1 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:14,880 This week's trip cast is sponsored by Texas Dental Association on behalf of over eighty 2 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:20,519 five hundred member dentists. T DA supports the Common Sense Patient Protections in SP 3 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:26,519 three eighty four for clear aligner patients. Find out more at TDA dot org. 4 00:00:27,039 --> 00:00:32,679 And Methodist Healthcare Ministries is committed to health equity, striving to create more 5 00:00:32,719 --> 00:00:50,640 fair and just opportunities for all to thrive. Learn more at MHM dot org. 6 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,679 Hello and welcome to the Texas Tribune trip Cast for Friday, May fit. 7 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:58,039 My name is Matthew Watkins, Managing editor for News and Politics for the 8 00:00:58,079 --> 00:01:03,320 Tribune, and we are coming down the home stretch of the legislative session. 9 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,560 There are eight thousand, three hundred and forty three bills filed so far this 10 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,319 year in Texas Legislative Session, and most of those will die not by being 11 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:15,439 voted down by a chamber or committee, but by missed deadlines for bills to 12 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:21,159 be voted out by the chamber or the committee. And next week those deadlines 13 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:23,920 are starting to come. We'll have May fourth, the deadline for House committees 14 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:29,319 to vote out bills. House bills at least in May eleventh, the deadline 15 00:01:29,359 --> 00:01:33,239 for the full chamber of the House to vote out House bills. So basically 16 00:01:33,439 --> 00:01:38,799 it's crunch time. It's it's time for bills to kind of get through or 17 00:01:38,879 --> 00:01:44,680 start failing. Joining us to talk about this this week is two political reporters 18 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:48,040 for The Tribune, Patrick's Feetech Hey, Patrick, Hey, thanks for having 19 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,599 me, thanks for coming on. And James Bettergan Hey, James, So, 20 00:01:53,879 --> 00:01:57,280 you know, I think the big question that many of us have coming 21 00:01:57,319 --> 00:02:01,319 into this last month, the last few weeks of the legislative session is is 22 00:02:01,319 --> 00:02:05,120 it all going to fall apart? And are we going to have a special 23 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:10,240 session forced? There's a long list of Dan patrick priorities that he, you 24 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:15,240 know, is still waiting to see come out of a House. And there 25 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:20,520 are you know, most past bills and the budget sunset legislation which we can 26 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:23,560 get into and explain a little bit that he can sort of, you know, 27 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:28,360 for a lack of a better term, hold hostage and force a special 28 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:32,120 session if they don't come through, and he has made very clear to us 29 00:02:32,159 --> 00:02:36,360 into the world that he is willing to do so if he doesn't see some 30 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:42,120 of these priorities come through. Patrick, let's start with you, what are 31 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:46,199 those some of those priorities, and what stand out to you is the ones 32 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:52,120 that he's kind of highlighting the most well in the Lieutenant Governor's own words, 33 00:02:52,319 --> 00:02:55,639 his uh, you know, highest priorities right now are his property tax relief 34 00:02:55,719 --> 00:03:00,000 plan and his power grid performs that he's posts. I mean, he has 35 00:03:00,039 --> 00:03:05,280 explicitly said that, you know, those are worth going to a special session 36 00:03:05,319 --> 00:03:07,080 over if they can't come together on them in the next few weeks. And 37 00:03:07,159 --> 00:03:10,400 so those are the two major issues to watch I think as far as Dan 38 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:15,840 Patrick and potential special sessions are concerned, you know, and in both of 39 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:21,360 those situations, there's not a lot of hope I think for consensus at the 40 00:03:21,439 --> 00:03:25,520 moment we've gone over the property tax you know, dispute between the two chambers 41 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:30,879 repeatedly. They're both dug in, I think on their respective positions, and 42 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:35,560 Dan Patrick is especially dug in on his position. And then when it comes 43 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,840 to his priority good reform bills, sent it Bill and send it SENTI Bill 44 00:03:38,879 --> 00:03:44,199 six and sent up Bill seven. I don't believe sent Uphill six as of 45 00:03:44,199 --> 00:03:47,439 this hour has gotten a hearing in the House. Sent Uphill seven did get 46 00:03:47,479 --> 00:03:52,479 a hearing this week, but it was not a very I would say successful 47 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:54,159 hearing for the you know, the bill's prospects going forward. It was left 48 00:03:54,479 --> 00:03:59,680 pending and Chairman seemed critical of it. So that's where we're at in those 49 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:05,840 two. So these two issues, like you said, they are not they 50 00:04:05,879 --> 00:04:09,879 seem to be farther apart. It would it be safe to say that they're 51 00:04:09,879 --> 00:04:14,639 farther apart on property taxes than than than the grid or is that? Do 52 00:04:14,719 --> 00:04:17,959 you say they're equally kind of split on this? I say maybe they're closer 53 00:04:17,959 --> 00:04:24,160 around property taxes because I think that they actually maybe could come to a consensus 54 00:04:24,199 --> 00:04:28,680 on property taxes just because, like the governor has put so much emphasis on 55 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,160 it, he wants to deliver the biggest tax cut, which you know asterisk 56 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:34,759 and you know we've all fact checked with that that that can't really be the 57 00:04:34,759 --> 00:04:39,480 biggest tax cut in state history. But you know, they want to do 58 00:04:39,519 --> 00:04:42,839 it like they do want to they just have different approaches for how to do 59 00:04:42,879 --> 00:04:45,199 it. And I think we're going to see in the last couple of weeks 60 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,079 them trying to come together and see if they can hammer something out. But 61 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,319 the grid thing that Patrick is talking about, like that seems like a no 62 00:04:50,519 --> 00:04:56,279 go for the House, and really it's it's Patrick who's the only one pushing 63 00:04:56,319 --> 00:05:00,800 for that. For the natural gas plane incentive is the House wants something to 64 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:04,560 do with it. And I don't know if the governor has really weighed in 65 00:05:04,639 --> 00:05:10,639 on that, although of course the grid is you know, a key issue 66 00:05:10,639 --> 00:05:14,160 for him. He's he's very interested in making sure it's up and running. 67 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,040 Patrick, give us a brief rundown of what it is that that Dan Patrick 68 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:25,439 wants from the grid and where that might why that might run into a hitch 69 00:05:25,439 --> 00:05:31,199 in the house. Well, I would maybe defer to our energy reporter foxall 70 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:35,040 and all the specifics of the legislation, but I think broadly speaking, it's 71 00:05:35,079 --> 00:05:40,600 it's fair to say that Patrick is backing a suite of proposals that would incentivize 72 00:05:40,879 --> 00:05:46,120 the construction of more natural gas capacity in Texas UM and there is, you 73 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:50,199 know, there is real disagreement, you know, how much more reliable that 74 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:56,920 actually makes the grid. Questions, environmental impact questions, even from members of 75 00:05:57,439 --> 00:06:00,839 Dan Patrick's own party, about whether that amends you know, amounts to a 76 00:06:00,879 --> 00:06:03,360 distortion of the free market, which is, you know, traditionally a conservative 77 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,639 principles is staying out of the free market and letting its work. It's letting 78 00:06:06,639 --> 00:06:10,879 it work its will. And so it's you know, these proposals have really 79 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:15,439 encountered all these political cross currents, and that I think has contributed to the 80 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:19,199 really you know, uncertain state that they're in right now. It's also like 81 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:23,079 there's some politics at play here though, right Patrick, I mean, because 82 00:06:23,399 --> 00:06:27,519 what the Lieutenant governor has said is like he doesn't like renewables, like the 83 00:06:27,519 --> 00:06:30,360 wind is great wind energy and renewables are great when the wind is blowing and 84 00:06:30,399 --> 00:06:33,560 the sun is out, but when it's not, like that doesn't work, 85 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:38,959 and that's why we need dispatchable energy like natural gas. I think there are 86 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:43,000 some politics here, but like you're saying, and like Emily has reported, 87 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,399 the experts say, hey, maybe this isn't the best way to go about 88 00:06:46,439 --> 00:06:50,079 it, and there are like other solutions that you know, the legislature has 89 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:56,759 worked on over the last two years on this that you know, I would 90 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:00,639 say, maybe experts consider a little bit more serious than this. So but 91 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:05,480 I guess my whole point is like there are some politics here on the energy 92 00:07:06,079 --> 00:07:11,560 talks. Yeah, and to go back to Abbott's position and all this that's 93 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,439 been you know, the subject of a lot of political intrigue. I mean, 94 00:07:14,639 --> 00:07:17,199 after his reelect last year and as Dan Patrick was really ramping up his 95 00:07:17,279 --> 00:07:21,040 focus on this as legislative issue, Abbott was was notably quiet. And then 96 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:26,480 in his inaugural address in January, he did come out and basically side with 97 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,920 Dan Patrick on this issue generally speaking. He mentioned it again in his State 98 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:33,639 of the State speech about a month later, but he did not designated an 99 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:38,800 emergency item. He didn't, you know, signal that it's the highest priority 100 00:07:38,879 --> 00:07:41,519 for him. And so you know, I don't think Patrick, I don't 101 00:07:41,519 --> 00:07:46,360 think Abbott is particularly invested in this issue this session. He has much higher 102 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,000 priorities. And you know, Patrick, I think is kind of on an 103 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:53,600 island among the three of them when it comes to being very vocal about this 104 00:07:53,639 --> 00:07:57,279 issue. And like Urka and Mpuc, I can't remember which one I said 105 00:07:57,279 --> 00:08:00,360 it, but they want to be like an agnostic on like what the source 106 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,480 is. They just want the grid up and running right, Like they don't 107 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:07,839 necessarily want to say like it's got to be dispatchable energy. They wanted to 108 00:08:07,319 --> 00:08:11,920 They just wanted to be working, and they're like agnostic as to what makes 109 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:15,519 it work well and we did have some news this week coming from a state 110 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:20,879 report basically indicating that you know, we're in trouble, yeah, that that 111 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:24,519 demand might not keep up with or sorry, that supply might not keep up 112 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:30,079 with demand in this situation. And then I kind of raised my eyebrows because 113 00:08:30,399 --> 00:08:33,799 I believe the next day Governor Abbott tweeted out, you know, that he 114 00:08:33,879 --> 00:08:37,600 was holding a meeting with you know, leaders natural gap involved in the natural 115 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:43,279 gas industry, you know, about this situation and at that table. Was 116 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:48,399 Dan Patrick not present at that table day, Pheela. And I wonder maybe 117 00:08:48,399 --> 00:08:52,440 I'm reading too much into that, Patrick, but that that felt like something 118 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:56,840 of a signal there. Sure, I think Abbot at least wants to be 119 00:08:56,879 --> 00:09:01,360 a physically infiguratively at the table for those discussion as just as you just pointed 120 00:09:01,399 --> 00:09:05,519 out, you know, the sense I get is that Abbott isn't necessarily m 121 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:11,759 you know, you know, like explicitly against what Dan Patrick is pushing. 122 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:15,440 But Abbott is someone who tried to kind of close the door on this issue 123 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:18,080 after the twenty twenty one session. He you know, Dan Patrick did not 124 00:09:18,399 --> 00:09:22,039 let him close the door on it, and so Dan Patrick keeps I think 125 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:26,600 dragging out this issue in Abbott's view, and so Abbott I think just wants 126 00:09:26,639 --> 00:09:31,960 to He wants resolution on this, and Patrick keeps extending the shelf life of 127 00:09:31,039 --> 00:09:35,960 it legislatively and politically, and so I think Abbott is just eager for some 128 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,759 kind of solution to close this chapter of his governorship. And it may not 129 00:09:39,799 --> 00:09:43,559 be that he explicitly opposes what Dan Patrick is pushing, but he wants to 130 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:46,480 be at the table and he wants to figure out, you know, a 131 00:09:46,519 --> 00:09:50,639 timely resolution. And to be fair to Lieutenant governor, I mean, the 132 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:54,639 state of the grid does seem precarious. Yeah, so like there is, 133 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:58,200 and of course he's he's taking it, you know, he's putting his politics 134 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:03,679 on it, which is the he supports natural gas plant incentivization. But the 135 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:09,639 concern is there from the Lieutenant Governor and from the governor and quite frankly from 136 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:13,000 all of us who still have PTSD. Yeah. Yeah, well, I 137 00:10:13,039 --> 00:10:15,919 just you know, it would be an interesting scenario where if we had a 138 00:10:15,919 --> 00:10:20,200 special session forced over this, you know, going into the summer that period 139 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:24,080 where we are projects, Yeah, exactly. I wonder if that would change 140 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:28,159 the dynamics of the political conversation in any way, all right, let's talk 141 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:31,759 briefly about property taxes. Patrick. As you mentioned, we have kind of 142 00:10:31,799 --> 00:10:35,960 talked about this quite a bit. UH Senate proposal seems to be, you 143 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:43,320 know, largely based around raising the homestead exemption for all homeowners as well as 144 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:48,320 particularly, I guess more for seniors, in addition to pushing a bunch of 145 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:52,879 money, you know, over five billion dollars toward buying down school property taxes. 146 00:10:52,519 --> 00:10:58,759 The House on the other side, wants to limit appraisal growth appraisal caps 147 00:10:58,159 --> 00:11:03,080 um. They also want to put billions of dollars towards the public school system 148 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:07,960 in those property taxes. So the issue seems to be more around whether it's 149 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,799 a home set exemption or an appraisal cap. You know, we've heard and 150 00:11:11,279 --> 00:11:16,159 our reporter Josh Fector has done a lot of reporting on some of the challenges 151 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:22,879 and concerns being raised about appraisal caps and how you know, that might disincentivize 152 00:11:22,919 --> 00:11:26,480 from people from you know, ever moving out of their house and could in 153 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:31,679 part, you know, raise property tax property values in that regard. I 154 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:35,799 guess my question here is it doesn't really seem like there's much progress being made 155 00:11:35,799 --> 00:11:41,039 on this discussion. Is there any sign of compromise or or or you know, 156 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:46,000 other proposals out there that y'all are seen, not yet. I know 157 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:50,679 that the Senate bill was referred to a committee in the House in recent days, 158 00:11:50,799 --> 00:11:54,080 but that's not necessarily the sign of real momentum. We'd have to wait 159 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:58,120 and see whether it's even going to get a hearing and set committee. So 160 00:11:58,159 --> 00:12:01,159 I think folks are still waiting to see if there is a compromise in sight 161 00:12:01,279 --> 00:12:07,039 there. Dan Patrick has been you know, they both have disagreements in this 162 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:09,480 situation, but Dan Patrick has been the one who's been more immovable, saying 163 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:15,480 he's not willing to compromise on appraisal caps. You know. In contrast, 164 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:18,279 you have Dave Feeling, who says, our legislation includes appraisal caps, but 165 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:22,399 I'm not closing the door on home set exemption. So I think, you 166 00:12:22,399 --> 00:12:26,240 know, Feeling is the one who has already shown a little more flexibility on 167 00:12:26,279 --> 00:12:28,919 this issue and maybe the path toward a compromise. But Patrick is the one 168 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:33,840 who just appears to be more dug in. I have continued to watch this 169 00:12:33,879 --> 00:12:39,720 and speculate about, you know, is does Feelin appear to be digging in 170 00:12:39,799 --> 00:12:43,440 his heels as some kind of negotiating tactic in order to pull anything out, 171 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:46,039 because I think a lot of us have lived at this and been a little 172 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:48,799 bit confused about his stance on here. But I guess my question is, 173 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:54,279 you know, you know, what is it that Feeling wants If he is, 174 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,279 you know, preparing for negotiations, what is at the top of his 175 00:12:56,440 --> 00:13:01,799 list that he wants to see happen in the last few weeks. Yeah, 176 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:05,000 he's a lot. Yeah, I mean, he's got a lot, and 177 00:13:05,039 --> 00:13:07,919 it's sometimes he has priority bills that he's designated and they haven't been as at 178 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:11,799 tension grabbing as Dan Patrick's priority bills, which tend to touch on more of 179 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:16,840 like the you know, red red meat debates of the day. But you 180 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:18,600 know, as I said, Feelings outlined a number of over a dozen i 181 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:22,879 think priority bills, and so one of the things things that I think is 182 00:13:22,879 --> 00:13:26,639 striking in the final few weeks here is that when it comes to that kind 183 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:31,120 of horse trading you know arena that we're entering into, there are just so 184 00:13:31,159 --> 00:13:35,600 many active, you know, issues on the table, so many different priorities 185 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:37,639 that each of these guys are focused on that do not line up with the 186 00:13:37,639 --> 00:13:43,240 other chamber, and so there's just a lot of proposals in play when it 187 00:13:43,279 --> 00:13:46,639 comes to thinking about the endgame of this legislative session. Yeah, I mean, 188 00:13:46,639 --> 00:13:52,000 I think like some of the things that for example, the Speaker wants 189 00:13:52,039 --> 00:13:56,159 that Bolusiana Governor hasn't really talked about or expressed any interest in it is like 190 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,799 the extension of Medicaid coverage for lecome mothers. You know, that's something that 191 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:03,120 they did last session, got it to twelve months in the House, and 192 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:05,919 then bumped it back down to six months in the Senate. The House is 193 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:09,320 back says they want it, you know, the sales tax exemption for feminine 194 00:14:09,399 --> 00:14:13,039 hygiene products and diapers on something that the House wants that the Senate hasn't really 195 00:14:13,039 --> 00:14:18,200 talked about. And it's like, uh, you know, more like um, 196 00:14:18,279 --> 00:14:22,879 you know, things that like can touch people's lives in a very real 197 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,279 way. And then there's also things that are you know, kind of snooze 198 00:14:26,279 --> 00:14:31,000 fest to us, like infrastructure funds, but very important, as our regional 199 00:14:31,039 --> 00:14:35,639 reporters have reported, because the water infrastructure in the state is not great, 200 00:14:37,519 --> 00:14:39,159 and so those are some of the things that could be you know, you 201 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:43,720 know, horse are of the bargaining chips in the horse trading. In the 202 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,639 end. The other thing that sort of we've noted in our reporting is that 203 00:14:46,919 --> 00:14:50,080 you know, some of the like infrastructure funds. Sure they're not as sexy 204 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:58,399 to write about, but they're also very necessary and I think would be a 205 00:14:58,519 --> 00:15:01,000 hard thing to kill because if you are the tenant governor, Damnatrick and you're 206 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:05,720 killing infrastructure of bonds or you're killing say another priority like the Bishop Evans Act 207 00:15:05,759 --> 00:15:11,159 to give the benefits to National Guard troops on the border, like, that's 208 00:15:11,159 --> 00:15:15,039 not a great look. So it puts him in a tough position. But 209 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:16,840 you know, the Lieutenant governor is never scared to be an except position. 210 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:24,039 Indeed, indeed, you know, Patrick, you and I started at the 211 00:15:24,039 --> 00:15:26,480 tribute and that a you know, basically I think the same month or the 212 00:15:26,559 --> 00:15:31,759 during the same legislative session at least, and we have been through a few 213 00:15:31,799 --> 00:15:35,360 of these James. You have to and there is never a time. It's 214 00:15:35,519 --> 00:15:41,000 usually in May when people start freaking out about how there's going to be a 215 00:15:41,039 --> 00:15:43,960 special session. Of course, many times there are special sessions, including last 216 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,039 sessions. So I don't mean to completely downplay that that problem. But does 217 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:54,720 it feel more dire? Does it feel especially unusual for the two chambers to 218 00:15:54,799 --> 00:16:00,480 be separate right now on these issues or is that just kind of the way 219 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:04,480 things go in a Texas legislature, particularly a Texas legislature where Dan Patrick is 220 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:11,039 a lieutenant governor and likes to do these kind of public negotiations. Yeah, 221 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,120 I will say, you know, the sessions that I've been here since twenty 222 00:16:14,159 --> 00:16:18,080 fifteen onward, it has been more of the norm than not the norm. 223 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:22,279 That you know, in the final month, things look dire. You know, 224 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,480 some of the chambers are apart on big two chambers are apart on some 225 00:16:25,519 --> 00:16:29,440 of the big issues. But this session, even by that standard, this 226 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:33,080 session does feel a little different for a couple of reasons. I think the 227 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:34,879 first reason is what I said several minutes ago, which is there are just 228 00:16:34,919 --> 00:16:40,000 so many priority issues on the table that are unresolved with three weeks to go, 229 00:16:40,759 --> 00:16:44,039 so you just have just so many issues in play. And number two, 230 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:48,879 I mean, I think the relationship among the big three is probably the 231 00:16:48,919 --> 00:16:52,679 worst it's been in a long time. I mean, obviously we know Dan 232 00:16:52,759 --> 00:17:00,399 Patrick and Dave Feeling don't have a good relationship. You have Dan Patrick calling 233 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:04,279 Dave pheelan California dad name calling him and you know, which you know to 234 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,960 us like at this point, just because we know Dan Patrick, that doesn't 235 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,799 really phase us. But I mean, you know, compared to how you 236 00:17:10,799 --> 00:17:12,319 know, Patrick treated Strauss, which is very critical, but you know, 237 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:18,039 never would whip out a nick insulting nickname like that, right. Um, 238 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:21,839 so we just should pause and take take in the level of acrimony required to 239 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:25,559 do something like that. Um. And then you have Abbott, who you 240 00:17:25,599 --> 00:17:30,200 know, I don't know your Abbott has been very quiet recently. Um. 241 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,039 You know, even on the issue that he's championed all sessions will choice, 242 00:17:33,039 --> 00:17:36,640 he's been relatively quiet on it. Um. It's you know, they're not 243 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:40,839 having the Big three breakfast, you know anymore. Um. You know we've 244 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:44,119 learned through reporting. Uh, you know. And I don't even know what 245 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:47,119 the ab to say the Abbott and Patrick relationship is. You know, I've 246 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:49,519 heard that they haven't had a lot of contact this session. So you know, 247 00:17:49,559 --> 00:17:52,079 I think those are some of the factors that make this a unique, 248 00:17:52,319 --> 00:17:57,599 a uniquely perilous final month of this session. I will say it first of 249 00:17:57,599 --> 00:18:02,640 all that I need to defend my home state California. Actually it's not. 250 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:08,079 It's not always. I'm already seeing all your emails in your tweets, but 251 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:12,039 I gotta stand up for my home state. Secondly, I will say your 252 00:18:12,039 --> 00:18:15,839 point is very good, Patrick in that like there were so many priorities. 253 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:18,240 You know, I was doing a hobby hour talk with a bunch of other 254 00:18:18,279 --> 00:18:22,960 reporters from across the state, and Groma Jeffers of the DMN noted like they 255 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:27,160 were now thirty priorities for the Lieutenant governor plus the twenty from the House Speaker. 256 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,400 It's a lot of things to get done. But you know, well, 257 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:33,599 I'll say, also, it's still May fifth. There, we've got 258 00:18:34,319 --> 00:18:37,799 a little more than three weeks. A lot of things are in conference committee, 259 00:18:37,839 --> 00:18:41,480 so we can get a lot of these things done. And the thing 260 00:18:41,519 --> 00:18:45,319 that Patrick is pointing out, like the Big Three maybe fighting amongst each other. 261 00:18:45,519 --> 00:18:48,599 I don't see the same animosity from like the actual members, Like the 262 00:18:48,839 --> 00:18:51,799 members don't hate each other, it's just the Big Three they hate each other 263 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:53,640 so well, I wouldn't say hate each other. Maybe they just don't like 264 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,920 each other. I don't know. I'm not in their inner heads. Yeah, 265 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:00,000 but it's clear that, you know, feeling Hadrick going like each other. 266 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:03,519 But yeah, we got three weeks, so let's let's see what happens. 267 00:19:03,519 --> 00:19:08,759 I'm not canceling my summer trouble yea, which I have not made except 268 00:19:08,799 --> 00:19:11,839 for one winning. Yeah, I think that's a good point. The counterpoint 269 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,039 to that, you know, as it relates to how Senate rank and file 270 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:18,200 relationships is, you know, the Senate has just becomes such a one man 271 00:19:18,279 --> 00:19:22,720 show with the strangle hold that Dan Patrick has on it. So you know, 272 00:19:23,279 --> 00:19:26,640 to me, you know, I think to a certain point, it's 273 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:29,920 like, you know, why does it matter if the Senate, you know, 274 00:19:30,079 --> 00:19:33,880 Brandon crate In and Brad Buckley have a good relationship, if Dan Patrick's 275 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,799 the one is going to call the shots in the Senate? I mean, 276 00:19:37,279 --> 00:19:40,720 I do agree with you that you don't see a lot of animosity between the 277 00:19:40,799 --> 00:19:44,319 rank and file in the two chambers, and you know, and that's great, 278 00:19:44,599 --> 00:19:45,720 but I have to wonder, at the end of the day, just 279 00:19:45,799 --> 00:19:49,519 given that the Senate is a one man show, how much does that matter? 280 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:52,079 Yep? Fair enough, all right, let's pause for a second. 281 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:56,240 Hear from our sponsors, raise your hand, Texas. No matter what an 282 00:19:56,319 --> 00:20:02,279 education voudre is called the policy is the same. Vouchers divert public funds to 283 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:06,480 private schools and vendors. Find out more at Raise Your Hand. Texas dot 284 00:20:06,559 --> 00:20:14,279 org and Texas Hospital Association don't flatline Texas healthcare. Will Texas protect its patients. 285 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:18,599 Dismantling hospital services does nothing for patience or the price of healthcare. In 286 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:25,319 fact, it hurts everyone. Find out more at THHA dot org. Okay, 287 00:20:25,319 --> 00:20:27,359 so, one other thing that I've noticed about, you know, regarding 288 00:20:27,759 --> 00:20:33,680 Dan Patrick's threat of a special session, is that he brings up to issues 289 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:38,400 that are not particularly hot button issues in and of themselves. I mean, 290 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:42,160 you know, the grid. I think most Texans tend to agree that they 291 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:45,759 would like the grid to be functioning, while you know, there is some 292 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:48,279 disagreement as to how to go about that, of course, but really, 293 00:20:48,319 --> 00:20:51,640 I mean, honestly, I would say most of the disagreement is in the 294 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:53,240 capital. I don't like hear a lot of people coming up to me and 295 00:20:53,279 --> 00:20:59,680 being like, should this be you know, gas plants or whatever. And 296 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:03,079 then you know, the other one being property taxes is a very you know, 297 00:21:03,079 --> 00:21:07,640 property taxes are deeply unpopular in the state. But then we have these 298 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:10,839 other issues, you know, related to universities, the canceling of ten year 299 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:15,559 DEI issues. You have school choice, a very very controversial issue kind of 300 00:21:15,599 --> 00:21:21,880 across the state. And then all these LGBTQ bills that are coming up, 301 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,519 I mean the LGBTQ bills particularly. You know, as we record this the 302 00:21:25,559 --> 00:21:30,680 houses in session, they have not started debating the bill to ban puberty blockers 303 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:36,000 or hormone therapies for children. But I think we all probably expect, barring 304 00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:40,680 some other kind of point of order that you know, procedural challenge that blocked 305 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,000 that from getting passed earlier this week, we expect that to get through the 306 00:21:44,039 --> 00:21:49,559 House today. But you know, the school choice in the university tenuere topics 307 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:56,039 are much more in much more precarious positions. Do you do we see the 308 00:21:56,079 --> 00:22:00,880 fact that those haven't been brought up as I mean, those two items have 309 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:03,680 a potential to blow up the session. I guess it's my question. I 310 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:07,759 think, I mean take I'll take the contrary and opinion on the school choice 311 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:14,039 thing, because I think that with so much political capital, the capital exerted 312 00:22:14,079 --> 00:22:18,880 by the governor on this, there is still a likelihood that something gets dump. 313 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:22,640 Like you gotta think that he's working behind the scenes with some of these 314 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:26,880 rural members who are opposed to it to get some kind of limited education savings 315 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:32,160 account passed there, get it over the hump, because otherwise he's taking the 316 00:22:32,279 --> 00:22:36,000 L and he's taking the L on like a huge thing that he's been criss 317 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:41,079 crossing the state on. So I still see a likelihood of that passing. 318 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:45,519 In terms of like TEI stuff, I think that's a little bit harder because 319 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:52,480 or and ten year stuff, because you know, ten year is super important 320 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:56,039 to these public universities, which we have a lot of, like really great 321 00:22:56,079 --> 00:23:00,240 research universities, which the governor is super interested in, and he loves to 322 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,319 tout how many Tier one research institutions we have. And getting rid of tenure, 323 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:10,079 as our reporter Kate McGee has already written about, it's already having an 324 00:23:10,079 --> 00:23:15,599 impact on how professors who are up for tenure are thinking about when they consider 325 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,759 coming to a public constitution here in Texas. Yeah, you know, and 326 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:22,359 Dave feeling that set of trip fest back in the fall that you know, 327 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:26,319 I thought a pretty decent argument around this political debate of like, if you 328 00:23:26,319 --> 00:23:30,200 get rid of tenure, the people you might be putting the most at risk 329 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,920 are the conservative professors, and so yeah, I agree that that seems to 330 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:37,160 be one both because of the impact and the arguments being made against it, 331 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:41,880 that seems to have a tall hill to climb there. I was just gonna 332 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:45,079 say, we covered this in our story that just posted before we got on 333 00:23:45,079 --> 00:23:49,759 this podcast, but the anti d EI bill seems like it it has a 334 00:23:49,839 --> 00:23:55,200 much better chance making it to Abbot's desk than the anti tenure bill, just 335 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:59,160 because we already saw the House kind of go on the record against these DEI 336 00:23:59,279 --> 00:24:03,519 policies in a budget writer or a budget amendment. You know, I think 337 00:24:03,559 --> 00:24:07,839 there was an effort to strip out in anti d EI part of the budget 338 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:10,559 and the House voted to keep it in. So we kind of already got 339 00:24:10,559 --> 00:24:12,359 a temperature of the House on that issue. And we know Abbott generally, 340 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:17,559 you know, is opposed to these DEI efforts on college campuses based on the 341 00:24:17,559 --> 00:24:22,000 public statements he's made over the past several past a few months, ten year. 342 00:24:22,039 --> 00:24:25,119 Though, as you point out, I think is going to be more 343 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:27,720 uncertain. Like you said, Feeling has said he opposes it. We haven't 344 00:24:27,759 --> 00:24:30,920 heard much from Abbot on it. When Dan Patrick first raised the idea over 345 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,920 a year ago. Abbott was very noncommittal about it. And then you know, 346 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:38,039 Abbott, you know, obviously has a close relationship with these universities through 347 00:24:38,039 --> 00:24:42,240 the regency of Points, and I think he is We've seen time and time 348 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:48,519 again how Abbott is very protective of some of his highest profile appointees and doesn't 349 00:24:48,559 --> 00:24:53,519 like putting them in political harms way. And I think that you know that 350 00:24:53,519 --> 00:24:57,440 that's what the ten year Bill has potential to do. You know, you 351 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:00,880 mentioned school choice. I want to go back to that really quickly because there 352 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:04,519 was something that I read in that article that y'all just published that I had 353 00:25:04,599 --> 00:25:10,920 somehow missed, which is that there's money in both chambers budgets for some kind 354 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:15,680 of a school choice proposal, right, which that was an interesting little timate 355 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,400 of information which suggested to me that, yeah, maybe there is room for 356 00:25:18,559 --> 00:25:22,440 some kind of compromise along that line. Well, yeah, I think that's 357 00:25:22,559 --> 00:25:25,680 because like House, you know, the Speaker has said, like if you 358 00:25:25,799 --> 00:25:27,599 asked, you know, our one hundred and fifty members what school choice means, 359 00:25:27,759 --> 00:25:32,079 you're going to get one hundred and fifty different answers. So there could 360 00:25:32,079 --> 00:25:36,200 be the folks in there, and there could be well a majority that is 361 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:38,680 interested in having some type of school choice program, but they don't agree on 362 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:41,759 what it is. So the House, I think, as a buffer, 363 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:45,400 was like, Okay, the Governor's very interested in this, like let's let's 364 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,119 put it in there so that if it does pass, we have money to 365 00:25:48,319 --> 00:25:52,160 do this with. But they just haven't come to terms on the actual bill 366 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:59,119 on what an education savings account a thing compromise would look like. And so 367 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:03,400 that's the different called part of this. How did they come to that compromise 368 00:26:03,559 --> 00:26:07,000 and how limited in scope? And I think it will be limited in scope 369 00:26:07,039 --> 00:26:11,640 just because of what the massive resistance that there is on the LGBTQ issues. 370 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:18,119 That was obviously a dramatic moment in the House earlier this week you had the 371 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:23,160 bill coming up for debate, Protesters, you know, getting loud, disrupting 372 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:29,240 the proceedings, immediately being removed from the chamber, many being removed from the 373 00:26:29,279 --> 00:26:33,759 Capitol itself, two people being arrested. At least one of those folks had 374 00:26:33,759 --> 00:26:37,839 their charges sort of immediately dropped by a magistrate judge, and then you know, 375 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:42,680 a pretty effective point of order, you know, that raised a basically 376 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:47,759 a misspelling on a bill analysis, causing the bill to be sent back to 377 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:52,880 committee in order to correct that error. They moved quickly on it. They 378 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:56,880 seem very intent on passing this bill. The leadership in the House, you 379 00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:00,119 know, I think there were some folks we always like to bring up the 380 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:06,119 old you know, dad Feeling comment about the LGBTQ community community. There I 381 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:11,599 think been some hope among members of that community that the House might be a 382 00:27:11,599 --> 00:27:18,279 a sort of last like a buffer buffer for that kind of stuff. I 383 00:27:18,319 --> 00:27:22,480 mean, that does not seem to have come to fruition Jay And uh, 384 00:27:22,799 --> 00:27:25,599 just just for all the tinfoil hats out there, that was a cough that 385 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:30,960 Matthew did not a laugh. So you know, keep your emails to yourselves. 386 00:27:30,559 --> 00:27:33,839 But yeah, I think, um, you know, he's got to 387 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:38,359 go with the membership of the House, which is the way he has said 388 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:41,640 he would run the House. The House has become much more conservative on these 389 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:47,480 issues, and particularly on issues like cent A Bill fifteen, which is the 390 00:27:47,559 --> 00:27:52,440 participation of transgender athletes in sports. I think that's a much more difficult, 391 00:27:53,079 --> 00:28:00,240 Um, it's a much more difficult issue to really get into. And there 392 00:28:00,079 --> 00:28:04,440 there are people who traditionally would support LGBT rights who say, maybe we've got 393 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:08,160 to think about this one. It deals with the advantages that a transgender person 394 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:12,920 would have and competing in sports. The other one too, dealing with, 395 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:18,720 you know, the treatment that kids can get. It does, and transgender 396 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:23,839 rights and transgender healthcare is so new to the general population that when people say 397 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:29,799 while they're mutilating them or something, it is very effective. And so then 398 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:33,319 the defender of those rights are having to be on the defensive and teaching and 399 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:37,519 trying to educate about what these puberty blockers and hormone therapy are, and so 400 00:28:37,559 --> 00:28:42,440 it puts people in difficult positions, I would say, And so, yeah, 401 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:47,319 I mean it hasn't been the buff for that. Certainly it was when 402 00:28:47,759 --> 00:28:51,319 Speaker Stress was there, when he was saying, you know, I don't 403 00:28:51,319 --> 00:28:56,759 want the blood of kids, transgender kids on my hands, and so effectively, 404 00:28:56,839 --> 00:29:00,960 yeah, it has been much more are welcoming to these kinds of bills 405 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,880 then perhaps would have been expected a couple of years ago. I'm patrick, 406 00:29:06,119 --> 00:29:08,279 what you think? Yeah, And I would say, from Feeland's perspective, 407 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:14,440 I still find it very remarkable that I'm both the college trans athlete ban and 408 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:19,400 then this ban on gender affirm and care for trans miners, that the authors 409 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:23,920 went out and got majority chamber support for their proposal very early on in the 410 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:27,319 session. I would say, and so you know, from Feeland's perspective, 411 00:29:27,359 --> 00:29:30,400 you're a Republican speaker, this is a Republican bill. It has enough, 412 00:29:30,599 --> 00:29:33,720 it has enough people on the record for it to pass. How do you 413 00:29:33,759 --> 00:29:38,240 not advance it? And maybe leadership was involved in, you know, corralling 414 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:42,160 majority support for those two proposals, but I do find it interesting that they 415 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:47,359 were able to get majority support, you know, all Republicans, very early 416 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:49,440 on in the session. And so you know that that puts it in a 417 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:55,559 pretty you know, politically natural position for Feeland to say, you know, 418 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,799 these are Republican bills. You know they have majority support, they could pass. 419 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:03,440 I mean, it kind of eliminates any excuse for him not to let 420 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:07,000 them get to a vote. Right He's and he's never addressed those you know, 421 00:30:07,039 --> 00:30:11,640 he made those comments to Evan Smith in his podcast twenty nineteen before he 422 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:14,680 was the speaker, saying, you know, it's twenty twenty nineteen, we 423 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:18,880 should stopped the gay bashing. He's never addressed that, and We've certainly tried 424 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:23,119 to ask him about it. But this is sort of where where the political 425 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:27,400 atmosphere is in the House now, right. Yeah, you think about how 426 00:30:27,559 --> 00:30:32,440 it was the twenty seventeen session where the bathroom bill kind of blew things up 427 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:34,400 and it became a chaotic. I mean, if you had the flipping of 428 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:38,440 those twelve seats by the Democrat right, a lot based on you know, 429 00:30:38,519 --> 00:30:44,920 some of these very controversial topics like make sure city is like the bathroom bill. 430 00:30:45,559 --> 00:30:48,960 Yeah, I mean, you know, it's hard to imagine that bill 431 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:53,359 not passing the House in this legislature. You don't consider that, but yeah, 432 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:56,480 it would definitely have a better chance, I think in the makeup of 433 00:30:56,519 --> 00:31:00,720 the House. All Right, I want to talk about one non legislative thing. 434 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:06,319 We had news this week of Colin all Read, the US Rep Democratic 435 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:11,279 US REP. Out of Dallas, announcing his bid to challenge Senator Ted Cruz 436 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:17,680 for Senate in twenty twenty four. That is the first kind of high profile 437 00:31:17,759 --> 00:31:22,359 official declaration in that race we have heard. You know, the possibility maybe 438 00:31:22,599 --> 00:31:26,359 even likelihood of Roland Gautier as the state senator who represents Uvaldi in other parts 439 00:31:26,359 --> 00:31:30,680 of South Texas possibly getting in that race as well. Patrick tell us a 440 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:36,240 little bit about that launch and what we heard from all Red. Yeah, 441 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:38,920 all right, I have been looking at this form you know, months and 442 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:44,640 months. I mean even before the last November twenty twenty two election. You 443 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:45,640 know, he was able to kind of keep it under the radar. But 444 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:49,319 then there was stories that leaked out earlier this week that said his launch was 445 00:31:49,359 --> 00:31:55,799 imminent, and of course it ultimately came, and so you know, he 446 00:31:55,960 --> 00:32:00,480 is probably you know, one, realistically one of the best candidates that Democrats 447 00:32:00,519 --> 00:32:04,920 could get to run for this seat right now, given the monumental challenge of 448 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:08,880 a Democrat winning statewide in Texas. UM. You know, I think that, 449 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:13,920 uh, he's got a you know, he's got a compelling record, 450 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:17,680 and that he's one of the few Democrats in recent history in Texas who flipped 451 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:22,599 a seat in a really prominent, you know, nationally washed way. He 452 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:25,640 was one of two Democrats to flip congressional seats in Texas in twenty and eighteen 453 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:30,400 while betto Work was running against Cruz Um in Congress. Uh, you know, 454 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:35,880 he is probably going to talk about is bipartisan credentials, Um, And 455 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:37,839 he has some credible things to point to on that front. He's also going 456 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:42,480 to have to talk though about you know, being close to Democratic leadership and 457 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:45,640 you know, voting uh, you know, in alignment with Nancy Pelosi and 458 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:50,680 current Democratic leadership in the House, and so, um, you know that's 459 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:52,839 a that you know, that congressional record is definitely gonna cup both ways for 460 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:57,599 him. I do think his fundraising, you know, his initial fundraising was 461 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:00,240 pretty impressive. Um. You know, his campaign announced that he raised over 462 00:33:00,279 --> 00:33:05,480 two million dollars in the first thirty six hours of his campaign and that they 463 00:33:05,599 --> 00:33:07,480 raised one point six million of that in the first twenty four hours, which 464 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:13,519 which would be the biggest you know, first day for a Senate candidate this 465 00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:16,279 election cycle so far. I think what that tells us, that just confirms 466 00:33:16,279 --> 00:33:22,440 that, you know, Cruz, you know, remains a really galvanizing force 467 00:33:22,519 --> 00:33:27,079 for small dollar donors across the country. And I don't think all Red is 468 00:33:27,119 --> 00:33:29,559 going to be lacking for money in this race. And I will say he 469 00:33:29,599 --> 00:33:34,160 was already a pretty strong fundraiser before he got into this race. I mean, 470 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,240 he got into this race with two point two million dollars cash on hand. 471 00:33:37,519 --> 00:33:40,160 Crews has had three point three million cash on hand. So I do 472 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:45,720 think fundraising is going to be all red strong suit, both because of his 473 00:33:45,759 --> 00:33:49,640 inherent skills that he's demonstrated already and also just because of the national spotlight and 474 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:52,640 hatred for Cruz among these small dollar donors. Yeah, you know, I 475 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:55,960 would say two things kind of sit out to me about its announcement. One 476 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:00,359 is, as you had mentioned, he'd been kind of viewed as something of 477 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:04,559 a rising star in the Texas Democratic Party. You know, all the reasons 478 00:34:04,559 --> 00:34:07,880 that you mentioned. He's a former Baylor football player, played had a little 479 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:17,280 kind of cup of coffee in the NFL. Um wow he he um. 480 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:23,920 But you know, it's somewhat unusual to see those rising stars actually put their 481 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:28,039 hat in the ring in these races. You know, we saw the Castros 482 00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:31,119 kind of be talked about for running statewide for a really long time and they 483 00:34:31,199 --> 00:34:35,639 never really got around to doing it. You know, even betto Rourke obviously 484 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:38,159 has a very high profile now, but when he announced that race, you 485 00:34:38,159 --> 00:34:43,320 know, his bid to challenge Crews the last time, he was not a 486 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:47,519 particularly well known member of Congress, and you know he had sort of term 487 00:34:47,599 --> 00:34:52,639 limited himself, you know, saying that he wouldn't you know, would only 488 00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:55,039 run I think two terms if I'm remembering that correctly. Maybe maybe you can 489 00:34:55,039 --> 00:34:59,159 correct me if I'm wrong on that, Patrick, But but you know previously, 490 00:34:59,159 --> 00:35:01,079 what you end up seeing people going to those races are like, you 491 00:35:01,119 --> 00:35:05,000 know, mayors who can't run for mayor anymore, or some of those other 492 00:35:05,039 --> 00:35:07,119 things. So it did feel notable to be to see a Democrat with that 493 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:10,159 prestige, I think, and this could be my Dallas bias, but I 494 00:35:10,199 --> 00:35:15,440 definitely think that Colin Alred is much more well known than bett Ol Rourke was 495 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:22,159 at the beginning of his senatorial run twenty eighteen against Ted Cruz, you know 496 00:35:22,199 --> 00:35:24,480 the other right, Yeah, yeah, I think so, Patrick. The 497 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:30,440 other thing that's interesting to me is to have a candidate of color heading up 498 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:37,719 so far a competitive or what could be a competitive Senate campaign in Texas. 499 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:40,079 Colin already he's got a he's got a good story. You know, it's 500 00:35:40,119 --> 00:35:44,360 college did sometime in the NFL, has got a law degree. He sort 501 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:47,440 of speaks all the languages in terms of like he can get the fundraisers, 502 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:52,400 he can get big donors. He's from Dallas, and you know, a 503 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:57,159 candidate of color that can and he's he's forty. I think forty is how 504 00:35:57,159 --> 00:36:00,679 old he is. So he's part of like a younger generation that can albumize 505 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:05,880 voters that are around that age that maybe wouldn't be captivated by an older candidate. 506 00:36:07,039 --> 00:36:09,639 So I think he is an interesting pick, and obviously it'll be you 507 00:36:09,639 --> 00:36:13,599 know, we'll have to see how that plays out. I think the rollout 508 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:20,280 was maybe didn't get as much flair as I expected, but that could also 509 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,320 be because you know, Politico broke the news early and so it kind of 510 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:29,559 fizzled down. But I am curious to see if he can continue that you 511 00:36:29,599 --> 00:36:34,599 know, trajectory or you know energy, especially as we start seeing other people 512 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:37,920 jump into the mix. Yeah, one of the things is going to add 513 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:39,199 is that, you know, it should be noted this as a presidential election 514 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:43,559 cycle in Texas. So he's not leading the ticket, you know, he 515 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:46,719 is, you know, presumably Joe Biden will be leading the ticket in Texas. 516 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:52,360 Right, You're assuming that National Democrats will play in Texas. But in 517 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:54,360 any case, you know, this isn't you know, it's it's a little 518 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:58,320 different to compare this to bets are working twenty eighteen gets better work with at 519 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:01,239 the top of the ticket. When you're an in state statewide candidate at the 520 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:05,559 top of the ticket, there's a little more of a burden on YouTube develop 521 00:37:06,119 --> 00:37:09,880 a distinct brand UM, you know, and create the wave that you want. 522 00:37:10,159 --> 00:37:14,400 Whereas now, you know Colin Allred is going to be UM. You 523 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:16,280 know, he's you know, his chances are going to be pretty closely tied 524 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:20,840 to the presidential election because that's gonna be that's what's going to drag out most 525 00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:24,199 voters in Texas UM in November twenty twenty four. And so I think there 526 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:30,599 is less of a burden on all Red to be necessarily some really unique, 527 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:35,159 huge celebrity candidate like bettor Work was in twenty eighteen. You know, in 528 00:37:35,159 --> 00:37:37,960 a presidential election year, when you're running in this kind of race, you 529 00:37:37,039 --> 00:37:40,599 just have to be disciplined, raise the money, UM, and you know, 530 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:45,559 relatively unoffensive I think ideologically UM, and be a good position for one 531 00:37:45,599 --> 00:37:49,079 the wave breaks one way or another, and you know, I think all 532 00:37:49,119 --> 00:37:52,320 Red picks that go right now, all right, well, it's going to 533 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:57,559 be an interesting to watch. I mean, there's also a possibility right of 534 00:37:57,559 --> 00:38:01,559 of an interesting primary there. I mean, do we think good years sticks 535 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:06,079 with his you know, there's been some reporting that he was looking at that 536 00:38:06,119 --> 00:38:08,920 seat as well. What is his seat up, Patrick, is he so 537 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:13,159 his State Senate seat is not up until twenty twenty six, so this would 538 00:38:13,159 --> 00:38:15,079 be a free shot for him. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't 539 00:38:15,079 --> 00:38:19,800 know why he wouldn't do it. He doesn't lose the State Senate seat obviously. 540 00:38:20,119 --> 00:38:22,159 Um, he's been very frustrated with the State Senate and it's an action 541 00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:27,360 on gun restrictions at the evolved the shooting which happened in his district. Um. 542 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:31,400 You know, he's he's gonna, says, an outcast in the State 543 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:36,199 Senate for his efforts to move on those issues. So there's really no reason 544 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:39,400 for him, um not to do it. Um. And he also you 545 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:45,239 know, he's also um, a Hispanic Democrat from South Texas, which continues 546 00:38:45,239 --> 00:38:47,480 to be a point of focus for for Democrats in terms of an area they 547 00:38:47,519 --> 00:38:51,559 need to do betteran I think democrats, you know, all Reads from Dallas. 548 00:38:51,599 --> 00:38:53,639 I think Democrats believe they're they're doing just okay in Dallas these days. 549 00:38:54,039 --> 00:38:59,639 UM. So you know, he brings it definitely a different background and profile 550 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:04,480 than all Read. And you know, like I said, politically the stakes 551 00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:07,000 are pretty you know, there's not a lot of risk for him. Yeah, 552 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:08,719 and he has an interesting story to tell, having spent you know, 553 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:14,880 much of the past session with families of victims of the shooting and Vivaldi in 554 00:39:15,119 --> 00:39:16,800 the work that he's done with him as well. It will be an interesting 555 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:21,440 thing to watch, but first we will need to get through this legislative session. 556 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:24,239 Thank you, Patrick and James California, James for talking to us through 557 00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:29,360 this. Thank you to our producer, Justin, and thank you to our 558 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:35,280 sponsors, the Texas Dental Association, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Raise 559 00:39:35,400 --> 00:39:38,480 your Hand Texas, and the Texas Hospital Association. We'll talk to y'all next 560 00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:50,960 week. Thank you. Join us on May fifth in Midland for a conversation 561 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,199 with experts about water infrastructure in Texas and what it will take to keep the 562 00:39:54,239 --> 00:40:00,239 state's water safely flowing. Our SPP at Texas Tribune Dot or slash Events