board and the chair of the Texas Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs explain the state’s first ever flood plan, why the price tag is so high, and why the dangers facing millions of Texans will only get worse.

2024 State Flood Plan: https://www.twdb.texas.gov/flood/planning/sfp/doc/2024_State_Flood_Plan_Volume_I.pdf?d=602725.3999999762

Guests

Brooke Paup, Chairwoman/Texas Water Development Board

Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), Chair/Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs

The Y'all-itics's guide to the biggest race in Texas this November. In this episode, you’ll hear interviews from both candidates; Cruz making a case for six more years and Allred explaining why voters need to make a change.