Progress Texas Podcasts

Latest Episodes:

Texas Democratic Party Chair Candidate Forum Post-Game! Jan 25, 2025

Show notes

The Progress Texas staff were pleased to be a part of today's forum of five of the candidates to become the new Chair of the Texas Democratic Party in March. We gathered for a quick post-event recap - enjoy and keep it here for future forums.

Daily Dispatch 1/24/25: Surprising Nobody, Texas Republicans Scrap Democratic Committee Chairs, and More Jan 24, 2025

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Upending over five decades of tradition, but right in line with their anti-democratic MAGA fanaticism, the Republican majority in the Texas House voted yesterday to ban Democrats from chairing committees: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/23/texas-house-republican-committee-chairs/?utm_source=Texas+Tribune+Newsletters&utm_campaign=9a17e04997-trib-newsletters-thebrief&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-9a17e04997-103307619

As the State Bar of Texas unceremoniously drops disciplinary proceedings against Ken Paxton for his false claims during attempts to undermine the 2020 election, our Attorney General is officially above the law: https://apnews.com/article/texas-paxton-2020-election-lawsuit-9ff4bdde238196830a639c3e7d07358e

Even as Republican budgets seek to continue funding Governor Abbott's Operation Lone Star boondoggle to the tune of multiple billions of dollars, the Governor is asking the federal government to reimburse Texas for the $11 billion it has already blown: https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-greg-abbott-border-security-refund-operation-lone-star

Should Trump follow through with his threat of an across-the-board 25% tariff on Mexican imports, his voters in Texas are set to see prices head the opposite direction than that they voted for: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/article/texas-mexico-trump-tariff-20049363.php

Join us Saturday afternoon at 2 for our livestream of the first in-person Texas Democratic Party Chair candidate forum from the historic LBJ Ranch! We'll cover it via Youtube: ⁠youtube.com/@progresstexas⁠

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Daily Dispatch 1/23/25: American Christians Forced To Grapple With Trump's Distortion Of Their Faith, and More Jan 23, 2025

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The welcome challenge to the MAGA distortion of Christianity by Bishop Mariann Budde during the Trump inauguration proceedings casts new light on attempts by Texas GOP lawmakers to force that distorted vision into public life in Texas: https://thebarbedwire.com/2025/01/22/texas-is-on-the-path-to-even-harder-right-christian-supremacy/

Budget drafts submitted yesterday by the House and Senate include billions for private school vouchers, a meager public school teacher pay raise, and NO drawdown of spending on Operation Lone Star: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/22/texas-budget-school-vouchers-teacher-raises-border-security/

...They also include around $10 billion for infrastructure investment, while an independent report places the price tag for keeping up our water infrastructure at $150 billion: https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2025-01-23/texas-economy-stands-to-lose-billions-of-dollars-without-investments-into-its-water-infrastructure

...Corpus Christi, for example, is resorting to desperate measures to shore up its water supply, all while more and more private industry sucks up more and more of that limited, life-sustaining resource: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/23/texas-corpus-christi-water-emergency-reservoirs/

Texas is failing to provide a system for taking guns away from convicted abusers, falling short of both Federal legal standards and the wishes of the heavily-conservative U.S. Supreme Court: https://www.keranews.org/news/2025-01-23/the-supreme-court-says-domestic-abusers-shouldnt-have-guns-is-texas-listening

Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has hired back as his chief of staff a man he recently let go after he pled guilty to bribery charges: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/article/sid-miller-todd-smith-20047308.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaG91c3RvbmNocm9uaWNsZS5jb20vcG9saXRpY3MvYXJ0aWNsZS9zaWQtbWlsbGVyLXRvZGQtc21pdGgtMjAwNDczMDgucGhw&time=MTczNzYzNTIzODUxOQ%3D%3D&rid=MTAxN2FkY2MtNWNjOS00NDYzLTk3OGYtZTQ4OWJiNTAyMzNl&sharecount=Mw%3D%3D

Join us Saturday afternoon at 2 for our livestream of the first in-person Texas Democratic Party Chair candidate forum from the historic LBJ Ranch! We'll cover it via Youtube: youtube.com/@progresstexas

The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Daily Dispatch 1/22/25: ICE Raids and Jan 6 Releases Impact Texas Immediately, and More Jan 22, 2025

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

San Antonio is one of the cities said to be in the crosshairs for ICE's renewed push for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/immigration-raids-texas-trump-20046972.php

...The expansion of dentention facilities in Texas and other states - to the benefit of private prison companies - is an integral part of the Trump plan: https://www.tpr.org/border-immigration/2025-01-20/aclu-texas-government-likely-to-cooperate-with-mass-deportation-efforts-expected-under-trump

...People protected by DACA or Temporary Protected Status are implored to keep those protection arrangements up to date: https://www.keranews.org/news/2025-01-22/tps-daca-reapply-north-texas-immigration

...Trump's promised mass deportation presents a reckoning for America on our true humanitarian and ethical self-image: https://www.expressnews.com/opinion/editorial/article/trump-mass-deportations-era-20037685.php

...Governor Abbott and other fans of mass deportation have not been honest with their MAGA voter base on how such a move will undermine the "Texas miracle": https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-gop-anti-immigration-hard-liners-putting-on-a-show/

...Officials in Mexico are concerned that they'll be asked to take deportees from other countries, as well as those who have been ripped away from long-established lives in the U.S.: https://www.texasobserver.org/is-mexico-prepared-for-mass-deportations/

The January 6th insurrectionists have been absolved by Trump via a variety of legal maneuvers: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/us/politics/trump-pardons-jan6.html

Over 100 Texans are among those who have recieved clemency and many are on their way home from prison: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/21/texans-insurrection-capitol-trump-pardon/

...One Jan. 6th rioter writes, "We Are In Charge...This Is Our Country": https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/high-profile-jan-6-cases-with-north-texas-ties-pardoned-or-commuted-by-trump/vi-AA1xClCV#details

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Daily Dispatch 1/21/25: Trump 2.0 Brings New Challenges AND New Opportunities For Progressives, and More Jan 21, 2025

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Stories we're following at Progress Texas:

Right out of the chute, as promised, a flurry of executive orders from Donald Trump - many of which will face immediate legal challenge: https://apnews.com/article/trump-day-1-executive-orders-3a035a0bbd37b5c12630b92c8c8a9625

We bid godspeed and offer our admiration and gratitude to Cecile Richards, who died yesterday at home at the age of 67: https://thebarbedwire.com/2025/01/20/cecile-richards-did-not-quit-neither-can-we/

Even as border crossings slow to a trickle, Governor Abbott couldn't resist the spectacle (and expense) of deploying more buoys into the Rio Grande this weekend: https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-border-buoy-rio-grande-immigration

...While Abbott's "border czar" has been picked by Trump to head up the U.S. Border Patrol: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/16/texas-border-patrol-czar-mike-banks/

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick appears to be entertaining the idea of clarifying Texas' anti-abortion laws for the benefit of doctors caring for critical pregnancy patients: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2025/01/20/lt-gov-dan-patrick-says-texas-should-amend-abortion-ban/77839131007/

A new poll shows a distinct lack of zeal for Republican policies among Texas voters, post-election: https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/uttexas-politics-project-poll-finds-still-simmering-election-concerns-texas-legislature

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Daily Dispatch 1/17/25: 7 Texas HHSC Employees Fired For Data Breach and Theft From Poorest Texans, and More Jan 17, 2025

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Seven employees of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission have been fired under suspicion of breaching the data and stealing the service funds of thousands of low-income Texans who rely on their services: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/17/texas-hhsc-food-stamp-fraud-data-breach/

Amarillo anti-choice activist judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, his court cherry-picked by of officials from Idaho, Kansas and Missouri and in defiance of a recent SCOTUS ruling, has green-lighted those states efforts to scale back access to the abortion drug mifepristone: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/texas-judge-allows-states-to-advance-efforts-to-restrict-access-to-mifepristone/

Christian Nationalist elements in Texas are smarting after an opening day loss in their effort to install Rep. David Cook as House Speaker: https://www.chron.com/culture/religion/article/christian-alt-right-politics-20036423.php

...The effort to Christianize government, should it succeed in Texas, is highly unlikely to stop at the Lone Star State's borders: https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/texas-speaker-vote-christian-nationalists-trump-rcna187869

...State Senator Phil King of northwest D/FW is once again pressing to require the Ten Commandments to be posted in every Texas classroom: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/ten-commandments-texas-schools-20035683.php

...Meanwhile a SECOND North Texas pastor is accused of child sexual abuse, just this month: https://www.keranews.org/news/2025-01-15/another-north-texas-pastor-arrested-on-child-sexual-abuse-charge-court-records-show

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Happy Hour 192: The Austin Women's March with Jen Ramos Jan 16, 2025

Show notes

This Saturday, a terrific opportunity to express your frustration and channel your anger over the second Trump inauguration into action arrives with the Women's March in Austin, this Saturday January 18 at 9am, starting from historic Huston-Tillotson University. Lead Organizer Jen Ramos joins us to provide the details on the event, why it's important moving into Trump 2.0, and how you can get involved.

All the info on Saturday's event, which should precede the weather change expected this weekend: https://action.womensmarch.com/events/women-s-march-atx-1

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

Daily Dispatch 1/16/26 - Biden Warns Of "Tech-Industrial Complex", and More Jan 16, 2025

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

President Biden's farewell address include warnings against disinformation actors now set to take power at the federal level: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/15/us/politics/biden-farewell-address.html

...Over the Biden term, Ken Paxton racked up over $6 million in legal bills - on the tab of Texas taxpayers - suing Biden's administration: https://www.axios.com/local/san-antonio/2025/01/16/texas-attorney-general-paxton-lawsuits-biden

...Speaking of Paxton - Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who was at the center of Paxton's impeachment last year, just pleaded guilty to a federal charge: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/texas-developer-center-attorney-generals-235209867.html

Former Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe, in his Senate confirmation hearing to head the CIA, pledged to avoid political or personal bias in his execution of that job: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/15/john-ratcliffe-cia-trump/

Unsurprisingly, the only two Democrats to vote in favor of banning trans athletes from women's sports were Laredo Rep. Henry Cuellar and McAllen's Vicente Gonzalez: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/transgender-athletes-democrats-20035963.php

Can new Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows be trusted NOT to sideline Democrats as the MAGA wing of his party wants? A look at his background as we ponder: https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/dustin-burrows-house-speaker-20035925.php

...Why did Richardson Democrat Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos vote against Burrows after she was eliminated from the Speaker race in the first round? She calls it a protest vote: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/democrat-house-speaker-texas-20036532.php

Action YOU can take NOW: tell the Biden administration to finalize its limits on LNG exports, before climate allies are out of the White House: https://fossil.energy.gov/app/DocketIndex/Docket/Comment?docketId=30

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Happy Hour 191: Texas Legislative Preview with Rep. James Talarico Jan 15, 2025

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In this final installment of our series of talks with Democratic lawmakers, coming to you on the first day of the 89th Texas Legislature, we wrap up with Rep. James Talarico of the Austin area, a Williamson County native who was first elected to represent House District 50 in 2018, and survived an attempt by Republicans to draw him out of the picture via redistricting by achieving reelection in District 52. He's a graduate of both the University of Texas and Harvard, and is currently working on a Master of Divinity at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary - Rep. Talarico has become known as a prime resource for understanding progressive ideals through the lens of Christian theology.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about how you can support our important work as the session begins at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Daily Dispatch 1/15/25: Texas MAGA Hardliners Fail - Dustin Burrows Elected House Speaker, and More Jan 15, 2025

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

In defiance of the Texas Republican Party, three dozen House GOP electeds voted along with most of the Democratic minority yesterday to elect Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock House Speaker: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/14/dustin-burrows-david-cook-texas-house-speaker-vote/

Several Democratic House members declined to vote for Burrows, who himself is pretty darn MAGA, while a handful curiously voted for Cook, who had pledged to sideline them in the session: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/14/texas-house-speaker-vote-breakdown/

...Texas GOP leadership is swearing retribution against Burrows and his Republican followers: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/01/14/in-contentious-vote-texas-house-chooses-dustin-burrows-as-speaker/

...That same GOP leadership took part in Christian Nationalist revival-style rallies at the Capitol yesterday, openly denying any separation between church and state: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/15/texas-legislature-christianity-church-state-separation/

...Congratulations to Dallas Rep. Venton Jones and his longtime partner Gregory Scott Jr, who got engaged on the House floor yesterday right after Jones was sworn in: https://x.com/JasonWhitely/status/1879239353865761265

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments today over a Texas law requiring pornography websites to verify the age of users - a law with much broader implications than just porn: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/pornhub-supreme-court-20034583.php

The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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