Y'all-itics

$11.4 Billion. That’s how much it’s costing Texas every year for failing to provide adequate childcare for working families. And researchers at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT-Austin say the crisis should be one of the paramount policy issues facing lawmakers when they return to Austin next January. Bottom line: if families can even find decent childcare, it’s costing them way too much. In this episode of Y’all-itics, one of the authors of that policy brief explains why this issue is so important for parents and non-parents alike, and how it threatens the myth of the “Texas Miracle.” Guest Steven Pedigo, LBJ School of Public Affairs

They’re Governor Greg Abbott’s biggest priorities: border security and school vouchers. But a new poll by the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation (THPF) makes it clear that while Abbott, and Republicans, are winning big with one, the other issue is a major political loser. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons hit a patio with THPF CEO and former Republican state Representative Jason Villalba, who explains why he thinks the Governor is so hell-bent to move forward with an issue a clear majority of Texans oppose. GUEST Jason Villalba, CEO/Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation

He does not do a lot of interviews. State Rep. Glenn Rogers, a conservative Texas Republican, lost his re-election last month after a pricey misinformation campaign against him. Despite a very conservative voting record, Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz, and billionaire backers campaigned against him because Rogers opposes school vouchers. So, is there still a place for him in the Texas GOP? Is Rogers responsible for enabling any of it? Will he vote for Cruz in November? In this episode of Y’all-itics, Rogers reveals the new priority he’s focusing on now. GUEST State Rep. Glenn Rogers, R-Graford

Talk of secession has gotten a little louder these days, amplified by the so-called “Take Texas Back” pledge. The site devoted to the pledge boasts that dozens of Republican candidates and officeholders have signed up, promising to support legislation that would push Texas to leave the United States under certain conditions. This has all been talked about before. So, is this time different? And how do we know when chatter about secession is something to take more seriously? The Jasons called Dr. Eric McDaniel, a government professor at the University of Texas at Austin, to learn more about the movement and what might happen if it were to succeed. Guest Eric McDaniel, University of Texas at Austin

Ken Paxton is on a winning streak: acquitted in his Senate impeachment trial, successfully defeating some fellow Republicans on Super Tuesday, and most recently Paxton got the criminal charges against him finally dropped after nine years. So, is Ken Paxton the most powerful Republican in Texas? One of the state’s top Democrats – who tried to take the AG’s job – says Paxton absolutely is. Why then would Joe Jaworski, a Houston attorney and the grandson of Leon Jaworski, the famous prosecutor in the 1973 Watergate scandal, be considering running for this position again in 2026? And if Ken Paxton is unstoppable, Jaworski explains what that means not only for his party, but also for Texas Republicans. GUEST Joe Jaworski, Houston Attorney

It’s almost time for the dreaded property tax appraisals in Texas. For the first time, Texans will get a real say in the process. The board overseeing central appraisal districts have always been appointed. A new state law requires at least three members to be elected. Chandler Crouch, a real estate broker and expert in protesting property taxes, says the new law is a game changer. He joined the Jasons at Turning Point Beer in Bedford, Texas for this episode. GUEST: Chandler Crouch RECORDING LOCATION: Turning Point Beer Bedford, Texas

Ever since settling the criminal case against Attorney General Ken Paxton, special prosecutor Brian Wice told us he has been excoriated by people who think it was a bad move. So why did he do it? And why won’t specifics of the deal be made public? We had lots of questions after this bombshell news broke. Wice made the decision and he took our call from his Houston office in this special episode of Y’all-itics. GUEST: Brian Wice / Special Prosecutor in Paxton case

Turns out, Republicans made errors hand-counting votes. The GOP in Gillespie County (Fredericksburg) did not trust machines to count the votes on Super Tuesday. So, they did it themselves. By hand. 8,000 ballots. And they made mistakes in every precinct. Jessica Huseman, the editorial director of Votebeat, was there on election night and joined the Jasons for a pint on this episode to explain what happened and the bold new project her newsroom is undertaking in Gillespie County. https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/inside-politics/texas-politics/gillespie-county-gop-primary-officials-found-multiple-errors-after-hand-count/287-9cfe3150-cf66-4d4f-ba66-ad1fc6f9feeb Guest Jessica Huseman, Votebeat Editorial Director

There have been several times recently when 60% - 70% of all the power consumed in Texas came from renewables. And in January, the state set a new solar production record, topping out at over 14,000 megawatts, more than enough to power San Antonio and Austin. Life is so good for renewables in Texas, a new study funded by the oil and gas industry found that they should likely connect to the grid to get cheaper power… thanks to the influence of renewables. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons pop open a cold one with energy expert Doug Lewin who explains why Texas should no longer be considered an oil and gas state, just an energy state. Guest Doug Lewin, Stoic Energy Founder

How do you beat a Republican in Texas? Move further to the right. And in many ways, that’s exactly what happened in Texas during the primary. But one of the biggest surprises of the night happened on the Democratic ballot. In this election hangover edition of Y’all-itics, the Jasons and our panel experts discuss the results of the GOP civil war, the fallout from the results and what it all means for the future of Texas. Guests Berna Dean Steptoe, WFAA Political Producer Michael McCardel, WFAA Political Coordinating Producer

Mexicans elect a new president this summer and two women are competing for the top job. How might they impact our politics, our shared border, and the hundreds of billions of dollars in trade that move across it? Laura Collins, an immigration expert at the Bush Institute and Jennifer Apperti, a former Mexican diplomat who now leads SMU’s Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center join the Jasons to explain how immigration impacts politics on the other side of the border. Guests Jennifer Apperti, Director/SMU Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center Laura Collins, Director/Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative

The border politics dominating conversations have long overshadowed the importance of all the other stuff flooding over the border from Mexico. And the bickering, bloviation and incessant battling is negatively impacting the Texas economy and our wallets, a loss of more than a billion dollars in output and thousands of jobs. Dr. Ray Perryman is the brains behind this new report, which is a political hot potato. But Dr. Perryman tells the Jasons why he thinks it’s a good thing he’s called an “equal opportunity offender” and why it’s vital Texans – and politicians – hear this information. Texas-Mexico trade report: https://www.perrymangroup.com/media/uploads/brief/perryman-the-economic-benefits-of-texasmexico-trade-02-15-24.pdf Guest Dr. Ray Perryman, CEO/The Perryman Group

It is an election system designed to find cases of illegal voting, keep voter rolls accurate, and make elections cheaper and more efficient. But Texas, and eight other Republican-led states, abandoned the program without any plan to replace it. That is bad news for Texas voters and the bill comes due on Super Tuesday, March 5. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons crack open a cold one at Celestial Beerworks with Jessica Huseman, the editorial director of Votebeat, a nonprofit news organization that reports on elections across the country. Jessica explains why Texas’ decision to leave the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, couldn’t have come at a worse time and how Texas voters could feel this impact when they go vote. Guest Jessica Huseman, Votebeat Editorial Director

She’s the only major Republican presidential candidate left standing not named Donald Trump. And former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley hit Texas recently to raise cash and build momentum leading up to Super Tuesday on March 5. But everything’s bigger in Texas, including Trump’s lead. In this early release episode of Y’all-itics, candidate Haley explains her views on everything from Texas’ abortion law to whether we should be taking guns away. Guest Nikki Haley, Republican Candidate for President

Many residents of Eagle Pass, Texas, say they’ve had enough. But they’re angry with the Texas Governor, not the migrants crossing the border. They just sent him a letter, accusing his rhetoric of putting the community in danger now that armed militias are actively showing up after hearing the Governor’s words. In this episode of Y’all-itics, a local business owner who’s already sued the state tells the Jasons what life is truly like now on the ground in Eagle Pass. And you’ll learn why Congressman Michael McCaul calls the failed Republican-led effort to impeach the Homeland Security Secretary, who oversees federal border policy, an embarrassment. Guests Jessie Fuentes, Eagle Pass Business Owner Congressman Michael McCaul, (R) Austin

Our guest this week decided to go public with what so many Republican lawmakers have said in private. State Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, does not have a primary opponent and is free to speak openly and boy does he in this episode with the Jasons. Patterson goes unplugged about Paxton, the far right disruptors in the Texas GOP, Republicans in Congress who trot down to the Texas border for photo ops and much more. This episode was recorded at Community Beer Co. in Dallas. GUEST: State Rep. Jared Patterson (R) Frisco / District 106

One of the nation’s foremost experts on the U.S. Supreme Court says its current session is likely “the biggest term of our lifetimes.” That’s because the docket is chock-full of cases that will impact your daily life, many of them originating here in Texas. The Justices have already waded deep into the immigration battle taking place in the Rio Grande along the Texas-Mexico border. Will Texans still have access to a widely prescribed abortion pill? Will Trump even be on the ballot in 2024? Constitutional law expert and best-selling author Steve Vladeck from the University of Texas School of Law explains how our lives could be different by summer when the term ends. Guest Steve Vladeck, University of Texas School of Law

The state of Texas just did something that will make it near impossible for the Uvalde families to sue over the law enforcement failures the day of the massacre at Robb Elementary, failures recently described in detail inside a Department of Justice investigative report. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons are joined by an attorney who is waist deep in the effort to make the evidence file public. And she says Texans still have no idea what truly happened on May 24, 2022. Guest Laura Lee Prather, Attorney

After surviving subzero temps, a blizzard and a surprising cut of meat, the Jasons get into the nitty gritty of the Iowa Caucuses.

Three major candidates remain in the Republican race for president. What happens on Monday night in Iowa might reduce that even further. And the winter weather that’s freezing Texas has socked in Iowa with snow, briefly paralyzing politics and adding another factor campaigns didn’t count on. The Jasons braved a blizzard warning to get beer, barbecue and this this conversation with Averi Harper, the Deputy Political Director at ABC News. Guest: Averi Harper ABC News Deputy Political Director