Texas Talks

Ep. 54 - Wayne Christian Feb 13, 2025

Wayne Christian is a politician and financial planner who has served as a member of the Railroad Commission of Texas since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Christian formerly served in the Texas House of Representatives for the 9th district, which included Jasper, Nacogdoches, Sabine, San Augustine, and Shelby counties in East Texas.

Ep. 53 - Ellen Troxclair Feb 06, 2025

Ellen Troxclair is an American small business owner and politician who is a member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 19. A member of the Republican Party, Troxclair was the youngest woman ever elected to the Austin City Council, where she served the 8th district from 2015 to 2019.

Ep. 52 - Mayes Middleton Jan 30, 2025

Mayes Middleton is an American businessman and politician serving as a member of the Texas Senate for the 11th district. Previously, he served as a Texas House of Representatives for district 23. A member of the Republican Party, Middleton has been in the Texas legislature since January 8, 2019.

Ep. 51 - Terri Behling Jan 23, 2025

Terri Behling is Director of Communications at Haven for Hope, an organization that addresses the root causes of homelessness by offering programming tailored to the specific needs of the individual. Their unique approach is person-centered, trauma-informed and recovery-oriented. The goal is to meet individuals where they are and support them as they move toward self-sufficiency. https://www.havenforhope.org/

Ep. 50 - Todd Staples Jan 16, 2025

Todd Staples is the president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association and previously served as the Texas Agriculture Commissioner, as well as a Texas State Senator and Representative. He joins the show to discuss the record breaking amount of tax revenue the Oil and Gas industry brought to Texas in 2024, who benefits, the future of energy in Texas, and much more. https://www.txoga.org/

Ep. 49 - Lee Parsley Jan 09, 2025

Lee Parsley is the General Counsel and President for Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR), an organization focused on tort and lawsuit reform in Texas. Lee discusses Nuclear Verdicts, Public Nuisance Lawsuits, and the effects of lawfare on Texans. https://www.tortreform.com/

Ep. 48 - Jennifer Rabb Dec 26, 2024

Jennifer Rabb is the president of TTARA (Texas Taxpayers and Research Association) and joins the show to discuss the tax landscape in Texas - property taxes, school taxes, business taxes, and how Texas is faring under it all. https://ttara.org/

Ep. 47 - Nathan Johnson Dec 19, 2024

Texas Senator Nathan Johnson of Senate District 16 joins the show to discuss infrastructure: everything from physical infrastructure, but also education and government programs. https://linktr.ee/NathanForTexas

Ep. 46 - Tony Bennett Dec 12, 2024

Tony Bennett is the President and CEO of the Texas Association of Manufacturers, a position he has held since 2012. The Texas Association of Manufacturers gives voice to more than 600 small and large companies at the State Capitol as well as in Washington, DC. Tony joins the show to discuss education, energy, foreign trade, AI, and much more as it all relates to manufacturing. https://manufacturetexas.org/

Ep. 45 - Ben Carson Nov 22, 2024

Dr. Ben Carson is the former 17th Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban and Development, founder and Chairman of the American Cornerstone Institute, and currently serves on the Texas Education Agency Open Education Resource advisory board. Dr. Carson joins the show to discuss the recently approved Open Education Resource curriculum here in Texas, how to inspire kids to learn, modern cultural issues, and more.

Ep. 44 - Cameron Abrams Nov 14, 2024

Cameron Abrams is a reporter for The Texan, a statewide political news organization focusing on Texas news and politics. In addition to being a reporter, he is a doctoral candidate with a focus on postmodern philosophical influences in education. We discuss the recent Texas Legislative elections and the potential ramifications for policy and legislation in the upcoming 89th Texas Legislature.

Ep. 43 - Adam Jones Nov 07, 2024

Writer, speaker, consultant, and lobbyist, Adam Jones joins the show to discuss education finance in Texas. Adam served as the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer for the Texas Education Agency from 2003 - 2012. Since then he founded CapitolJones to help organizations achieve their objectives, and presents regularly at education and government conferences.

Ep. 42 - Ken Good Oct 31, 2024

Ken W. Good is a noted bail attorney and board member of the Professional Bondsmen of Texas, and who has worked closely with lawmakers, argued cases before the Supreme Court of Texas among others. He is the author of Good’s on Bail. Ken joins the show to discuss the recent correction in crime statistics, crime trends in Texas, the bail system in Texas, and efforts in the next legislative session.

Ep. 41 - Ray Martinez Oct 24, 2024

Ray Martinez is the President and CEO of the Texas Association of Community Colleges, providing leadership to advance state policy, institutional practices and research in support of Texas Community Colleges. Ray discusses the role that community colleges play in Texas Higher Ed, workforce alignment in Texas' Building a Talent Strong Texas plan, changing the funding mechanism for community colleges, and more.

Ep. 40 - Aaron Silva Oct 17, 2024

Aaron Silva is a former candidate for Eanes ISD School Board, lifelong entrepreneur, and founder of Paladin-fs, a professional technology contract negotiation company for community banks and credit unions. He is also the founder of Texas Education Project 103. Aaron discusses the importance of fair elections at the local level, financial and educational issues facing school districts across the state, and more.

Ep. 39 - Sen. Brandon Creighton Oct 14, 2024

Senator Brandon Creighton represents Senate District 4, encompassing parts of Montgomery, Harris, Chambers, Jefferson and Galveston Counties. He is the chair of not only the Education Committee, but the Higher Education Subcommittee, as well. During his tenure he has taken the lead on key issues that matter to Texas job creators, fought excessive taxation, and passed legislation to improve Texas schools. Senator Creighton discusses DEI, the Deathstar Bill, Election Integrity, and Education in Texas.

Ep. 38 - John Hryhorchuk Oct 03, 2024

John Hryhorchuk is the Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Texas 2036, a non-partisan, data driven public policy think tank here in Austin, Texas. John previously worked as the Deputy Director of Budget and Policy for Governor Greg Abbott, and he joins us here today. John discusses many issues facing Texas today including health care, mental health, education, water sustainability, and more.

Ep. 37 - Rep. David Spiller Sep 19, 2024

This week's guest is Representative David Spiller of House District 68, which spans across 12 counties here in Texas. He serves on multiple committees, including as cochair of the Texas Energy Fund Advisory committee. He discusses border security, foreign ownership of land, water availability, and the electric grid. Lern more: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069525410865

Ep. 36 - Chris Powers Sep 12, 2024

Chris Powers, founder and CEO of Fort Capital, a real estate investment firm having completed more than $2.1B in real estate transactions in Texas, Tennessee, and Florida. He is also the host of The Fort podcast, a show about entrepreneurship where each episode's mission is to up your game by hearing directly from men and women in the arena. https://fort-companies.com/ https://x.com/fortworthchris https://www.thefortpod.com/

Ep. 35 - Chris Baker Sep 05, 2024

Chris Baker is executive director of The Other One's Foundation, a homeless service provider focusing on shelter and workforce services. Since graduating from the State University of New York at Oneonta in 2007, Chris has worked many different jobs in the field of homeless services and activism, but also as a musician, writer, and even paralegal. He started The Other Ones Foundation in the summer of 2017 to bring his innovative ideas for addressing homelessness to life.

Ep. 34 - Aaron Sims Aug 29, 2024

Lieutenant Game Warden Aaron Sims is a public information officer for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He joins the show to discuss hunting and boat safety, poaching, wildlife conservancy, and more. Website: https://tpwd.texas.gov/

Ep. 33 - Dax Gonzalez Aug 22, 2024

Dax Gonzalez is the Governmental Relations Division Director at the Texas Association of School Boards. Dax joins the show to discuss TASB advocacy efforts including increasing local control, improved funding, school choice/vouchers, and more. https://www.tasb.org/

Ep. 32 - Rep. Cody Vasut Aug 15, 2024

Representative Cody Vasut represents House District 25, which comprises southern and western Brazoria County. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Business & Industry Committee and member of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committees. Rep. Vasut discusses the need for additional transparency with campaign finance records, affordable housing, potential changes to the house parliamentarian and points of order, and more. X: https://x.com/cvasut

Ep. 31 - Mihaela Plesa Aug 08, 2024

Representative Mihaela Plesa of Texas House District 70, which includes parts of Dallas, Richardson, Plano, and Allen, is a first generation Romanian American. She discusses education, women's health and reproduction, THC and compassionate use, and more. Website: https://www.plesafortexas.com/

Ep. 30 - Senator Jose Menendez Aug 01, 2024

Senator Jose Menendez of Texas Senate District 26 in Bexar County, joins the show to discuss Interim Hearings in the Texas Legislature. The discussion includes a potential ban on Delta 8 and 9 products, social media and children, catching kids up in education, and more. http://www.josemenendez.com/ https://x.com/Menendez4Texas https://www.facebook.com/Menendez4Texas

Ep. 29 - John Wallace Jul 25, 2024

John Wallace is a Houston native and attorney specializing in Municipal Utility Districts. John discusses what MUD's are, as well as PFCs (Public Facility Corporations) and how they are used, at the expense of MUDs, cities, counties, school districts, and all taxing entities, to create "affordable housing." You can learn more about John's law practice at https://bwplegal.com/

Ep. 28 - Lee Bratcher Jul 19, 2024

Lee Bratcher is a Board Member and President of the Texas Blockchain Council, an industry association that exists to advocate for blockchain centric public policy initiatives, educate members of government about the benefits of bitcoin, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. https://texasblockchaincouncil.org/

Ep. 27 - Steve Bruno Jul 11, 2024

Steve Bruno is the Deputy Executive Director of the Licensing and Education and Examination Divisions and Customer Service at The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Steve discusses the role that TDLR plays in the everyday lives of Texans, as well as their new five year strategic plan. https://x.com/tdlrlicense https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/

Ep. 26 - Thad Cleveland Jul 05, 2024

Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland is the sheriff of Terrell County. He previously served for 26 years as a U.S. Border Patrol official. He is a member of Coalition Against Cartels, a national effort to expose the illegal operations of cartels in U.S. communities. He discusses how the Cartels control the US Mexico Border, the actions this administration has taken, Operation Lone Star, what more needs to be done, and much more. https://sheriffthaddeuscleveland.com/ https://x.com/SheriffThad https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081901877696

Ep. 25 - Robert Bryce Jun 27, 2024

Robert Bryce is a Texas-based author, journalist, film producer, and public speaker. His latest docuseries, "Juice: Power Politics and the Grid", is available for free on YouTube and on juicetheseries.com. Subscribe to his Substack at RobertBryce.substack.com X: x.com/pwrhungry

Ep. 24 - Ray Lopez Jun 20, 2024

We are joined by Representative Ray Lopez, who was elected to the Texas Legislature in 2019 to serve HD 125, which encompasses much of San Antonio’s West and Northwest Sides. We discuss his background in politics and why he got involved, emergency preparedness in Texas, the Texas Military and the border, threats from foreign nations and organizations, and more.

Ep. 23 - Brad Buckley Jun 13, 2024

Bradley Buckley is a Texas veterinarian and Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for House District 54, which includes part of Bell County and all of Lampasas County in Central Texas.

Ep. 22 - Doug O'Connell Jun 06, 2024

Doug O’Connell, Special Forces Colonel Retired, is the defense attorney for Sgt Daniel Perry who was convicted by a jury in Travis County for the murder of Garrett Foster during the BLM riots of 2020. Sgt Perry's conviction was recently pardoned by Governor Greg Abbott.

Ep. 21 - Donna Bahorich May 30, 2024

Donna Bahorich is a member of the Texas Historical Commission and a former member of the Texas State Board of Education, serving as Chair from June 2015 - September 2019. Donna discusses the new Texas education curriculum as well as Open Education Resources (OER), which is an online database of school curriculum and lesson plans which can be accessed by teachers, staff, parents, and anyone else seeking those resources.

Ep. 20 - Sid Miller May 21, 2024

Sid Miller is a republican politician from Stephenville, Texas. He served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2001-2013 and is currently the Texas Agriculture Commissioner, serving since January 2015.

Ep. 19 - Charles Blain May 09, 2024

Charles is the President of Urban Reform and Urban Reform Institute, focusing on free market solutions to urban issues and creating opportunity for all in America’s metropolitan areas. Charles has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Houston Chronicle, the Hill, Wired, and other publications. He is a Fox 26 Houston (KRIV) regular political commentator and weekly panelist on Sunday talk show, What’s Your Point. He is also a regular guest speaking about local issues on I Heart Radio’s Pursuit of Happiness, The Michael Berry Show, and Houston’s Morning News w/ Jimmy Barrett & Shara Fryer. Urban Reform Institute: https://urbanreforminstitute.org/

Ep. 18 - Anita Scott May 02, 2024

Anita Scott is former teacher and assistant principal. She is currently Director of Public Policy at the Texas Home School Coalition. THSC: https://thsc.org/

Ep. 17 - Sharon McKinney Apr 25, 2024

Sharon McKinney is the executive director of the Texas Inmate Families Association, a non-profit whose mission is to serve people in Texas prisons through education, advocacy, and organizing. Sharon teaches the New Family Workshop for families whose loved ones are entering the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Parole Workshop for families whose loved ones are approaching parole eligibility. Website: www.tifa.org TIFA on FB: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083131692292 TIFA on X: twitter.com/TexasIFA

Ep. 16 - Jeff Burdett Apr 18, 2024

Jeff Burdett is the Texas State Director of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), an association of small businesses in the United States, formed to advance their interests. Website: https://www.nfib.com/ NFIB on X: https://twitter.com/NFIB

Ep. 15 - Bryan Sunderland Apr 11, 2024

Bryan Sunderland is the Director of Advocacy at the Cicero Institute, a nonpartisan public policy organization with deep experience in government, legislation and the law, technology, and entrepreneurship. Bryan and Brad discuss addressing the homelessness crisis, health care, public safety, and regulation and licensing reform. Cicero website: https://ciceroinstitute.org/ Bryan on X: https://twitter.com/bryansunderland

Ep. 14 - Rep. Dustin Burrows Apr 07, 2024

Representative Dustin Burrows is the representative for Texas House District 83. He recently served on a five person panel to investigate the cause of, and determine remedies to, the recent wildfires in North Texas. Dustin Burrows on X: https://twitter.com/Burrows4TX

Ep. 13 - Greg Sindelar Mar 29, 2024

The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit, non-partisan research institute. The Foundation’s mission is to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas and the nation by educating and affecting policymakers and the Texas public policy debate with academically sound research and outreach.

TPPF Website: https://www.texaspolicy.com/

TPPF X: https://twitter.com/TPPF

Greg Sindelar X: https://twitter.com/gsindelar

Ep. 12 - Russell Woodward Mar 21, 2024

Russell Woodward is the senior manager of product marketing at Texas Beef Council. In his role, he fosters strategic partnerships and builds programs to strengthen the beef presence in the retail and foodservice sector. Growing up on a farm in North Texas, he knows how personal producers take growing and raising quality products for the consumer’s plates. His desire to pursue a career in the meat industry led him to Texas A&M University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in food science, with a special emphasis in meat science. Russell has been with Texas Beef Council since 1996. He brings knowledge and experience from his previous work with the National Cattleman’s Beef Association and the National Livestock and Meat Board to his role. By serving on the Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation Board of Trustees, Russell is able to ensure beef is part of the conversation throughout Texas, among the foodservice sector. He is also a member of the American Meat Science Association to stay at the forefront of the industry.

Ep. 11 - Mark Nemir (Dirty Martin's) & Bill Aleshire Mar 14, 2024

Mark Nemir is the owner of Dirty Martin's, a hamburger joint near UT campus, and Bill Aleshire is a local attorney representing Mark and four other plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the City of Austin. Their lawsuit regards the City's Project Connect plans, how it was sold to the public, what it has become, and how it is being paid for. https://www.savedirtys.com/ https://twitter.com/AleshireLaw

Ep. 10 - Salman Bhojani Mar 07, 2024

Representative Salman Bhojani of House District 92, immigrated to Texas as a teenager, and worked several minimum wage jobs to help support his family. He went on to become a business owner, an attorney, a Euless city councilman, and one of the first Muslims and South Asians to be elected to the Texas State House. Bhojani on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SalmanBhojaniTX Bhojani on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SalmanBhojaniTX Bhojani's Website: https://www.bhojanifortexas.com/

Ep. 9 - Arjun Sharda Feb 29, 2024

Arjun Sharda, a 12-year-old student, is the founder of the nonprofit organization, TLEEM. The acronym stands for Technology, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Engineering, and Mathematics. TLEEM's purpose is to help his peers and beyond to better their skills in those areas. TLEEM's Website: https://www.tleem.org/ Arjun's Website: https://www.arjunsharda.com/about.html

Ep. 8 - Starlee Coleman Feb 22, 2024

https://txcharterschools.org/

https://twitter.com/tpcsanews

https://www.facebook.com/TPCSAnews/

https://www.instagram.com/tpcsanews/

Ep. 7 - Mark Teixiera Feb 15, 2024

Mark Teixeira is a former professional baseball first baseman who played 14 seasons in the MLB for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Anaheim Angels, and New York Yankees. One of the most prolific switch hitters in MLB history, leading the American League in home runs and RBI's while finishing second in the MVP balloting. Teixeira was a three-time All-Star, won five Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards, and holds the major-league record for most games with a home run from both sides of the plate, with 14.

Ep. 6 - Charley Wilkison Feb 08, 2024

Find CLEAT at:

X/Twitter

Facebook

Website

Ep. 5 - Jaeson Jones Feb 01, 2024

Jaeson Jones is an internationally renowned border intelligence expert. He has led investigations targeting Mexican cartel leadership and collaborated closely with the US intelligence community to help save lives throughout Mexico and the USA.

Ep. 4 - Dick Lavine Jan 25, 2024

Dick Lavine is a Senior Fiscal Analyst at Every Texan, a Texas-based organization that advocates for policies that enable Texans of all backgrounds to thrive. In this episode, Dick and Brad speak about property taxes in Texas, including alternatives to the property tax, the school financing system, and economic development programs such as the Chapter 313 program and the recently passed House Bill-5.

Ep. 3 - Vance Ginn Jan 18, 2024

Vance Ginn, Ph.D., is a free-market economist who extensively evaluates policies to let people prosper while equipping lawmakers and leaders nationwide with frameworks for practical solutions to modern problems. Dr. Ginn is the founder and president of Ginn Economic Consulting and host of his Let People Prosper Show podcast. He is a senior fellow at Americans for Tax Reform, associate research fellow at American Institute for Economic Research, chief economist at Pelican Institute for Public Policy, and contributor at many other free-market think tanks across the country. In these roles, he provides high-quality research and trusted insights on how to improve human flourishing with policy considerations at federal, state, and local levels.

Ep. 2 - Paul Bettencourt Jan 11, 2024

Paul Bettencourt is an American politician and businessman based out of Houston, Texas, who serves as a Republican member of the Texas State Senate from District 7. On January 13, 2015, he succeeded state Senator Dan Patrick of Houston, who successfully ran for Lieutenant Governor of Texas.

Ep. 1 - Russel Boening Jan 04, 2024

On the first episode of Texas Talks, Brad speaks with Russel Boening. Russel is a full-time farmer and rancher from Wilson County. He grows feed grains, cotton and wheat, as well as operates a dairy and a beef cattle operation with his brother near Floresville. The fourth-generation farmer was elected president of Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) and Affiliated Companies in December 2014. He was first elected to the TFB board of directors in December 2008 and became secretary-treasurer in December 2011. He was elected to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) board of directors in 2015. He currently serves on the AFBF executive committee.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected