Texas Talks

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 135 - “Your Texas Miracle Has Become My Texas Nightmare” | Texas 2036 | John Hryhorchuk Oct 30, 2026

Show notes

Texas has experienced extraordinary economic growth over the past 25 years, but are Texans actually feeling the benefits?

John Hryhorchuk, Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Texas 2036, returns to Texas Talks with Brad Swail to discuss the organization's latest statewide polling, the issues motivating Texas voters, and the policy challenges facing lawmakers ahead of the 2027 legislative session.

Despite decades of economic expansion, Texas 2036's polling reveals a growing disconnect between the state's economic success and how residents feel about their own lives. Only 52% of surveyed voters believe they have personally benefited from Texas's growth, while 67.7% say they are extremely or very concerned about the future.

John explains what these findings reveal about affordability, economic opportunity, and voters' confidence in their ability to control their own futures. He also examines the surprising areas of agreement between Republicans and Democrats, particularly on education, health care, and infrastructure.

Education emerges as one of the strongest priorities in the polling, with voters emphasizing the importance of children reading and performing math at grade level. The conversation explores why education has risen in importance, how attitudes toward border security have shifted, and what these changes could mean for the next legislative session.

Health care affordability is another major concern. John discusses widespread dissatisfaction with the current system, growing support for price transparency and oversight of health care consolidation, and the rising insurance costs facing Texas teachers.

The discussion then turns to water, electricity, and the rapid expansion of data centers across Texas. While data centers receive significant public attention, Texas 2036's polling suggests voters are more strongly motivated by broader concerns about affordable electricity, reliable water infrastructure, and everyday quality of life.

Brad and John also explore how Texas government agencies can better coordinate their data to improve services, evaluate education and workforce outcomes, and help policymakers respond more quickly to changing economic conditions.

Finally, they examine the growing influence of artificial intelligence in classrooms and the workforce, the importance of career and technical education, and the challenges of preparing students for jobs that may look very different in the years ahead.

As Texas approaches its bicentennial in 2036, the conversation raises a fundamental question: Can the state translate its remarkable economic growth into a better quality of life for all Texans?

Join Brad Swail and John Hryhorchuk on Texas Talks for a data-driven discussion about the future of Texas and the decisions facing its elected leaders.

00:00 - Opening: What Texas Voters Think About Data Centers

00:26 - Introducing John Hryhorchuk and Texas 2036

03:27 - The Texas Miracle: Are Texans Benefiting From Growth?

06:46 - Political Divisions, Economic Confidence and Voter Priorities

11:23 - Education Becomes a Top Priority for Texas Voters

14:57 - Why 67.7% of Texans Are Concerned About the Future

20:10 - Healthcare Affordability and Growing Support for Reform

25:39 - Rising Health Insurance Costs for Texas Teachers

27:07 - Data Centers, Water Infrastructure and Electricity Costs

33:09 - Government Accountability and Connecting State Agency Data

39:18 - Artificial Intelligence, Education and Workforce Readiness

44:59 - Texas 2036's Priorities for the 2027 Legislative Session

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Ep. 134 - AI Data Center Boom Is a Bubble — Texas Can’t Build Power Fast Enough | Dr. Joshua Rhodes Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

Can Texas produce enough electricity to power the artificial intelligence revolution, or are the state's massive data center projections creating an infrastructure bubble?

Dr. Joshua Rhodes, a research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, nonresident fellow at Columbia University, founding partner of IdeaSmiths LLC, and host of the Energy Capital podcast, joins Brad Swail on Texas Talks to examine the future of Texas' electricity grid, the explosive growth of AI data centers, and the challenges facing ERCOT.

Rhodes discusses the current state of the Texas power grid, including improvements made since Winter Storm Uri and remaining concerns about natural gas supply during extreme weather. He explains how new solar generation and battery storage helped Texas manage record electricity demand without the dramatic price spikes that have accompanied previous summer peaks.

The conversation then turns to projections suggesting Texas could need approximately 400 gigawatts of electricity capacity to accommodate future demand. Rhodes argues that reaching those levels within the proposed timeframe would require an unprecedented expansion of power generation, transmission infrastructure, manufacturing capacity, and construction resources.

Brad and Joshua explore whether the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and data centers resembles an economic bubble, what happens if proposed projects never materialize, and whether excess power generation could ultimately benefit ordinary Texans through lower electricity prices.

They also discuss the potential of small modular nuclear reactors and geothermal energy, the rising cost of natural gas turbines and transformers, and the question of who should pay for the infrastructure required by large technology companies.

Beyond electricity demand, the discussion examines community concerns surrounding data center water consumption, cooling systems, noise pollution, local tax incentives, and the economic benefits these facilities can provide.

Finally, Rhodes explains ERCOT's Batch Zero process, recent efforts to bring greater accountability to large-load connection requests, and what he hopes the 90th Texas Legislature will prioritize when developing future energy policies.

From nuclear power and grid reliability to artificial intelligence, data centers, and electricity costs, this episode explores how Texas can balance economic growth, technological innovation, and affordable, reliable energy without placing unnecessary burdens on everyday Texans.

Watch Texas Talks with Brad Swail for an in-depth conversation about the future of energy in the Lone Star State.

00:00 — Can Texas Meet 400GW of Electricity Demand?

00:19 — Introduction to Dr. Joshua Rhodes

01:51 — Why Rhodes Studies the Texas Power Grid

03:44 — ERCOT and Lessons from Winter Storm Uri

06:16 — Texas' Record Electricity Demand

08:53 — Data Centers and the 400GW Forecast

11:54 — Why ERCOT's Demand Projections Are So High

14:15 — How Much Electricity Demand Is Realistic?

16:07 — Is the AI Data Center Boom a Bubble?

19:10 — Small Modular Nuclear Reactors and Geothermal Energy

21:14 — Could Overbuilding Power Plants Lower Electricity Prices?

25:55 — Rising Infrastructure Costs and Electric Bills

29:02 — Data Center Water Consumption and Noise

32:54 — Data Center Tax Breaks and Local Economic Benefits

36:00 — ERCOT's Batch Zero Process and SB 6

37:42 — Governor Abbott's Data Center Audit

40:40 — What Should the 90th Texas Legislature Do?

43:51 — Energy Subsidies and Market Competition

44:40 — Future Energy Policy and Closing Thoughts

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Ep. 133 - Should Texas Build a Statewide Prosecutor for One County? | Rep. Carl Tepper Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

Texas State Representative Carl Tepper joins Brad Swail on Texas Talks to discuss some of the major issues being examined by the House Select Committee on Governmental Oversight.

Tepper discusses the committee’s examination of district attorneys and criminal prosecution, including the scrutiny surrounding the Travis County District Attorney’s Office and possible approaches lawmakers could consider during the 90th Texas Legislature.

The conversation then turns west to a highly unusual question: Could counties currently in New Mexico eventually become part of Texas? Tepper discusses interest from communities along the Texas-New Mexico border, the economic and cultural ties between those counties and West Texas, and what would have to happen for a boundary change to move forward.

Finally, Tepper and Brad discuss oversight of taxpayer-funded contracts, nonprofits and local government programs, including questions surrounding homelessness spending in Austin and how governments should respond when publicly funded programs fail to meet their goals.

00:00 — Introducing Rep. Carl Tepper
01:08 — Texas' Governmental Oversight Hearings
02:53 — Crime & Repeat Offenders
04:39 — Scrutiny of District Attorneys
05:12 — What Could the Legislature Do?
07:22 — Could Texas Expand Into New Mexico?
08:32 — Why New Mexico Counties Are Looking at Texas
11:05 — How a Texas-New Mexico Boundary Change Could Work
11:57 — Rural & Frontier Texas
14:38 — Safeguarding Taxpayer Funds
15:09 — Austin's Homelessness Spending
16:51 — Accountability for Government Contracts
19:10 — Closing

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Ep. 132 - The State of Children's Mental Health with Chris Bryan | Live | Part 2 Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

In Part 2 of our special Texas Talks series recorded live at the Texas Hospital Association Annual Conference in Fort Worth, host Brad Swail sits down with Chris Bryan, Vice President of Clarity Child Guidance Center in San Antonio, to examine the state of children’s mental healthcare in Texas.

Bryan shares the personal experience that led her from a career in technology to becoming an advocate for children’s mental health and explains how technology and social media have changed the environment in which children grow up.

The conversation explores gaps in the mental health system, including the lack of a consistent continuum of care, difficulties sharing health information, insurance and reimbursement challenges, workforce shortages and the difference between having mental health coverage and actually being able to access treatment.

Bryan also reflects on nearly two decades of advocacy at the Texas Capitol, how the conversation surrounding children’s mental health has changed and what she hopes lawmakers will address during the 90th Texas Legislature.

This is Part 2 of our two-part Texas Hospital Association special. Be sure to watch Part 1 with Allen Harrison on the economics and financial pressures facing Texas hospitals.

00:00 — Introducing Chris Bryan
01:56 — A Personal Journey Into Mental Health Advocacy
04:20 — Technology Meets Healthcare
06:05 — Behavioral Health vs. Mental Health
07:13 — How Technology Is Changing Childhood
10:21 — Gaps in the Mental Health System
11:47 — The Missing Continuum of Care
12:40 — Health Data & Funding Challenges
15:26 — Why Mental Health Coverage Falls Short
17:53 — Coverage Doesn't Mean Access
20:13 — 20 Years of Mental Health Advocacy
22:14 — How the Texas Conversation Has Changed
23:42 — Priorities for the 90th Legislature
24:22 — Closing

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Ep. 131 - The Real Economics of Texas Hospitals with Allen Harrison | Live | Part 1 Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

In Part 1 of a special two-part Texas Talks series recorded live at the Texas Hospital Association Annual Conference in Fort Worth, host Brad Swail sits down with Allen Harrison, President of Medical City Healthcare, HCA Healthcare’s North Texas Division, and Chair-Elect of the Texas Hospital Association Board of Trustees.

Harrison shares the personal story that led him to a career in healthcare before turning to the financial pressures facing Texas hospitals and the growing debate over healthcare affordability.

The conversation examines Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, uninsured patients, the role of commercial insurance, hospital pricing and the growing financial burden placed directly on patients. Harrison also discusses what Texas hospitals are watching ahead of the 90th Texas Legislature and why protecting existing Medicaid funding is a major priority.

Brad and Harrison also explore Texas’ healthcare workforce, including improvements in the nursing shortage, continued demand for specialized healthcare workers and how the patient experience can be complicated by an increasingly difficult-to-understand billing system.

This is Part 1 of our two-part Texas Hospital Association special. Part 2 continues tomorrow with another conversation from the THA Annual Conference.

00:00 — Introducing Allen Harrison
01:47 — A Personal Connection to Healthcare
04:11 — How Healthcare Has Changed
06:29 — Preparing to Lead the Texas Hospital Association
07:45 — Healthcare Affordability & the 90th Legislature
09:22 — Medicare, Medicaid & Hospital Finances
12:09 — Protecting Texas Medicaid Funding
13:25 — What Really Drives Healthcare Costs?
14:53 — How Hospital Pricing Actually Works
16:25 — Managing Financial Uncertainty
18:00 — Insurance & Rising Patient Costs
20:52 — Texas' Healthcare Workforce
23:00 — Shortages in Specialized Healthcare Jobs
24:22 — What Patients Want From Healthcare
26:22 — Closing

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Ep. 130 - Women Pay $350 for a Hormone Men Get for $86 | Katrina Pierson Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

Women are paying $350 for a testosterone pellet. The same hormone, in a men’s tube, can last a year for $86.

Texas Rep. Katrina Pierson (HD 33) — former Trump national spokesperson and chair of the House Subcommittee on Maternal Health, Menopause and Access to Evidence-Based Medicine — sits down with Brad Swail on Texas Talks to walk through her Texas Women’s Health Initiative: baseline hormone testing, HRT coverage, physician liability, iron and prenatal access, and why she says doctors now practice insurance instead of medicine.

Pierson spent 14 years in healthcare, including OB-GYN. She filed a menopause-coverage bill in 2025 that never got a hearing. After the FDA lifted the HRT black-box warning, she took a larger package to the Speaker and got interim charges. In this conversation she explains:

• Why she wants insurance to cover physician-prescribed perimenopause and menopause treatment — including testosterone when medically necessary
• The case for baseline hormone testing before women get labeled with depression or anxiety
• Prior authorization, compounding clinics, and telehealth HRT after the black box came off
• Why Medicaid still requires a prescription for prenatal vitamins, and why she wants physicians able to dispense iron and basics in the office
• What she heard in her subcommittee’s first hearing on prenatal nutrition and Healthy Texas Women
• The gap she flagged in HTW: enrollment is up, participation is down
• The next hearing (date TBD) on menopause and perimenopause, including patient testimony at the Capitol

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Chapters
0:00 If a doctor prescribes it, why can’t you get it?
0:55 Intro: Rep. Katrina Pierson
2:26 How the Women’s Health Initiative started
4:28 Baseline hormone testing
7:37 Physician liability and testosterone
8:51 The $350 pellet vs. the $86 men’s tube
10:04 Why women use testosterone
11:25 Telehealth HRT and prior authorization
13:34 Iron, folic acid, and standing orders
24:19 The black-box studies and starting HRT early
27:33 Yesterday’s subcommittee hearing
28:28 Physician dispense and rural access
31:32 What Healthy Texas Women actually is
33:04 Enrollment up, services down
35:59 How is women’s health in Texas right now?
37:22 North Texas Maternal Health Accelerator
38:42 Close

#TexasTalks #KatrinaPierson #WomensHealth #HRT #Menopause #TexasLegislature #txlege

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Ep. 129 - Why We Pay for Health Insurance - Then Avoid Using It | Patrick Quigley Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Why is it so difficult to know what healthcare will cost before you receive it?

On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Patrick Quigley, CEO and co-founder of Sidecar Health, following his testimony before the Texas House Select Committee on Health Care Affordability.

Quigley explains Sidecar Health’s approach to insurance and why he believes greater price and quality transparency, fewer restrictions on where patients receive care, and stronger financial incentives for consumers could help lower healthcare costs.

The conversation explores provider networks, prior authorization, prescription drug prices, clinical quality data and the high cost of delayed care. Quigley also explains how Sidecar’s model rewards members for choosing care that costs less than the plan’s benefit amount and discusses the company’s experience with primary care, mental health services and emergency room utilization.

Finally, Quigley discusses Texas’ healthcare affordability debate and what he would like lawmakers to consider as the state approaches the 90th Texas Legislature.

00:00 — Introducing Patrick Quigley
01:05 — Sidecar Health & the Healthcare Affordability Problem
04:34 — Testifying Before Texas Lawmakers
06:15 — What's Wrong With Provider Networks?
07:43 — Why Patients Don't Know What Healthcare Costs
10:14 — Measuring the Quality of Medical Care
15:58 — Networks, Insurance Companies & Patient Choice
17:20 — How Much Should Healthcare Cost?
20:10 — The Texas Healthcare Opportunity
22:12 — Prior Authorization & Trusting Doctors
23:37 — Access to Care & Emergency Room Costs
26:33 — Prescription Prices & Consumer Incentives
29:26 — Why Healthcare Prices Vary by Location
32:11 — What Should Texas Lawmakers Do?
35:00 — Closing Thoughts

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Ep. 128 - Why Your Insurance Bill Keeps Going Up in Texas | Ryan Patrick Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

What is driving rising litigation and insurance costs in Texas—and what does Texans for Lawsuit Reform want lawmakers to do about it?

On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Ryan Patrick, the new CEO of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, to discuss his vision for the organization and its priorities heading into the 90th Texas Legislature.

Patrick draws on his career as a prosecutor, judge, U.S. Attorney and private-practice attorney to explain why he believes Texas needs to refocus on civil justice and tort reform. He discusses the impact of large verdicts and litigation on insurance premiums, businesses and consumers, as well as TLR’s concerns about medical damages, litigation surrounding commercial vehicles, and the incentives created by the current system.

The conversation also looks ahead to the next legislative session, where Patrick says TLR will pursue reforms addressing medical damages, staged accidents, insurance fraud, liability involving criminal activity, and other areas of Texas civil law.

Patrick also explains how he hopes to lead a new generation at TLR while building on the organization’s three decades of work in Texas.

00:00 — Introducing Ryan Patrick
00:50 — From Prosecutor to Judge to U.S. Attorney
03:18 — Why Patrick Joined Texans for Lawsuit Reform
04:59 — A New Generation at TLR
07:06 — Refocusing on Tort & Civil Justice Reform
09:28 — Texas Courts & the Case for Reform
13:48 — Venue Shopping & Consistency in the Courts
16:40 — Litigation, Insurance Premiums & Rising Costs
19:26 — How Lawsuits Can Impact Small Businesses
23:03 — Medical Damages & TLR’s Next Reform Push
28:32 — Do Large Verdicts Make Texans Safer?
30:34 — When Insurance Becomes Unaffordable
33:04 — How Texas Compares with Other States
40:41 — Staged Accidents & Insurance Fraud
41:36 — Priorities for the 90th Legislature
47:21 — TLR’s Strategy for the Next Session
48:10 — Final Thoughts

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Ep. 127 - Government Transparency, Oversight & Accountability in Texas w/Rep. Cody Vasut Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

Texas lawmakers are taking a closer look at government transparency, taxpayer spending and accountability at the state and local levels.

On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail welcomes back State Rep. Cody Vasut, who represents House District 25 and chairs the House Select Committee on Government Oversight.

Vasut explains the committee’s mission and the wide range of issues lawmakers are examining during the interim—from Texas’ public information laws and the growing impact of AI on records requests to education foundations, taxpayer money flowing to nongovernmental organizations, and prosecutorial discretion.

The conversation covers:

Whether Texas' public information laws provide enough transparency
How AI could transform public records requests
Oversight of education foundations and public funds
Taxpayer dollars flowing to NGOs and outside organizations
Prosecutorial discretion and proposals for greater state oversight
The unusual effort by eastern New Mexico counties interested in joining Texas

Vasut also discusses how his previous experience in local government influences his approach to state oversight and what he hopes the committee can accomplish before the next legislative session.

00:00 — Introduction & Rep. Cody Vasut
03:02 — The House Government Oversight Committee
05:26 — Could New Mexico Counties Join Texas?
11:13 — Government Transparency in Texas
15:08 — AI & Public Information Requests
20:15 — Education Foundations & Public Funds
24:02 — Taxpayer Money Going to NGOs
30:05 — Prosecutorial Discretion & District Attorneys
37:23 — What Success Looks Like for the Committee
38:12 — Local Government, Transparency & Taxpayers
42:03 — Closing

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Ep. 126 - Texas Community Colleges Did Too Well — Then the State Ran Out of Money | Rep. Vince Perez Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

How should Texas prepare its colleges, workforce, tax system, and infrastructure for the state's continued growth?

On Episode 126 of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with State Rep. Vince Perez, who represents House District 77 in El Paso, to discuss some of the major policy questions facing Texas ahead of the next legislative session. Perez describes his district at the center of the El Paso–Ciudad Juárez region and explains how its location along the U.S.-Mexico border shapes its economy and workforce.

A major focus is higher education. Perez discusses recent interim hearings, Texas' performance-based community college funding system, funding shortfalls facing those institutions, workforce development, and how artificial intelligence could transform the jobs awaiting today's college students.

The conversation covers:

Community college funding and workforce development
Academic freedom and state involvement in higher education
Preparing Texas students for AI and the future economy
Property taxes and how Texas funds state and local government
The massive expansion of data centers around El Paso
Energy, water, tax incentives, and the economic impact of those facilities

Perez also lays out his concerns about the enormous electricity and water requirements associated with new data centers, questioning whether the jobs and economic benefits they generate will justify the incentives and infrastructure demands placed on local communities.

00:00 — Introducing Rep. Vince Perez & House District 77
02:20 — Texas Higher Education & Community College Funding
05:11 — Why Community Colleges Are Facing Shortfalls
09:26 — Can Texas Make Colleges Whole?
11:09 — Higher Education & the Future of Warfare
13:18 — AI, Healthcare & Texas' Future Workforce
15:52 — Academic Freedom in Texas Universities
20:39 — The Fight Over Texas Property Taxes
25:32 — West Texas' Massive Data Center Boom
27:53 — Water, Electricity & the Cost of Data Centers
29:15 — Closing Thoughts

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