We recap the wild week in Texas politics. Grab a coldie and hang! Learn more about us at ProgressTexas.org.
As the first special session ends, and a second begins - all but promising that the new congressional map designed to give Donald Trump a chance to elude the voters and maintain control of the U.S. House beyond next year will be enacted - we gather with special guest Wil Jeudy of Secular Houston to unpack the end of the Democratic quorum break, what they accomplished over the last two weeks, and what happens next.Learn more about Secular Houston at https://secularhouston.org/.Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:As day 12 of the Texas House quorum break arrives, those Dems have announced plans to return for the promised second special session, in part “to build a strong public legislative record for the upcoming legal battle” https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/14/texas-house-democrats-plan-return-quorum-break-redistricting/...They plan to wait until California's retaliatory redistricting map is unveiled, likely later today: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/us/texas-democrats-return.html...California Gavin Newsom will ask that state's voters to approve bypassing their independent redistricting commission on November 4: https://apnews.com/article/texas-california-redistricting-battle-f0ac783b6a5fd6ecaab0ca419125b72a...A Tarrant County judge has put off for about two weeks a ruling on a temporary restraining order against fundraising for the quorum breakers by Beto O'Rourke's Powered By People, Ken Paxton's push to charge O'Rourke with contempt of court, and O'Rourke's petition to move the case to El Paso: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article311706474.htmlKen Paxton finds his early polling lead against Senator John Cornyn to have more or less evaporated, as 80% of polled voters pay close attention to the ongoing redistricting drama: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/15/paxton-cornyn-texas-senate-poll-august-emerson/After gaining the votes of millions of Texans on promises to improve their economic situation, Donald Trump's policies are directly putting the brakes on the Texas economy: https://www.wfaa.com/article/money/economy/texas-economy-job-growth-slowing-amid-trade-war-immigration-crackdown-dallas-fed-report-says/287-13e06c6e-ea00-4914-a8ef-a352fb725141Considering the lack of condemnation from GOP leadership or their voter base, one can interpret the acceptance of recent racist comments from State Senator Mayes Middleton and Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French as evidence that by nature, the Texas Republican Party is a racist organization: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2025/08/15/what-the-racist-attacks-on-democrats-say-about-the-texas-gop/As another weekend of protests and rallies arrives, Progress Texas reminds you to show up, be loud, and be proud - but also be smart, and don't follow anyone into anything unsafe, illegal or destructive: https://www.fightthetrumptakeover.com/Dallas/Fort Worth friends: Join Progress Texas Institute and the Legal Defense Fund in Dallas for a live podcast taping, featuring Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons, at the DEC Network Center—honoring the years since the signing of the Voting Rights Act and a review of where voting rights stand today, amid redistricting threats. Admission is free! https://act.progresstexas.org/a/vra_event_2025Austin friends: tickets are on sale now for our live podcast taping with legendary Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver on September 15 at Hopsquad Brewing in Austin! Tickets are limited and are available here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:An Illinois judge, approached by Ken Paxton under the assumption that he may bend the rules as Texas judges have, has declined Paxton's request that authorities in that state enforce arrest warrants against the Democratic quorum breakers sheltering there: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/13/texas-democrats-illinois-arrest-warrants-reject-extradite/...The quorum breakers took part in a call hosted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee yesterday, in which Obama Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries participated: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-attorney-general-eric-holder-house-democrats-redistricting/...It's important to keep in mind that Trump's redistricting push is an attempt to nullify Black and Brown voters - a fact that the mainstream media has failed to properly portray: https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/redistricting-racism-texas-abbott-florida-desantis-trump-rcna224891Should quorum be re-established at the Capitol, not only will the maps move forward, but also plans for local police departments to have broader control over officer misconduct records and the ability to shield them from public and press view: https://www.texasobserver.org/secrecy-g-file-police-records-texas-legislature/Trump and DOGE cuts, as they relate to the kids headed back to school, will unsurprisingly mostly impact programs designed to support and protect kids of color: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/14/texas-after-school-programs-trump-funding-cuts/Has Texas already devolved into a state of "Orban-style autocracy"? https://www.salon.com/2025/08/14/trump-abbott-and-the-gop-bring-orban-style-autocracy-to-texas/Dallas/Fort Worth friends: Join Progress Texas Institute and the Legal Defense Fund in Dallas for a live podcast taping, featuring Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons, at the DEC Network Center—honoring the years since the signing of the Voting Rights Act and a review of where voting rights stand today, amid redistricting threats. Admission is free! https://act.progresstexas.org/a/vra_event_2025Austin friends: tickets are on sale now for our live podcast taping with legendary Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver on September 15 at Hopsquad Brewing in Austin! Tickets are limited and are available here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: https://www.moontowersoccer.com/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
As the end of the first special session approaches this week, with another threatened immediately to follow, we continue our talks with House Democrats who have left the state to stop the power grab of Donald Trump via mid-decade redistricting - a tactic that grows less and less popular as more and more Americans realize what's happening. The Texas Dems are largely responsible for the spread of that awareness - so part of their mission is already successful. We're glad to welcome back Rep. Erin Zwiener, whose district in Hays County overlays part of House District 35, which will be largely erased by the new map.Learn more about State Rep. Erin Zwiener at https://www.erinforyall.com/.Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Somewhat shaky reports have emerged that the Texas House Democrats away from the Capitol breaking quorum are making plans to return for a promised second special session, hoping for flood relief to be made the top priority: https://abc13.com/post/texas-house-democrats-return-home-second-special-session-abc13-sources-confirm/17515302/...The Texas Senate tried to push flood relief to the top yesterday too, but failed - a walkout by nine of the Democrats wasn't enough to stop the chamber from passing Donald Trump's new map, 19-2: https://www.kut.org/politics/2025-08-12/texas-senate-democrats-walk-out-redistricting-special-session...Attorney General Ken Paxton is calling for Beto O'Rourke to be arrested, alleging contempt of court as O'Rourke, after a restraining issue on fundraising was issued against Powered By People, told a Fort Worth rally crowd "fuck the rules": https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-he-s-lying-texas-ag-wants-to-arrest-beto-o-rourke-as-tensions-explode-244842565716The NPR Politics Podcast focused yesterday on the massive failure of FEMA call centers to properly answer calls for help from the Texas Hill Country in the wake of the July 4 flood: https://www.npr.org/2025/08/12/nx-s1-5500118/exclusive-fema-didnt-sufficiently-staff-disaster-hotline-after-texas-floods...Text messages between officials with the Upper Guadalupe River Authority show a lack of understanding about what that agency was dealing with on July 4: https://abcnews.go.com/US/assume-worst-internal-texts-emails-show-confusion-concern/story?id=124588857...Even now, dozens of structures at 13 Hill Country youth camps stand in the Guadalupe River 100-year flood plain: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/13/texas-hill-country-summer-camps-kerrville-floodplain/...To evade flood insurance and bolster property values, using a little-used process called a "letter of map amendment", several Camp Mystic buildings and nearby luxury homes have been drawn out of FEMA's special flood hazard areas: https://www.expressnews.com/projects/2025/kerr-county-floods-camp-mystic-fema-maps/...The New York Times has released a devastating photo essay of the flood damage: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/insider/documenting-the-horrors-of-the-texas-floods.htmlWith kids headed back to school, RFK Jr. in charge in D.C. and generous exemption policies available to Texas families, now's the time for parents who believe in science to double-check that their kids' vaccinations are current: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/texas-parents-urged-to-update-childrens-vaccines-as-new-school-year-beginsTickets are on sale now for our live podcast taping with legendary Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver on September 15 at Hopsquad Brewing in Austin! Tickets are limited and are available here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: https://www.moontowersoccer.com/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Rep. Christina Morales of Houston holds the very special distinction of having secured the most progressive voting record in the entire Texas House during the 89th Legislature (https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/17/texas-house-2025-conservative-liberal-ranking/), and we're proud to (finally!) have her on for our ongoing series of updates from Democratic lawmakers who have left the state to halt Donald Trump's carving up of our congressional map for his own personal benefit.Learn more about Rep. Christina Morales at https://www.moralesfordistrict145.com/.Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:El Paso State Rep. Claudia Ordaz, theorized to be on her way back to the Capitol, says she is in full support of the quorum break as she undergoes medical treatment: https://www.ktsm.com/local/texas-dps-shows-up-for-el-paso-lawmaker-rep-ordaz/...Texas Republicans are pulling out all the stops against the quorum breakers - with the Trump agenda at stake, their zeal for retribution is in overdrive: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/12/texas-republicans-redistricting-political-power-courts-quorum-break/...Texas DPS troopers, rather than doing their primary job of keeping Texans safe, have been reassigned to the task of staking out the homes of the Democratic quorum breakers - who will later be charged with related expenses: https://www.statesman.com/news/politics/article/dustin-burrows-quorum-break-dps-20812253.php...Governor Abbott has thrown cold water on the idea that the Dems can stop redistricting for the 2026 election by delaying past the December 8 filing deadline - he says he'll re-draw them mid-election: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2025/08/11/texas-gov-will-push-for-controversial-redistricting-map-beyond-election-deadline-as-democrats-remain-out-of-state/...Governor Abbott also believes that should blue states including California respond to Texas' gerrymandering with their own, that he can and will eliminate as many as 10 Democratic congressional districts: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5447180-texas-gop-redistricting-threat/The Texas Public Utility Commission is suing the Texas Attorney General's office to keep information about cryptocurrency mining power demand in Texas, claiming fears that releasing it will provoke terrorism (!): https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/11/texas-public-utility-commission-cryptocurrency-mining-power-lawsuit/Former Texas Governor Rick Perry, an advocate for the therapeutic use of the hallucinogen ibogaine, describes in detail a 12-hour trip he took on the drug in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/us/politics/rick-perry-drug-psychedelics-ibogaine.htmlBack to school parents, be sure to peep into your kid's classroom on the first day to see the Ten Commandments displayed by state law for the first time: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/education/ten-commandments-on-display-in-texas-classrooms/287-c04332c1-4ee4-44df-9053-e472790199f8Tickets are on sale now for our live podcast taping with legendary Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver on September 15 at Hopsquad Brewing in Austin! Tickets are limited and are available here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: https://www.moontowersoccer.com/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
All of the Texas House Democrats out of the state to stop the Trump power grab are making personal sacrifices - including State Rep. Ron Reynolds, who is missing his twins' first day of high school on Tuesday. Those kids, through the rest of their lives, will have a great story to tell about why Dad was away - he's doing all he can to preserve American democracy. No big deal!Learn more about State Rep. Ron Reynolds at https://ronreynoldstexas.com/.Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Unlike many of the House Democrats away on this quorum break, Houston's Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons is doing this for the first time, so her perspective on the measure and her sense of purpose might be a bit different from some of the other elected Dems we've interviewed from afar - and we find that she's as determined and as inspiring as ever.Learn more about Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons at https://www.laurenashleysimmons.com/.Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:After Friday's Texas House quorum scare - in which one more Democrat, Rep. Mary Gonzales, showed up - the House will try again this afternoon at 1: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/texas-legislature-swing-redistricting-vote-democrats-extend-walkout-124533839...Texas Monthly comes up with a solid nickname for the Dems who have lined up for the Republicans, in the "housebodies": https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/the-texas-democrats-who-stayed-behind/...Why are Governor Abbott and Texas Republicans so upset about this quorum break, compared to those of the past? The answer is simply the accommodating of Donald Trump: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/08/08/heres-why-greg-abbott-gop-using-hardball-tactics-to-bring-back-quorum-busting-democrats/...Attorney General Ken Paxton got a Fort Worth judge to agree to block funding for the quorum breakers from Beto O'Rourke's Powered By People, while Beto has countersued to get Paxton out of his business: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/08/beto-orourke-texas-democrats-ken-paxton-fundraising-quorum-break/...Faultlines in Republican unity are showing up in the ongoing conflict between Senator John Cornyn and Ken Paxton: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5443855-texas-senate-redistricting-fight/...As well as Texas Republican Party plans to censure, and possibly block from reelection, any GOP elected whom they find insufficiently radical: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/11/texas-gop-republican-party-censures-primary-ballot-dustin-burrows/?_bhlid=f03c1c69eee8b8e0c46b450567f17bf828bf7095Tickets are on sale now for our live podcast taping with legendary Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver on September 15 at Hopsquad Brewing in Austin! Tickets are limited and are available here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: https://www.moontowersoccer.com/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
We're joined for our weekly complaining session this week by Lana Hansen, Executive Director of Texas Blue Action, just as word comes down from Nancy Thompson of Mothers Against Greg Abbott that she believes enough Democrats will return from the quorum break today to allow Texas House Republicans to establish quorum and hold a vote - which will pass in such a case - on new congressional maps that will likely deliver five additional U.S. House seats to the Republicans and Donald Trump. Learn more about Texas Blue Action at https://www.texasblueaction.com/.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Republicans in the Texas House plan to convene today at 1pm to try to advance Trump's congressional map - unless there are at least six quorum breakers planning to show up, they will not be able to establish quorum: https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/politics/texas-redistricting-friday-updatesGovernor Abbott is promising years of special sessions to wait out the quorum breakers - who really just have to hold out long enough to stop the new map from being used for the 2026 midterms: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/texas-gov-greg-abbott-moves-amp-pressure-democrats-fled-redistricting-rcna223581Senator John Cornyn's boasts that Kash Patel's FBI will be "hunting down" the Texas Democrats is met with ridicule from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/07/fbi-to-help-find-texas-democrats-illinois/...The FBI, in fact, has little jurisdiction to arrest anyone in Illinois, as no charges have been filed against any of those Texas lawmakers: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/senator-cornyn-says-fbi-will-help-track-down-texas-democrats-who-fled-over-2025-08-07/...Such federal assistance would also fly in the face of longstanding tradition in Texas related to taking care of our own business and resisting federal bailouts: https://www.vox.com/politics/442491/texas-gerrymandering-republicans-democrats-redistricting-midterms...Today also sees Governor Abbott's 5pm deadline for the Texas Supreme Court to remove House Minority Leader Gene Wu from office - it's not likely to happen, and if it does, isn't going to fix Abbott's problem: https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-redistricting-gene-wu-lawsuit-fbi-investigation/285-155a9378-836b-4167-b853-42ea6bd125ee...Ken Paxton has been judge shopping in Illinois, asking the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court in rural Trump country to enforce Texas' civil arrest warrants against the quorum breakers: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/07/paxton-texas-democrats-illinois-enforce-arrest-warrants/...Beyond the goal of stopping Trump's Texas map, is the bigger goal of inspiring the country to resist the growing authoritarianism of the Trump regime: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/08/texas-democrats-legislature-redistricting-congressional-maps/Tickets are on sale now for our live podcast taping with legendary Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver on September 15 at Hopsquad Brewing in Austin! Tickets are limited and are available here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: https://www.moontowersoccer.com/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
We've been fans of Rep. Ann Johnson of Houston for a long time, and while we wish our first visit with her were not under such stressful circumstances, we're glad to have her take this morning. The Texas Democratic quorum break to stop Greg Abbott and the Republican Party of Texas from granting Donald Trump's wish to screw the voters of our state out of five more congressional seats enters its fourth day today.Learn more about Rep. Ann Johnson at https://annjohnson.com/.Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Yesterday's bomb threat against the hotel where Texas Democratic quorum breakers were staying - some with children, and surrounded by innocent bystanders - has thus far not been condemned by any Republican in elected office: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/bomb-threat-at-illinois-hotel-where-dozens-of-texas-democrats-are-staying-244482629733Targeted in particular for removal from office by Governor Abbott, House Minority Leader Gene Wu has also found himself the target of (even more) anti-Asian racism: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/06/texas-house-democrat-gene-wu-anti-asian-mayes-middleton/Another side effect of all of this, a significant bump in Rep. Wu's national public profile: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/us/politics/texas-redistricting-gene-wu.htmlIllinois Governor J.B. Pritzker continues to pledge that he will shield the quorum breakers from federal arrest as long as they are in his state: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5440204-pritzker-law-texas-democrats-arrest/Legal experts are in general agreement that federal law enforcement has no business involving itself in Illinois: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5439973-fbi-texas-democrats-return/Back in Texas, Ken Paxton - a man once impeached for bribery - is probing Beto O'Rourke's Powered By People organization on the notion that they have committed bribery by helping with the quorum breakers' travel expenses: https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/07/ken-paxton-probes-beto-orourke-pac-over-texas-democrats-travel-funds/85555895007/Please help Progress Texas continue our important work as the 60th anniversary of LBJ's signing of the federal Voting Rights Act arrives: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/60th_vraTickets are on sale now for our live podcast taping with legendary Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver on September 15 at Hopsquad Brewing in Austin! Tickets are limited and are available here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: https://www.moontowersoccer.com/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
This next update from afar is the first to come to Progress Texas after the news of a bomb threat that required the evacuation of an Illinois hotel where several of the quorum breaking Texas House Democrats - and in some cases, their families and kids - are sheltering as they put the brakes on Governor Abbott's carving up of Texas' congressional maps on the orders of Donald Trump. As Austin State Rep. John Bucy reminds us, this frightening moment is the direct result of inflammatory and highly irresponsible Republican rhetoric from some of that party's highest ranking electeds - officials who now should see it within their duty to dial back the drama.Learn more about State Rep. John Bucy III at https://bucyfortexas.com/.Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:In developments leading into the third day of the Texas House quorum break, Senator John Cornyn has requested that the FBI intervene, capture and transport the Democratic lawmakers avoiding the special session back to the Capitol: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cornyn-fbi-arrest-texas-democrats_n_68925f14e4b0d3424bc402f3...Next, Attorney General Ken Paxton declared he'll ask that the seats of any Democrats still absent on Friday be declared vacant by the courts: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/08/05/texas-ag-ken-paxton-will-ask-state-courts-to-declare-absent-house-democratic-seats-vacant/...Then, Governor Greg Abbott asked the Texas Supreme Court to remove Democratic State House Minority Leader Gene Wu from office by 5pm on Thursday: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/08/05/gov-greg-abbott-asks-texas-supreme-court-to-remove-house-democratic-chair-gene-wu/...Then, Paxton piped up that Abbott doesn't have the authority to make that move, and the Governor took to social media to counter that he does: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/05/texas-democrats-ken-paxton-court-vacate-seats-quorum-break/...Meanwhile, Cornyn has been badmouthing Paxton, ahead of their likely GOP primary faceoff, for doing all of this from vacation: https://www.rawstory.com/cornyn-paxton/...And Houston State Senator Mayes Middleton, who's running to replace Paxton at Attorney General, issued a blatantly racist tweet against Rep. Wu, which remains up this morning: https://x.com/mayes_middleton/status/1952430829587829074All of this Republican crazy provides a unique opportunity for national Democrats to display some backbone ahead of the 2028 presidential election: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/abbott-texas-redistricting-newsom-pritzker-b2802534.htmlPlease help Progress Texas continue our important work as the 60th anniversary of LBJ's signing of the federal Voting Rights Act arrives today: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/60th_vraAustin friends and soccer fans! Mark your calendar for Monday September 15, when we will gather for a live podcast taping with legendary Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver! Sponsorship opportunities are available now, and individual tickets will go on sale soon: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the terrific Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: https://www.moontowersoccer.com/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Our series of updates from Texas House Democrats who have left the state to halt the Republican redistricting effort continues, and just as we were linking up with Rep. Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos, we learned that U.S. Senator John Cornyn has begun cajoling Kash Patel and the FBI to intervene in the Texas House quorum break - a serious, though expected, escalation: https://www.axios.com/2025/08/05/john-cornyn-fbi-arrest-democrats-texasLearn more about Rep. Ana-Maria Rodriguez-Ramos at https://www.ramos4texas.com/.Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
As the special session has been halted by a Democratic quorum break, we continue our series of updates from the elected officials involved, now shifting to those who have uprooted their personal lives to leave the state in order to stop the Trump-commanded and Abbott-facilitated congressional power grab in Texas - first from the road is Austin State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, who recently joined Progress Texas to announce her run for Lieutenant Governor in 2026.Learn more about Rep. Vikki Goodwin and her campaign at https://vikkigoodwin.com/.Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:The national fight over partisan redistricting is settling into a direct battle between Texas and California: https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-texas-california-house-map-trump-0f5f79185bbeeba8c2ff9999f48e5867...Governor Abbott shows no sign of backing down, saying that the State House Democrats who have left the state to break quorum are "freaking out": https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5436035-texas-governor-greg-abbott-democrats-gop-plans/...Yesterday's vote to issue warrants for the quorum breakers is largely meaningless, as they are only enforceable within state lines and don't carry civil or criminal charges: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/04/texas-democrats-house-warrants-arrest-quorum-break/...Abbott's threat to remove the Dems from office will be legally difficult, and if done successfully would almost certainly result in new Democrats in those seats: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/03/texas-house-democrats-abbott-threatens-removal-quorum-break/...The Houston Chronicle editorial board worries that Abbott and Donald Trump will dream up a pretext to send federal officers after the quorum breakers: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/texas-redistricting-democrats-quorum-greg-abbott-20800785.phpAustin friends and soccer fans! Mark your calendar for Monday September 15, when we will gather for a live podcast taping with legendary Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver! Sponsorship opportunities are available now, and individual tickets will go on sale soon: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the terrific Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: https://www.moontowersoccer.com/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:After weeks of warnings, most of the Democratic delegation to the Texas House of Representatives has left the state to break quorum ahead of a vote on a Trump-ordered redistricting map: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/03/texas-democrats-quorum-break-redistricting-map/...Many of them are in Chicago, where they were met at the airport last night by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzger: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/03/texas-house-democrats-flee-to-chicago-over-congressional-redistricting/...Governor Abbott is leaning on obscure legal angles to threaten to remove the quorum breakers from office, and perhaps to charge them with felonies related to fundraising: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/03/texas-house-democrats-abbott-threatens-removal-quorum-break/...All of this could be the trigger of a nationwide redistricting "arms race" that could further worsen already terrible political division: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/08/04/after-texas-does-it-mid-decade-redistricting-could-go-national/...Want to support the Texas Democratic Party's efforts to "fight back against Republican efforts to steal congressional districts"? Click here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/tdp_redistrictingAustin friends and soccer fans! Mark your calendar for Monday September 15, when we will gather for a live podcast taping with legendary Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver! Sponsorship opportunities are available now, and individual tickets will go on sale soon: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the terrific Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: https://www.moontowersoccer.com/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Our weekly gathering happens while the final hearing on the Donald Trump-ordered redistricting of Texas for the sole purpose of protecting him from losing the GOP majority in the U.S. House next year - widely expected to happen without this kind of drastic measure - is even now ongoing at the Capitol. We sent Digital Associate Haley Smith into the fray to see what's what - she reports live from the scene, complete with interviews including Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder, whose hat choices in headwear lately are damn straight on point.As we approach the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act passed under President and Texas Democrat Lyndon Baines Johnson, Progress Texas invites YOU to help us shine a spotlight on the truth—from our coalition work introducing the Barbara Jordan Texas Voting Rights Act in the 89th Legislative Session, to a live podcast taping with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in Dallas on where voting rights stand today, to rapid response coverage of stop the steal rallies (attended by thousands and digitally brought to hundreds of thousands), to shaping the narrative in legacy media. Your donation is key to keeping us in this fight, and every penny helps - thank you. Join us here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/60th_vraThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:The last hearing by the State Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting on the Donald Trump-ordered redistricting of Texas' congressional district is expected to draw a massive crowd in opposition today: https://www.khou.com/article/news/politics/register-texas-redistricting-hearing-districts-austin/285-3b6de0f7-f03e-4ffb-9317-3c52432afe37...National Democrats are pledging to back their Texas counterparts, including a visit this week from U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York: https://www.fox7austin.com/news/hakeem-jefferies-joins-texas-democrats-help-fight-redistricting-effort...California Governor Gavin Newsom is looking at the first Tuesday in November for a possible special election to allow the retaliatory redistricting of that state, which could result in a 48-4 Democratic advantage: https://www.kcra.com/article/california-governor-gavin-newsom-possible-nov-4-special-election/65568148...The Texas Trump power grab is seen as a key, nationwide test case: will the Democratic Party show the stomach to actually stand up to Donald Trump? Texas is very much in the spotlight: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/opinion/texas-redistricting-democrats.htmlThe near-unbelievable fact that three of the primary public safety officials in Kerr County literally slept through the July 4 flood was central to yesterday's hearing on the matter in Kerrville yesterday: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/31/texas-kerr-county-officials-asleep-july-4-floods-hill-country/?_bhlid=52832be772a841f91bf27e4ab4a29a26cbf1747c...Even before nightfall, though, local officials in Kerr County appear to have neglected to follow the basics of their own emergency plan: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/31/kerr-county-emergency-plan/...Social media influencers who descended upon the flood zone highlight the difference between them and actual journalists: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/influencers-in-flood-zone-spark-concern-texas-monthly/Austin friends and soccer fans! Mark your calendar for Monday September 15, when we will gather for a live podcast taping with legendary Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver! Sponsorship opportunities are available now, and individual tickets will go on sale soon: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the terrific Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: https://www.moontowersoccer.com/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
For this next special session update, we welcome for the first time State Rep. Josey Garcia, who represents San Antonio's 124th House District and is the first active duty woman veteran to serve in the Texas House! Now that the GOP maps have been released, we see the shameful extent of their racist power grab - and Rep. Garcia has a thing or two to say about it. We've been looking forward to this talk!Learn more about State Rep. Josey Garcia at https://www.joseygarcia.com/.Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
The revealing of new congressional maps ordered by Donald Trump show the extend of the damage they threaten against representative democracy - especially in Texas' biggest cities: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/07/30/congressional-plan-would-flip-five-seats-from-democrats-to-republicans/...The blue dots on the Texas political map, centered on our major metropolitan areas, get a lot smaller and fainter in this new map: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/30/texas-redistricting-congressional-maps-house-republicans/?_bhlid=40de7e02fe98891fbb5d818a3f4add59b0359b2a...Talk of a Texas House quorum break intensifies - but again, why isn't there similar talk in the Texas Senate? The reasons are many, and uncomfortable: https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/senate-democrats-are-not-off-the?r=33j12m&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=falseMembers of Texas' Select Committees on Disaster Preparedness are set to meet with Kerrville and Kerr County officials - and the local public - on the July 4 flood today: https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/31/us/texas-flooding-hearing-testimonyAgriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is alleged to have asked a friend to dispose of a bunch of cannabis back in 2022, fearing it would be found in his possession by the DEA: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/31/sid-miller-hemp-dea-texas-marijuana-gummies/?_bhlid=ffd26c50d0097bd54b1b44869f2c85949b47a86dAustin friends and soccer fans! Mark your calendar for Monday September 15, when we will gather for a live podcast taping with legendary Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver! Sponsorship opportunities are available now, and individual tickets will go on sale soon: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the terrific Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: https://www.moontowersoccer.com/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Punchbowl News publishes details on a new congressional district map that Texas Republicans lawmakers may release as soon as today, featuring five new GOP-leaning districts in Austin, D/FW, Houston and the Rio Grande Valley: https://punchbowl.news/article/campaigns/texas-sized-gamble/...It bets heavily on Hispanic voters in Texas, in an election not featuring Donald Trump, to resist buyers remorse and remain loyal to Republican candidates in 2026: https://punchbowl.news/article/campaigns/gop-texas-latinos/...The Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus will hold a press conference on Democratic options this afternoon upon the adjournment of House business, as U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries plans a closed-door meeting with those same lawmakers tonight: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/29/house-democratic-leader-hakeem-jeffries-to-visit-austin-amid-redistricting-fight/85429537007/...The national Democratic Party is in a massive fundraising push ahead of a planned targeting of several Republican lawmakers they believe will be compromised by the new map: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/us/politics/democrats-texas-redistricting.html...The House Majority PAC and its new Lone Star Fund have started running TV ads against those likely GOP targets in Texas: https://youtu.be/OvfgpTo2Vkk?si=sIfuvKXJMFNrhu_pThere's also a Democratic presser today being held by Dallas Senator Nathan Johnson and the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus on the status of THC regulation: https://www.facebook.com/NathanforTexas/photos/media-advisory-join-me-for-a-press-conference-on-cannabis-legislation-with-membe/1194566255807967/?_rdrAustin friends and soccer fans! Mark your calendar for Monday September 15, when we will gather for a live podcast taping with legendary Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver! Sponsorship opportunities are available now, and individual tickets will go on sale soon: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the terrific Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: https://www.moontowersoccer.com/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:UT Arlington saw yet another huge public turnout in opposition to the Trump-ordered Texas redistricting scheme yesterday, the crowd exceeding the accommodation limits of the event: https://www.keranews.org/government/2025-07-28/texas-redistricting-ut-arlington-hearing...Democrats have begun making financial preparations for the potential daily per-member fines of $500 that may be a factor in a quorum break: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/29/texas-democrats-quorum-break-fundraising-fines-redistricting/Austin Congressman Greg Casar went on a fact-finding mission to a San Antonio immigration court, where he found the treatment of immigrants showing up there "deeply disturbing": https://www.fox7austin.com/news/greg-casar-speaks-out-about-way-immigration-laws-being-enforced...The Dallas Morning News confirms that ICE has been improperly detaining dozens of people in an office building in Dallas: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/immigration/2025/07/29/ice-held-migrants-at-dallas-office-for-days-families-say-exceeding-agency-standards/...A Houston man was improperly detained for two hours recently by ICE - he shares a name and resembles an immigrant they were looking for, but was born in College Station: https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/us-citizen-ice-detained-houston/285-11f4cb64-fa4a-4a65-8d5b-518413664987Austin friends and soccer fans! Mark your calendar for Monday September 15, when we will gather for a live podcast taping with legendary Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver! Sponsorship opportunities are available now, and individual tickets will go on sale soon: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/allstaractivism_2025...The Brad Stuver interview will be co-hosted by Landon Cotham of the terrific Austin FC podcast Moontower Soccer: https://www.moontowersoccer.com/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
For this next update from the special legislative session, we go to one of our favorite go-to voices and fighters in the upper chamber - State Senator Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio, who has just announced a re-election bid for the seat he's held since he displaced Republican Senator Pete Flores in 2020. Senator Gutierrez has been vocal in his opposition to the Trump-demanded carving up of Texas in a desperate bid to keep the U.S. House under GOP control, and his condemnation of cruel and un-American ICE activity in his district and elsewhere in Texas - we talk about those topics and more in this update.Learn more about Senator Roland Gutierrez at https://rolandfortexas.com/.Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:College Democrats across the state are calling for a quorum break to stop the GOP redistricting scheme: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AGqBhU9AT/...Texas House Dems staged a "quorum break jump scare" on Friday, heading out for a short visit to California to discuss reciprocal redistricting with Governor Gavin Newsom: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/newsom-california-texas-trump-redistricting-20788484.php...Another delegation headed for Springfield, Illinois to have a similar conversation with Governor J.B. Pritzker: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/25/us/politics/texas-democrats-redistricting.html...The University of Houston saw an anti-redistricting rally prior to another public hearing held by the Texas House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting on Saturday, resulting in similar vitriol to Thursday's hearing in Austin: https://www.khou.com/article/news/politics/houston-congressional-district-meeting/285-65cbbc1a-0ad4-4468-8cda-97f259457bf5...Almost all of the Democratic candidates to fill the long-vacant U.S. House seat for CD-18 were present and spoke: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/07/27/527261/candidates-for-texas-18th-congressional-district-speak-against-redistricting/...Dallas Rep. Julie Johnson talked redistricting this weekend on MSNBC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9k3NQH6GdUFriday also saw a bombshell allegation by an exotic dancer who claims to have had a 17-year affair with Southlake Republican State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, who last week announced a surprise reversal on his recently-announced re-election bid: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/gop-texas-rep-capriglione-drops-re-election-bid-after-reported-affair-allegations-he-funded-abortions-38066215Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
As, promised, here's our full capture of Friday night's rally at the Delco Center in northeast Austin, hosted by Powered By People, and featuring in order:01:06 - Travis County Democratic Party Chair Doug Greco04:39 - Austin State Representative Gina Hinojosa16:06 - Round Rock State Representative James Talarico29:39 - Austin Congressman Greg Casar37:10 - Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett47:30 - San Antonio Congressman Joaquin Castro1:02:06 - Former Congressman Beto O'RourkeThanks for listening! Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive.
This week's kvetch is a rare LIVE kvetch, as the team warmed up to capture Powered By People's rally on Friday night at Austin ISD's Delco Center. As we awaited a who's who of Texas progressive politics: Beto O'Rourke, Joaquin Castro, Jasmine Crockett, James Talarico, Greg Casar, Gina Hinojosa and new Travis County Democratic Party Chair Doug Greco, we covered the events of a week that were pretty insane, but that term has become very much relative these days in Texas. Our full capture of the event will follow this pod in the Progress Texas Podcasts feed. Thanks to Chris and all at Powered By People for the hospitality!Thanks for listening! Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:At the conclusion of last night's contentious hearing on Texas Republicans' push to redraw our congressional maps - at the behest of Donald Trump and with no actual maps to show - Isaiah Martin, one of the Democratic candidates for Houston's District 18, was taken to the floor twice by Capitol security and arrested by DPS on multiple misdemeanor charges: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/tempers-flare-at-texas-redistricting-hearing-as-critics-slam-mid-cycle-map-effort...Several prominent Democrats were present to testify against the redistricting scheme, noting that no Republicans showed up to defend it: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/us/politics/texas-redistricting.html...Texas NAACP president Gary Bledsoe and LULAC Texas State Director Gabriel Rosales both testified at the first of seven planned public hearings: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/24/texas-redistricting-hearing-house-legislature-congress/...Republicans called the meeting at 8:30, but Democrats continued listening to testimony from concerned Texans, some of whom had driven hours to be heard: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/public-hearing-coming-to-arlington-on-mid-decade-congressional-redistricting-in-texas/287-86144250-a764-42e4-b7b8-e6cbf9757206Attorney General Ken Paxton and his soon-to-be ex-wife, State Senator Angela Paxton, are suspected of mortgage fraud as three of the homes they own are listed as their primary residence on mortgage documents: https://apnews.com/article/paxton-mortgages-trump-primary-residence-homestead-deduction-bd259b6bd122afcaf4f11eac5a3a152eNorth Texas has seen a massive uptick in ICE arrests of suspected undocumented people with no criminal history: https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2025/07/23/dallas-ice-arrests-noncriminalsProgress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
There's probably no elected Democrat in all of Texas who has been a more frequent target of right wing smear attacks than José Garza, currently in his second term as Travis Country District Attorney. He's also a great example of how, when one becomes such a lightning rod for MAGA, one is probably doing excellent work - Travis County and Austin are the safest they've been in years, and it's largely due to Garza's work - and the voters of the Austin area are largely very happy customers.Learn more about the Travis County District Attorney's Office at https://districtattorney.traviscountytx.gov/.Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:When they return from summer recess on August 18, lawmakers in California will immediately faced with tough decisions on how to respond to Texas redistricting: https://www.kcra.com/article/texas-redistricting-hearings-newsom-decides-california/65493018After getting first to Trump's priorities, Texas Republicans finally got around to lesser concerns for them - Texas flood relief - but started with a four-hour "attaboy" session that drew the ire of Democratic Rep. Ann Johnson: https://www.eenews.net/articles/attaboys-dominate-texas-flood-hearing-as-lawmakers-shy-from-assigning-blame/...Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd testified that his department struggles to contact local emergency managers, who themselves have almost no minumum requirements for training or certification: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/organizational-failures-highlighted-hearing-deadly-central-texas-flooding/...Bipartisan blasting of Kerr County officials, who have opted to lower their local property taxes instead of addressing urgent needs to overhaul river flood warning systems: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/23/texas-lawmakers-blast-river-authority-for-pathetic-decision-not-to-upgrade-flood-warning-system/85350653007/One flood won't fix Texas' drought - while AI data centers are sucking up more and more and more water: https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2025-07-25/texas-is-still-in-drought-and-ai-data-centers-are-quietly-guzzling-up-water/The Trump administration has earmarked over $1 billion for a massive detention center for ICE detainees (for now) in El Paso: https://www.chron.com/news/article/trump-awards-1-2-billion-contract-operate-texas-20782668.phpSenator Ted Cruz, with help from Senator John Cornyn, has filed a bill to target people or groups suspected of funding "antisemitic, pro-illegal" protests with RICO charges: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/ted-cruz-ice-palestine-protests-20782531.phpA Vermont school superintendent was detained and aggresively questioned by customs and immigration agents on Monday at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport in an incident that his board back home calls "deeply disturbing": https://www.advocate.com/news/vermont-gay-citizen-detained-cbpA growing number of conservative influencers are expressing regret having followed Joe Rogan to Texas and heading back west - toodle-oo, y'all: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-14930373/conservative-stars-regret-california-texas-austin-rogan.htmlTejano titan Bobby Pulido is said to be considering a pivot into politics, specifically in his native Edinburg to challenge GOP Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/24/bobby-pulido-exploratory-committee-congress-south-texas/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio was one of the primary captains of the 2021 Texas Democratic quorum break, staged in resistance against Republican attacks on voting access. Now, as the Texas Legislature considers mid-decade redistricting, he may soon be experiencing deja vu. We talk with Rep. Martinez Fischer about the Trump-directed assault on decades of civil rights advances, what the Dems can do about it, and what the stakes really are.Our friend Pooja Sethi provides information on Thursday's opportunity to testify:Thursday, July 242:00 PMRoom E1.030, Texas CapitolWhether you speak or simply show up, your presence matters.Sign up to testify or learn more:https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/schedules/html/C0552025072414001.htmThanks for listening! Progress Texas is in our Summer Vacation Membership Drive - if only 10% of our audience signs up for at least $10 per month in support, we'd be funded for the upcoming year. Please help us continue our important work at https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive.
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State Senator Molly Cook returned to work as an emergency nurse in her hometown of Houston at the conclusion of her freshman session a few weeks ago - only to be dragged back to the Capitol for a special session that, turns out, is a lot more about Governor Abbott doing the bidding of Donald Trump than helping Hill Country flood victims, or even addressing Dan Patrick's stupid THC ban. Senator Cook joined us for the first of a series of updates from Democratic lawmakers as the special session continues.Thanks for listening! Progress Texas is in our Summer Vacation Membership Drive - if only 10% of our audience signs up for at least $10 per month in support, we'd be funded for the upcoming year. Please help us continue our important work at https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Day 1 of the special session saw a full court press on redistricting - no movement on flood relief, or any other issue: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/21/us/politics/texas-redistricting-floods.html...Rigging maps to win elections is tantamount to totalitarianism - "democracy thrives or dies on how we draw political districts": https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/tomlinson/article/texas-redistricting-republican-democracy-20778376.php...U.S. Reps Henry Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez, Lizzie Fletcher and Julie Johnson are the likely Democratic targets: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/article/texas-redistricting-districts-trump-20778386.php...Any proposed maps you've seen floating around, at present are probably fake: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/texas-redistricting-map-congress-20778346.php...Until he got a call from Trump, Governor Abbott was not enthused about pursuing redistricting: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/22/texas-redistricting-abbott-republicans-resistant-trump/...And history shows that the Texas Republican majority has never given much of a damn about keeping Texans safe from floods, so the hostage maneuver is predictable: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/21/texas-hill-country-flooding-inaction-state-legislature/Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThe merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at https://store.progresstexas.org/.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:The scene on the opening day off what could be a contentious and historic special legislation: a massive menu of MAGA red meat, with only 30 days for Republicans to grind it out: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/21/texas-legislature-special-session-floods-redistricting-thc/...Of course, if they don't make that deadline, Governor Abbott can just call another special session - and another, and another: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/07/21/what-to-expect-as-texas-lawmakers-return-to-austin-for-special-session/...Austin Congressman Greg Casar calls the Texas redistricting scheme "the biggest thing in politics you haven't heard about": https://www.msnbc.com/weekends-with-alex-witt/watch/the-biggest-thing-in-politics-you-haven-t-heard-about-dem-rep-talks-texas-redistricting-243531845601...Former Congressman Beto O'Rourke declares that Democrats must stop being "more concerned with being right than being in power": https://www.notus.org/democrats/democrats-redistricting-trump-texas-california-new-york...Houston Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, State Rep. Jon Rosenthal and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis will hold a town hall tonight (Monday 7/21) on the redistricting situation, starting at 7pm: https://cw39.com/news/local/today-lizzie-fletcher-hosts-texas-redistricting-virtual-town-hall-meeting/The estimate of people still missing in the July 4 flood disaster dropped from 97 to 3 on Saturday, with no change in the death toll - here's why: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/20/us/texas-floods-missing.htmlDonald Trump's Big Bullshit Bill is set to wreak havoc on Texas healthcare and hospitals: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/health/article/texas-medicaid-cuts-big-beautiful-bill-20774741.phpAustin State Rep. James Talarico's talk on the Joe Rogan Experience led that podcaster to ask Talarico to run for President: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jOGPvMftb8Progress Texas' financial reserves have dropped to about 3 months worth of funding. Help us avoid going on a permanent vacation this summer by becoming a sustaining member: https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-driveThe merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at https://store.progresstexas.org/.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
As we hit another Friday in the wild wild West of Texas politics, we do so with a wary eye towards Monday - the day that a special legislative session called by Governor Greg Abbott begins. A session originally to handle Dan's Ban, then to address the obvious need for flood emergency apparatus in our river basins, then to a giant pile of MAGA red meat - including a Donald Trump-ordered carving of Texas' congressional map in an attempt to deliver Trump five more Republican seats in the U.S. House, ahead of what every GOP member knows is otherwise gonna be a massive shellacking. What will - what CAN - the Democrats do about it? We discuss.This week has also seen a grab at the control of the American news message, in the form of a wholesale defunding of public media - an essential ecosphere we at Progress Texas consider ourselves part of. In response we have launched our Summer Vacation Membership Drive, because you see, at any given time, Progress Texas stands about three months away from running out of funds. If only 10 percent of our audience signs up for at least $10 per month, that problem largely goes away - we could use your help. If you want PT to be part of the remainder of a 2025 that could see endless, contentious special sessions, and a 2026 that will see the leadup to a truly existential mid-term election for American democracy, please consider joining our fight at https://progresstexas.org/join-pt-summer-vacation-membership-drive.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Will the special session, partly dedicated to a Trump-ordered mid-decade redistricting start on Monday, or will Democrats walk out? The history of Democratic quorum breaks in Texas is interesting, including in the summer of 2021: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/14/texas-democrats-walkout-quorum/#:~:text=On%20July%2012%2C%20Texas%20House,pair%20of%20federal%20voting%20bills....Twice in 2003: https://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/bud-kennedy/article251796163.html...And the "Killer Bees" walkout of 1979: https://doggett.house.gov/media/in-the-news/dallas-morning-news-killer-bees-offer-strategic-roadmap-texas-democrats-latest...A Florida judge has upheld that state's racially-gerrymandered Congressional map, an example of what Texas Democrats are up against: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/florida-supreme-court-upholds-congressional-map-that-eliminates-a-majority-black-district...A Florida voting rights activist calls that decision "a direct attack on Black political power and a decision that will have ripple effects for generations": https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2025-07-17/florida-supreme-court-upholds-desantis-backed-congressional-redistricting-plan...Meanwhile across the country in California, Governor Gavin Newsom has two options to pursue a retaliatory redistricting move - neither of which is easy: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/17/us/california-texas-redistricting-newsom.html...Houston State Rep. Ron Reynolds issues a statement declaring his readiness to break quorum: https://t.co/LZVPAlXUjrWith two well-known Democrats declaring runs, the race for Attorney General is already interesting: https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/this-race-could-turn-the-attorneyAlmost none of the homes damaged in the July 4 flood in Kerr County are covered with flood insurance: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/kerr-county-flood-insurance-20761656.phpThe case against a Venezuelan man arrested in Texas, accused of being a gang member and deported to the CECOT death prison in El Salvador - where he remains now - has been thrown out: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/17/texas-migrant-el-salvador-tren-de-aragua-deportation-dismissed/Progress Texas Board Chair Louis A Bedford IV decries the trend of masked, unidentified ICE officers snatching civilians off of American streets: https://progresstexas.org/blog/if-ice-agents-can-hide-their-faces-who%E2%80%99s-protecting-publicThe merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at https://store.progresstexas.org/.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Desperate measures may be called for to opposed mid-decade GOP redistricting, but breaking quorum now comes with stiff financial penalties: https://woai.iheart.com/featured/san-antonios-first-news/content/2025-07-16-will-texas-democrats-attempt-to-break-quorum-during-the-special-session/...Supreme Court Justice John Roberts is a central figure who has enabled the chaos that Trumps is now bringing to Texas: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/07/blame-john-roberts-for-enabling-trumps-massive-power-grab-in-texas/...California Governor Gavin Newsom appears ready for extreme measures to counteract Texas redistricting: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/16/newsom-jolts-california-house-maps-texas-00458927...All of this while everyday Texans are suffering under Trump's policies - we're now the #1 state in the country for financial distress: https://dallas.culturemap.com/news/innovation/texas-ranks-as-no-1-state-with-the-most-people-in-financial-distress/...Rural Texas, full of Trump voters, is set to lose a long list of rural hospitals under Trump's budget cuts: https://www.amarillo.com/story/news/2025/07/09/15-texas-rural-hospitals-are-at-risk-of-closing-medicaid-cuts-big-beautiful-bill/84518400007/...Mental health services in Texas schools are on the chopping block too, despite mental health being blamed by Republicans for our epidemic of school shootings: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/14/texas-schools-budget-cuts-mental-health/...On the Uvalde shooting, an appeals court judge has sided with news organizations who have been trying to compel Uvalde County to release related records: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/16/uvalde-school-shootings-records-release/Huge amounts of money are flowing into Republican races, and that's for the primary: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/16/texas-attorney-general-comptroller-campaign-finance-fundraising/Former Galveston mayor and Houston-area lawyer and radio host Joe Jaworski has become the second Democrat to announce a run for Attorney General: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/17/joe-jaworski-texas-attorney-general-democrat/...While Harlingen emergency physician Ada Cuellar has announced a run to challenge incumbent GOP Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz in the 15th Congressional District: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/17/ada-cuellar-democrat-monica-de-la-cruz-south-texas-congress/The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at https://store.progresstexas.org/.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Former Galveston mayor, Houston-area attorney and longtime progressive activist Joe Jaworski joins us to announce his run for Texas Attorney General in 2026!Learn more about Joe's campaign at https://www.jaworskifortexas.com/.Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Drama building for the special session, as Democrats consider breaking quorum to block a Trump-ordered redistricting scheme - including : https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/us/politics/texas-redistricting-trump.html...Ken Paxton is threatening to "hunt down" any Democrats fleeing the session, while the plan itself could result in a "dummymander": https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/15/texas-democrats-redistricting-response-trump-republican-five-seats/?_bhlid=f8b2bec379355a332431cf659f421e931ee30532...A closer look at a potential "dummymander" shows that as it stands, safe blue districts are safer than safe red districts in Texas, making a weakening of those red districts a hazardous prospect: https://prospect.org/politics/2025-07-16-texas-redistricting-maneuver-may-harm-republicans/...The only real swing seats left in Texas are in the Rio Grande Valley, due to a surprising swing to Trump last year - no surprise, the cancellation of the RGV's biggest annual public health event due to Trump budget cuts: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/16/texas-rio-grande-valley-border-health-federal-cuts/...Ahead of all of this, Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into alleged non-citizen voting in Harris and several other counties: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/voting/2025/07/15/526434/texas-attorney-generals-office-opens-investigation-into-allegations-of-noncitizens-voting-in-harris-county/Propublica finds great disparity between claims by Kerr County officials that the July 4 flood couldn't have been predicted, and long oral and written histories that more or less do exactly that: https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-floods-oral-histories...Polling shows that most Americans believe that the death toll from the flood could have been much less severe if government officials had been better prepared: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5403144-poll-flood-deaths-texas/Republican Kerr County officials, under scrutiny due to the flood, are experiencing an unfortunate work hazard that's become familiar to Democratic leaders in bigger cities - death threats: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/texas-officials-death-threats-flash-flooding_n_68766208e4b0eefef0c4f62c...Those same officials, at their first meeting after the flood, acknowledge that the actual number of missing people remains uncertain: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/07/14/death-threats-and-uncertainty-over-total-number-of-victims-key-takeaways-from-kerr-county-commissioners-court/The family that owns Camp Mystic admits that the supervising owner Dick Eastland, who himself perished in the flood, didn't start evacuating kids from near the river until 46 minutes after receiving an emergency flood alert: https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/camp-mystic-evacuation-delayed-despite-warning-20770025.php...Those phone alerts, due to their frequency, similarity between situations, and typical long distance from the emergency itself, have become too easy for Texans to ignore or even turn off: https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2025-07-15/texas-flood-alert-warning-phoneSeveral campaign announcements today, including Dallas State Senator Nathan Johnson, who becomes the first Democrat to announce a run for Attorney General: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/nathan-johnson-texas-attorney-general-20766914.php...Democrat Marquette Greene-Scott announces a repeat run against MAGA clown Troy Nehls in the 22nd Congressional District: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/07/14/526241/marquette-greene-scott-who-challenged-rep-troy-nehls-in-2024-announces-bid-for-congressional-district-22/...And ultra-MAGA Conroe State Rep. Steve Toth issues a primary challenge against GOP incumbent Congressman Dan Crenshaw in Congressional District 2: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/15/steve-toth-dan-crenshaw-texas-republican-primary-congress/
Progressives across Texas are taking note of the recent return of former Tarrant County Democratic Party Chair Allison Campolo to that important post. As the political tides turn across the nation, a flip in Tarrant County would likely be a harbinger of even more widespread and long-overdue change across the Lone Star State, so having an experienced progressive fighter (and actual Kung Fu champion) in this key position is welcome news indeed. Progress Texas board member and longtime Fort Worth politico Jason Smith joins us for a fun and important discussion.Learn more about Allison Campolo and the Tarrant County Democratic Party at https://tarrantdemocrats.org/.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Flood recovery efforts have resumed amidst great uncertainty about how long it will take, or whether it's possible, to recover the rest of the estimated 100 who remain missing: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/14/texas-flood-missing-update/Food banks in Austin, San Antonio and elsewhere, at a moment when their services will be in high demand due to the floods, have already been hobbled by Trump funding cuts - and that's before the cuts in the Big Bullshit Bill kick in: https://grist.org/food-and-agriculture/texas-food-banks-flood-survivors-trump-funding-cuts/U.S. Senate Democrats are calling for a probe into whether or not Homeland Security Kristi Noem's cost-cutting measures caused a delay in FEMA response that may have needlessly cost lives: https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/07/14/congress/kristi-noem-fema-cost-control-investigation-00452212Rumors that cloud seeding may have contributed to the intensity of the July 4 storm in the Texas Hill Country are false - just as they have been when arising after recent hurricanes: https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2025-07-15/cloud-seeding-weather-manipulation-technology-kerr-county-texas-floods-misinformation-conspiracy-theoryA moving tribute to the counselors at Camp Mystic who bravely protected their campers, written by one of their colleagues: https://www.chron.com/news/article/camp-mystic-tribute-texas-flood-20768074.phpAs lawmakers begin filing bills for the special session starting Monday, there's nothing so far relating to flood recovery or preparedness: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/no-flood-related-bills-on-first-day-of-texas-special-session-filing/Can California Governor Gavin Newsom counteract GOP-leaning redistricting in Texas by similarly stacking his state for the Democrats? Probably not: https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/california-texas-redistricting-20769678.phpWhen Will Democrats Get Mad? Perhaps the better question is: when will Democrats get out of their own way and do something? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2btHwfv4Go4Governor Abbott's refusal to release emails between himself and Elon Musk because they are "too intimate and embarrassing" sure has us curious: https://fortune.com/2025/07/15/texas-governor-greg-abbott-elon-musk-emails/The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at https://store.progresstexas.org/.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:The July 4 flood death toll rose to 132 as new flooding stopped recovery efforts on Sunday: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/texas-flooding-map-lampasas-river-trump-fema-death-toll-latest-b2788441.htmlFamilies of victims who are still missing are beginning to come to terms that Governor Abbott's pledge to recover all of them may be impossible to fulfill: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/texas-families-face-grim-reality-that-some-missing-from-floods-may-not-be-foundGovernor Abbott's highly flawed football metaphor, meant to deflect accountability in the name of toughness, draws the condemnation of Hall Of Famer Earl Campbell: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/us/politics/texas-floods-greg-abbott-stoicism.htmlThe failure of Texas to be prepared for the July 4 flood is part of a much longer pattern of neglect under Republican rule, which includes Winter Storm Uri, the Uvalde school massacre, and much more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/13/texas-disaster-weather-preparations-usWest Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez calls for accountability for the flood disaster in the upcoming special session, which seems to us a pipe dream at best: https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/13/politics/video/texas-congressman-calls-on-accountability-for-floods-cannot-allow-girls-to-drownHouse Minority Leader Gene Wu notes the many bills offered by Democrats in the recent regular session aimed at improving safety infrastructure and planning that were killed by Republicans out of partisan spite: https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/11/us/video/the-lead-texas-governor-abott-donald-trump-floods-fema-jake-tapperOther Houston Democrats are also up in arms about the Trump-demanded redistricting plan, while experts note the risk of over-reach that could undermine formerly-safe GOP Representatives: https://www.khou.com/article/news/politics/democrats-gov-abbott-redrawing-districts-special-session-texas/285-3427ffde-df9d-4a12-b8d7-c492cd41d7a4The hypocrisy of undertaking redistricting under DOJ accusations of racial gerrymandering, just as the state has been defending its current map as race-blind, is stunning: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/11/texas-redistricting-racial-gerrymandering-coalition-districts-trump/The new Superman movie is being derided as "woke" by right-wing media, when the character's main mode is kindness - if kindness is wokeness, then we're woke, y'all: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/superman-woke-james-gunn-credit-fox-news-rcna218375The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at https://store.progresstexas.org/.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
In this episode of the Progress Texas Happy Hour, we're honored to welcome Michael Wilmore-Crumrine, President of the Lesbian & Gay Peace Officers Association – Austin (LGPOA-Austin). Under Michael's leadership, LGPOA-Austin is preparing to host the 2025 World LGBTQI+ Conference for Criminal Justice Professionals — marking the first time this international gathering will take place in the United States. This historic event will bring together officers, activists, and public safety professionals from around the world to push for building more inclusive and equitable justice systems.We talk about what it means to lead with authenticity, the mission behind LGPOA, and why this conference is such a powerful moment — not just for Austin, but for LGBTQ+ visibility everywhere. It's a conversation about service, community, and creating space where all people can be seen, heard, and respected.To learn more about LGPOA-Austin, visit: https://www.lgpoa-austin.com/And, check out the 2025 Proud to Be Your Friend Conference at https://www.proudtobeyourfriend.org.Thanks for listening! You can learn more about Progress Texas and support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org.
This week's blowing off of the collective steam is especially cathartic, having come at the end of a week in which we watched the horrible situation in Central Texas get worse, and worse...and worse. State Senator Angela Paxton dumps her cheating husband at long last, Colin Allred appears to be playing the same old playbook, and yet another massive tragedy strikes Texas, complete with the loss of dozens of kids. We can't even.Thanks for listening, y'all. Learn more about Progress Texas at https://progresstexas.org/.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:A full week after the fact, Donald Trump is visiting Texas today to observe the flood damage in Kerr County: https://apnews.com/article/trump-texas-floods-fema-phase-out-b77d9681d2d39f8c201351b54ecf944f...The Kerr County Sheriff's Department took a full 90 minutes to relay a flood warning called in by a firefighter in Ingram as the floodwaters were rising: https://abcnews.go.com/US/kerr-county-officials-waited-90-minutes-send-emergency/story?id=123631023...Instead of installing the outdoor flood warning system discussed for years but put off for lack of funding, Kerr County spent an over $10 million ARPA windfall in 2021 on other stuff: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/10/texas-kerr-county-commissioners-flooding-warning/...One might think that Chip Roy, Kerr County's U.S. Congressman, might send down federal dollars earmarked for flood safety infrastructure - until one is reminded that Chip Roy is the biggest tightwad in Washington: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/you-need-fewer-bureaucrats-chip-roy-uses-tx-flood-as-excuse-to-cut-government/ar-AA1I3X5xGovernor Abbott's hopes that the flood might shield his cynical redistricting power grab from public outcry and opposition might be overly optimistic: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/10/greg-abbott-midterms-republicans...One political academic predicts that as things currently stand, the Republicans could suffer "a complete sweep" in 2026: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/10/texas-republican-redistricting-mapsTexas State Senator Angela Paxton, after for years suffering the public shame of her husband's infidelity and the impeachment that followed, has filed for divorce from Attorney General Ken Paxton: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/10/angela-paxton-divorce-texas-attorney-general-ken/The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at https://store.progresstexas.org/.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Difficult conversations should take place in all regions of a diverse state like Texas, especially after 30-plus years of one party rule. Beyond placing blame on rural regions or certain sects of historically Democratic voters, we should first take a deep look inwards and be ready to listen to those different from ourselves. Last month, over a hundred Democratic county party chairs, rural organizers, and freshly announced candidates held a conference in Bastrop, Texas. The 134 PAC invited both Progress Texas Podcasting Director Chris Mosser and Advocacy Manager and former small-town City Councilor Reagan Stone to take part - an honor and lots of fun. For the closing panel of the event, Reagan joined San Angelo attorney and Co-Founder of the 134 PAC Jon Mark Hogg, and seasoned rural political consultant and proud Missouri farmer Will Westmoreland to start the hunt for answering questions on turning Texas blue. Moderated by University of Houston at Victoria Political Science Professor Woodrow Wilson Wagner, this episode is an off-prompt attempt at defining why our conservative neighbors don't always vote for what may serve their best interests, and how progressive Texans might go about starting difficult, but very important, conversational exchanges with their more conservative counterparts.Learn more about the 134 PAC at https://www.the134pac.org/.Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can help support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:The death toll of the July 4 flood disaster has risen to 120, but is still exceeded by the number of missing, which remains over 150: https://www.cnn.com/weather/live-news/texas-flooding-camp-mystic-07-10-25...New policies imposed upon FEMA by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appear to have created a 72-hour delay in the agency's response to the flood: https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/kristi-noem-texas-floods-response-35531843...Even when it came, the FEMA deployment was an anemic 100 staffers, dwarfed by the almost 2,000 the state sent: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/trump-fema-response-texas-floods-b2785617.html...Not that the state response was very effective - Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring says he didn't even know about advance deployment of response resources: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/09/texas-hill-country-floods-kerrville/...A paltry $73,000 for a flood condition dashboard didn't even get done in time - it's set to be discussed in mid-July: https://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-flood-kickoff-meeting-kerr-county-warning-system/story?id=123622025Setting a new standard for cynicism, Governor Abbott will use the tragic flood as political cover for a redistricting power grab in the upcoming special session, as ordered by Donald Trump: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/09/abbott-special-session-texas-redistricting-flooding-thc-abortion-pills/...The map redraw will target four urban, non-white majority districts in Houston and Fort Worth - and the session will also attempt to ram through a wide variety of unfinished right-wing goals: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/07/09/526083/congressional-redistricting-including-in-houston-on-texas-governors-agenda-for-special-legislative-session/The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at https://store.progresstexas.org/.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
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