Progress Texas Podcasts

Latest Episodes:

In Progress: A Mamdani Tsunami? What A Huge Progressive Win In NYC Means For Texas Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

On this week's download of frustration and triumph and frustration, the crew celebrates the win of Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral primary - which both portends the rising power of young progressive voters, and has also unleashed an amazing outpouring of panic from not only the far right, but also, strangely enough, some from the Democratic old guard. What gives? We talk about it, and more.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can join in our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 6/27/25: Who Will Take On Paxton For Senate? Top Dems Disagree, and More Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Current and former aides to Attorney General Ken Paxton are in an all-out and tawdry legal battle over alleged obstruction during Paxton's 2023 impeachment, threatening to become a sideshow for Paxton's expected run for Senate next year: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/26/ken-paxton-impeachment-witness-tampering-former-employees/?_bhlid=1ce16d89f9b2653aa078b30c686107bc7fce03c7

...Top Democrats are lining up to face Paxton next year, as Congressman Joaquin Castro, former Congressmen Colin Allred and Beto O'Rourke, and Austin State Rep. James Talarico have begun talks to discuss the plan: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/06/26/democrats-allred-castro-orourke-talarico-meet-to-discuss-2026-options/

...O'Rourke, Talarico and Castro will all speak tonight at a Powered By People event in San Antonio: https://www.mobilize.us/poweredxpeople/event/798485/

Tarrant County Republican Party chairman Bo French, once again, displays his childish bigotry online - when will Fort Worth area Republicans tire of his embarrassing antics? https://www.sacurrent.com/news/north-texas-republican-party-shares-online-poll-asking-whether-jews-or-muslims-are-bigger-threat-37841913

The Trump administration is expanding its military footprint in Texas, endangering the right of Texans to enjoy outdoor spaces near the border: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/26/texas-military-zone-expansion-illegal-immigration/

...The Posse Comitatus Act is now being significantly strained in the Texas borderlands: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/06/g-s1-63778/military-border-zone-posse-comitatus-explained

Social Security is NOT doomed to insolvency - it could be made solid if the top 6% of American earners paid in the same rate as the rest of us: https://www.forbes.com/sites/eriksherman/2025/06/24/social-security-faces-cuts-even-though-theres-a-fix-for-its-problems/

Guest Pod: Joe Jaworski's "Midterms" Show from KPFT-FM in Houston, with Beto O'Rourke Jun 26, 2025

Show notes

The second time we've run Joe Jaworski's "Midterms" political talk show hosted by KPFT-FM in Houston, where it runs every Tuesday morning, features a talk with former Congressman Beto O'Rourke! It was recorded just after Beto's swing through Texas on his tour of town hall meetings - since, of course, he's joined Senator Bernie Sanders and Austin Congressman Greg Casar and more for a similar run of rallies through the state.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can get involved in our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 6/26/25: Trump, Abbott, Paxton, Cornyn, and Cruz All Down In New Poll, and More Jun 26, 2025

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

New bi-monthy polling in Texas finds negativity growing against Republican leadership and policies, from Donald Trump to Governor Greg Abbott and on down the line: https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/june-2025-university-of-texas-texas-politics-project-poll-economic-concerns-drag-trump-s-job-approval-underwater-in-texas-while-most-texans-oppose-ban-on-thc-products-dividing-gop-leadership

...Also deep bipartisan disapproval for Dan's Ban of THC products, vetoed by Abbott and now central to an upcoming special session: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/25/texas-poll-voters-oppose-thc-ban-sb-3/

The special session will likely cover more than Dan's Ban - a massive water-pumping project in East Texas has led to calls to reform state laws that allow almost unlimited private water access: https://www.kltv.com/2025/06/26/east-texas-lawmaker-might-ask-gov-abbott-add-water-rights-special-session/

...So far, not much has been said about tackling redistricting in the special session - this one, anyway - which is good, because it's a terrible idea: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2025/06/26/texas-shouldnt-use-special-session-to-redraw-electoral-maps/

Trump's "big beautiful bill", if passed as written, would be the end of at least 15 rural hospitals across Texas: https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_on_rural_hospitals.pdf

The Texas oil industry has thus far ignored Trump's calls to expand pumping to offset his misadventures in Iran - unlike the dictatorships Trump admires, American oil producers are more beholden to their investors than to the Dear Leader: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/article/trump-oil-production-texas-20391839.php

Special Live Pod: Congressman Adam Kinzinger And The "Roadmap To Winning" In Dallas Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

Former Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger has become an influential player in Texas politics since moving his family to the Houston area after leaving the U.S. House in 2022. His vocal rejection of Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, including his active involvement in Trump's second impeachment, has brought him into natural alliance with progressives across the country. Congressman Kinzinger recently took part in a forum with several recent Democratic winners of North Texas elections, organized by the Dallas County Democratic Party and held at Northaven United Methodist Church on June 17, and this podcast contains his remarks as well as an interview conducted by Congressman Kinzinger's fellow anti-Trump Republican and military veteran Michael Wood, in which the two explore the history and current nature of the MAGA movement, and strategies on how the rest of America should go about resisting it.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how to support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 6/25/25: Is Mamdani NYC Primary Win A Progressive Preview? And More Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The primary win of young Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamadani in the New York City mayoral election is being seen by some as a bellwether for the national Democratic party: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/nyregion/cuomo-mamdani-mayor-primary-nyc.html

...Also representing that wave, Austin Congressman Greg Casar has been sticking to economic messages over cultural issues on his recent tour with Bernie Sanders: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/25/greg-casar-midterms-2026-democrats-economic-populist-message/

...Also with the Democratic new guard is Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, who has once again been denied a leadership position by the Dem establishment, who tend to see her as "overzealous": https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/24/texas-jasmine-crockett-house-oversight-committee-ranking-democrat/?_bhlid=1766cdc79b48c2d325de759b7727d6aa2da63f9e

...Houston Congressman Al Green - not a young lawmaker but definitely a fiery one - has seen his move to impeach Donald Trump for his attack on Iran fail, once again at the hands of Democrats concerned about the middle: https://www.axios.com/2025/06/24/trump-impeachment-iran-democrats-al-green

East Texas rancher and firefighter Bobby Cole has launched a campaign for Governor as a Democrat, promising to support working Texans - and to legalize marijuana: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/bobby-cole-texas-governor-20391255.php

A migrant detention camp in El Paso is straining at the seams, part of a swelling number of people under ICE detention - much to the glee of the private prison industry: https://elpasomatters.org/2025/06/24/ice-detention-facility-el-paso/

Happy Hour 220 - Inside The Texas State Board Of Education Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Today marks the beginning of a three day conference of the Texas State Board of Education in Austin. The quarterly meet ups set policies and standards for Texas public schools. That includes curriculum, adopting instructional materials, establishing graduation requirements, and managing the permanent school fund.

As the SBOE is one of our lesser known state elected bodies, we brought you District 3 State Board of Education Member, Marisa Perez-Diaz, the most senior Democrat, who represents San Antonio and South Texas, to give us an insider’s view of the most important matters on the agenda. We’re also joined by friend and ally Rocio Fierro Perez, Political Director with the Texas Freedom Network, who shares context to the ongoing fights safeguarding separations between church and state and vital funds that support our neighborhood schools.

Learn more about Marisa Perez-Diaz at https://sboe.texas.gov/state-board-of-education/sboe-board-members/sboe-member-district-3.

Learn more about Rocio Fierro Perez and Texas Freedom Network at https://tfn.org/.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 6/24/25: Not So Cool After All - Abbott Vetoes Funding For Low Income Kids' Meals, and More Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

In the only budget item from the 89th Legislature he vetoed, Governor Abbott has nixed Texas' participation in the federal Summer EBT program, designed to keep lower-income kids fed during summer months: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-gov-greg-abbott-vetoes-summer-lunch-program-for-low-income-kids-37817843

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick is fully hysterical over Abbott's ban of Dan's Ban - he's accusing the hemp industry of connections to cartels and terrorists, and claiming that stoned people are walking in front of trains: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/lt-gov-dan-patrick-criticize-texas-gov-greg-abbott-vetoes-bill-banning-thc/

...The Texas hemp industry, having dodged a bullet, are voicing their enthusaism for additional regulation: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/23/texas-hemp-regulations-age-restriction-enforcement-thc-sb-3/

...All this drama over THC products in Texas could be for nothing, as there's potentially a federal ban in the works: https://themarijuanaherald.com/2025/06/u-s-house-committee-ban-hemp-thc/

The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging SB 12, signed over the weekend by Governor Abbott - it represents a further ban of DEI policies and practi ces in Texas school districts: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/the-aclu-sues-texas-to-block-new-parental-rights-law

Colin Allred, Beto O'Rourke, James Talarico and all other Democrats thinking about running for the U.S. Senate have been beaten to the announcement punch by retired astronaut Terry Virts of Houston: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/23/us/terry-virts-john-cornyn-senate-texas.html

...While Houston State Senator Joan Huffman joins a growing field of Republicans running for Attorney General: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/23/joan-huffman-texas-attorney-general-republican-primary-2026/

Correction from Monday: Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders didn't make the Amarillo "Fighting Oligarchy" tour stop in Amarillo, as he was called back to D.C. over Trump's attack on Iran - but Beto O'Rourke and Congressman Greg Casar addressed a big gathering there: https://www.newschannel10.com/2025/06/23/fighting-oligarchy-tour-stops-amarillo-sparks-dialogue-war-wealth-issues/

Daily Dispatch 6/23/25: Texas Dems Oppose Iran Attack, Abbott Vetoes THC Ban, and More Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Latest on Donald Trump's attack on nuclear facilities in Iran: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/22/us/politics/trump-iran-decision-strikes.html

...Responses from Texas Democratic U.S. Reps Lloyd Doggett, Greg Casar, Lizzie Fletcher, and Sylvia Garcia: https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-lawmakers-leaders-trump-iran/285-32881e5e-89ce-49ef-bd91-2795e3151ad6

...Rep. Joaquin Castro: https://x.com/JoaquinCastrotx/status/1936625247827984825?t=W3viAqQkePA_BDDbdUMCzw&s=03

...Rep. Julie Johnson: https://x.com/RepJasmine/status/1936589516283978011?t=oUJBI0mTXCogRIoPwFoGmw&s=03

...Eight things to know about Trump's Iran attack, from Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy: https://www.chrismurphyct.com/p/8-things-you-should-know-about-trumps?utm_campaign=post&triedRedirect=true

Governor Abbott has vetoed SB 3, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick's THC ban: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/22/texas-thc-ban-bill-greg-abbott-veto-senate-bill-3/?_bhlid=4937622fa4afb7b6d628185df1035b9f2279d7b7

...Abbott has called a special session for a re-do on hemp regulation, and a revisiting of six other bills he vetoed: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/22/texas-governor-greg-abbott-special-session-veto-bills-thc-ban/

...Abbott signed into law SB 10, the forcing of the display of the Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms, which is certain to face aggressive legal resistance: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/06/21/gov-abbott-signs-ten-commandments-bill-mandating-displays-in-texas-classrooms/

...He also signed into law SB 11, which will allow local school boards to mandate prayer time in their districts: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/05/22/prayer-period-in-texas-public-schools-expected-to-reach-gov-abbott-for-approval/

...And Abbott signed HB 229, the "Women's Bill Of Rights" that amounts to an erasure of trans Texans into law on Friday: https://klewtv.com/news/nation-world/gov-abbott-signs-womens-bill-of-rights-which-opponents-call-an-attack-on-trans-texans

THANK YOU To Our 15th Anniversary Party Attendees and Donors! Jun 22, 2025

Show notes

Hard to believe that our 15th Anniversary shindig in Dallas was just under two weeks ago - so much is happening, and so quickly, that time is really flying by. Podcasting Director Chris Mosser works the room when we gather our friends together to check in on how they feel about our work at Progress Texas, and this pod presents a bunch of our favorite Texans - whom we thank with all of our hearts for their dedication to progress, and their support of our organization.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

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