Y'all-itics

In the May 3 episode, U.S. Rep. Keith Self discusses his votes on three critical pieces of legislation passed in the U.S. House: the farm bill, a controversial spy program extension and funding for most of DHS. But does he support a blank check for the Iran war? Houston Council Member Abbie Kamen explains why she thinks the city’s new ICE policy violates the Fourth Amendment. And Dallas Council Member Maxie Johnson tells us why he’s asking for random gunfire to be classified as a higher priority crime.

Already operating on thin margins, Texas farmers are being squeezed yet again, this time by a war 7,300 miles away. The cost of fertilizer and diesel have skyrocketed since Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. And farmers have no choice but to pay the price… in more ways than one. In this episode, Y’all-itics heads to the farm to speak with farmer and rancher James Foster who explains why this is the toughest situation he’s faced in his 25 years of farming and why that group is sticking with President Donald Trump. Guests James Foster, Texas Farmer Sid Miller, Texas Agriculture Commissioner

In the April 26 episode, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller tells us how Texas farmers are being squeezed by a war 7,300 miles away, and whether rising fertilizer and diesel costs will impact your grocery prices. Corpus Christi Council Member Mark Scott discusses the city’s impending water emergency and why residents may have to cut water usage by 25%. And Texas Democratic Party chair Kendall Scudder talks about keeping the party focused during an internal fight over party leadership. 00:00 — Texas Political Headlines: EARLY VOTING, GOP TO DROP LAWSUIT, AND NEW AIR FORCE ONE 03:03 — INTERVIEW: Sid Miller on Rising Fuel Costs & Farming Pressures 07:28 — ROUNDTABLE: Debating the Gas Tax Suspension & State Infrastructure 10:16 — INTERVIEW: Councilman Mark Scott on Water Rationing & Usage Cuts 14:27 — INTERVIEW: Chairman Kendall Scudder on Texas Democratic Party Turmoil 18:13 — ROUNDTABLE: Redistricting Impact & The Battle for the Latino Vote

Governor Abbott wants to freeze property appraisals statewide for five years, but Tarrant County just tried a two-year version—and the results are shocking. Chandler Crouch joins the Jasons on the patio at Manhattan Project Brewing Co. and shares the data he tried to show the Governor and the Tarrant County Appraisal District. Crouch also gives the one thing you MUST do before the next deadline to protect your wallet. GUEST Chandler Crouch, Chandler Crouch Realtors/FreeTaxProtest.com Eric Crile, TAD Board of Directs Member

In the April 19 episode, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, pushes back against proposed budget cuts to NASA and argues that Iran will not be a forever war. On Tuesday, Arlington city council votes to spend $273-million dollars to keep the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T stadium through 2055. Council Member Bowie Hogg takes our questions on whether voters should get a say in it. And state Senator Royce West, D-Dallas, says his 1999 law to help minority- and women-owned state businesses get a cut of state contracts needs some tweaking - even as he defends it in court.

Long waits in juvenile detention. Cases languishing in court. High recidivism. Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot called it a failure of responsibility and set out to change it. And some four years later, it appears to be working. Earlier intervention and a better understanding of risk factors appear to be lowering the bad numbers and raising the good numbers across the board. In this episode of Y’all-itics, Creuzot discusses how and why they changed the way they thought about juvenile justice and the new report that says the results are substantial. GUEST John Creuzot, Dallas County District Attorney

In the April 12 episode, Fort Worth District 3 Council Member Michael Crain explains what he wants state lawmakers to do when it comes to regulating data centers, and why his residents don’t think leaders should be providing tax breaks. State Representative John Bucy III tells us why he’ll file legislation to prevent one party from dictating how another party runs elections at the local level. And State Representative Jared Patterson on why he thinks recent jury verdicts against social media will help him pass legislation banning under-16s from using it in Texas.

Texas leads the nation in new solar installations — and now, a massive factory just south of Dallas is churning out 25,000 Texas-made panels every day. Y’all-itics hit the road to meet Jaime Gualy, a former oil and gas guy turned solar exec, who says despite political headwinds, the future of solar in Texas is shining bright.

In the April 5 episode, state Rep. Carl Tepper, R-Lubbock, says annexing part of New Mexico is no joke. He explains what it might take to get it done. Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne on the House Republicans rare pushback against the President, the Senate and Speaker Johnson, plus Dallas Council Member Paul Ridley on whether he still has confidence in the city manager after new revelations on the future of the iconic city hall building.

NASA’s Artemis II mission is a go. And four astronauts will soon travel farther from Earth and closer to the Moon than any human in more than 50 years. The mission will be full of “firsts” and “farthests” in an effort to get humans ready to once again step foot on the lunar surface and eventually travel to Mars. In this early release episode of Y’all-itics, retired, and highly decorated, NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy explains why it matters, what it means when the astronauts wave across the ditch, and how in the world they take a toilet break among four people inside a studio apartment traveling at speeds up to 25,000 mph. GUEST Chris Cassidy, Retired NASA Astronaut

The deadline to drop out of the runoff has come and gone, so Republican voters in Texas will have a Cornyn vs. Paxton ballot in the May 26 Primary runoff election. And just like the gladiatorial combat made famous in the Mad Max series - - this political grudge match has already been vicious and unrelenting. In this episode of Y’all-itics, our political experts tell the Jasons this is only the beginning, and it will get nastier. Meantime, by the fall, the U.S. Senate race could become a $200 million campaign, a spending level never reached before. GUESTS Vinny Minchillo, GOP Consultant/Glass House Strategy Andrea Coker, North Texas Commission Chief Advocacy Officer

In the March 29 episode, U.S. Representative Craig Goldman explains why he’s not opposed to the war in Iran and whether he’d support boots on the ground. State Representative Ramón Romero Jr. tells us why he supports the new FWISD Superintendent installed by the state and why he’s okay with Texas removing the name Cesar Chavez. And former DISD Board President Miguel Solis discusses the district’s proposed $6.2 billion bond, which would be the largest in state history.

China has become, by far, the epicenter of new mega battery storage projects for its electric grid. But after that, the most compelling ramp up of battery power is happening in Texas, says Michael Thomas. He’s the founder of Cleanview.co, a site that tracks an expansive constellation of new and planned battery farms that harvest power when electricity is abundant and feeds that juice back into the Texas grid when supply is short. He joined the Jasons from his Colorado base to explain how batteries are making Texas electricity more reliable and cheaper…and why much more of it will be needed here. Guest: Michael Thomas, Founder and CEO Cleanview

00:00 Sarah Eckhardt’s Path to Texas Comptroller 00:28 Tarrant County Legislative Race: Arman Mazani vs Kate Brennan 00:56 May Runoff Election Explained + Key Voting Rules 01:52 Sarah Eckhardt Interview: Why She Wants to Be Comptroller 02:57 Managing School Vouchers & Public School Concerns 03:34 Debate Over State Audits and Government Oversight 04:40 Can Democrats Flip the Texas Comptroller’s Office? 07:37 School Voucher Applications & Who Benefits 09:40 Arman Mazani on Winning the Republican Primary 11:11 Religion, Values, and Representing Diverse Voters 13:19 Kate Brennan’s Strategy to Win a Deep Red District 16:55 Cornyn vs Paxton Runoff & The Battle for Republican Voters

00:00 – Inside Texas’ Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) 01:05 – How PEP Is Changing Lives Behind Bars 02:20 – Meet Michael Etcheson: From Prison to Leadership 03:45 – Why Texas Supports This Unusual Prison Program 05:10 – Sharing Life Dreams in a “Tough on Crime” State 06:40 – What Makes the Prison Entrepreneurship Program Elite 08:05 – Business Skills and Leadership Training in Prison 09:30 – 100% Job Placement After Release: How It Works 10:55 – Why PEP Graduates Are Less Likely to Reoffend 12:20 – The Support System Waiting After Prison 13:40 – Bipartisan Support and Interest From Other States 15:00 – The Future Expansion of PEP Across Texas

00:00 Show Preview: Dallas City Hall Fight, TX-33 Runoff, Corpus Christi Water Crisis 01:01 Show Open – Inside Texas Politics 01:06 Headlines: Corpus Christi Water Shortage & Possible State Takeover 01:30 Wise County Pushes Back on Texas Data Centers 01:56 Republicans Target Democrat James Talarico 02:21 TX-33 Democratic Runoff: Colin Allred vs Julie Johnson 02:49 Colin Allred on Criticism of Political Opportunism 05:37 Allred on Senate Race, Service, and James Talarico 06:36 Julie Johnson on Trailing Allred in the Primary 07:50 Johnson on Key Differences Between Her and Allred 09:15 Debate Over DHS Funding and ICE Policy 10:22 Roundtable: Could the TX-33 Runoff Be Close? 11:16 Gas Prices, Iran Strikes, and Political Fallout 13:16 Dallas City Hall Controversy & Possible NBA Arena Site 13:42 Dallas Councilman Maxie Johnson on Future of City Hall 18:11 Roundtable: Texas Water Crisis and Data Center Growth

00:00 – Cold Open: “Je ne sais quoi” debate 00:31 – Texas Primary Election: Biggest Surprises 01:27 – Chris Turner’s Upset Loss Explained 02:16 – Who Is Junior Ezeonu? The 26-Year-Old Rising Star 03:39 – A New Generation in Texas Politics 05:13 – Junior Ezeonu Interview: Why He Challenged Chris Turner 07:08 – How Canvassing Won the Race 10:04 – Policy Priorities: Schools, Housing & Small Business 11:03 – Is 26 Too Young for the Legislature? 17:47 – Chris Turner Reacts to the Election Results

0:00 Preview: Texas Primary Surprises & Political Shakeups 0:30 Texas Political Headlines: Gonzalez Resigns, Agriculture Controversy 2:14 Don Huffines Wins GOP Comptroller Primary 3:36 Huffines on Auditing Government Waste in Texas 6:40 Roundtable: Why Polls Missed Key Texas Primary Races 9:38 Junior Ezeonu Upsets Veteran Democrat Chris Turner 11:46 Campaign Strategy: How Door Knocking Beat Big Money 14:45 Latino Voters and What the Texas Primary Revealed 18:03 Roundtable: What the Results Mean for November

Voters turned away. Poll hours extended by a judge. An order from the Texas Supreme Court overruling that judge. A hearing that will determine which votes will be counted. And that’s just Dallas County. It’s been a wild primary election all across Texas, from surprising wins to unexpected runoffs. In this primary hangover edition of Y’all-itics, the Jasons cut through the confusion with our panel of experts. GUESTS Vinny Minchillo, Republican Consultant/Glass House Strategy Domingo Garcia, Democratic Strategist/Former LULAC President

In the March 1 episode, Y’all-itics joins forces with Inside Texas Politics and we cut through the primary noise with two political insiders who discuss what they’re really seeing in the marquee races and what you need to know if you haven’t already voted early. Dallas Council Member Chad West updates the city’s effort to keep the NHL team in Dallas. And our roundtable on what to make of the early voting turnout.