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“We Have Stepped Out of the Shadow of Dallas” Jun 10, 2021

Show notes

On June 15, 2021, the city of Fort Worth will have its first new mayor in 10 years. And even Mattie Parker understands she’s now the youngest Mayor of a major U.S. city (12th largest according to new Census Bureau estimates). In this bonus episode of Y’all-itics, Parker explains why the budget is her first priority as the city emerges from the pandemic flush with federal dollars. Parker also says she’s excited to work with a younger City Council, which has five new members, with the average age of all of them dropping from 60 to 45 after the election. And she fully expects their generation to step up and make a difference in the city. So, expect to see the kids at City Hall. Once you listen, you’ll understand why we mean that literally, not figuratively.

Guests:

Matie Parker, Fort Worth Mayor-Elect

“We Have No Idea Who the Good Guy is” Jun 08, 2021

Show notes

Texans are one signature away from being able to carry their handguns in public without a permit. And many members of law enforcement say permitless carry will make their jobs far more dangerous… and the consequences are coming. The President of the Dallas Police Association says many officers are asking how they’ll even know the difference between the good guy and the bad guy. And Michael Mata tells the Jasons he fully expects the number of violent confrontations between business owners and customers to grow as a result of the legislation. And in this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons are also joined by Frederick Frazier, a McKinney City Council member and a longtime lobbyist for law enforcement issues who says no training plus no background check equals a recipe for disaster. But what if you’re not a cop? What should you expect? Longer holds on 911 and slower response times are just the start of it.

HB 1927: Texas Legislature Online - 87(R) History for HB 1927

Guests:

Michael Mata, Dallas Police Association President

Dallas PA

Frederick Frazier, McKinney City Council

Council Members | McKinney, TX - Official Website (mckinneytexas.org)

You Can’t Even Find Dirt to Build Homes on in Texas Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

Whether you’re building or buying, it’s a brutal housing market in Texas. And it’s about to get even tougher as we enter the summer season, when people really start looking for a new home. Texas leads the country, by far, in new housing permits. But demand is outpacing supply by a Texas mile. Hang around any construction type and you'll hear the phrase "I've never seen anything like this before.” In fact, in this episode the Jasons are hearing that from Ted Wilson, one of the foremost residential construction experts in the state. Ted even talks about how it’s now difficult to find vacant lots. In other words, Texas is even running out of dirt to build a home on. The Jasons also talk to a Dallas resident about the many difficulties he’s faced while trying to build a home, from the permit process to surging prices. And if you’re about to do the same, he has some advice you’ll want to hear. Can anything slow down this runaway train? You’ll learn that in this episode as well.

Residential Strategies Inc – New Home Market Research & Consulting

Wasted Energy? May 25, 2021

Show notes

Following the catastrophic power failure in February, Texans heard all sorts of promises from lawmakers and other state leaders. They’ll fix this mess, they told us, so it never happens again. Another legislative session has nearly come and gone, and lawmakers have yet to pass any energy reform bills (anybody remember 2011?). Lawmakers are close. But can they get anything across the finish line during the final week of the session? The consumer rights advocacy group Public Citizen tells the Jasons that even if lawmakers pass the legislation, it falls far short of what’s needed to protect Texans from the next big storm. And the CEO of Texas’ largest generator of energy says lawmakers better act or the state’s economy will pay the price. In this episode of Y’all-itics, he explains why inaction could freeze business expansion in Texas.

SB 3: Texas Legislature Online - 87(R) History for SB 3

Guests:

Curtis “Curt” Morgan, Vistra Corp. CEO

Home - Vistra Corp.

Adrian Shelley, Public Citizen

Public Citizen - Protecting Health, Safety, and Democracy

Dale Hansen Unplugging May 19, 2021

Show notes

By now you’ve likely heard the news, legendary WFAA sportscaster Dale Hansen is retiring. But we’re pretty sure you haven’t heard the stories that Dale shares on this special episode of Y’all-itics. Exactly 24-hours after the announcement, Dale cracked open a beer with the Jasons for a look back at his 50-years in broadcasting, the well-known statewide politician he was recruited to run against a few years ago, the unbelievable way he got a job in Dallas, and how he handles haters – who really get under his skin. The Jasons raise a toast to Dale and share a lot of laughs. This episode really is Dale unplugged.

Dale’s “Celebrating Our Differences” Unplugged

More of Dale “Unplugged”

Why Nobody Knows Exactly How Many Texas Teachers Have Died of COVID-19 May 18, 2021

Show notes

A new study says re-opening schools in Texas led to an additional 43,000+ cases and 800+ deaths across the state. In fact, one of the lead researchers says it was a stronger connection than they would have guessed. What isn’t clear, is exactly how many of those were teachers. That researcher tells the Jasons why that is and why he hopes the study becomes part of the discussion before any concrete decisions are made for schools in the fall. The Texas Education Agency tells us they stand by their decisions and pointed us towards criticism of this study. But many teachers and other school workers wouldn’t be surprised by the results. They predicted, some right here on Y’all-itics, they would lose co-workers to the disease before they even returned to classrooms. But nobody knows the exact number of teachers who’ve died of COVID during this school year… because the state isn’t tracking those statistics. So WFAA reporter Teresa Woodard did just that. And she also joins the Jasons to talk about her investigation in this episode of Y’all-itics.

WATCH Teresa Woodard’s investigation on WFAA and wfaa.com on Tuesday, May 18 at 10pm

NBER Study: School Reopenings, Mobility, and COVID-19 Spread: Evidence from Texas | NBER

Could Gender Parity Help Texas Lawmakers Get More Done May 11, 2021

Show notes

A record number of women are currently serving in the United States Congress, but to many, it’s just a mirage. And they say true parity remains distant, especially here in Texas. A few years ago, two women launched the Lone Star Parity Project to not only get a better idea of the number of women running for office in Texas, but also which positions they filed for and how many were actually elected. A couple of reports later, the numbers remain stark. Out of 254 counties in Texas, their new study says only nine of them are at parity, where women hold 50% of all elected offices. And they discovered many women say no several times before actually choosing to run for office. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons sit down with the founders of the Lone Star Parity Project to find out what their numbers mean and how they can be used to help future generations of women find success in politics.

Watch this episode on YouTube

Lone Star Parity Project:

How Texas Could Replace Property Taxes May 04, 2021

Show notes

If so many Texans are angry over their property tax appraisals, has anybody ever considered scrapping the entire system? A lawmaker from East Texas has. He even has such a bill in Austin to do just that. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons find out how it would all work.

HB 3770: Texas Legislature Online - 87(R) History for HB 3770

How to lower your property appraisal (and hopefully your property taxes, too) Apr 27, 2021

Show notes

It’s “the season” again… that magical time of year when Texans walk to the mailbox with a mix of resentment and trepidation, take a deep breath, and then dare to look at their property appraisal. Even if you have no plans to move, the red-hot housing market in Texas may cause your appraisal (and later your property taxes) to rise significantly. But you don’t just have to accept what the appraisal district has written on that piece of paper. You can protest. And one of the foremost experts on how to do it tells the Jasons that you should protest your appraisal… every year. Realtor Chandler Crouch has become a viral sensation for his “how-to” videos. He even got the attention of Texas lawmakers who sought his expertise and recently invited him to testify in Austin about some ways to potentially fix the Texas property tax system. He has also been helping thousands of property owners in Tarrant County contest their appraisals… for FREE.

Chandler Crouch’s Protest Website: FreeTaxProtest.com

Ben Lauer’s Protest Website: Dallas Tax Dispute: Ben Lauer Real Estate Group

The Chauvin Verdict: “There’s Still Hope” Apr 20, 2021

Show notes

The conversation in this episode was real, raw and recorded live as the verdict in the Derek Chauvin came down on Tuesday afternoon. In this emergency release of Y’all-itics, the Jasons are joined once again by the politician and the educator, both fathers, who first joined the podcast after the killing of George Floyd in May 2020. Podcast host Cydney Walker, a mother who’s been following the trial gavel to gavel, also joins this important conversation. As the country watched this defining moment, these three Black leaders in Texas watched history unfold together. This is their reaction.

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