Y'all-itics - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

“This is a missile in search of a target” Y’all-itics: April 23, 2023 Apr 23, 2023

Show notes

Some Texas Republicans now want to tell you what you can and cannot do on your land. SB 624, moving through that chamber right now, is one to watch. State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, wrote this one that takes specific aim at the renewable energy sector, with landowners who want to supplement their income by having wind or solar placed on their property taking some inadvertent fire. Kolkhorst wants landowners to get permits from the state and they’d have to let folks within 25-miles of any project know they were applying for a permit. If SB 624 is passed, an energy expert says Texas would be no different than the old Soviet Union, where decisions for your property are made by the state, not you. And this is just one of many bills that would regulate renewable energy in Texas different than oil and gas. We hoped to have Sen. Kolkhorst join us on this episode of Y’all-itics to explain her bill, but the Senator’s staff did not respond to our request. The renewable energy sector is talking. And it’s worried, with the Texas-based President of Advanced Power Alliance telling the Jasons this legislation is a “missile in search of a target.”

GUEST

Jeff Clark, Advanced Power Alliance

BEER SELECTIONS:

WHEELER: Weisser Time (Wheat Beer) 5.4% ABV, 15 IBU

Hop & Sting Brewing Co.

Grapevine, TX

WHITELY: Heart O' Texas (Red Ale) 6% ABV, 35 IBU

Four Corners Brewing

Dallas, TX

“Hell will freeze over”: Dan Patrick on property taxes, parental freedom and the stalled push for his priorities Y’all-itics Special Release: April 18, 2023 Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said they were his highest priorities, from lowering property taxes to giving Texas parents money to send their kids to a new school. But with only six seeks left in the legislative session, many of those priorities are stalled in the Texas House… and he isn’t happy about that. In this special release episode of Y’all-itics, the Lieutenant Governor doesn’t hold back and takes the fight to House leaders, even calling Speaker Phelan “California Dade.” The Republican leader also made clear he won’t negotiate with what he calls the House’s “bad math” when it comes to lowering property taxes, saying “hell will freeze over” before that chamber’s plan passes. Expect the final weeks of the session to be anything but boring, as Lieutenant Governor Patrick makes crystal clear in this wide ranging interview where nothing was off topic.

GUEST

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, R-Texas

Governor Abbott's Unusual Offer To A Convicted Murderer Y’all-itics: April 16, 2023 Apr 16, 2023

Show notes

Only hours after a Travis County jury unanimously found a man guilty of murder, Governor Greg Abbott promised to pardon him as soon as a request from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles hit his desk, something widely expected since he appoints those members. The unprecedented move by the Governor immediately elicited cheers from the conservative right, whose prominent figures had been calling for the pardon, and outrage and confusion just about everywhere else. The Travis County District Attorney called the Governor’s statement troubling, saying: "A jury gets to decide whether a defendant is guilty or innocent, not the governor." In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons explore what it means for the future independence of the legal system and whether it could have a chilling effect on future juries. UT School of Law professor Jennifer Laurin says we should all be concerned about the politicization of the criminal legal system. And former Travis County Criminal Court Judge David Wahlberg calls the move for a pardon outrageous, particularly since the Governor never set foot in the courtroom where jurors spent more than a week listening to several dozen witnesses.

GUESTS

Professor Jennifer Laurin, UT School of Law (START/9:11)

Judge David Wahlberg, Senior District Judge/former Criminal District Judge (START/19:49)

BEER SELECTIONS:

WHITELY: Han's Pills, 5.3% ABV, 50 IBU (Pilsner)

Real Ale Brewing Company/Blanco, TX

WHEELER: Pretzel Stout, 6.5% ABV, 60 IBU (Stout)

Martin House Brewing Co/Fort Worth, TX

Nonbinary frogs, a fed-up mom and the effort to make school boards boring again Y’all-itics: April 9, 202 Apr 09, 2023

Show notes

Laney Hawes, a fed-up mother with children in Keller ISD, has a simple wish: make school board meetings boring again. Next month, voters can select who represents them on city councils and school boards. Most Texans don’t bother with municipal elections. Republicans figured that out and have won majorities on at least four North Texas school boards, including Keller ISD. Conservatives are now capitalizing on their wins, by reviewing and removing some books from school libraries, along with other policy changes. The popular children’s book series “Dog Man and Cat Kid” has even been pulled from some shelves. Y’all-itics first told you about this effort in February 2022. Fast forward to this episode and now, Laney Hawes and other parents are fighting back against the conservative changes. Their grassroots effort includes recruiting and supporting new candidates to run for school boards. But it’s a tough effort since many of those races have devolved into brutal partisan politics. Most importantly, they say their goal is to increase voter turnout. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons met Laney at Odd Muse Brewery in Farmer's Branch to hear about the price she’s paid for speaking out; from being called a “library porn apologist,” to doxing and physical threats. But Hawes says she’s no villain, just a moderate mom looking out for her kids and the community.

GUEST

Laney Hawes, Keller ISD Families for Public Education

LOCATION

Odd Muse Brewing, Farmer's Branch, TX

BEER SELECTION:

WHITELY: Ombibulous, Pre-Prohibition Pilsner, 4%

WHEELER: Opulence (We Has It) Imperial Stout, 9%

Rewind: The GOP Governor Next Door Who’s (Likely) Running for President Y’all-itics Rewind: April 3, 2023 Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

It is no longer “likely.” Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson is running for President. But who is this Republican and why does he think he can win in 2024? Y’all-itics first introduced you to Governor Hutchinson last October. So, here is that conversation again now that he’s officially joined the field.

Original Summary (October 9, 2022)

The race for 2024 begins next month – as soon as the polls close in the November midterm. There’s already been lots of speculation about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis potentially running for the White House. But another Republican governor, who neighbors Texas, suggested to the Jasons he might launch his own bid for President. Asa Hutchinson is a former Congressman, the former head of the DEA, and now term-limited out as Governor of Arkansas. And unlike other Republicans today, Gov. Hutchinson is not afraid to disagree with Donald Trump. Which begs the question, can a center-right, Reagan-style Republican, survive nationally in today's GOP? Gov. Hutchinson, who was in Austin recently as a guest speaker for The Texas Tribune Festival, says leadership in that environment is a delicate balancing act. And in this episode of Y’all-itics, he has a candid conversation with the Jasons about his plan to secure the border, abortion and why he says limitations and restrictions are not the way out of gun violence.

GUEST

Gov. Asa Hutchinson, (R) Arkansas

Texas’ Housing Crisis: “I can see San Francisco in the headlights” Y’all-itics: April 2, 2023 Apr 02, 2023

Show notes

Housing affordability has become such a crisis in Texas, it could be the one development that derails what’s known as the Texas Miracle, the economic engine driving the Lone Star State. But sky high demand, property taxes and inflation have combined to drive up the cost of housing to such a level, some experts say Texas no longer has a cost advantage. Put another way, before now, businesses had no problem enticing employees to the Lone Star State because most folks could easily afford a home. Now, though, that same home has become too expensive for many would be workers: homeowners, and renters alike, regardless of income level. And that’s made us more like, dare we say, California and New York than many Texans would like to admit. The problem is now such a threat, some of the brightest minds in the state sent a brief to lawmakers for the 88th Texas Legislature identifying ways to address the affordability crisis. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons are joined by two of those experts who discuss what needs to be done so we can all afford – and keep – our homes.

GUESTS

Steven Pedigo, LBJ Urban Lab Director/LBJ School of Public Affairs

Sherri Greenberg, Asst Dean-Professor/LBJ School of Public Affairs

BEER SELECTIONS

Wheeler: Wild Texas Kolsch, 4.8 ABV

Texas Beer Company/ Taylor, TX

Whitely: Dot Matrix, Black Lager, 5.2 ABV

Equal Parts Brewing, Houston, TX

Overdosing in Texas: We've heard drug warnings for decades, but this time it's different Y’all-itics: March 26, 202 Mar 26, 2023

Show notes

It’s cheap, easy to conceal, and deadlier than any other drug. But what exactly is fentanyl, where is it coming from and how is it so easily ending up in our schools and on our streets? It killed three middle schoolers in Carrollton recently. And first responders in Dallas dealt with at least 27 suspected overdose cases… in one night alone. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons take their questions to a supervisor from the DEA in Dallas. Associate Special Agent in Charge Wade Sparks explains the scope of the problem in a way we haven’t heard before, revealing specific apps that parents should look for on their child’s mobile device and why it’s so hard to track these drug transactions. It has become so concerning that Texas schools are now stocking an antidote. Dallas City Councilwoman Paula Blackmon helped launch a provocative new ad campaign. And state lawmakers in Austin are debating bills to address the growing number of deaths. This is an episode every parent should download.

GUESTS

Wade Sparks, DEA

Paula Blackmon, Dallas City Council

Will “Educational Freedom” Handcuff Public Schools in Texas? Y’all-itics: March 17, 2023 Mar 19, 2023

Show notes

Has the education revolution begun in Texas? Republicans have made “educational freedom” a priority in Austin this legislative session and there is now a bill they say does just that. SB 8 would provide $8,000 for families to move their children from public schools to private schools. But critics wonder who will be holding private schools accountable since public schools are held to a different standard, as they’re judged by standardized testing and private schools are not. And SB 8 goes far beyond educational savings accounts (ESAs), from requiring “age appropriate” content to having teachers upload lesson plans to a portal so parents can review them. In this episode of Y’all-itics, you’ll hear from the Executive Director of the public school advocacy group Raise Your Hand Texas. Dr. Michelle Smith explains why she thinks the bill is an attack on urban school districts. And to learn more about where the dollars will come from and behind-the-scenes political maneuvering, we head straight to the bill’s author, state Senator Brandon Creighton. The Republican chair of the Senate Education Committee explains why he thinks SB 8, and its companion bill SB 9, will lift up public schools, teachers and perhaps most importantly, Texas parents and students.

Guests

Dr. Michelle Smith, Raise Your Hand Texas Exec. Dir.

Sen. Brandon Creighton, (R) Conroe

Texas Is Among the Worst in Voter Turnout. What 100+ New Election Bills might mean to Texas Voters Yall-itics: March 12, 2023 Mar 12, 2023

Show notes

Texas already has the reputation for being one of the hardest states in which to vote. But the legislature is now considering ways to make it even more challenging for some voters to cast ballots. Right now, more than 100 election-related bills are up for discussion at the state capitol. These proposals would ban voting on college campuses, ban mail-in ballots for anyone over 65, give the state the authority to replace county elections administrators, increase the penalty for illegal voting to a felony – even if the person doesn’t know they’re ineligible, and more. Jessica Huseman is tracking the ins and outs of these bills closely as the editorial director for VoteBeat.org. Wheeler has the week off so Jason Whitely and WFAA’s political producer, Berna Dean Steptoe, had a drink with Jessica to get the low-down on what’s happening and also learn why Texas is a non-voting state. Hint: It’s cultural. But this episode starts with a toast to almost 40-years of Dallas’ original Blue Goose Cantina on Lower Greenville before it closes for good on March 19.

GUEST:

Jessica Huseman / Editorial Director, VoteBeat.org

Nick Peterson / Blue Goose Cantina CEO

Do Businesses Deserve Their Own Court System? Half of the Country Has Them. Why Doesn’t Texas? Yall-itics: March 5th, 2023 Mar 05, 2023

Show notes

Businesses in Texas thrive on lower taxes and less regulation. That leads to jobs, flourishing communities, and the Texas Miracle. But does Texas now need to create an entire court system for companies here to settle their disputes? Gov. Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan call it a priority. Half the country already has business courts. Delaware’s business courts have been around since 1792. So, the Jasons called another Jason for this episode – Jason Villalba. He’s a former Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives who proposed this very idea in 2015. This year, though, there’s more momentum. Even the bill number this year – House Bill 19 – says something about its importance. But will juries play a role? Will the judges be elected or appointed by the governor? The Jasons have questions. A third Jason answered them.

GUEST:

Jason Villalba, former state representative, practicing business attorney

LOCATION:

On Rotation Brewery & Kitchen

BEER SELECTIONS:

Jason Wheeler: Jalapeno Saison (Dallas, TX)

Jason Whitely: Hans' Pils (Blanco, TX)

Jason Villabla: Lake Highlands Light (Dallas, TX)