Progress Texas Podcasts

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Quorum Break Update: Houston State Rep. Ann Johnson Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

We've been fans of Rep. Ann Johnson of Houston for a long time, and while we wish our first visit with her were not under such stressful circumstances, we're glad to have her take this morning. The Texas Democratic quorum break to stop Greg Abbott and the Republican Party of Texas from granting Donald Trump's wish to screw the voters of our state out of five more congressional seats enters its fourth day today.

Learn more about Rep. Ann Johnson at https://annjohnson.com/.

Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Daily Dispatch 8/7/25: GOP Leaders Fail To Condemn Terroristic Threats Against Dems, and More Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Yesterday's bomb threat against the hotel where Texas Democratic quorum breakers were staying - some with children, and surrounded by innocent bystanders - has thus far not been condemned by any Republican in elected office: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/bomb-threat-at-illinois-hotel-where-dozens-of-texas-democrats-are-staying-244482629733

Targeted in particular for removal from office by Governor Abbott, House Minority Leader Gene Wu has also found himself the target of (even more) anti-Asian racism: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/06/texas-house-democrat-gene-wu-anti-asian-mayes-middleton/

Another side effect of all of this, a significant bump in Rep. Wu's national public profile: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/us/politics/texas-redistricting-gene-wu.html

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker continues to pledge that he will shield the quorum breakers from federal arrest as long as they are in his state: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5440204-pritzker-law-texas-democrats-arrest/

Legal experts are in general agreement that federal law enforcement has no business involving itself in Illinois: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5439973-fbi-texas-democrats-return/

Back in Texas, Ken Paxton - a man once impeached for bribery - is probing Beto O'Rourke's Powered By People organization on the notion that they have committed bribery by helping with the quorum breakers' travel expenses: https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/07/ken-paxton-probes-beto-orourke-pac-over-texas-democrats-travel-funds/85555895007/

Please help Progress Texas continue our important work as the 60th anniversary of LBJ's signing of the federal Voting Rights Act arrives: ⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/60th_vra⁠

Tickets are on sale now for our live podcast taping with legendary Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver on September 15 at Hopsquad Brewing in Austin! Tickets are limited and are available here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.moontowersoccer.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Quorum Break Update: Austin State Rep John Bucy III Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

This next update from afar is the first to come to Progress Texas after the news of a bomb threat that required the evacuation of an Illinois hotel where several of the quorum breaking Texas House Democrats - and in some cases, their families and kids - are sheltering as they put the brakes on Governor Abbott's carving up of Texas' congressional maps on the orders of Donald Trump. As Austin State Rep. John Bucy reminds us, this frightening moment is the direct result of inflammatory and highly irresponsible Republican rhetoric from some of that party's highest ranking electeds - officials who now should see it within their duty to dial back the drama.

Learn more about State Rep. John Bucy III at https://bucyfortexas.com/.

Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Daily Dispatch 8/6/25: Texas GOP In Disarray As Quorum Break Enters Day 3, and More Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

In developments leading into the third day of the Texas House quorum break, Senator John Cornyn has requested that the FBI intervene, capture and transport the Democratic lawmakers avoiding the special session back to the Capitol: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cornyn-fbi-arrest-texas-democrats_n_68925f14e4b0d3424bc402f3

...Next, Attorney General Ken Paxton declared he'll ask that the seats of any Democrats still absent on Friday be declared vacant by the courts: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/08/05/texas-ag-ken-paxton-will-ask-state-courts-to-declare-absent-house-democratic-seats-vacant/

...Then, Governor Greg Abbott asked the Texas Supreme Court to remove Democratic State House Minority Leader Gene Wu from office by 5pm on Thursday: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/08/05/gov-greg-abbott-asks-texas-supreme-court-to-remove-house-democratic-chair-gene-wu/

...Then, Paxton piped up that Abbott doesn't have the authority to make that move, and the Governor took to social media to counter that he does: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/05/texas-democrats-ken-paxton-court-vacate-seats-quorum-break/

...Meanwhile, Cornyn has been badmouthing Paxton, ahead of their likely GOP primary faceoff, for doing all of this from vacation: https://www.rawstory.com/cornyn-paxton/

...And Houston State Senator Mayes Middleton, who's running to replace Paxton at Attorney General, issued a blatantly racist tweet against Rep. Wu, which remains up this morning: https://x.com/mayes_middleton/status/1952430829587829074

All of this Republican crazy provides a unique opportunity for national Democrats to display some backbone ahead of the 2028 presidential election: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/abbott-texas-redistricting-newsom-pritzker-b2802534.html

Please help Progress Texas continue our important work as the 60th anniversary of LBJ's signing of the federal Voting Rights Act arrives today: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/60th_vra

Austin friends and soccer fans! Mark your calendar for Monday September 15, when we will gather for a live podcast taping with legendary Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver! Sponsorship opportunities are available now, and individual tickets will go on sale soon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the terrific Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.moontowersoccer.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Quorum Break Update: D/FW Rep. Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

Our series of updates from Texas House Democrats who have left the state to halt the Republican redistricting effort continues, and just as we were linking up with Rep. Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos, we learned that U.S. Senator John Cornyn has begun cajoling Kash Patel and the FBI to intervene in the Texas House quorum break - a serious, though expected, escalation: https://www.axios.com/2025/08/05/john-cornyn-fbi-arrest-democrats-texas

Learn more about Rep. Ana-Maria Rodriguez-Ramos at https://www.ramos4texas.com/.

Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Quorum Break Update: Austin State Rep. Vikki Goodwin Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

As the special session has been halted by a Democratic quorum break, we continue our series of updates from the elected officials involved, now shifting to those who have uprooted their personal lives to leave the state in order to stop the Trump-commanded and Abbott-facilitated congressional power grab in Texas - first from the road is Austin State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, who recently joined Progress Texas to announce her run for Lieutenant Governor in 2026.

Learn more about Rep. Vikki Goodwin and her campaign at https://vikkigoodwin.com/.

Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Daily Dispatch 8/5/25: Abbott Threat To Unseat Quorum Breakers Is Pure Hot Air, and More Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The national fight over partisan redistricting is settling into a direct battle between Texas and California: https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-texas-california-house-map-trump-0f5f79185bbeeba8c2ff9999f48e5867

...Governor Abbott shows no sign of backing down, saying that the State House Democrats who have left the state to break quorum are "freaking out": https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5436035-texas-governor-greg-abbott-democrats-gop-plans/

...Yesterday's vote to issue warrants for the quorum breakers is largely meaningless, as they are only enforceable within state lines and don't carry civil or criminal charges: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/04/texas-democrats-house-warrants-arrest-quorum-break/

...Abbott's threat to remove the Dems from office will be legally difficult, and if done successfully would almost certainly result in new Democrats in those seats: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/03/texas-house-democrats-abbott-threatens-removal-quorum-break/

...The Houston Chronicle editorial board worries that Abbott and Donald Trump will dream up a pretext to send federal officers after the quorum breakers: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/texas-redistricting-democrats-quorum-greg-abbott-20800785.php

Austin friends and soccer fans! Mark your calendar for Monday September 15, when we will gather for a live podcast taping with legendary Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver! Sponsorship opportunities are available now, and individual tickets will go on sale soon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the terrific Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.moontowersoccer.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Daily Dispatch 8/4/25: Wheels Up! Texas House Dems Break Quorum Over Trump Map, And More Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

After weeks of warnings, most of the Democratic delegation to the Texas House of Representatives has left the state to break quorum ahead of a vote on a Trump-ordered redistricting map: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/03/texas-democrats-quorum-break-redistricting-map/

...Many of them are in Chicago, where they were met at the airport last night by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzger: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/03/texas-house-democrats-flee-to-chicago-over-congressional-redistricting/

...Governor Abbott is leaning on obscure legal angles to threaten to remove the quorum breakers from office, and perhaps to charge them with felonies related to fundraising: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/03/texas-house-democrats-abbott-threatens-removal-quorum-break/

...All of this could be the trigger of a nationwide redistricting "arms race" that could further worsen already terrible political division: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/08/04/after-texas-does-it-mid-decade-redistricting-could-go-national/

...Want to support the Texas Democratic Party's efforts to "fight back against Republican efforts to steal congressional districts"? Click here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/tdp_redistricting

Austin friends and soccer fans! Mark your calendar for Monday September 15, when we will gather for a live podcast taping with legendary Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver! Sponsorship opportunities are available now, and individual tickets will go on sale soon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025⁠⁠⁠⁠

...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the terrific Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.moontowersoccer.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In Progress - Don't Mess With Texas Maps: Interviews at the Texas Capitol Redistricting Hearing Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

Our weekly gathering happens while the final hearing on the Donald Trump-ordered redistricting of Texas for the sole purpose of protecting him from losing the GOP majority in the U.S. House next year - widely expected to happen without this kind of drastic measure - is even now ongoing at the Capitol. We sent Digital Associate Haley Smith into the fray to see what's what - she reports live from the scene, complete with interviews including Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder, whose hat choices in headwear lately are damn straight on point.

As we approach the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act passed under President and Texas Democrat Lyndon Baines Johnson, Progress Texas invites YOU to help us shine a spotlight on the truth—from our coalition work introducing the Barbara Jordan Texas Voting Rights Act in the 89th Legislative Session, to a live podcast taping with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in Dallas on where voting rights stand today, to rapid response coverage of stop the steal rallies (attended by thousands and digitally brought to hundreds of thousands), to shaping the narrative in legacy media. Your donation is key to keeping us in this fight, and every penny helps - thank you. Join us here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/60th_vra

Daily Dispatch 8/1/25: Throngs Converge On Texas Capitol To Oppose Trump Map, and More Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The last hearing by the State Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting on the Donald Trump-ordered redistricting of Texas' congressional district is expected to draw a massive crowd in opposition today: https://www.khou.com/article/news/politics/register-texas-redistricting-hearing-districts-austin/285-3b6de0f7-f03e-4ffb-9317-3c52432afe37

...National Democrats are pledging to back their Texas counterparts, including a visit this week from U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York: https://www.fox7austin.com/news/hakeem-jefferies-joins-texas-democrats-help-fight-redistricting-effort

...California Governor Gavin Newsom is looking at the first Tuesday in November for a possible special election to allow the retaliatory redistricting of that state, which could result in a 48-4 Democratic advantage: https://www.kcra.com/article/california-governor-gavin-newsom-possible-nov-4-special-election/65568148

...The Texas Trump power grab is seen as a key, nationwide test case: will the Democratic Party show the stomach to actually stand up to Donald Trump? Texas is very much in the spotlight: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/opinion/texas-redistricting-democrats.html

The near-unbelievable fact that three of the primary public safety officials in Kerr County literally slept through the July 4 flood was central to yesterday's hearing on the matter in Kerrville yesterday: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/31/texas-kerr-county-officials-asleep-july-4-floods-hill-country/?_bhlid=52832be772a841f91bf27e4ab4a29a26cbf1747c

...Even before nightfall, though, local officials in Kerr County appear to have neglected to follow the basics of their own emergency plan: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/31/kerr-county-emergency-plan/

...Social media influencers who descended upon the flood zone highlight the difference between them and actual journalists: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/influencers-in-flood-zone-spark-concern-texas-monthly/

Austin friends and soccer fans! Mark your calendar for Monday September 15, when we will gather for a live podcast taping with legendary Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver! Sponsorship opportunities are available now, and individual tickets will go on sale soon: ⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025⁠⁠⁠

...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the terrific Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.moontowersoccer.com/⁠⁠⁠

Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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