Podcasts about house speaker dade phelan

House Speaker Dade Phelan withdrew last week from seeking another term leading that chamber. After three rounds of voting on Saturday, state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, emerged as the preference of most House Republicans. However, his opponent, state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, claims to have enough support from both Republicans and Democrats to clear the 76-vote threshold. The Dallas Morning News reported that Cook acknowledged the race for speaker wasn't yet over. Phelan, R-Beaumont, narrowly won re-election to his seat in the May primary, needing to prevail in a runoff to return to Austin. He was opposed by fellow Republicans...Article Link

Facing a challenge from fellow Republicans, Dade Phelan says he’s dropping his bid for re-election as Texas House speaker.Texas has some of the most expensive insurance in the nation, forcing homeowners to pay more for less coverage.Desert bighorn sheep return to the Franklin Mountains of El Paso, a major milestone in restoring the species.While the […] The post House Speaker Dade Phelan bows out of leadership reelection bid appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Four of the Republican challengers to House Speaker Dade Phelan have dropped out and pledged support for GOP Rep. David Cook of Mansfield: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/20/texas-house-speaker-david-cook-dade-phelan-republicans/ Both Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic Senatorial nominee Colin Allred have seen recent polling gains among Texas Hispanic likely voters: https://www.txhpf.org/2024/09/23/texas-hispanic-policy-foundation-survey-shows-trump-leads-harris-by-only-6-among-all-texas-likely-voters-with-44-days-left-until-election-day/ Conservative federal judge Reed O'Connor of Fort Worth blasts Biden administration moves against "judge shopping"...at a Federalist Society event: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/texas-judge-favored-by-conservatives-blasts-judge-shopping-reform-2024-09-23/ One of the six defendants in the "Trump Train" trial over that incident with a Biden campaign bus in 2020 has been found liable under the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act - the first such decision in modern times - while the other five defendants were cleared: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/courts/2024/09/23/texas-jury-trial-verdict-trump-train-organizers-wendy-davis-biden-harris-bus/75296175007/ Corey DeAngelis, a prominent anti-LGBTQ+ private school voucher proponent with frequent interactions with Texas Republican officeholders and activists, has been exposed as having once worked as a gay porn actor...not that there's anything wrong with that: https://www.advocate.com/people/corey-deangelis-gay-adult-films See Progress Texas' guide to fun events happening across the state during National Hispanic Heritage Month, which continues through October 15: ⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-texas-culture-national-hispanic-heritage-month⁠⁠⁠ See Progress Texas' analysis of Project 2025, and what it will mean for Texas should it be enacted: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/project-2025-vs-progress-2025⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ...And a complete guide to Project 2025 from Media Matters: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-republican-administration⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The deadline to register for the November election is October 7. Are you registered? Are you sure? ALL Texas voters should confirm their registration, right now: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://govotetexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ...Please pitch in to help fund our recent expansion of that important voting resource with Hindi, Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese translation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/coming-soon-govotetexasorg-adds-commonly-spoken-languages-increase-ballot-access⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And, our September membership drive is underway! We want to add 50 new members to the Progress Texas family in the form of regular monthly supporters at the $10, $25 or $50 level - if you join the team before the end of September, we'll hook you up with an exclusive invitation to our Holiday Party this December! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Rick Perry, the longest-serving governor in Texas history, is returning to the Capitol as an adviser for House Speaker Dade Phelan. What it means for Texas politics.Five years after a mass shooting in Odessa, a new sculpture rises in hopes of helping the city heal.Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the State Fair of Texas […] The post Alamo Trust battles to keep Ferris wheel out of historic neighborhood appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A 26-page report from the Texas Comptroller concludes that the state needs 306,000 additional homes, a shortage that has sent housing costs soaring, The Texas Tribune reported. Homebuilding hasn't kept up with the booming economy as millions of new residents have moved here over the past decade, leaving more than half of the state's homeowners and renters struggling to find and keep affordable housing. Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan have each indicated that addressing the state's housing affordability issues will be on lawmakers' agenda when they return in January for the next legislative...Article Link

House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, narrowly won re-election in a hotly contested runoff race and has vowed to seek his third term as speaker, drawing threats from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to oppose any of his supporters in the 2024 primary. “I've done it twice,” Phelan told The Dallas Morning News. “I'll do it a third time.” But Patrick was quick to threaten opposition to any representative supporting Phelan's bid. “My message to Austin is clear, to those considering supporting Dade Phelan as speaker in 2025, ask your 15 colleagues who lost reelection how they feel about their decision...Article Link

In the most expensive primary runoff in Texas House history, Speaker Dade Phelan hangs on to his seat, but many GOP incumbents lose after opposition from the far right. What do the primary results tell us about the state of the Texas GOP?The latest on storms moving across the state and what to expect today.A […] The post House Speaker Dade Phelan narrowly wins primary runoff election appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Show off your Lone Star spirit with a free "Remember the Alamo" hat with an annual subscription to The Texan: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Weekly Roundup brings you the latest news in Texas politics, breaking down the top stories of the week with our team of reporters who give you the facts so you can form your own opinion.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review! Got questions for the reporting team? Email editor@thetexan.news — they just might be answered on a future podcast.This week, the team discusses:House Speaker Dade Phelan at the center of Texas' Republican primary runoffsOral arguments in the Supreme Court case over the abortion pill mifepristoneFelony charges being dropped against Attorney General Ken Paxton after nine yearsTexas Congresswoman Kay Granger stepping down as chair of the Appropriations CommitteeA Texas House chairman's thoughts on the chamber's leadership and reforms to the rulesGov. Greg Abbott's executive order to crack down on antisemitism on college campusesFive arrested for smuggling high-powered firearms to Mexican drug cartelsRising opioid overdoses and homicide rates in Austin and Travis CountyThe race to chair the Republican Party of Texas, with moves being made behind the scenesAustin hiring as its next city manager T.C. Broadnax, the former city manager of DallasThe upcoming total solar eclipse that will run through Texas on April 8

The Justice Department has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the maker of the iPhone violated antitrust law by maintaining an illegal monopoly in the smartphone market. We’ll hear more from Jason Snell, one of the nation’s top Apple watchers.House Speaker Dade Phelan faces another challenge: not just re-election in his home district, […] The post House Speaker Dade Phelan has drawn an opponent appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: After yesterday's allowance of SB-4 to take effect by the U.S. Supreme Court in returning the case to the 5th Circuit of Appeals, the 5th Circuit renews the hold- as of this morning, it's blocked: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/03/19/us/texas-immigration-supreme-court ...Reactions within Texas border communities: https://apnews.com/article/texas-state-law-abbott-biden-migrants-mexico-f63836e590f2cdea15acd387b78ef292 ...Reactions from the White House: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2024/mar/19/us-supreme-court-texas-migrant-law ...Reactions from the three SCOTUS liberal Justices: https://thehill.com/campaign-issues/immigration/4542757-sow-chaos-sotomayor-chastises-supreme-court-for-allowing-texas-law-to-stand/ ...Reactions from Mexico: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/19/us/mexico-texas-border-immigration.html The Texas Permanent School Fund has yanked over 8 billion of your tax dollars from the investment company Blackrock over that company's environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2024/03/20/esg-blackrock-texas-permanent-school-fund-withdraws-investment/73028870007/ A University of Houston survey finds that President Biden is lagging behind Donald Trump among Texas Latino voters: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/election/2024/article/texas-latinos-prefer-trump-biden-matchup-uh-poll-18642473.php Governor Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan hung out publicly yesterday in Dallas - is that weird? https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/19/greg-abbott-dade-phelan-primary/ March is Women's History Month! See a new analysis of what that month really means in Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/inspire-inclusion-celebrating-international-womens-day-2024-texas Thanks for listening and have a great weekend! All about all we do, and several fun ways to support our work, can be found at https://progresstexas.org/.

Lauren Boebert won't compete in special election to replace Rep. Ken Buck | MO voters favor abortion rights | Kansas GOP's flat tax favors the wealthiest 20% | JB Pritzker wants to end prior authorizations in mental health | Texas right-wing billionaires get their way ELECTION 2024Missourians back initiative to restore abortion rights by small margin, new poll findsThe St. Louis University/YouGov poll found many undecided voters as ballot campaign gathers signatures. The poll also found strong support for repealing the sales tax on food and sports wageringBY: RUDI KELLER - MARCH 13, 2024 6:00 AMhttps://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/13/missourians-back-initiative-to-restore-abortion-rights-by-small-margin-new-poll-finds/In June of 2022 The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established federal constitutional protections for abortion. Under current Missouri law, abortions are only allowed to save the life of the mother or when “a delay will create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.” This has made abortion virtually inaccessible in the state.Now, a group called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom is collecting signatures to put abortion rights on the November ballot. They must gather at least 171,000 signatures from registered voters by early May.A new poll shows plurality of Missourians support restoring abortion rights as they existed under Roe v. Wade, but a large undecided group holds the key to victory. The St. Louis University/YouGov Poll conducted in February found that 44% of those surveyed would vote for abortion rights after hearing the ballot language, while 37% were opposed. Almost one-fifth of voters, 19%, said they were unsure how they would vote.71% of Democrats and 24% of Republicans support the proposal.If the measure makes the ballot, poll director Steven Rogers said there are enough undecided voters to sway the result. A sports wagering initiative campaign is also underway and the poll found 60% of those surveyed back legal betting on professional sports.That poll surveyed 900 likely Missouri voters between Feb. 14 and Feb. 26, with a 3.74% margin of error. Along with the major initiatives, the poll included questions tracking attitudes toward President Joe Biden, Congress, major Missouri political figures and the General Assembly.The poll also questioned voters about their choices for governor and their views on the biggest issues confronting the state as well as current legislative debates like school choice.37% of those surveyed said they approve of the job President Biden is doing, a rating similar to the findings in four previous surveys dating to July 2021. Gov. Mike Parson, who will leave office at the end of the year due to term limits, has an approval rating of 52%, among the highest ever found by the poll. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican seeking re-election this year, has an approval rating of 50%.The race to succeed Parson is wide open, at least for the August primaries. Without named candidates, the poll found 52% of those surveyed will vote for the Republican candidate for governor while 38% selected the Democrat.When those who said they would vote Republican were asked which candidate they preferred, “not sure” was selected by almost half of those polled. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft had the largest number of committed voters, with 28%, followed by Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe at 10% and state Sen. Bill Eigel at 8%.On the Democratic side, “not sure” was selected by 66% of respondents, with House Minority Leader Crystal Quade chosen by 21% and Springfield businessman Mike Hamra chosen by 4%.New Kansas flat tax proposal would mainly benefit state's top 20% of earnersBY: RACHEL MIPRO - MARCH 13, 2024 11:19 AMhttps://kansasreflector.com/2024/03/13/new-kansas-flat-tax-proposal-would-mainly-benefit-states-top-20-of-earners-analysis-shows/TOPEKA — A revamped flat tax plan touted by Kansas Senate lawmakers on Tuesday would cost the state nearly $650 million annually, give 40% of the benefits to the state's wealthiest 20%, and reap billionaire Charles Koch a half-million dollar windfall, according to independent analysis.During the Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation hearing, Republican lawmakers claimed the bill, Senate Bill 539, would address Kansans' needs. Committee Chair Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican who requested the bill's introduction said, “It is a product of listening to people and trying to come up with the best solution,”The state currently uses a graduated income tax rate: 3.1% for income under $15,000, 5.25% for income between $15,000 and $30,000 and 5.7% for income above $30,000. Couples filing together have those income amounts doubled.SB 539 would change income tax rates over six years, starting with a universal income tax rate of 5.7% in 2024, and reduced by .05% each year until 2029, which would set the rate at 5.45%. Under current law, the standard state deduction for income taxes is set at $3,500 for single filers and $8,000 for married couples filing jointly. The bill would set the deduction at $4,000 for single filers in 2024 and increase the standard deduction for all taxpayers by the cost-of-living adjustment published in the Internal Revenue Code beginning in tax year 2025.However, researchers estimate the top 20% of earners – those with annual incomes of over $315,000 – would see nearly 40% of the benefits. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan research organization that favors a progressive tax system, estimated the plan would cost the state nearly $650 million annually once fully implemented.A Kansas household making less than $55,000 a year would see $237 in benefits. Billionaire Charles Koch would receive an estimated annual $485,000 in tax breaks under the proposal.The bill would also cut the standard tax rate for banks from the current 2.25% rate to 1.94% in tax year 2024, and down to 1.63% in 2025. For savings and loan associations, taxes would be reduced from the current 2.25% rate to 1.93% in 2024 and down to 1.61% in 2025. Other provisions include eliminating the state's 2% sales tax on groceries by July 1. Currently, the tax is set to end on Jan. 1, 2025.Earlier in the legislative session, a Republican-driven effort fast-tracked the 5.25% income tax plan that would have reduced tax collections by more than $300 million per year and primarily benefited the state's top earners. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the proposal in late January, characterizing it as “reckless.” Despite the GOP supermajority in the House and Senate, a veto override attempt failed in the House due to opposition among conservative and moderate Republicans who felt the proposal didn't do enough for the state's lower-income residents.Governor Kelly has said she will continue to veto “irresponsible flat tax proposals.”House panel opens hearings on Pritzker's health insurance reformsWednesday, March 13, 2024Bill seeks to reduce denials of coverage, improve provider networksBy PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.comhttps://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/house-panel-opens-hearings-on-pritzkers-health-insurance-reformsSPRINGFIELD – A panel of Illinois lawmakers began hearing testimony Wednesday on Gov. JB Pritzker's proposals for sweeping changes in the state's health insurance industry. The changes, which Pritzker first unveiled in his State of the State address in February, would limit the ability of companies to deny claims or steer patients toward cheaper, and possibly less effective, treatments. They are contained in an amendment to House Bill 5395. They include banning prior authorization requirements for people to receive in-patient treatment at a psychiatric facility as well as all forms of so-called “step therapy” for prescription drug coverage. Step therapy refers to the practice of requiring a patient to try one or more cheaper, alternative medications before being allowed to access medications prescribed by their doctor.Other changes in the plan include requiring insurance companies to publicly post the types of treatments and therapies that do require prior authorization; requiring them to maintain accurate lists of the providers who are in their networks; and banning the sale in Illinois of short-term, limited duration insurance plans that don't meet the minimum standards under the federal Affordable Care Act.Emily Miller, a senior advisor in Pritzker's office, tried to assure the House Human Services Committee Wednesday that the administration was not waging war against the health insurance industry.“Insurance has a role to play, and I'm not here to demonize the insurance industry,” she said. “I am here, though, to say that it is time for consumers to have a say in how insurance companies are administering their health care plans. And we want to make sure that consumers are protected.”During the hearing, the committee heard personal stories from individual patients and their families, including some legislators, who spoke about their experiences having claims denied by their insurers. Among them was state Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, whose son was born with a rare heart malfunction that requires treatments for which he needs prior authorizations. He also had a daughter who died following a long battle with leukemia. He said, “We had her stay four days in the hospital because we couldn't get a nausea medication that we knew worked after chemo (round) two. We couldn't get it authorized in chemo (round) three. Very frustrating. Four days in the hospital, and I'm not sure how that saves somebody money.”Dr. Mary Dobbins, a pediatrician and psychologist who is a past president of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, testified about what she called a “mental health crisis” among children and youth in the United States. She said the crisis has been “artificially magnified by the requirements that tie up our clinical time.”She said “I've had multiple patients who destabilized because medicine they'd been doing well on was now denied, and the parents couldn't afford to pay for it out of pocket. The appropriate level of care is commonly denied.”The committee took no action Wednesday, but Chair Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, said the committee plans to hold more discussions and could vote as early as next week to advance the bill to the full House.Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.Amid white supremacist scandal, far-right billionaire powerbrokers see historic election gains in TexasAll told, 11 of the 28 House candidates supported by Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks won their primaries outright, and another eight are headed to runoffs this May.BY ROBERT DOWNENMARCH 8, 2024https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/08/tim-dunn-farris-wilks-defend-texas-liberty-election/West Texas oil billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks entered the 2024 primary election cycle wounded.Their political network was in the middle of a scandal over its ties to white supremacists. Republicans were calling on each other to reject the billionaires' campaign money. And their enemies believed they were vulnerable — one bad election day from losing their grip on the state.Instead, Dunn and Wilks emerged from Texas' primaries last Tuesday perhaps stronger than ever — vanquishing old political foes, positioning their allies for a November takeover of the state Legislature, and leaving little doubt as to who is winning a vicious civil war to control the state party.In race after race, more moderate conservative incumbents were trounced by candidates backed by Dunn and Wilks. Their political network made good on its vows for vengeance against House Republicans who voted to impeach their key state ally, Attorney General Ken Paxton, advancing more firebrands who campaigned against bipartisanship and backed anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Tuesday's election also paved the way for the likely passage of legislation that would allow taxpayer money to fund private and religious schools — a key policy goal for a movement that seeks to infuse more Christianity into public life.All told, 11 of the 28 House candidates supported by the two billionaires won their primaries outright, and another eight are headed to runoffs this May. And, in a sign of how much the state party has moved rightward, five of their candidates beat incumbents in rematches from 2022 or 2020 — with some House districts swinging by double-digits in their favor. Of the candidates they backed, they donated $75,000 or more to 11 of them — six who won, and four who went to runoffs.Among the triumphant on Tuesday was Mitch Little, aided by at least $153,000 in Dunn and Wilks cash, who defeated Rep. Kronda Thimesch in a campaign that focused on Little's defense of Paxton from impeachment charges in the Senate trial last summer. Three days before he won, Little appeared at an event in Denton County with Paxton and, among others, Steve Bannon, the political operative who helped rally the far right behind then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016.And another Dunn and Wilks candidate, David Covey, stunned the state by winning more votes than House Speaker Dade Phelan — the No. 1 target of the state's far-right in part because of his role in the Paxton impeachment and refusal to ban Democrats from House leadership positions. Phelan now faces a runoff from Covey and the prospect of being the first Texas Speaker since 1972 to lose his primary.This election cycle, the billionaires' targets also overlapped with Gov. Greg Abbott, who poured more than $6 million into his quest to rid the Texas House of Republicans who defied his calls for school voucher legislation last year. Meanwhile, Paxton barnstormed the state as he sought retribution against incumbents who supported his impeachment. And, perhaps most importantly, former President Donald Trump was active in many contests — following the lead of Paxton and his other ally, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and offering late endorsements that bolstered right-wing candidates.We can't wait to welcome you to downtown Austin Sept. 5-7 for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival! Join us at Texas' breakout politics and policy event as we dig into the 2024 elections, state and national politics, the state of democracy, and so much more. When tickets go on sale this spring, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.Here's how the special election to replace Ken Buck will work in ColoradoLauren Boebert indicates she will not compete in special electionBY: SARA WILSON - MARCH 13, 2024 5:01 PMhttps://coloradonewsline.com/2024/03/13/special-election-to-replace-ken-buck-colorado/Colorado voters in the 4th Congressional District will vote in two separate elections on June 25: the congressional primary for November's general election, as well as a special election to immediately replace Republican Rep. Ken Buck, who announced on Tuesday that he is resigning and leaving Congress nine months ahead of schedule.It could add confusion to the a competitive and crowded race in Colorado's Eastern Plains.Buck had already announced his intention to retire and not seek reelection this year, but he surprised the political world this week by announcing that he would leave Congress on March 22, versus sticking around until the end of his term.That sets off a seldom-used process to fill a congressional vacancy via special election that, according to a decision announced by Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday, will coincide with the June 25 congressional primary election. The winner of that special election will fill the remaining months of Buck's term, but would still need to win the party's nomination that day and then the general election in November to secure a full term in Congress.Each party will convene a special convention made up of party insiders to select one nominee for the special election. According to state statute, those special conventions need to happen within 20 days of the governor issuing a formal order for the special election, which hasn't technically happened yet.The 4th District leans more Republican than any in the state, so whoever wins the special Republican nomination will likely go on to win the special election, and whoever wins the Republican primary will likely go on to win the general election.That opens up a couple possibilities: The district will be represented by the same person from June 25 onward because they win both elections, or the winner of the special election will hand the seat off to the winner of the general election — almost certainly the winner of the Republican primary — early next year.The state Democratic Party said on Tuesday night that it will hold its special convention no later than April 1. The convention will include the district's central committee members and all the precinct organizers in the district. Ike McCorkle and John Padora have both signaled they will seek the Democratic special nomination.The state Republican Party has not yet made its special convention plans public and leaders did not reply to requests for comment Wednesday. That gathering will involve officers of the congressional district and the county chairmen in the district, according to party bylaws. The state party's assembly, where delegates will pick candidates to appear on the primary ballot, is already set for April 5 in Pueblo.Nine Republicans were vying for the Republican nomination in the district before Buck's early retirement announcement: current 3rd Congressional District Rep. Lauren Boebert, former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, state Reps. Mike Lynch and Richard Holtorf, conservative radio host Deborah Flora, former state lawmaker Ted Harvey, businessman Chris Phelen, businessman Peter Yu and Justin Schreiber.Those candidates can all put themselves forward to be considered for the special election nomination.Sonnenberg, Flora and Harvey have all indicated they will pursue the nomination.“This new vacancy doesn't change my race, nor my commitment to proving to Republicans voters why I am the strongest conservative voice to serve them in Washington. I look forward to earning this nomination and getting to D.C. as soon as possible,” Sonnenberg wrote in a statement.Flora wrote in her own statement that the district can't afford a “placeholder” between Buck's retirement and the new term next year.Holtorf has not indicated if he will seek the special nomination, but he called Buck's decision a “selfish move” that will “potentially create bias during the election cycle” in a statement Tuesday.Boebert, however, will not seek the special nomination. If she wins the special election, she would have to resign her current position representing the 3rd District, setting off a vacancy process in that district.“I will not further imperil the already very slim House Republican majority by resigning my current seat and will continue to deliver on my constituents' priorities while also working hard to earn the votes of the people of Colorado's 4th District who have made clear they are hungry for a real conservative,” she said in a statement.She called Buck's announcement a “swampy backroom deal to try to rig an election.”With Buck's resignation, the GOP's majority in the U.S. House of Representatives will shrink to 218-213.The 4th District includes most of Douglas County and the Eastern Plains. @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Lauren Boebert won't compete in special election to replace Rep. Ken Buck | MO voters favor abortion rights | Kansas GOP's flat tax favors the wealthiest 20% | JB Pritzker wants to end prior authorizations in mental health | Texas right-wing billionaires get their way ELECTION 2024Missourians back initiative to restore abortion rights by small margin, new poll findsThe St. Louis University/YouGov poll found many undecided voters as ballot campaign gathers signatures. The poll also found strong support for repealing the sales tax on food and sports wageringBY: RUDI KELLER - MARCH 13, 2024 6:00 AMhttps://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/13/missourians-back-initiative-to-restore-abortion-rights-by-small-margin-new-poll-finds/In June of 2022 The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established federal constitutional protections for abortion. Under current Missouri law, abortions are only allowed to save the life of the mother or when “a delay will create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.” This has made abortion virtually inaccessible in the state.Now, a group called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom is collecting signatures to put abortion rights on the November ballot. They must gather at least 171,000 signatures from registered voters by early May.A new poll shows plurality of Missourians support restoring abortion rights as they existed under Roe v. Wade, but a large undecided group holds the key to victory. The St. Louis University/YouGov Poll conducted in February found that 44% of those surveyed would vote for abortion rights after hearing the ballot language, while 37% were opposed. Almost one-fifth of voters, 19%, said they were unsure how they would vote.71% of Democrats and 24% of Republicans support the proposal.If the measure makes the ballot, poll director Steven Rogers said there are enough undecided voters to sway the result. A sports wagering initiative campaign is also underway and the poll found 60% of those surveyed back legal betting on professional sports.That poll surveyed 900 likely Missouri voters between Feb. 14 and Feb. 26, with a 3.74% margin of error. Along with the major initiatives, the poll included questions tracking attitudes toward President Joe Biden, Congress, major Missouri political figures and the General Assembly.The poll also questioned voters about their choices for governor and their views on the biggest issues confronting the state as well as current legislative debates like school choice.37% of those surveyed said they approve of the job President Biden is doing, a rating similar to the findings in four previous surveys dating to July 2021. Gov. Mike Parson, who will leave office at the end of the year due to term limits, has an approval rating of 52%, among the highest ever found by the poll. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican seeking re-election this year, has an approval rating of 50%.The race to succeed Parson is wide open, at least for the August primaries. Without named candidates, the poll found 52% of those surveyed will vote for the Republican candidate for governor while 38% selected the Democrat.When those who said they would vote Republican were asked which candidate they preferred, “not sure” was selected by almost half of those polled. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft had the largest number of committed voters, with 28%, followed by Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe at 10% and state Sen. Bill Eigel at 8%.On the Democratic side, “not sure” was selected by 66% of respondents, with House Minority Leader Crystal Quade chosen by 21% and Springfield businessman Mike Hamra chosen by 4%.New Kansas flat tax proposal would mainly benefit state's top 20% of earnersBY: RACHEL MIPRO - MARCH 13, 2024 11:19 AMhttps://kansasreflector.com/2024/03/13/new-kansas-flat-tax-proposal-would-mainly-benefit-states-top-20-of-earners-analysis-shows/TOPEKA — A revamped flat tax plan touted by Kansas Senate lawmakers on Tuesday would cost the state nearly $650 million annually, give 40% of the benefits to the state's wealthiest 20%, and reap billionaire Charles Koch a half-million dollar windfall, according to independent analysis.During the Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation hearing, Republican lawmakers claimed the bill, Senate Bill 539, would address Kansans' needs. Committee Chair Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican who requested the bill's introduction said, “It is a product of listening to people and trying to come up with the best solution,”The state currently uses a graduated income tax rate: 3.1% for income under $15,000, 5.25% for income between $15,000 and $30,000 and 5.7% for income above $30,000. Couples filing together have those income amounts doubled.SB 539 would change income tax rates over six years, starting with a universal income tax rate of 5.7% in 2024, and reduced by .05% each year until 2029, which would set the rate at 5.45%. Under current law, the standard state deduction for income taxes is set at $3,500 for single filers and $8,000 for married couples filing jointly. The bill would set the deduction at $4,000 for single filers in 2024 and increase the standard deduction for all taxpayers by the cost-of-living adjustment published in the Internal Revenue Code beginning in tax year 2025.However, researchers estimate the top 20% of earners – those with annual incomes of over $315,000 – would see nearly 40% of the benefits. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan research organization that favors a progressive tax system, estimated the plan would cost the state nearly $650 million annually once fully implemented.A Kansas household making less than $55,000 a year would see $237 in benefits. Billionaire Charles Koch would receive an estimated annual $485,000 in tax breaks under the proposal.The bill would also cut the standard tax rate for banks from the current 2.25% rate to 1.94% in tax year 2024, and down to 1.63% in 2025. For savings and loan associations, taxes would be reduced from the current 2.25% rate to 1.93% in 2024 and down to 1.61% in 2025. Other provisions include eliminating the state's 2% sales tax on groceries by July 1. Currently, the tax is set to end on Jan. 1, 2025.Earlier in the legislative session, a Republican-driven effort fast-tracked the 5.25% income tax plan that would have reduced tax collections by more than $300 million per year and primarily benefited the state's top earners. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the proposal in late January, characterizing it as “reckless.” Despite the GOP supermajority in the House and Senate, a veto override attempt failed in the House due to opposition among conservative and moderate Republicans who felt the proposal didn't do enough for the state's lower-income residents.Governor Kelly has said she will continue to veto “irresponsible flat tax proposals.”House panel opens hearings on Pritzker's health insurance reformsWednesday, March 13, 2024Bill seeks to reduce denials of coverage, improve provider networksBy PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.comhttps://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/house-panel-opens-hearings-on-pritzkers-health-insurance-reformsSPRINGFIELD – A panel of Illinois lawmakers began hearing testimony Wednesday on Gov. JB Pritzker's proposals for sweeping changes in the state's health insurance industry. The changes, which Pritzker first unveiled in his State of the State address in February, would limit the ability of companies to deny claims or steer patients toward cheaper, and possibly less effective, treatments. They are contained in an amendment to House Bill 5395. They include banning prior authorization requirements for people to receive in-patient treatment at a psychiatric facility as well as all forms of so-called “step therapy” for prescription drug coverage. Step therapy refers to the practice of requiring a patient to try one or more cheaper, alternative medications before being allowed to access medications prescribed by their doctor.Other changes in the plan include requiring insurance companies to publicly post the types of treatments and therapies that do require prior authorization; requiring them to maintain accurate lists of the providers who are in their networks; and banning the sale in Illinois of short-term, limited duration insurance plans that don't meet the minimum standards under the federal Affordable Care Act.Emily Miller, a senior advisor in Pritzker's office, tried to assure the House Human Services Committee Wednesday that the administration was not waging war against the health insurance industry.“Insurance has a role to play, and I'm not here to demonize the insurance industry,” she said. “I am here, though, to say that it is time for consumers to have a say in how insurance companies are administering their health care plans. And we want to make sure that consumers are protected.”During the hearing, the committee heard personal stories from individual patients and their families, including some legislators, who spoke about their experiences having claims denied by their insurers. Among them was state Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, whose son was born with a rare heart malfunction that requires treatments for which he needs prior authorizations. He also had a daughter who died following a long battle with leukemia. He said, “We had her stay four days in the hospital because we couldn't get a nausea medication that we knew worked after chemo (round) two. We couldn't get it authorized in chemo (round) three. Very frustrating. Four days in the hospital, and I'm not sure how that saves somebody money.”Dr. Mary Dobbins, a pediatrician and psychologist who is a past president of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, testified about what she called a “mental health crisis” among children and youth in the United States. She said the crisis has been “artificially magnified by the requirements that tie up our clinical time.”She said “I've had multiple patients who destabilized because medicine they'd been doing well on was now denied, and the parents couldn't afford to pay for it out of pocket. The appropriate level of care is commonly denied.”The committee took no action Wednesday, but Chair Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, said the committee plans to hold more discussions and could vote as early as next week to advance the bill to the full House.Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.Amid white supremacist scandal, far-right billionaire powerbrokers see historic election gains in TexasAll told, 11 of the 28 House candidates supported by Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks won their primaries outright, and another eight are headed to runoffs this May.BY ROBERT DOWNENMARCH 8, 2024https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/08/tim-dunn-farris-wilks-defend-texas-liberty-election/West Texas oil billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks entered the 2024 primary election cycle wounded.Their political network was in the middle of a scandal over its ties to white supremacists. Republicans were calling on each other to reject the billionaires' campaign money. And their enemies believed they were vulnerable — one bad election day from losing their grip on the state.Instead, Dunn and Wilks emerged from Texas' primaries last Tuesday perhaps stronger than ever — vanquishing old political foes, positioning their allies for a November takeover of the state Legislature, and leaving little doubt as to who is winning a vicious civil war to control the state party.In race after race, more moderate conservative incumbents were trounced by candidates backed by Dunn and Wilks. Their political network made good on its vows for vengeance against House Republicans who voted to impeach their key state ally, Attorney General Ken Paxton, advancing more firebrands who campaigned against bipartisanship and backed anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Tuesday's election also paved the way for the likely passage of legislation that would allow taxpayer money to fund private and religious schools — a key policy goal for a movement that seeks to infuse more Christianity into public life.All told, 11 of the 28 House candidates supported by the two billionaires won their primaries outright, and another eight are headed to runoffs this May. And, in a sign of how much the state party has moved rightward, five of their candidates beat incumbents in rematches from 2022 or 2020 — with some House districts swinging by double-digits in their favor. Of the candidates they backed, they donated $75,000 or more to 11 of them — six who won, and four who went to runoffs.Among the triumphant on Tuesday was Mitch Little, aided by at least $153,000 in Dunn and Wilks cash, who defeated Rep. Kronda Thimesch in a campaign that focused on Little's defense of Paxton from impeachment charges in the Senate trial last summer. Three days before he won, Little appeared at an event in Denton County with Paxton and, among others, Steve Bannon, the political operative who helped rally the far right behind then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016.And another Dunn and Wilks candidate, David Covey, stunned the state by winning more votes than House Speaker Dade Phelan — the No. 1 target of the state's far-right in part because of his role in the Paxton impeachment and refusal to ban Democrats from House leadership positions. Phelan now faces a runoff from Covey and the prospect of being the first Texas Speaker since 1972 to lose his primary.This election cycle, the billionaires' targets also overlapped with Gov. Greg Abbott, who poured more than $6 million into his quest to rid the Texas House of Republicans who defied his calls for school voucher legislation last year. Meanwhile, Paxton barnstormed the state as he sought retribution against incumbents who supported his impeachment. And, perhaps most importantly, former President Donald Trump was active in many contests — following the lead of Paxton and his other ally, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and offering late endorsements that bolstered right-wing candidates.We can't wait to welcome you to downtown Austin Sept. 5-7 for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival! Join us at Texas' breakout politics and policy event as we dig into the 2024 elections, state and national politics, the state of democracy, and so much more. When tickets go on sale this spring, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.Here's how the special election to replace Ken Buck will work in ColoradoLauren Boebert indicates she will not compete in special electionBY: SARA WILSON - MARCH 13, 2024 5:01 PMhttps://coloradonewsline.com/2024/03/13/special-election-to-replace-ken-buck-colorado/Colorado voters in the 4th Congressional District will vote in two separate elections on June 25: the congressional primary for November's general election, as well as a special election to immediately replace Republican Rep. Ken Buck, who announced on Tuesday that he is resigning and leaving Congress nine months ahead of schedule.It could add confusion to the a competitive and crowded race in Colorado's Eastern Plains.Buck had already announced his intention to retire and not seek reelection this year, but he surprised the political world this week by announcing that he would leave Congress on March 22, versus sticking around until the end of his term.That sets off a seldom-used process to fill a congressional vacancy via special election that, according to a decision announced by Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday, will coincide with the June 25 congressional primary election. The winner of that special election will fill the remaining months of Buck's term, but would still need to win the party's nomination that day and then the general election in November to secure a full term in Congress.Each party will convene a special convention made up of party insiders to select one nominee for the special election. According to state statute, those special conventions need to happen within 20 days of the governor issuing a formal order for the special election, which hasn't technically happened yet.The 4th District leans more Republican than any in the state, so whoever wins the special Republican nomination will likely go on to win the special election, and whoever wins the Republican primary will likely go on to win the general election.That opens up a couple possibilities: The district will be represented by the same person from June 25 onward because they win both elections, or the winner of the special election will hand the seat off to the winner of the general election — almost certainly the winner of the Republican primary — early next year.The state Democratic Party said on Tuesday night that it will hold its special convention no later than April 1. The convention will include the district's central committee members and all the precinct organizers in the district. Ike McCorkle and John Padora have both signaled they will seek the Democratic special nomination.The state Republican Party has not yet made its special convention plans public and leaders did not reply to requests for comment Wednesday. That gathering will involve officers of the congressional district and the county chairmen in the district, according to party bylaws. The state party's assembly, where delegates will pick candidates to appear on the primary ballot, is already set for April 5 in Pueblo.Nine Republicans were vying for the Republican nomination in the district before Buck's early retirement announcement: current 3rd Congressional District Rep. Lauren Boebert, former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, state Reps. Mike Lynch and Richard Holtorf, conservative radio host Deborah Flora, former state lawmaker Ted Harvey, businessman Chris Phelen, businessman Peter Yu and Justin Schreiber.Those candidates can all put themselves forward to be considered for the special election nomination.Sonnenberg, Flora and Harvey have all indicated they will pursue the nomination.“This new vacancy doesn't change my race, nor my commitment to proving to Republicans voters why I am the strongest conservative voice to serve them in Washington. I look forward to earning this nomination and getting to D.C. as soon as possible,” Sonnenberg wrote in a statement.Flora wrote in her own statement that the district can't afford a “placeholder” between Buck's retirement and the new term next year.Holtorf has not indicated if he will seek the special nomination, but he called Buck's decision a “selfish move” that will “potentially create bias during the election cycle” in a statement Tuesday.Boebert, however, will not seek the special nomination. If she wins the special election, she would have to resign her current position representing the 3rd District, setting off a vacancy process in that district.“I will not further imperil the already very slim House Republican majority by resigning my current seat and will continue to deliver on my constituents' priorities while also working hard to earn the votes of the people of Colorado's 4th District who have made clear they are hungry for a real conservative,” she said in a statement.She called Buck's announcement a “swampy backroom deal to try to rig an election.”With Buck's resignation, the GOP's majority in the U.S. House of Representatives will shrink to 218-213.The 4th District includes most of Douglas County and the Eastern Plains. @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: No progress reported on the standoff between Governor Greg Abbott and President Joe Biden on federal access to the border: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/texas-refuses-budge-in-border-standoff-with-biden Eagle Pass firefighters talk about the trauma of recovering so many drowned migrants from the Rio Grande lately: https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2024/01/30/eagle-pass-texas-migrant-surge-border-immigration-contd-orig-lr-ag-ak.cnn Christian voters, in particular, should be wary of stunts like the "God's Army" truck convoy: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/gods-army-texas-border-christian-nationalism-rcna136279 Ken Paxton gets a pass - for now - on being deposed tomorrow in the whistleblower case against him: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/texas-supreme-court-pauses-depositions-in-paxton-whistleblower-case/ ...Donald Trump appears to have persuaded the Texas Supreme Court to stay the deposition order: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/30/ken-paxton-texas-supreme-court-whistleblowers/ ...Trump has also joined Paxton in backing a hard-right primary challenger to House Speaker Dade Phelan: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-endorsement-texas-house-speaker-rcna136440 ...While an Abbott-backed candidate in the special election to fill the House seat for District 2 is narrowly defeated by an opponent backed by more moderate GOP types: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/lone-star-politics/jill-dutton-wins-race-to-fill-seat-vacated-by-expelled-member/3448714/ The Democratic judge who will preside over Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud trial in Houston this spring is relatively inexperienced: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/second-year-texas-judge-takes-on-long-awaited-ken-paxton-trial The Texas Supreme Court hears arguments that the PUC overstepped its bounds during the 2021 Winter Storm Uri disaster in ordering ERCOT to hold energy prices at maximum: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-power-2021-winter-storm-supreme-court/269-83efc0b3-72af-48b8-93f0-a131bc4a8662 ...And also arguments against SB-14, the new state law outlawing gender-affirming care for trans youth: https://www.fox4news.com/news/senate-bill-14-texas-supreme-court-hearing Studies show that liberal Twitter users are willing to back down from disproven positions, while conservative users will double down on debunked ideas: https://www.psypost.org/2022/11/liberals-produce-more-tweets-about-important-events-conservatives-are-more-likely-to-share-rumors-64245 ...Speaking of which, recently-circulating video of tanks rolling across a desert highway are NOT in fact Texas troops after a federal surrender: https://www.newsweek.com/texas-tanks-border-biden-abbott-video-1865325 The deadline to register for the March primary is this Monday, February 5: https://www.fox26houston.com/news/texas-2024-primary-deadline-approaching-to-register-to-vote-in-march-primary Early Giving is underway for this year's Amplify Austin non-profit and charity fundraiser, and is a great way to support Progress Texas: https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our work at https://progresstexas.org/.

As the clock ran down on the Legislature's third special session, Texas House and Senate leaders exchanged barbs over Gov. Greg Abbott's school choice bill and border security proposals, the Austin American-Statesman reported. In a social media post, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said House Speaker Dade Phelan “wasted another special session” as that chamber failed to even consider Abbott's measure to use public money for private tuition, commonly known as vouchers. The Senate early in the session passed a school choice measure that has gone nowhere in the House, where a combination of Democrats and rural Republican lawmakers have stood...Article Link

-The House kills school choice efforts yet again, despite the push by Gov. Greg Abbott -Lawmakers accuse House Speaker Dade Phelan of violating the constitution -600,000 known ‘Gotaways' reported at […]

Recriminations over donations and demands for a high-level resignation: What’s behind the latest political fight between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan? The Senate green-lights a voucher-like plan to provide public money for private school tuition. Matthew Watkins of the Texas Tribune joins us with more on the week in politics. How […] The post The science on why it's fun to be scared appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

@TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsSean Diller @SeanDillerCO   (Twitter and Post)https://heartlandpod.com/JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/This week on the Friday Flyover: MO GOP candidates cashing big checks, Kansas Gov Laura Kelly announces huge budget surplus, Biden Admin announces $9 B more in student loan forgiveness, Gov. Abbott's got a fever - and the only prescription, is school vouchers, and Bidden-Harris campaign ads hit battleground states. Alright, let's get into it.http://missouriindependent.com/briefs/st-louis-mega-donor-drops-425k-into-missouri-campaigns-in-last-week/St. Louis mega-donor drops $425K into Missouri campaigns - in one weekBY: JASON HANCOCK - OCTOBER 3, 2023 10:00 AMRex Sinquefield, a retired investor from St. Louis and Missouri's most prolific political donor, cut $425,000 worth of checks to PACs supporting eight different candidates in the last week — with the largest going to bolster Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe's bid for governor. His $250,000 3rd quarter contribution to Kehoe brings Sinquefield's total to $750,000. That's right - Mike Kehoe has taken $750,000 from Rex Sinquefeld.Sinquefield also donated $25,000 each to two GOP candidates for state treasurer — state Sen. Andrew Koenig and state Rep. Cody Smith. He gave $25,000 to Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, who is rumored to be eyeing a run for secretary of state, and to Sen. Denny Hoskins, who is already in that GOP primary. He also donated $25,000 to two state representatives running for the state Senate: Phil Christofanelli and Chris Dinkins, and to a state senator who is term-limited, Tony Luetkemeyer. Sinquefield has given more than $42 million in campaign contributions in Missouri — mostly to Republicans, though not exclusively. His main policy priorities are defunding the state's public education system and eliminating income taxes.In neighboring Kansas, he helped bankroll a group called Kansans for No Income Tax that promoted, in 2012, one of the largest state tax cuts in history with the support of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. Sinquefield called the cuts “unbelievably brilliant” and predicted that “there's going to be a cloud of dust … as the businesses move from Missouri to Kansas.”By 2017, National Public Radio reported state lawmakers were seeking to close a $900 million budget gap,[2][Note 2] following nine previous budget cuts.[43] Earlier efforts to close budget gaps had left Kansas "well below national averages" in a wide range of public services from K-12 education to housing to police and fire protection.[4][17]Kansas' sharply reduced revenues following the income-tax repeal led rating agency Moody's to cut the state's bond rating in April from its second-highest bond rating to its third highest. Creative Commons LicenseREPUBLISHOur stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.https://kansasreflector.com/2023/10/03/kansas-on-track-for-2-6-billion-state-revenue-surplus-1-6-billion-stash-in-rainy-day-fund/Kansas on track for $2.6 billion state revenue surplus, $1.6 billion stash in rainy day fundMountain of cash guarantees political fight over tax, education, health spendingBY: TIM CARPENTER - OCTOBER 3, 2023 1:16 PMDemocratic governor Laura Kelly said, “Because of my administration's work to put our state on solid financial footing, we have been able to grow our economy and make historic investments in schools, roads and law enforcement. Now, it's time to give money back to Kansans through responsible tax cuts.”She urged the Republican-led Legislature to reduce property taxes, grocery sales taxes and drive down taxes on retirees. In addition, Kelly is recommending additional spending on K-12 special education and to expand eligibility for Medicaid to working-poor families. Adam Proffitt, the state budget director, said the Kansas unemployment rate contracted from double digits during the pandemic to 2.7% in August of this year.He also said Kansas has two job openings for every available person in the workforce. Thank you, Governor Kelly. You are my ultra dark horse candidate for Democratic nominee for U.S. President in 2024. Creative Commons LicenseRepublished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. White House provides another $9 billion in student debt relief as pandemic pause endsBY: ARIANA FIGUEROA - OCTOBER 4, 2023 6:03 PM WASHINGTON — As federal student loan repayments restart, the Biden administration Wednesday announced an additional $9 billion in student loan forgiveness for 125,000 borrowers.“For years, millions of eligible borrowers were unable to access the student debt relief they qualified for, but that's all changed thanks to President Biden and this Administration's relentless efforts to fix the broken student loan system,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement.The announcement comes days after federal student loan repayments restarted following a nearly three-year pause due to the pandemic. Borrowers with federal student loans have the option of an on-ramp program, where they can delay making payments for 12 months, but interest will still accrue.The $9 billion in new relief includes $5.2 billion in forgiveness for 53,000 borrowers in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program; $2.8 billion in forgiveness for 51,000 borrowers from a one-time fix to income-driven repayment plans; and $1.2 billion in forgiveness for 22,000 borrowers with permanent disabilities.The PSLF program forgives remaining student loan debt after qualifying public sector and non-profit employees have made 10 years' worth of monthly payments. Since October 2021, the Biden administration has forgiven more than 715,000 borrowers with PSLF loans, totaling $50.8 billion.With Wednesday's announcement, more than 854,870 federal student loan borrowers have had their student loan debt forgiven through the IDR adjustment, totaling nearly $42 billion in relief, the administration said.The Department of Education also implemented a new income driven repayment program known as Saving on A Valuable Education, or SAVE, and many borrowers have been automatically funneled into the program. It's a plan that, for some borrowers, could result in no monthly payments.So far, the Biden administration has approved up to $127 billion in student debt cancellation for about 3.6 million borrowers.https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/29/greg-abbott-texas-leglislature-school-vouchers/Gov. Greg Abbot wants school vouchers and he wants them right now!BY BRIAN LOPEZ AND WILLIAM MELHADOSEPT. 29, 2023[He] has notified the Texas Legislature that a third special session will begin on Oct. 9.A Sept. 26 letter signed by Abbott and addressed to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan, did not indicate the focus of this special session. But the governor has said repeatedly the next special session would focus on public education, including the issue of school vouchers that would allow parents to use taxpayer dollars to pay for their children's private schooling. Lawmakers are to return to Austin on Oct. 9 at 1 p.m. This year's regular legislative session ended in a stalemate between the House and Senate over education savings accounts, a voucher program that would allow parents access to a state-managed account to pay for private school tuition.The Senate tried different ways to pass an education savings account program — even tacking it on to the only school finance bill the House advanced during the session — but Democrats and rural Republicans blocked it from moving forward.Abbott recently said that if lawmakers fail to pass a school choice proposal, he won't hesitate to bring lawmakers back. And he promised political consequences for those who get in his way.Abbott said “If we do not win in that first special session, we will have another special special session and we'll come back again. And then if we don't win that time, I think it's time to send this to the voters themselves.”Biden touts blue-collar roots in latest AZ adBY: JIM SMALL - OCTOBER 3, 2023 5:00 AMThe Biden campaign today is launching a new TV ad in Arizona and other battleground states that spotlights how the president's agenda is lowering costs for America's middle class.The ad, titled “Never Left,” is part of a 16-week, $25 million campaign that launched last month. The ad focuses on Joe Biden's roots in Scranton, a blue-collar city in northeastern Pennsylvania, and his pursuit of policies that benefit low- and middle-income Americans.The narrator says of Biden, “He knows what life is like for working people and knows middle-class life is too expensive right now,”The ad highlights Biden administration policies capping insulin costs at $35 for some seniors, allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices and investments in the American clean energy sector, which the campaign said would lower power costs for families.The Biden campaign said the ad will run on broadcast TV and cable channels, and will target programming that is widely watched by general election voters, including “Dancing with the Stars,” “Bachelor in Paradise” and NFL games.Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the campaign manager for Biden-Harris 2024 said “This ad serves as an early reminder of the choice Americans will face next year: between MAGA Republicans whose agenda would give tax handouts to the ultra-rich at the expense of working people, or Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' agenda for the middle class.”We'll see what happens!Welp that's it for me. Stories for today's show originally published by States Newsroom outlets the Missouri Independent, Kansas Reflector, Texas Tribune, Arizona Mirror. Additional Rex Sinquefeld information from National Public Radio.

@TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsSean Diller @SeanDillerCO   (Twitter and Post)https://heartlandpod.com/JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/This week on the Friday Flyover: MO GOP candidates cashing big checks, Kansas Gov Laura Kelly announces huge budget surplus, Biden Admin announces $9 B more in student loan forgiveness, Gov. Abbott's got a fever - and the only prescription, is school vouchers, and Bidden-Harris campaign ads hit battleground states. Alright, let's get into it.http://missouriindependent.com/briefs/st-louis-mega-donor-drops-425k-into-missouri-campaigns-in-last-week/St. Louis mega-donor drops $425K into Missouri campaigns - in one weekBY: JASON HANCOCK - OCTOBER 3, 2023 10:00 AMRex Sinquefield, a retired investor from St. Louis and Missouri's most prolific political donor, cut $425,000 worth of checks to PACs supporting eight different candidates in the last week — with the largest going to bolster Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe's bid for governor. His $250,000 3rd quarter contribution to Kehoe brings Sinquefield's total to $750,000. That's right - Mike Kehoe has taken $750,000 from Rex Sinquefeld.Sinquefield also donated $25,000 each to two GOP candidates for state treasurer — state Sen. Andrew Koenig and state Rep. Cody Smith. He gave $25,000 to Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, who is rumored to be eyeing a run for secretary of state, and to Sen. Denny Hoskins, who is already in that GOP primary. He also donated $25,000 to two state representatives running for the state Senate: Phil Christofanelli and Chris Dinkins, and to a state senator who is term-limited, Tony Luetkemeyer. Sinquefield has given more than $42 million in campaign contributions in Missouri — mostly to Republicans, though not exclusively. His main policy priorities are defunding the state's public education system and eliminating income taxes.In neighboring Kansas, he helped bankroll a group called Kansans for No Income Tax that promoted, in 2012, one of the largest state tax cuts in history with the support of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. Sinquefield called the cuts “unbelievably brilliant” and predicted that “there's going to be a cloud of dust … as the businesses move from Missouri to Kansas.”By 2017, National Public Radio reported state lawmakers were seeking to close a $900 million budget gap,[2][Note 2] following nine previous budget cuts.[43] Earlier efforts to close budget gaps had left Kansas "well below national averages" in a wide range of public services from K-12 education to housing to police and fire protection.[4][17]Kansas' sharply reduced revenues following the income-tax repeal led rating agency Moody's to cut the state's bond rating in April from its second-highest bond rating to its third highest. Creative Commons LicenseREPUBLISHOur stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.https://kansasreflector.com/2023/10/03/kansas-on-track-for-2-6-billion-state-revenue-surplus-1-6-billion-stash-in-rainy-day-fund/Kansas on track for $2.6 billion state revenue surplus, $1.6 billion stash in rainy day fundMountain of cash guarantees political fight over tax, education, health spendingBY: TIM CARPENTER - OCTOBER 3, 2023 1:16 PMDemocratic governor Laura Kelly said, “Because of my administration's work to put our state on solid financial footing, we have been able to grow our economy and make historic investments in schools, roads and law enforcement. Now, it's time to give money back to Kansans through responsible tax cuts.”She urged the Republican-led Legislature to reduce property taxes, grocery sales taxes and drive down taxes on retirees. In addition, Kelly is recommending additional spending on K-12 special education and to expand eligibility for Medicaid to working-poor families. Adam Proffitt, the state budget director, said the Kansas unemployment rate contracted from double digits during the pandemic to 2.7% in August of this year.He also said Kansas has two job openings for every available person in the workforce. Thank you, Governor Kelly. You are my ultra dark horse candidate for Democratic nominee for U.S. President in 2024. Creative Commons LicenseRepublished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. White House provides another $9 billion in student debt relief as pandemic pause endsBY: ARIANA FIGUEROA - OCTOBER 4, 2023 6:03 PM WASHINGTON — As federal student loan repayments restart, the Biden administration Wednesday announced an additional $9 billion in student loan forgiveness for 125,000 borrowers.“For years, millions of eligible borrowers were unable to access the student debt relief they qualified for, but that's all changed thanks to President Biden and this Administration's relentless efforts to fix the broken student loan system,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement.The announcement comes days after federal student loan repayments restarted following a nearly three-year pause due to the pandemic. Borrowers with federal student loans have the option of an on-ramp program, where they can delay making payments for 12 months, but interest will still accrue.The $9 billion in new relief includes $5.2 billion in forgiveness for 53,000 borrowers in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program; $2.8 billion in forgiveness for 51,000 borrowers from a one-time fix to income-driven repayment plans; and $1.2 billion in forgiveness for 22,000 borrowers with permanent disabilities.The PSLF program forgives remaining student loan debt after qualifying public sector and non-profit employees have made 10 years' worth of monthly payments. Since October 2021, the Biden administration has forgiven more than 715,000 borrowers with PSLF loans, totaling $50.8 billion.With Wednesday's announcement, more than 854,870 federal student loan borrowers have had their student loan debt forgiven through the IDR adjustment, totaling nearly $42 billion in relief, the administration said.The Department of Education also implemented a new income driven repayment program known as Saving on A Valuable Education, or SAVE, and many borrowers have been automatically funneled into the program. It's a plan that, for some borrowers, could result in no monthly payments.So far, the Biden administration has approved up to $127 billion in student debt cancellation for about 3.6 million borrowers.https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/29/greg-abbott-texas-leglislature-school-vouchers/Gov. Greg Abbot wants school vouchers and he wants them right now!BY BRIAN LOPEZ AND WILLIAM MELHADOSEPT. 29, 2023[He] has notified the Texas Legislature that a third special session will begin on Oct. 9.A Sept. 26 letter signed by Abbott and addressed to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan, did not indicate the focus of this special session. But the governor has said repeatedly the next special session would focus on public education, including the issue of school vouchers that would allow parents to use taxpayer dollars to pay for their children's private schooling. Lawmakers are to return to Austin on Oct. 9 at 1 p.m. This year's regular legislative session ended in a stalemate between the House and Senate over education savings accounts, a voucher program that would allow parents access to a state-managed account to pay for private school tuition.The Senate tried different ways to pass an education savings account program — even tacking it on to the only school finance bill the House advanced during the session — but Democrats and rural Republicans blocked it from moving forward.Abbott recently said that if lawmakers fail to pass a school choice proposal, he won't hesitate to bring lawmakers back. And he promised political consequences for those who get in his way.Abbott said “If we do not win in that first special session, we will have another special special session and we'll come back again. And then if we don't win that time, I think it's time to send this to the voters themselves.”Biden touts blue-collar roots in latest AZ adBY: JIM SMALL - OCTOBER 3, 2023 5:00 AMThe Biden campaign today is launching a new TV ad in Arizona and other battleground states that spotlights how the president's agenda is lowering costs for America's middle class.The ad, titled “Never Left,” is part of a 16-week, $25 million campaign that launched last month. The ad focuses on Joe Biden's roots in Scranton, a blue-collar city in northeastern Pennsylvania, and his pursuit of policies that benefit low- and middle-income Americans.The narrator says of Biden, “He knows what life is like for working people and knows middle-class life is too expensive right now,”The ad highlights Biden administration policies capping insulin costs at $35 for some seniors, allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices and investments in the American clean energy sector, which the campaign said would lower power costs for families.The Biden campaign said the ad will run on broadcast TV and cable channels, and will target programming that is widely watched by general election voters, including “Dancing with the Stars,” “Bachelor in Paradise” and NFL games.Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the campaign manager for Biden-Harris 2024 said “This ad serves as an early reminder of the choice Americans will face next year: between MAGA Republicans whose agenda would give tax handouts to the ultra-rich at the expense of working people, or Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' agenda for the middle class.”We'll see what happens!Welp that's it for me. Stories for today's show originally published by States Newsroom outlets the Missouri Independent, Kansas Reflector, Texas Tribune, Arizona Mirror. Additional Rex Sinquefeld information from National Public Radio.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of San Antonio and South Texas was thankfully unharmed after carjackers stole his car at gunpoint in D.C. last night: https://apnews.com/article/congress-henry-cuellar-carjacking-capitol-texas-87eddb457f20ec614fbb473115480987 State Senator Juan Hinojosa writes an op-ed on why school vouchers would be bad for Texas: https://riograndeguardian.com/hinojosa-say-no-to-school-vouchers-in-texas/ House Speaker Dade Phelan is under increasing pressure to step down by prominent figures to his right: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2023/10/02/texas-house-speaker-dade-phelan-faces-mounting-pressure-following-ken-paxton-impeachment/?outputType=amp Remarks by Governor Greg Abbott during a speech in New York City conjure images of "abortion enforcement" at Texas' state lines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZzg_luniz4 (index to 35:57) House Rep. Frederick Frazier of McKinney, under two felony indictments for over a year, may see yet another extension of his trial date due to the upcoming special session: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/02/frederick-frazier-texas-criminal-trial/ The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a new trial for death row inmate Robert Roberson, convicted of killing his young daughter on the basis of debunked medical science and his autism: https://www.tpr.org/criminal-justice/2023-10-02/supreme-court-declines-to-stop-texas-from-executing-man-over-junk-science-conviction ...SCOTUS will also soon review Texas and Florida laws that seek to force social media platforms to support objectionable and false conservative content: https://www.wokv.com/news/local/florida-texas-social-media-censorship-laws-headed-us-supreme-court/4CJA7CKOCVETRJOVJRHJRCMNSM/ Rice University's President laments the reluctance of faculty recruits to move to Texas due to our oppressive political environment: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-02/texas-politics-are-making-it-harder-to-hire-professors-at-rice#xj4y7vzkg Texas transplant Elon Musk has been sued for slandering a man on Twitter/X, by the same lawyer who successfully sued Alex Jones in the Sandy Hook case: https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2023-10-02/elon-musk-sued-for-slander-by-attorney-who-successfully-sued-alex-jones/ Progress Texas ED Kathleen Thompson will take part in a press conference today in Dallas supporting Prop. 14, which if passed would grant more funding to Texas state parks: https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Proposition_14,_Creation_of_the_Centennial_Parks_Conservation_Fund_Amendment_(2023) And finally - FINALLY - hard science proves that Whataburger is quantifiably superior to In-N-Out Burger: https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/article/whataburger-innout-debate-18397650.php Thanks for listening! Learn more about how YOU can support Progress Texas at https://progresstexas.org/.

Plus, it's the deadliest drug epidemic in America and the UNT Health Science Center is working to try to stop fentanyl from spreading, and the fall-out over the impeachment trial of embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton continues with an effort to oust House Speaker Dade Phelan. KRLD All Local - Oct. 3, 2023

The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: The border and illegal immigration problem grows worse by the month and year and there is plenty of evidence the Biden Administration as well as the Democratic Party supports the disaster. Given the complete stick-in-the-eye to the people of Texas from Washington, DC, what exactly is Texas doing about it? I don't mean what Texas politicians talk or posture about doing but what is actually happening with our money that shows any form of effectiveness? Biden Administration Knew Border Surge Was Coming, Internal Documents Show—And Did Nothing Migrants Resume Border Crossings into Texas Town as Biden Admin Re-Opens Rail Bridge ICE gave contract approval power to woman who previously defended immigrants from deportation Biden Regime Gives Christian Family That Fled Germany 15 Years Ago Four Weeks to ‘Self-Deport' VIDEO: Mexican President Claims Conservative Media Won't Talk About ‘Republican Bob Menendez' – and that he's from Texas! Alleged Cartel Informer Brutally Assaults, Bites Border Patrol Agent in Texas Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.Texas manufacturing activity rebounds in September but outlook remains negative.Texas Republican Party executive committee votes 58 to 2 to call on House Speaker Dade Phelan to resign.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com

The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: It's not just “those little counties” anymore. Dallas County and Harris County Republican Party's vote to support censure of House Speaker Dade Phelan for not supporting GOP legislative priorities and for the impeachment push through.Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.Hint: If you want more conservative local government, STOP HIRING NON-CONSERVATIVES to run it!Much border news today. EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS: 7K Migrants Cross into One Texas Border Town in 72 Hours. By the way, note that Texas' very expensive Operation Lone Star doesn't seem to be making much of a difference.Judge blocks new Texas law aimed at keeping pornography out of public school libraries. The weakness of this ruling is left out by the press but I'll tell you what it is.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates. www.PrattonTexas.com

The acquittal of Ken Paxton is anything but a surprise to progressives in Texas: https://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/nicole-russell/article279427534.html ...More entertaining is the escalation of GOP infighting: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2023/09/18/texas-legislature-senate-house-split-deepens-attorney-general-ken-paxton-acquittal/70885735007/ ...Lt. Governer Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan are at severe odds over the impeachment: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/16/ken-paxton-impeachment-dan-patrick/ ...The GOP civil war is not going well at present for the moderate side: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/17/us/texas-republicans-paxton-impeachment.html ...But, the disarray could work in favor of opponents of school vouchers: https://www.reformaustin.org/texas-legislature/texas-lawmakers-hold-their-ground-voucher-deals-face-skepticism/ ...And Paxton still faces serious legal peril beyond mere political theater: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/16/texas-ken-paxton-attorney-general-legal-cases-securities-fbi/ Dallas ISD's Superintendent believes controversial school ratings changes at TEA are designed to help the argument for vouchers: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/carter-in-the-classroom/dallas-isd-superintendent-says-new-grading-method-for-texas-schools-is-connected-to-school-voucher-debate/3339554/ ...While hundreds of thousands of Texas school kids are suddenly without health coverage: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/texas-schools-and-families-struggle-as-hundreds-of-thousands-of-kids-lose-medicaid-amid-unwinding Cooler weather notwithstanding, we mustn't forget that Texas is in the midst of an existential climate crisis: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/07/texas-hottest-summer-2023/ ...As a cotton farming advocacy group continues to doubt climate change, while worrying about threats to their government subsidies: https://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/news/climate-change-the-future-of-cotton-production-in-west-texas/

Want to support reporting on Texas politics that doesn't include the spin? Subscribe at https://thetexan.news/subscribe/  Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) joined The Texan's senior reporter Brad Johnson to discuss the passage of the property tax relief compromise agreed to by the Texas House and Senate last week. Bettencourt served as a chief negotiator for the Senate during the tense standoff between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, House Speaker Dade Phelan, and Gov. Greg Abbott. “It's quite frankly a joy to be able to be involved in a process that gives $18 billion of tax relief back to the citizens of Texas,” said Bettencourt. During the interview, Bettencourt discussed the details of the plan, how the final deal evolved from the start of the legislative session in January, and the process of negotiating with the House. Bettencourt also talked about his criticisms of the Harris County election administrator and efforts to provide more oversight and accountability in elections. “If you don't have an election process that people have faith in, you've got nothing,” said Bettencourt. “Harris County, while it isn't too big to fail, it's too big to ignore.” Enjoy this content? Be sure to subscribe for similar interviews and The Texan's Weekly Roundup — a podcast released every Friday that brings you the latest news in Texas politics.

Y'all-itics: July 10, 2023Hours after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan announced an agreement on property taxes, Patrick took our call to explain what made the deal. And what did not. The final version of this legislation included something new.GUESTLt. Gov. Dan Patrick, (R) Texas

Y'all-itics: July 10, 2023 Hours after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan announced an agreement on property taxes, Patrick took our call to explain what made the deal. And what did not. The final version of this legislation included something new. GUEST Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, (R) Texas

Matt Rinaldi is the Chairman of the Texas GOP. In this episode, we talked about the most recent TX Lege Session, property taxes, Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment vs House Speaker Dade Phelan's alcoholism and complete disregard for his voters, Trump vs DeSantis, his thoughts on RFK Jr., and how lack of sound money and cultural degratation go hand in hand with one another. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alex-strenger/support

Phelan announced the formation of a House committee that could set the tone in favor of school vouchers ahead of an expected special session on education. The move comes weeks after Abbott sided with Phelan on a plan to lower property taxes.

At the Capitol, an intraparty rivalry between Republicans explodes into the open. The dueling charges between Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dade Phelan are so personal and serious, some longtime Capitol watchers are characterizing the battle as among the most significant in Texas political history. Lauren McGaughey of the Dallas Morning news will […] The post What are the weirdest laws in Texas? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Mike's daily visit with legendary Dallas/Ft. Worth talk show host Mark Davis of 660AM The Answer has become appointment listening. Here's today's segment: Ron DeSantis officially announced his candidacy for President. His announcement on Twitter Spaces had some technical issues that got a ton of attention. Mike shares how it was not a smooth launch for DeSantis, but once the problems got solved he was great. Mark points out that DeSantis was incredibly with Trey Gowdy on Fox News last night. Also, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called for state House Speaker Dade Phelan to both resign and be investigated for presiding over the chamber while appearing intoxicated. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike's daily visit with legendary Dallas/Ft. Worth talk show host Mark Davis of 660AM The Answer has become appointment listening. Here's today's segment: Ron DeSantis officially announced his candidacy for President. His announcement on Twitter Spaces had some technical issues that got a ton of attention. Mike shares how it was not a smooth launch for DeSantis, but once the problems got solved he was great. Mark points out that DeSantis was incredibly with Trey Gowdy on Fox News last night. Also, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called for state House Speaker Dade Phelan to both resign and be investigated for presiding over the chamber while appearing intoxicated. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Wednesday's show: Drama dominates the final days of the regular Texas Legislative session. Why a House committee is investigating Attorney General Ken Paxton, and why he's calling for House Speaker Dade Phelan to resign. Plus, a late night move by the Texas Senate would make voting illegally a felony. We discuss those stories and other developments in politics in our weekly roundup. Also this hour: Houston has had a reputation for tearing things down to build something new. However, that's changing. We learn how developers are using state and federal tax credits to save and repurpose buildings with character and history. And choreographer Justin Peck of the New York City Ballet explains how the Twilight Epiphany Skyspace sculpture at Rice University inspired a new work called Under the Folding Sky that's making its world premiere as a part of a Houston Ballet performance the next two weeks. Peck also discusses his work choreographing the dance scenes in Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake of West Side Story.

Senate Bill 14 would prohibit trans youth from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy. When the bill came to the floor Tuesday afternoon, LGBTQ Texans and advocates started chanting, prompting House Speaker Dade Phelan to clear the chamber's gallery.

House Speaker Dade Phelan has said tightening the appraisal cap is the best way to cut property taxes, but Senate tax-cut proponents, housing experts and business groups predict the move would have dire consequences.

Businesses in Texas thrive on lower taxes and less regulation. That leads to jobs, flourishing communities, and the Texas Miracle. But does Texas now need to create an entire court system for companies here to settle their disputes? Gov. Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan call it a priority. Half the country already has business courts. Delaware's business courts have been around since 1792. So, the Jasons called another Jason for this episode – Jason Villalba. He's a former Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives who proposed this very idea in 2015. This year, though, there's more momentum. Even the bill number this year – House Bill 19 – says something about its importance. But will juries play a role? Will the judges be elected or appointed by the governor? The Jasons have questions. A third Jason answered them. GUEST:Jason Villalba, former state representative, practicing business attorneyLOCATION: On Rotation Brewery & Kitchen BEER SELECTIONS: Jason Wheeler: Jalapeno Saison (Dallas, TX)Jason Whitely: Hans' Pils (Blanco, TX)Jason Villabla: Lake Highlands Light (Dallas, TX)

Businesses in Texas thrive on lower taxes and less regulation. That leads to jobs, flourishing communities, and the Texas Miracle. But does Texas now need to create an entire court system for companies here to settle their disputes? Gov. Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan call it a priority. Half the country already has business courts. Delaware's business courts have been around since 1792. So, the Jasons called another Jason for this episode – Jason Villalba. He's a former Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives who proposed this very idea in 2015. This year, though, there's more momentum. Even the bill number this year – House Bill 19 – says something about its importance. But will juries play a role? Will the judges be elected or appointed by the governor? The Jasons have questions. A third Jason answered them.   GUEST: Jason Villalba, former state representative, practicing business attorney LOCATION: On Rotation Brewery & Kitchen BEER SELECTIONS: Jason Wheeler: Jalapeno Saison (Dallas, TX) Jason Whitely: Hans' Pils (Blanco, TX) Jason Villabla: Lake Highlands Light (Dallas, TX)

Some good news came out of Abbott's State of the State, and there were some troubling omissions. Also, House Speaker Dade Phelan is ineffectively trying to go to war with Attorney General Ken Paxton and State Rep. Tony Tinderholt.    The post Abbott's State of the State Dissected appeared first on Luke Macias.

Some good news came out of Abbott’s State of the State, and there were some troubling omissions. Also, House Speaker Dade Phelan is ineffectively trying to go to war with Attorney […]

Why does it seem that Gov. Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan are dragging their feet at such a crucial […]

Why does it seem that Gov. Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan are dragging their feet at such a crucial time? The post The Harmful Delay of the Texas Legislature appeared first on Luke Macias.

Why does it seem that Gov. Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan are dragging their feet at such a crucial time?

The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released Senate committee assignments today – here is the list. Texas legislative Democrats are back to calling Republicans xenophobes, racists, and more nasty things but don't worry, House Speaker Dade Phelan and his inner-circle say Texas isn't like D.C. and we can work with these folk!Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.Border news including Kinney Co. “Sheriff Asks Law Enforcement in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas for Help With Border Crisis.” Why help? Because despite all the money and chest thumping on Fox News, Gov. Abbott is doing nothing to stop the actual illegal border crossing.Upset retired colonel drops lawsuit against state Rep. Carl Tepper that was filed as a campaign stunt (in my most learned opinion.) The colonel was the star of Tepper's opponent's advertising in which he, the upset colonel, attacked Tepper's commitment to veterans (Tepper's an Air Force vet himself!) KCBD omitted that the things said on “radio” were said on Pratt on Texas.Gov. Abbott just keeps dragging COVID on with emergency decrees and his reasoning is a big dishonest.And, other news of Texas.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com

While national congressmen put up a major fight and won major concessions, less than 10 members in Austin challenged House Speaker Dade Phelan's direct assault on GOP priorities. The post DC Bests Austin With Rules Reforms appeared first on Luke Macias.

While national congressmen put up a major fight and won major concessions, less than 10 members in Austin challenged House Speaker Dade Phelan’s direct assault on GOP priorities.   Transcribed by otter.ai […]

House Speaker Dade Phelan said he would want to see destination casinos that “are high quality and that create jobs and that improve the lifestyle of those communities.” But all previous attempts to legalize gambling in Texas have failed. Gov Abbott is a staunch opponent. So are casinos in Oklahoma and Louisiana who depend on crazy Texans driving to spend money in those states. Would you vote for casino gambling in Texas? Or is it a slippery slope? The Rick Roberts Show is on NewsTalk 820 WBAP ... (Photo Courtesy of WFAA)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State Representative Jon Rosenthal visits us today to discuss Republican election deniers challenging his election and others. We will have a general discussion on our Democracy. Jon was reelected to the Texas Legislature by more than 6,000 votes. Yet, his MAGA election-denying opponent is now challenging the election. The Texas Tribune reported the following. A losing Republican candidate for the Texas House of Representatives is challenging his defeat and asking the Legislature to void the results of the election.Republican Mike May this week filed what's known as an election contest with the Texas secretary of state's office, citing reports of scattered paper ballot shortages at “numerous” polling places on Election Day. May lost to incumbent Democrat Jon Rosenthal by more than 6,000 votes in his bid to represent House District 135 in the Houston area.The secretary of state's office on Tuesday delivered May's petition to House Speaker Dade Phelan, who can refer the contest to a committee for investigation and appoint another member of the House as a “master” to oversee discovery and evidence related to the contested election. If they side with May and void the results, another election would be required to decide the district's representative. The House can also toss the contest by declaring it “frivolous.” MAGA election-denying Republicans are a danger to our Democracy and the sense of order in our body politic. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/politicsdoneright/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/politicsdoneright/support

House Speaker Dade Phelan is also asking for more money for mental health and school safety programs.

[Video below] After two decades of serving Texans as a Democrat, State Rep. Ryan Guillen will be running for re-election in 2022, as a Republican! Guillen shared this news at Carvajal “Coffee on 3rd” in Floresville Nov. 15, joined by Gov. Greg Abbott, House Speaker Dade Phelan, numerous state representatives, and Wilson County Republicans and elected officials. “It is something that has been the worst-kept secret in the capitol,” Gov. Abbott said. “Everyone has known that Ryan Guillen is really a Republican that was attached to the wrong label. Ryan, we're glad you finally came out of the closet!” Guillen...Article Link

[Video below] State Rep. Ryan Guillen has joined the Republican Party! Guillen announced his departure from the Democratic Party today at Carvajal “Coffee on 3rd” in Floresville. Joining him were Gov. Greg Abbott, House Speaker Dade Phelan, other numerous state representatives, and Wilson County Republicans and elected officials. Guillen will run for re-election in House District 31 in 2022, following redistricting by the State Legislature. The district now encompasses Starr, Zapata, Jim Hogg, Brooks, Kenedy, Duval, La Salle, McMullen, Live Oak, Karnes, and Wilson counties. Read more on this in the Nov. 17 print edition of the Wilson County News....Article Link

The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day:  In the not-so-great escape of Texas super-spreader AWOL Democrats, House Speaker Dade Phelan demonstrates he is utterly feckless as a leader. And, Democrats show what we already know of them: they are at root liars.Biden's border mess infuriates and gets worse. While you endure the TSA shakedown and mask rules, illegal aliens get free flights across America and board without I.D. and without wearing masks. Meanwhile the illegal crossing numbers in Texas continue to astound.Roger Kimball asks: “Will Dr Fauci ever take responsibility for COVID's emergence?” And more from the ever more absurd WuFlu stack.Texas politicians are so late on the Texas and OU leaving the Big XII debacle that it is laughable.Manufacturing expands but employers can't find people willing to work!And other news of Texas.www.PrattonTexas.com

The lower chamber, led by House Speaker Dade Phelan, is trying to start off on a new foot with a controversial election bill that blew up during the regular session.

Whodunnit? That's the basis of any good detective novel. No need to call Sherlock Holmes here, because Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick knows exactly why Senate Bill 7, the election integrity bill, died in the Texas House. The Democrats, of course, for bailing on their duty to democracy. But it's odd that House Speaker Dade Phelan waited until 4 hours left in the regular session to bring the bill up for a vote. Perhaps Phelan didn't really want the bill to pass? Gov. Abbott is calling a special session for SB 7, but what else would Lt. Gov. Patrick like the Legislature to work on? And there were a lot of good bills that passed. What were they? Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick joins Rick to tell you all about them on NewsTalk 820 WBAP...(Photo Courtesy of WFAA) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The closing days of the 2021 Texas legislative session are marked by apparent tension between the House and the Senate, as well as between Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan. A new initiative to interfere with the City of Austin's redistribution of Austin Police Department funds is underway by the same political action group that produced Prop B. Memorial Day Weekend sees both a No Refusal effort by local police and a ban on motorized personal watercraft on Austin lakes. Nearby Garner and Kickapoo Caverns State Parks make a new ranking of the best in the country. Austin FC single-game tickets go onsale, with the now-typical online vendor issues. Texas Longhorns Baseball stays alive in the Big 12 Tournament after eliminating OU, and may face a rematch with West Virginia, who beat the Horns in their tourney opener. Live music returns to Stubb's and The Mohawk. And rain continues to threaten the Memorial Day parade, as it very often does.

In this episode, you will meet Veronika, Anna, and HK! A group of badass Janes who were forced to navigate judicial bypass for abortion in Texas. This episode will explain the judicial bypass process and how HB 1515, a bill that wants to ban abortion at six weeks and allow anyone to sue Texans for providing abortions or helping their loved ones access abortion care, will further harm young people seeking abortion care in the Lonestar state. Don't forget to take action this week and call your Texas Representatives, including House Speaker Dade Phelan at (512) 463-1000 and tell them to oppose HB 1515. Learn more here.

The battle over government-mandated power prices that have left ratepayers on the hook for billions of dollars has put Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at odds with Gov. Greg Abbott. Abbott is also teaming up with House Speaker Dade Phelan to keep the Texas House from being allowed to take a position on this policy. State… The post Patrick Battles Abbott & Hefner Pushes Himself – Episode 110 appeared first on Luke Macias.