Progress Texas Podcasts

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 116 - Unified Pride Month Wrap with Pamela Williamson-Wylie and Adri Perez Jul 02, 2023

Show notes

This last Friday, we joined our friends at Unified for their June monthly meetup, which served as a wrap and summary of Pride Month 2023 with two of Texas' most prominent LGBTQ activists: Adri Perez of the Texas Freedom Network and Pamela Williamson-Wylie of the Human Rights Campaign. This taping happened to come within hours of the announcment of the SCOTUS 303 Creative decision - proof positive that this fight is by no means over.

Learn more about Unified at https://www.joinunified.us/.

Learn more about the Texas Freedom Network at https://tfn.org/.

Learn more about the Human Rights Campaign at https://www.hrc.org/.

And, if you're enjoying our podcast, please consider supporting our work with a donation! Go to https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Ep. 115 - The Abortion Rights Fight In The RGV Jul 01, 2023

Show notes

The second of our two podcast episodes marking the first year beyond the fall of Roe v Wade focuses on efforts in one of Texas' most politically and culturally important regions: the Rio Grande Valley. We're proud to welcome Cathy Torres, Organizing Manager of Frontera Fund, and Laura Terrill, CEO of Planned Parenthood South Texas, two terrific orgs dedicated to providing medical, financial and emotional support to RGV residents in need of reproductive care.

The Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline referenced in this episode is (833) 246-2632, and there's more on this important resource at https://www.mahotline.org/.

Learn more about Frontera Fund at https://fronterafundrgv.org/, and learn more about Planned Parenthood of South Texas at https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-south-texas.

Thanks as always for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how YOU can become part of our mission via your financial support at https://progresstexas.org/.

Ep. 114 - Planned Parenthood Texas Votes LIVE In East Austin Jun 30, 2023

Show notes

This is the first of two podcasts episodes marking one year since the Dobbs decision, by which the Trump-stacked United States Supreme Court wiped away decades of precedent with the Roe V Wade decision that guaranteed the Constitutional right to an abortion for all Americans. That year has seen the redoubling of efforts by abortion rights organizations across the country to regain those rights and more, including Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, who held a terrific live event last weekend at The Cathedral, a beautiful space in East Austin. This episode presents that event, featuring Wendy Davis, State Rep. Donna Howard and more - all standing firm in the fight for the freedom for ALL of us to maintain control over our bodies and our destinies. Watch for part two, a discussion with representatives of the Frontera Fund and Planned Parenthood of the Rio Grande Valley, for a closer look at what's happening on the abortion rights front in that very important part of Texas, in the next couple of days.

Learn more about Planned Parenthood Texas Votes at https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/planned-parenthood-texas-votes/leadership-team.

And, there's still time to support Progress Texas in our June membership drive! Learn more at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Ep. 113 - AAPI Power In Texas: Rep. Gene Wu and Lily Trieu of Asian Texans for Justice Jun 23, 2023

Show notes

The Asian American and Pacific Islander community are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States - but in Texas politics, they are ignored at best, and demonized at worst. Why have Republican lawmakers determined that AAPI Texans are a threat to be countered and dehumanized - and why have Democrats in Texas been so slow to fully embrace this rising political force? We had a fascinating conversation with Texas State Representative Gene Wu, who has represented a large part of Houston in the House for over a decade, and Lily Trieu, interim Executive Director of the political action org Asian Texans for Justice.

Find Representative Wu via his flame-throwing Twitter account at https://twitter.com/GeneforTexas.

Learn more about the great work Lily Trieu is doing alongside Asian Texans for Justice at https://www.asiantexansforjustice.org/.

And, if you're enjoying our podcast, please consider helping us to keep producing it by becoming part of the family! Find out more about our June membership drive at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Ep. 112 - Exploring Juneteenth with Donald Payton and Kardal Coleman Jun 16, 2023

Show notes

For only the third year, Juneteenth is officially observed across the nation as a Federal holiday this Monday, June 19 - thanks to the tireless work of Black historians and activists across Texas. We're proud to welcome this week one of the pre-eminent authorities on Juneteenth: Donald Payton is president of the African American Genealogy Interest Group, former Dallas County Historical Commissioner, and a member of the special state committee that originally elevated Juneteenth to state holiday status - “the unofficial historian of Black Dallas”. We also welcome as a special guest host Kardal Coleman, the freshly-elected Chair of the Dallas County Democratic Party and co-founder of the Liberation Fund, a national civil rights organization dedicated to providing legal representation to defendants in need.

Learn more about Donald Payton at https://blog.smu.edu/theanti-apartheidmovementinnorthtexas/biography/don-payton/, and follow Kardal Coleman at https://twitter.com/KardalColeman.

Thanks as always for listening - and please consider becoming part of the Progress Texas family by joining forces with us during our June membership drive! Learn more at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Ep. 111 - Justice For Paxton? TX Rep. John Bryant and Attorney Justin Nelson Jun 08, 2023

Show notes

The impeachment of long-indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton is being seen as a sort of consolation prize for Texas progressives, having been denied ANY meaningful political gains in the Republican-stacked legislature again this year - but how did we get here, what's really at stake, and what's likely to happen next? Our guests this week have had a front row seat for the Paxton soap opera for years: State Representative John Bryant of Dallas has just returned to service in the House and was present for the impeachment proceedings that eventually succeeded in sending the Paxton case to the Senate. And, Texas rock star attorney Justin Nelson - lately fresh off successfully suing Fox News on behalf of Dominion Voting Systems - ran a terrific campaign against Paxton for AG in 2018. We're also proud to welcome guest host Kendall Scudder to the conversation - Kendall is currently Vice Chair for Finance of the Texas Democratic Party, and is also a podcasting veteran as co-host of the beloved Pod Bless Texas podcast. There's a lot going on with the Paxton case, with potential implications for just about every member of the Legislature, and for politics across the entire state - join us and dig in.

Reach Rep. Bryant at https://house.texas.gov/members/member-page/?district=114, find Justin Nelson at https://www.susmangodfrey.com/attorneys/justin-a-nelson/, and follow Kendall Scudder's recent exploits on Twitter at https://twitter.com/kendallscudder.

And - please consider becoming a sustaining part of the Progress Texas family by joining us for our June membership drive! Learn more at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Ep. 110 - Inside Pride: James Poindexter Of Pride San Antonio Jun 03, 2023

Show notes

After the wanton and seemingly inexhaustible ugliness directed towards the LGBTQ+ community during this year's legislative session, there's no better time for ALL Texans to express our solidarity than Pride Month, throughout the month of June. We're proud to welcome to the podcast James Poindexter, a public school teacher and board member of Pride San Antonio, for a look inside the planning process of this year's Pride events in Alamo City. Wherever in Texas you might be, make it a point to join the fun AND stand behind our brothers and sisters during Pride Month.

Learn more about Pride San Antonio at https://pridesanantonio.org/.

And - please accept our invitation to become part of the Progress Texas mission during our June membership drive! Learn more at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Ep. 109 - One Year After Uvalde, Little Has Changed - with Sen. Roland Gutierrez May 24, 2023

Show notes

NOTE - We recommend listener discretion for this episode, which contains graphic details of the crime scene at Robb Elementary in Uvalde.

As the grim first anniversary of the Robb Elementary massacre arrives, and the closing days of the Texas legislative session creep by, not only have GOP lawmakers stonewalled any opportunity to prevent future mass shootings, but the pace at which those shootings happen in Texas has escalated. While we rarely re-publish our podcast content, we thought it an opportune moment to give our conversation from April with Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez a fresh listen. Senator Gutierrez continues his fight for the families of Uvalde and children across the Lone Star State - his battle has just begun, and the same is the case for all of us.

The first year mark for Uvalde is gaining national attention: https://www.npr.org/2023/05/24/1177872175/one-year-after-the-uvalde-school-shooting-questions-still-go-unanswered

More on Senator Roland Gutierrez's continued fight at the Capitol: https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/uvalde-shooting-year-later-roland-gutierrez-still-pushing-gun-reform/

And, please consider supporting Progress Texas and our ongoing mission with a donation: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/donate

Ep. 108 - What The Texas GOP REALLY Has In Mind For Your Public School May 18, 2023

Show notes

Not only has Governor Greg Abbott declared what he calls "school choice" (in reality, the undermining of funding for Texas public schools) a top priority for the current Legislature, he and other Republican schemers have wrapped it an intricate web of deceptive marketing designed to distract Texans - especially rural Republicans - from their true intentions. We set the record straight this week with two esteemed Texas education experts: welcome back Patty Quinzi, Director of Public Affairs and Legislative Counsel for the Texas chapter of AFT - the American Federation of Teachers - AFL/CIO. And also Gwenn Burud, retired lifelong educator, educational sign language interpreter, and teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students, now, the executive director of Texans Defending Democracy. This is all happening NOW - making NOW the time to reach out to your representatives in Austin and share your thoughts.

Learn more about Texas AFT at https://www.texasaft.org/, and learn more about Texans Defending Democracy at https://www.texansdefendingdemocracy.com/.

Thanks for listening! Help Progress Texas continue our work by considering a donation: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/donate.

Ep. 107 - Raise The Age Act: Actual Progress For Gun Safety in Texas May 09, 2023

Show notes

You may have heard that HB 2744, otherwise known as the Raise The Age Act, has become a true rarity - a measure based on sensible, basic gun ownership regulation in Texas that has been voted out of committee. It would raise the minimum purchasing age of certain semi-automatic firearms from the current age of 18, to 21. We've rushed this episode of the podcast to encourage YOU to do all you can to help sustain this rare opportunity. We're proudly joined by Nicole Golden, Executive Director of Texas Gun Sense, and Liz Hanks, Texas Chapter Lead for Moms Demand Action.

These are the Republican members of the House Calendars Committee, who are in control of the future of HB 2744. We encourage YOU to call their offices to express support of the Raise The Age Act.

Dustin Burrows (Chair) (512) 463-0542

Toni Rose (Vice Chair) 512-463-0664

David Cook 512-463-0374

Charlie Geren 512-463-0610

Cole Hefner 512-463-0271

Jared Patterson 512-463-0694

Shelby Slawson 512-463-0628

Ed Thompson 512-463-0707

In addition, please support the national action being promoted by Moms Demand Action by texting "FedUp" to 64433.

Learn more about Moms Demand Action at https://momsdemandaction.org/, and about Texas Gun Sense at https://www.txgunsense.org/.

As always, we appreciate your support - consider a donation to help us continue our work at https://act.progresstexas.org/a/donate.