The Y’all-itics team is on holiday break, spending time with family. But the Jasons wanted to share two of our top performing episodes of 2023 with you while they’re out. In this rewind episode, you’ll once again hear about an issue that was never resolved in 2023, despite the Governor’s best efforts and multiple special sessions. And we’re still waiting for word whether Governor Abbott will call a fifth special session to address school choice. We first released this episode on March 17, 2023. ...
Dec 31, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 251
The Y’all-itics team is on holiday break, spending time with family. But the Jasons wanted to share two of our top performing episodes of 2023 with you while they’re out. In this rewind episode, you’ll learn more about whether the minority political party in Texas will stay that way forever. We first released this episode on August 6, 2023. GUESTS State Rep. John Bryant, D-Dallas (HD 114)
Dec 24, 2023•45 min•Ep. 250
On the last day she could file to run, state Rep. Victoria Neave Criado confirmed the rumors and announced she wants to unseat fellow Democrat, state Senator Nathan Johnson. But neither time nor money are on her side. The Texas Democratic primary is 80 days away and Johnson has a lot more money. So, why is Neave Criado taking the gamble? And will this race help or hurt the Texas Democratic Party in a high-stakes election year? GUESTS: State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado / D-Dallas State Sen. Nathan...
Dec 17, 2023•27 min•Ep. 249
You may not have noticed, but the Houston area has been quietly, and quite successfully, addressing its homelessness problem for years now. And the coalition leading this effort has a simple mantra: housing first. They’ve learned it’s more expensive to leave people on the street or put them in temporary shelters than it is to permanently house them. In this episode of Y’all-itics , the CEO of the “Coalition for the Homeless” tells the Jasons the secret to their success comes down to three things...
Dec 10, 2023•42 min•Ep. 248
The city of Dallas needs 33,000 affordable homes. Fast. Statewide, the Texas Miracle is under threat. The affordability crisis is already driving away businesses and people. But one solution may come down to 1,500 square feet. In this episode of Y’all-itics , Dallas councilman Chad West pours a pint with the Jasons and explains why Dallas could be doing more with its dirt. Guest Chad West, Dallas City Council Member/District 1
Dec 03, 2023•42 min•Ep. 247
State Rep. David Spiller heard the last episode of Y’all-itics and had something to say. Spiller wrote the controversial legislation that lets local and state police charge undocumented immigrants with a misdemeanor. State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado and Congressman Joaquin Castro criticized it, worrying it will lead to racial profiling of lawful U.S. citizens. But Spiller argues this soon-to-be Texas law will not result in roundups of migrants who have been here for decades and, he says, police ...
Nov 29, 2023•22 min•Ep. 246
*CAUTION: This episode contains adult language* Texas will soon become the ‘Show Me State’ when Governor Abbott signs Senate Bill 4 into law. This is the legislation that lets local and state police arrest people who cannot prove whether they are a citizen. Immigration law is a federal responsibility, not a state one. That’s why lawsuits are threatened. In this episode, state Rep. Victoria Neave-Criado, D-Dallas, told the Jasons that she now carries her passport, worried of having to prove she i...
Nov 25, 2023•50 min•Ep. 245
Thanks to voters recently approving the tax relief constitutional amendment, many Texas homeowners owe $0 in school property taxes - possibly permanently! The state will now pick up their tab and pay the schools. But in this episode, one of those taxpayers tells Y'all-itics that she's skeptical about the math and the motive. Is this a step toward defunding and undermining Texas public schools, she wonders. And even if that's not the aim, is this too good to be true? Can the state afford it in th...
Nov 19, 2023•48 min•Ep. 244
The Jasons are in Austin for this episode with President and CEO of ERCOT, Pablo Vegas...who manages the state's electric grid. In his first-ever podcast appearance, Vegas reveals that Texas might not be able to get enough reserve electricity to have on standby if the state gets socked in with a severe winter storm. Vegas also reveals how much ERCOT has been paying big electric users to shut down to keep the rest of us out of rolling outages. And he estimates how much power Texas will need by th...
Nov 12, 2023•40 min•Ep. 243
This is a raw, unedited explanation from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo about her depression, suicidal thoughts, and the breaking point that led her to check-in to an out-of-state facility. In this episode of Y’all-itics , Judge Hidalgo opens up about where she went, the therapy she brought back, and how it is possible to heal and be your best again… even after hitting rock bottom. ** If you or someone you know is in crisis, or struggling, call or text 988 , the national suicide and crisis lif...
Nov 05, 2023•31 min•Ep. 242
Texas voters are deciding 14 different potential constitutional amendments, but if you’ve read them, they’re clear as mud. In this episode of Y’all-itics , the Jasons decipher these hard-to-read amendments that will solidify property tax cuts, among other things. Bud Kennedy from the Fort Worth Star Telegram brought Fort Worth beer to this episode. Election day is November 7. Go vote – after you listen to this! Guest Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star Telegram...
Oct 29, 2023•48 min•Ep. 241
State Senator Roland Gutierrez faces an uphill fight to become the Democrat who will challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Ted Cruz next year. But Gutierrez is unlike other Texas Democrats who have run for Senate. He met the Jasons at Peticolas Brewing Co. in Dallas to have a pint, explain how he’s different from Democrat Colin Allred, and lay out positions on Israel, Ukraine, immigration, inflation and guns. And he shared what Texas voters likely don’t know about him. ** This episode contains graphi...
Oct 22, 2023•50 min•Ep. 240
Never before have 13 Presidential Centers come together to make a joint statement… on anything. But they just did with one simple message: save U.S. Democracy. It’s a call to action for all Americans, but it originated here in Texas. The Executive Director of the George W. Bush Institute says the extremes are drowning out the middle, the majority. And he says we all have a role to play to save the oldest Democracy in the world. Joint statement: https://www.bushcenter.org/publications/reaffirming...
Oct 15, 2023•42 min•Ep. 239
The third special legislative session begins October 9, and “school choice” and vouchers will be front and center once again. But has anything changed to make passage more likely? In this episode of Y’all-itics , veteran political consultant Brian Mayes gives it even lower odds than the regular session because he says Governor Abbott has woken up parents, teachers and especially moms… and they’re fighting mad. For more than three decades, Mayes has only worked on Republican campaigns, so you’ll ...
Oct 08, 2023•43 min•Ep. 238
Even though Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted by the Texas Senate, taxpayers could still be on the hook for a settlement agreement Paxton himself approved. And if the case makes it to trial, the $3.3 Million settlement could double or even triple. In this episode of Y’all-itics , whistleblower Mark Penley and his attorney Don Tittle explain to the Jasons why they’re confident they could win… in a real court. And Penley describes how he felt while listening to the impeachment votes and an...
Sep 28, 2023•53 min•Ep. 237
SYNOPSIS: In his first in-depth interview since the senate acquitted Ken Paxton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick takes Jason Whitely behind the scenes of the trial, the reforms he wants to the impeachment process, why the alleged mistress, Laura Olson, did not testify, whether it was a good idea to take $3M from a pro-Paxton group and whether Patrick thinks Paxton’s behavior crossed a line. GUEST: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick / R-Texas
Sep 21, 2023•29 min•Ep. 236
Before state Senators began deliberating the fate of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, attorneys from both sides had one final opportunity to make their case. In this special release Y’all-itics , listen to those closing arguments in the historic impeachment trial. Each side received one hour, but the arguments are split. State Representative Andrew Murr, a Republican who is the chair of the House board of impeachment managers, went first with a 10-minute argument. He was followed by Paxton...
Sep 15, 2023•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 235
Y’all-itics special release: September 13, 2023 The leader of the Republican Party of Texas says there will be an “all-out Republican civil war” if suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton is removed from office. In this special release Y’all-itics , Matt Rinaldi also explains why no matter the outcome, Republican primaries in 2024 could become a season of revenge. Guest Matt Rinaldi, Republican Party of Texas Chairman...
Sep 13, 2023•17 min•Ep. 234
Claims of a coup. One of the state’s top leaders accused of acting like he had “a gun to his head.” Tears. And plenty of explosive back-and-forth testimony. Week one of the Ken Paxton impeachment trial is in the books and if anyone was expecting a whimper, they were sorely disappointed. In this special release Y’all-itics , take a deep dive into the week’s developments and the legal, political and practical ramifications for the suspended Attorney General. Guests Ashley Goudeau, KVUE anchor/Mana...
Sep 08, 2023•57 min•Ep. 233
Defense attorneys for suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton did everything they could to have the impeachment charges against him dismissed. But state Senators, in this case the jurors, overwhelmingly rejected those efforts, one by one. In this special release episode of Y’all-itics , listen to the opening statements in the historic impeachment trial. State Representative Andrew Murr, a Republican who is the chair of the House board of impeachment managers, went first. He was followed by Paxton’...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 232
Days before the Ken Paxton impeachment trial begins in the Texas Senate, several questions loom large. Can the “prior-term doctrine” save the suspended Attorney General? Will Ken Paxton testify? And it only takes 10 Republicans to prevent impeachment. Will they? In this early release episode of Y’all-itics , the Jasons have a conversation with David Lethe, a Republican precinct chair in Paxton’s home of Collin County, and one of the few there to publicly support the impeachment trial. He is blun...
Sep 01, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 231
Former state Senator Beverly Powell is out of politics, but she's not done with fundraising. The Fort Worth Democrat started the project to build a new elementary school in Uvalde after the 2022 massacre. They need $60M. They’ve raised $48M so far. Plus, will she run for office again? Listen to what she told the Jasons in this episode recorded live at The Texas Ale Project in Dallas. Guest Beverly Powell, former state Senator Location Texas Ale Project 1001 N Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207...
Aug 27, 2023•41 min•Ep. 230
Former state Senator Beverly Powell is out of politics, but she's not done with fundraising. The Fort Worth Democrat started the project to build a new elementary school in Uvalde after the 2022 massacre. They need $60M. They’ve raised $48M so far. Plus, will she run for office again? Listen to what she told the Jasons in this episode recorded live at The Texas Ale Project in Dallas. Guest Beverly Powell, former state Senator Location Texas Ale Project 1001 N Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207...
Aug 27, 2023•41 min•Ep. 229
The battle over Texas’ educational soul will continue during a special session likely to be called in October when lawmakers once again grapple over the issues that have politicized Texas classrooms: education savings accounts (ESAs), per pupil spending and teacher pay. Two former superintendents turned education activists grabbed a beer to join the Jasons and discuss what’s at stake when lawmakers reconvene. Guests Dr. Brian Woods, Texas School Alliance President/Former Northside ISD Superinten...
Aug 20, 2023•50 min•Ep. 228
Synopsis: A small security company in Texas is swamped with calls from big school districts in a hurry to find enough officers to comply with a new state law that starts in September requiring an officer on every campus. The mandate is expensive, controversial, and filled with complexities. But can it prevent another Uvalde? Guest: Charlie Hollis, Director of Operations, L&P Global Security Location: Bitter Sisters Brewery 15103 Surveyor Blvd, Addison, TX 75001...
Aug 13, 2023•42 min•Ep. 227
SYNOPSIS: Texas Democrats should not be satisfied with legislative scraps from Republicans, says state Rep. John Bryant. At 76, this veteran Dallas Democrat ordered an IPA and shared how much the Texas legislature has changed since his first stint there in the 1970s and offered advice on how his party could regain control. This episode was recorded at the iconic Stoneleigh P in Dallas, which will be changing locations in 2024 on its 51st birthday. GUESTS Laura Garrison, Stoneleigh P State Rep. J...
Aug 06, 2023•45 min•Ep. 226
If you want to move grandma onto your own property, why can’t you? A growing, bi-partisan movement argues that if more people say “yes, in my backyard,” the housing crisis in Texas – affordability and availability - would begin to disappear. But as one of the leaders of that effort explains, it’s hard to convince folks that new neighbors don’t necessarily mean new problems. Guest Nicole Nosek, Chair/Texans for Reasonable Solutions Texans for Reasonable Solutions...
Jul 30, 2023•43 min•Ep. 225
The state of Texas is investigating claims that troopers working along the border were ordered to withhold water from migrants trying to cross… even reportedly pushing some back into the river. It’s happening in Eagle Pass, Texas, the same area where the Governor recently deployed a long line of buoys to deter crossings. Just before Mexico filed an official diplomatic complaint, a kayaker and lifelong resident became the first to sue the Governor over his wall of buoys on the Rio Grande. Not onl...
Jul 21, 2023•35 min•Ep. 224
Y’all-itics early release: July 14, 2023 John Scott might not be a household name, but he is a go-to for Governor Abbott. As we were releasing this episode of Y’all-itics , Scott was leaving after six weeks as the temporary Texas Attorney General. And that was not too longer after he served for more than a year as Secretary of State. Scott provides us our first glimpse inside the office since Paxton’s suspension. And he left something the office needed right now. Guest John Scott Former provisio...
Jul 14, 2023•39 min•Ep. 223
Y’all-itics: July 10, 2023 Hours after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan announced an agreement on property taxes, Patrick took our call to explain what made the deal. And what did not. The final version of this legislation included something new. GUEST Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, (R) Texas
Jul 10, 2023•15 min•Ep. 222
