In the second of two episodes focused on police reform in Texas, we're glad to meet and get to know Jalen McKee-Rodriguez of the San Antonio City Council, who happens to hold the historic distinction of being the first Black and openly-LGBTQ elected official in Texas ! Not only does he share his views on police reforms and police unions, but also his unique take on being an elected official - how his background as a high school math teacher brings new perspective and benefits to the job, but als...
Feb 06, 2023•26 min
The nation, once again, reels in the aftermath of an unjustified and tragic young Black death at the hands of law enforcement in the case of Tyre Nichols. Over two episodes, Progress Texas seeks to learn: what's the status of police reform in Texas, and nationwide? What are the factors that lead to what seems to be an ever-escalating epidemic of lethal police violence against unarmed Black citizens? And - most importantly - what can WE do to end this disgraceful trend? In the first part of a two...
Feb 03, 2023•30 min
What will become of the historic surplus currently at the fingertips of the Texas Legislature? Given the state of public education, you'd think a big spend on our schools and students would be a no-brainer - but after all, we're talking about the Texas GOP here. We talk education and more this week with a pair of young Democratic officeholders: Jeff Casper of the Mesquite City Council (a high school government teacher himself), and Venton Jones , freshman Representative for storied District 100 ...
Jan 27, 2023•45 min
Our first episode of the year features two Texans we plan to follow closely as the Texas Legislature begins another session. First, Tarrant County's State Representative Salman Bhojani , who alongside freshman Rep. Suleman Lalani of Fort Bend County is one of the two first Muslim and South Asian lawmakers in state history! And Nicole Golden, Executive Director of Texas Gun Sense joins us with details on her organization's strategy to keep the pressure on legislators to enact common sense laws in...
Jan 19, 2023•52 min
Our annual holiday party was a blast last night at Antone's in downtown Austin, and as has become tradition, we took the time to interrogate our guests in between sips of sweet beverage. This time: As Texas progressives, what do we most want for the holidays - politically speaking of course? We got a bunch of terrific answers from a bunch of terrific people, with whom we were happy to reconnect after a bruising mid-term, and with whom we are proud to carry the fight forward into 2023 and beyond....
Dec 08, 2022•31 min
It's become an annual exercise of catharsis, renewal and forward strategy for us at Progress Texas: every year, we analyze the last year of the battle and pick out the five best, and five worst, Texans when it came to the arc of politics in the Lone Star State. On the good side, the obvious: Beto O'Rourke and Mothers Against Greg Abbott, along with pleasant surprise heroes like Olivia Julianna and Access Education Round Rock. On the bad side, the even more obvious Greg Abbott and Ted Cruz, with ...
Dec 02, 2022•46 min
At a moment when Elon Musk appears to be doing all he can to destroy his new $44 billion toy, Facebook is largely DOA, the TikTok kids are interested in anything but politics, and one particular orange gorilla has thrown in once again for the top job - how on Earth are candidates and political orgs to navigate the catastrophic mess that is the current scene of social media? As things ramp up (yes, already) for 2024, are there any viable platforms left for factual, ethically-sound politics? How a...
Nov 18, 2022•53 min
Nationally, and also at the city level in the large metros of Texas, Democrats actually had a better than expected night on Tuesday. But at the statewide level? The same old goose egg. What happened? Is this just an impossible fight? And if not, what have we learned? The crew is joined by Texas Blue Action Democrats President Carrie Collier-Brown for a post-mortem of the '22 midterm election, in which no degree of campaigning or spending appears to have made a dent for Texas Dems - but which als...
Nov 11, 2022•52 min
Here we are folks - as we publish this podcast, there's one day of early voting left (Friday November 4), followed by Election Day on Tuesday November 8. In the spirit of Go Time, we present a carefully constructed, somewhat triggering, and cruelly short list of the top ten reasons YOU should vote AGAINST Governor Greg Abbott. In no particular order: 1 - Abortion Bans (3:50) 2 - Border Bullshit (10:15) 3 - The Assault On Public Schools (16:45) 4 - Inaction On Gun Violence (23:50) 5 - Attacks On ...
Nov 04, 2022•57 min
As early voting gets underway, we gather to take a tour through some of the prominent TV commercials being leveled in various directions by prominent players including Beto O'Rourke , Mike Collier , Rochelle Garza and yes - Governor Greg Abbott . Plus, a look at a powerful new piece from our heroes at Mothers Against Greg Abbott , and one of a more homegrown strain from TikTok that, we think, may represent the future of visual political advertising . Thanks as always for your support - and GO VO...
Oct 27, 2022•46 min
Proud to welcome back Lana Hansen, Executive Director of Texas Blue Action, to provide an update on the ongoing Two Million Texans relational organizing effort aimed at strengthening Democratic performance in what may shake out to be a very challenging mid-term election. Listen to learn about how the Reach app can provide an invaluable tool in your own personal organizing effort! Thanks as always for your support of Progress Texas - and get ready to VOTE!
Oct 22, 2022•38 min
We celebrate the birthday of resident pumpkin spice latte enthusiast and IPA Truther Brett Isaacs with an overview of the potentially disastrous impact looming with multiple on-record 2020 election deniers occupying GOP slots on 2022 midterm ballots - more of them in Texas than in any other state . Not only is it a despicable, desperate and underhanded tactic, but the undermining of confidence in our electoral system presents a threat to American democracy itself - thus, November wins by Republi...
Oct 19, 2022•33 min
Proud to welcome a guest episode from our friends Nichole Abshire and Claire Campos-O'Neal at the Go Behind The Ballot podcast, which is quite well-timed as the first of several 2022 midterm election deadlines - the registration deadline on October 11 - has now come and gone. You'll recognize our good friend Emily Eby of the Texas Civil Rights Project here, with details on how elections have evolved in Texas, and why it's gotten so damned treacherous and difficult to vote in this state. Thanks a...
Oct 12, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Gotta hand it to Governor Greg Abbott: insisting on a Friday night debate with no audience is a great way to hide from the Texas electorate. Lucky you, the Progress Texas staff DID watch it - and bring to you this week a recap of five of the primary topics that were covered. Listen as we pick apart immigrant busing (7:19), guns (13:12), abortion (18:20), teachers and education (25:41), and housing and revenue (33:36). Welcome for the first time our new Communications Associate Emily Clark to the...
Oct 05, 2022•50 min
Adding to his laundry list of career lows this week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made the news for literally running from a process server attempting to serve him with a subpoena at his North Texas home. The crew convenes this week to closely examine the years and years of outlandish, outlaw behavior that our state's top law enforcement official has (so far) gotten away with, and to also imagine a situation where a true standout legal hero - say, Rochelle Garza - might be able to bring hon...
Oct 01, 2022•39 min
In this second part of our discussion of Hispanic Heritage Month, Sam Gonzalez again hosts Diana Gomez, Ed Espinoza and special guest Abel Prado of Cambio Texas in an exploration of the cornucopia of terms that American Hispanics use to describe themselves and each other - frequently leading to confusion, and sometimes conflict. Latino/Latino/Latinx? Chicano? Tejano? Each has a particular meaning, and we're here to shed some light on a subject that needs broader discussion and understanding. Tha...
Sep 23, 2022•31 min
September 15 thru October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month , and to celebrate we're embarking on a two-part conversation on the complex politics of that particular community here in the Lone Star State, in particular in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Sam Gonzalez hosts Diana Gomez and Ed Espinoza , plus special guest Abel Prado, Executive Director of Cambio Texas : a renowned org dedicated to activating and energizing Hispanic voters and candidates in the region. Look for Part Two,...
Sep 20, 2022•51 min
In what seemed to us - and likely many of you - as either a joke or a typo, South Carolina U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has proposed a federal ban on abortion past 15 weeks. And curiously, this comes right at a moment when Republicans across the country (especially in places like Texas) are doing all they can to avoid the subject. Chris Mosser hosts a roundtable discussion with Brett Isaacs, Diana Gomez and Glenn Smith: is this a rogue Graham temper tantrum designed to sabotage the GOP in the mid...
Sep 15, 2022•22 min
Sam Gonzalez hosts a trio of powerhouse progressive Texas women this week: our own Diana Gomez and Brett Isaacs, alongside super special guest Ana Ramon, who has just been announced as the new Executive Director of Annie's List , the undisputed champion in the encouragement and support of female political candidates here in Texas. We get a close look at what Annie's List does, and also take a deep dive on Attorney General candidate Rochelle Garza, who is at present giving our indicted current AG...
Sep 08, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Chris Mosser hosts this week as Ed Espinoza extrapolates what would appear to be some pretty promising recent polling for Texas progressives - that is, if Texas progressives hadn't been burned by promising polling time and time again. Still - it does look pretty good at the moment, and should serve as inspiration to double down and work even harder to elect Democrats all the way down the ballot. And, we review what's been a crazy hot summer both literally and figuratively in Texas and national p...
Sep 02, 2022•42 min
As of today – Thursday, August 25, 2022 – Texas’ so-called trigger ban on abortion, which was set to take effect 30 days beyond the striking down of Roe v Wade and represents a significant escalation beyond the nefarious SB8, is officially the law of the land in the Lone Star State. It’s a grim moment indeed – and one that calls for a review of the ruins of reproductive rights in our state. Meanwhile, there are indications that the attack on abortion rights may have consequences for Republicans ...
Aug 25, 2022•45 min
The majority of schoolkids in Texas return to the classroom this week, and while this is normally an exciting time of adventure and fun, it's lost on nobody - including the kids themselves - that they're returning to a Texas public school system in the throes of crisis. Political culture battles at school board meetings, massive staffing shortfalls, continued threats from Republican leadership on multiple levels - all of that would be very difficult to overcome, and that's not even considering t...
Aug 19, 2022•37 min
We've sat in bemusement from yet another wave of crazy from MAGA-Land since the FBI executed a (perfectly legal and justified) search warrant at Donald Trump's place. And when Trump-world gets fired up, it's not only funny - it can also be dangerous, in a number of different ways. Will the burst of sympathy for TFG sustain itself into November with positive impact for a new crew of Trumpy candidates? Are moderates tired of the over-half-decade of this particular circus yet, and like us, ready to...
Aug 12, 2022•40 min
Texas Democrats are understandably wary of optimism - but lately, there are abundant signs that things may be turning around for the better. Recent wins for the Biden Administration, huge enthusiasm and turnout on Beto O'Rourke's Texas tour, the amazing outcome of the Kansas referendum on abortion rights, and the spectacular implosion of Alex Jones' defense in the ongoing Sandy Hook damages trial are all reasons for progressives to buck up. Chris Mosser hosts this week as we take stock of a rare...
Aug 05, 2022•39 min
As the countdown continues towards August 25 - the day that Texas' trigger law officially outlawing abortion in the state will take effect - the Austin City Council has passed a resolution known as the GRACE Act, which essentially relegates abortion-related cases to the lowest priority for local agencies and law enforcement. Will it provide meaningful protection, and become a model for individual jurisdictions within states where the fall of Roe means the end of abortion care? What more can we d...
Jul 31, 2022•39 min
Yes, we know - Texas Democrats have been burned by optimistic polling more than once - but, these are not typical times, nor a typical political climate, and there's reason to pay attention to the direction that data for both polling AND fundraising for the November midterms is taking. Not only ticket-topper Beto O'Rourke, but also down-ballot progressives including Mike Collier, Rochelle Garza, Susan Hays and the rest of our truly impressive slate are significantly narrowing polling gaps, and a...
Jul 21, 2022•52 min
Since the beginning of this historically horrible heat wave, the Texas power grid has teetered on the brink of repeating the disaster of Winter Storm Uri - but, losing power in the summer would be an even more devastating blow for Texans than the horror we endured that winter. Governor Abbott's promises that "the grid is fixed" are clearly baloney, so we thought it a good time for a clear discussion on the nature of our state's energy problem, how we got here, and how we can finally put this sor...
Jul 14, 2022•44 min
We've now had about a week to process the historic overturning of Roe V Wade. This third part of our series on this pivotal crossroads is both a summary of how concerned progressives can take action NOW, with just four months to go until November, and an analysis of how we came to this desperate moment - where not only abortion rights, but the American Experiment itself appears to be hanging by a thread, after a methodical and diabolical half-century crusade by the American right.
Jul 01, 2022•53 min
As we continue our focus on the fight ahead beyond the ripping away of reproductive autonomy with the overturning of Roe v Wade - which is likely only the beginning - it becomes clear that the upcoming mid-term election this November is of potentially existential importance for our democracy. Texas has proven to be the origin point for the draconian conservative agenda that is now coming to fruition, and it's up to us in Texas to put a stop to it. Part 2 of our three-part series features Democra...
Jun 28, 2022•19 min
Austin, Texas - and cities across the United States - erupted in protest this weekend following Friday's announcement of the overturning of Roe v Wade. In a three-part podcast series, Progress Texas takes stock of the damage, in order to assess the path forward - but for now, we're ANGRY, and so are you. Part One is an audio tour through the announcement, and the outrage that followed. MY BODY - MY CHOICE.
Jun 27, 2022•9 min
