WEBVTT

1
00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:09.919
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to the Tribecast.

2
00:00:10.039 --> 00:00:13.800
<v Speaker 2>I'm Eleanor Klibanoff, women's health reporter here at the Texas Tribune.

3
00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:16.920
<v Speaker 2>I am here with editor in chief and my co host,

4
00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:17.640
<v Speaker 2>Matthew Watkins.

5
00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:20.800
<v Speaker 3>Hello there, Hey, how are you. I'm doing okay, Yeah, okay,

6
00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:22.120
<v Speaker 3>we'll talk more about that.

7
00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:25.039
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we're trying to keep the mood up. But we're

8
00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:29.879
<v Speaker 2>also here with a politics reporter for now, James Varagon,

9
00:00:30.239 --> 00:00:36.039
<v Speaker 2>also known as the Great Betrayer. Hi, Eleanor, Hello, you

10
00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:39.240
<v Speaker 2>know we should say we're taping this on Friday. It

11
00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:42.560
<v Speaker 2>is also James's last day at the Texas Tribune, and

12
00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:44.880
<v Speaker 2>his last day is co host of the tripcast.

13
00:00:44.439 --> 00:00:46.719
<v Speaker 3>And last day is friend to me and Eleanor.

14
00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:49.439
<v Speaker 2>True exactly last day a person we look at, talk

15
00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:52.799
<v Speaker 2>to engage with at all. The shunning begins at five pm,

16
00:00:53.479 --> 00:00:55.640
<v Speaker 2>and then your happy hour begins at five thirty.

17
00:00:56.200 --> 00:00:56.759
<v Speaker 3>Okay, we'll wait.

18
00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:01.560
<v Speaker 2>It's a brief shutting, yes, but no. For those who

19
00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:04.079
<v Speaker 2>don't know, James is leaving the Tribune to go host

20
00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:07.760
<v Speaker 2>Capital Tonight at Spectrum News. We're very very excited for you.

21
00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:10.519
<v Speaker 2>Glad you're staying in Austin and sad to lose you

22
00:01:10.599 --> 00:01:11.280
<v Speaker 2>at the Tribune.

23
00:01:11.560 --> 00:01:15.040
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, I'm sad to go before before we get too

24
00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:18.519
<v Speaker 4>far ahead of ourselves, I would like to say happy birthday,

25
00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:23.920
<v Speaker 4>belated birthday. You missed the last trip cast, so happy birthday. Yes,

26
00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:25.719
<v Speaker 4>very sad to be leaving the TEXTA Tribune had a

27
00:01:25.719 --> 00:01:28.920
<v Speaker 4>great opportunity to hop over to Spectrum and be a

28
00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:32.000
<v Speaker 4>host of Capital Tonight, which is a program that we

29
00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:35.439
<v Speaker 4>I think we've all been on. We love and respect

30
00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:39.079
<v Speaker 4>and yeah, excited for new adventures and a new medium.

31
00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:43.200
<v Speaker 2>I feel like this is largely Matthew's fault because he said, hey,

32
00:01:43.560 --> 00:01:45.000
<v Speaker 2>James eleanor do a podcast.

33
00:01:45.079 --> 00:01:49.239
<v Speaker 1>It will put on YouTube. James got it. Yeah, they

34
00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:51.439
<v Speaker 1>were like, oh my god. He was like, I gotta

35
00:01:51.560 --> 00:01:52.879
<v Speaker 1>be on TV full time.

36
00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:55.120
<v Speaker 3>Cut the camera off.

37
00:01:55.799 --> 00:01:58.120
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, this was no one else can get the taste

38
00:01:58.120 --> 00:01:58.519
<v Speaker 1>of fame.

39
00:02:00.159 --> 00:02:01.159
<v Speaker 3>We will miss you, James.

40
00:02:01.400 --> 00:02:03.480
<v Speaker 5>Then, you've been a lot to the Tribune and you've

41
00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:07.200
<v Speaker 5>done amazing work and we're really proud of you, excited

42
00:02:07.239 --> 00:02:09.639
<v Speaker 5>that we'll still get to see you and watch you.

43
00:02:09.639 --> 00:02:11.759
<v Speaker 4>Thank you very much. I'll miss you, guys, and I

44
00:02:11.800 --> 00:02:13.319
<v Speaker 4>hope to have you guys on the show sometimes.

45
00:02:13.639 --> 00:02:15.120
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, tell us a little bit. I mean, you've been

46
00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:17.719
<v Speaker 2>Tribune a long time. What is uh was a memory

47
00:02:17.719 --> 00:02:19.159
<v Speaker 2>that stands out to you from your time here?

48
00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:23.479
<v Speaker 3>Favorite coworker Patrick v Tech.

49
00:02:25.879 --> 00:02:28.520
<v Speaker 2>To us also to us that you guys can join

50
00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:29.840
<v Speaker 2>your little alumni council.

51
00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:33.120
<v Speaker 4>No, I mean, I don't know that I have one

52
00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:38.199
<v Speaker 4>favorite memory. The treasure, as we say, is the friends

53
00:02:38.199 --> 00:02:40.919
<v Speaker 4>you make along the way. My co host Eleanor Klibanoff

54
00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:43.400
<v Speaker 4>really has become a great friend of mine. Kate McGee

55
00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:47.159
<v Speaker 4>also a great friend. It's just a great group of

56
00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:51.879
<v Speaker 4>people to work with, a very supportive newsroom. Yeah, like

57
00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:54.319
<v Speaker 4>I said, uh, I've done a lot of great work here,

58
00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:56.680
<v Speaker 4>had a lot of personal growth. And I'll miss you guys,

59
00:02:56.759 --> 00:02:59.560
<v Speaker 4>And I'll miss the readers in the audience because they're

60
00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:04.560
<v Speaker 4>so engaged and so vocal and so supportive. So I

61
00:03:04.599 --> 00:03:05.199
<v Speaker 4>will miss that.

62
00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:07.319
<v Speaker 3>I think most of our readers know this.

63
00:03:07.479 --> 00:03:12.039
<v Speaker 5>But if and listeners know this, but if they want

64
00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:14.400
<v Speaker 5>to keep watching you, how will they be able to

65
00:03:14.439 --> 00:03:14.719
<v Speaker 5>do that?

66
00:03:14.919 --> 00:03:19.360
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, you can watch on Spectrum TV on cable and

67
00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:22.319
<v Speaker 4>the show is on it's called Capital Tonight. If you

68
00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:25.319
<v Speaker 4>don't know it, it's at seven o'clock Monday through Friday.

69
00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:26.800
<v Speaker 4>And I'll be there. I'll be doing a couple of

70
00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:30.479
<v Speaker 4>weeks of training doing just on the job reporting before

71
00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:33.439
<v Speaker 4>taking over the anchor chair in early to mid April.

72
00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:37.879
<v Speaker 1>Do you how long have you been covering the text legislature?

73
00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:42.120
<v Speaker 4>Been covering the Texas legislature since twenty seventeen.

74
00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:44.960
<v Speaker 2>Okay, eight years and I know you're not leaving the

75
00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:50.120
<v Speaker 2>Texas Legislature, but eight years.

76
00:03:48.599 --> 00:03:52.479
<v Speaker 1>Four sessions, five sessions, five sessions.

77
00:03:53.159 --> 00:03:54.439
<v Speaker 2>Do you feel like you have any sense of like,

78
00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:57.000
<v Speaker 2>have things changed in that time that you've been covering it?

79
00:03:57.319 --> 00:03:58.360
<v Speaker 1>Seen any big shifts?

80
00:03:58.599 --> 00:04:02.919
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, I mean we've had three different speakers, four different

81
00:04:02.919 --> 00:04:06.719
<v Speaker 4>speakers in that time, so that's changed. We've talked a

82
00:04:06.759 --> 00:04:12.560
<v Speaker 4>lot on the show about the right word lurch that

83
00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:15.080
<v Speaker 4>the Texas House has taken. You know, when I first

84
00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:17.600
<v Speaker 4>came in, it was under Joe Strauss, who was a

85
00:04:17.720 --> 00:04:21.720
<v Speaker 4>much more moderate speaker. That was a bad word back then,

86
00:04:22.279 --> 00:04:25.959
<v Speaker 4>but he certainly was a moderate. Stopped a lot of

87
00:04:26.920 --> 00:04:29.560
<v Speaker 4>the kind of legislation that we're seeing now with bathroom bills,

88
00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:32.519
<v Speaker 4>and I think it just speaks to how politics have

89
00:04:32.680 --> 00:04:37.399
<v Speaker 4>moved in the state of Texas, to how the House

90
00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:42.480
<v Speaker 4>is built and what bills are being taken up. But

91
00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:45.160
<v Speaker 4>you know, that's how life is. I mean, things change,

92
00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:48.600
<v Speaker 4>but it's still one of the best state houses to cover,

93
00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:51.160
<v Speaker 4>probably the best state house to cover in the country.

94
00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:56.319
<v Speaker 4>So much consequential policy passes, and so I'm super excited

95
00:04:56.360 --> 00:04:58.519
<v Speaker 4>to keep covering it and for to keep following your

96
00:04:58.519 --> 00:05:01.399
<v Speaker 4>guys' work because you guys are the best day Well,

97
00:05:01.480 --> 00:05:01.879
<v Speaker 4>thank you.

98
00:05:02.279 --> 00:05:04.279
<v Speaker 1>I agree.

99
00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:07.920
<v Speaker 2>No, But turning now to the Texas Legislature, I mean,

100
00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:10.160
<v Speaker 2>this week, I think we're just kind of gonna run

101
00:05:10.199 --> 00:05:12.199
<v Speaker 2>through some of what we've seen happening. We've done a

102
00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:15.079
<v Speaker 2>couple of episodes sort of focusing on specific issues, and

103
00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:18.279
<v Speaker 2>while we've been doing that, a lot has happened at

104
00:05:18.279 --> 00:05:20.600
<v Speaker 2>the Capitol. So you know, things are really starting to

105
00:05:21.480 --> 00:05:25.800
<v Speaker 2>fly now. The Senate is moving through its priorities, sparks

106
00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:28.920
<v Speaker 2>are flying in House committee hearings, and we're going to

107
00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:33.279
<v Speaker 2>really start seeing things move now pretty quickly. Matthew talked

108
00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:35.879
<v Speaker 2>about sort of where we are right now and what

109
00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:36.600
<v Speaker 2>comes next.

110
00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:38.759
<v Speaker 5>I think as I've talked to people who work in

111
00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:45.439
<v Speaker 5>the capital in recent days, the big thing that people

112
00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:49.319
<v Speaker 5>are talking about is how calm and friendly it's been

113
00:05:49.399 --> 00:05:52.120
<v Speaker 5>so far. I mean, we've had a few little moments

114
00:05:52.120 --> 00:05:55.399
<v Speaker 5>of flair effs, we'll talk to you. But I think

115
00:05:55.959 --> 00:06:01.160
<v Speaker 5>after this just incredibly tense primary season back in March

116
00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:04.120
<v Speaker 5>to the Republican primary, a lot of members ousted, then

117
00:06:04.279 --> 00:06:08.439
<v Speaker 5>a incredibly intense run up to the start of the

118
00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:12.000
<v Speaker 5>session fighting over the House Speaker, we get Dustin Burrows.

119
00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:14.600
<v Speaker 5>He is on the other side of the sort of

120
00:06:14.920 --> 00:06:18.480
<v Speaker 5>you know, insurgent wing of the Republican Party, but he

121
00:06:18.519 --> 00:06:22.279
<v Speaker 5>has taken a lot of effort to reach out to

122
00:06:22.920 --> 00:06:26.560
<v Speaker 5>that wing, but even maybe more so Governor Abbott and

123
00:06:26.959 --> 00:06:30.439
<v Speaker 5>Dan Patrick and try to kind of make peace. He's been,

124
00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:36.879
<v Speaker 5>you know, appearing on stage with Abbott on voucher meetings, rallies.

125
00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:41.680
<v Speaker 5>He's been, you know, working kind of in concert or

126
00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:45.399
<v Speaker 5>at least not an opposition to Dan Patrick in the Senate.

127
00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:47.959
<v Speaker 5>And I think that there's a lot of optimism among

128
00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:51.199
<v Speaker 5>people in the Senate and just around the legislature in general,

129
00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:54.560
<v Speaker 5>at least on the Republican side, that that maybe we

130
00:06:54.639 --> 00:07:00.480
<v Speaker 5>can get through a sort of calm, peaceful legislation session

131
00:07:00.519 --> 00:07:02.319
<v Speaker 5>instead of one that breaks down into fighting.

132
00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:02.959
<v Speaker 3>You know.

133
00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:07.319
<v Speaker 5>The caveat is that it's you know, early March, and

134
00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:11.040
<v Speaker 5>where we will really see that test is later in

135
00:07:11.079 --> 00:07:14.959
<v Speaker 5>the session when things go through. But I mean, you know,

136
00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:17.360
<v Speaker 5>and there's lots of potential areas for it to blow up.

137
00:07:17.399 --> 00:07:19.399
<v Speaker 5>You know, there's still things that need to be ironed

138
00:07:19.399 --> 00:07:21.360
<v Speaker 5>out in the voucher bill. I'm sure we'll talk about that.

139
00:07:21.399 --> 00:07:25.360
<v Speaker 5>There's differing views on property taxes and everything like that.

140
00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:27.959
<v Speaker 5>But so far they seem at least willing to work

141
00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:30.839
<v Speaker 5>with each other, the Big three having their you know,

142
00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:36.240
<v Speaker 5>weekly breakfasts, which wasn't happening last session. And to me,

143
00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:37.639
<v Speaker 5>the big question is well that stick.

144
00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:42.680
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, I think that it's still early on. I did

145
00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:46.560
<v Speaker 4>have that realization like this week where I was just

146
00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:50.920
<v Speaker 4>talking to somebody at the Capital Cafe shout out Capital Cafe,

147
00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:54.720
<v Speaker 4>and they were like, Wow, things are really getting going now,

148
00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:57.360
<v Speaker 4>Like there's deadlines are coming up. Bill foundin deadlines I

149
00:07:57.399 --> 00:08:02.079
<v Speaker 4>think are next week. So things are getting going. At

150
00:08:02.120 --> 00:08:04.240
<v Speaker 4>the same time, things haven't moved that much. I mean,

151
00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:08.839
<v Speaker 4>we're talking about vouchers, we're talking about the Senate priorities

152
00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:11.160
<v Speaker 4>flying out of the Senate, but that kind of.

153
00:08:11.160 --> 00:08:13.759
<v Speaker 1>Is always right, almost administrative.

154
00:08:13.240 --> 00:08:17.480
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, yeah, and then like the Senate voucher Bill hasn't

155
00:08:17.480 --> 00:08:19.959
<v Speaker 4>moved in the House. The House is moving its own thing.

156
00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:22.519
<v Speaker 4>The committees are barely starting to meet and have their

157
00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:25.439
<v Speaker 4>organizational meetings, so nobody can really say like, wow, my

158
00:08:25.480 --> 00:08:29.600
<v Speaker 4>bill hasn't moved. Nobody's really has that anger in them yet.

159
00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:32.720
<v Speaker 4>Everybody had nice committee appointments, so everybody's like in this

160
00:08:32.759 --> 00:08:35.919
<v Speaker 4>feel good era. But I think maybe over the next

161
00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:38.279
<v Speaker 4>month or two we're going to start seeing people outside

162
00:08:38.279 --> 00:08:42.960
<v Speaker 4>of representive Brian Harrison and his crew start getting upset.

163
00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:45.159
<v Speaker 4>If things don't start.

164
00:08:45.559 --> 00:08:49.120
<v Speaker 5>I just want to just remark briefly though, on what

165
00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:52.679
<v Speaker 5>seems to be a talent of Dustin Burrows to make

166
00:08:52.759 --> 00:08:56.679
<v Speaker 5>peace with folks. Right, we all remember, or many of us,

167
00:08:56.679 --> 00:09:01.200
<v Speaker 5>I'm sure remember the scandal that brought down Speaker Bonnin

168
00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:06.360
<v Speaker 5>back in twenty nineteen where he has a secret meeting

169
00:09:06.519 --> 00:09:12.039
<v Speaker 5>with Michael quinn Sullivan, the conservative activist, in which Burrows

170
00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:15.240
<v Speaker 5>comes along with him, presents a sort of secret list

171
00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:21.200
<v Speaker 5>of Republican members of the Republican Party who MQS can target.

172
00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:26.399
<v Speaker 5>Michael quinn Sullivan secretly records this meeting, it goes out,

173
00:09:26.519 --> 00:09:29.600
<v Speaker 5>it creates this big scandal, Burrows has to resign as

174
00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:34.840
<v Speaker 5>Republican Caucus Chair, and Bonnin ends up, you know, losing

175
00:09:34.840 --> 00:09:37.879
<v Speaker 5>his speakership. Over that that I think, you know, you

176
00:09:38.039 --> 00:09:40.559
<v Speaker 5>have to look at as a pretty low point for Burrows.

177
00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:43.759
<v Speaker 5>He found a way to kind of bring himself back

178
00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:48.080
<v Speaker 5>up into leadership, ended up winning the speaker's gavel, which

179
00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:50.399
<v Speaker 5>is a pretty amazing thing just in and of itself.

180
00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:53.799
<v Speaker 5>Then you have in the early session, you know, the

181
00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:58.240
<v Speaker 5>billionaire Alex Fairley talking about how he's gonna essentially, you know,

182
00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:02.360
<v Speaker 5>signaling that he's going to go after people who vote

183
00:10:02.360 --> 00:10:06.240
<v Speaker 5>for the sort of leadership wing of the GOP in

184
00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:09.240
<v Speaker 5>the House speaker's race. And then right before that vote,

185
00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:11.200
<v Speaker 5>he puts out a statement that seems to kind of

186
00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:13.720
<v Speaker 5>back away from that and almost give people permission to

187
00:10:14.279 --> 00:10:19.960
<v Speaker 5>vote for Burrows Fairli's including Fairly's daughter who casts that vote.

188
00:10:20.120 --> 00:10:23.919
<v Speaker 5>And now you know, again at least it's early. I

189
00:10:23.960 --> 00:10:26.279
<v Speaker 5>will again acknowledge that, and we have to acknowledge that

190
00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:28.720
<v Speaker 5>every time we talk about it. But now he seems,

191
00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:31.080
<v Speaker 5>at least for now to be getting along with Dan Patrick.

192
00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:35.559
<v Speaker 5>And that is an impressive skill by this speaker to

193
00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:39.720
<v Speaker 5>to you know, that I think will help him accomplish

194
00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:43.440
<v Speaker 5>things and just sort of like put the House in

195
00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:46.600
<v Speaker 5>a different position than maybe it has seemed in recent years.

196
00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:49.240
<v Speaker 2>Do you think that to some extent just comes down

197
00:10:49.240 --> 00:10:51.919
<v Speaker 2>to like personality, like who he is, Like you know,

198
00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:54.840
<v Speaker 2>is he more of a peacemaker maybe than Daid feel

199
00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:57.080
<v Speaker 2>and you know, who was very much at odds Or

200
00:10:57.120 --> 00:11:00.600
<v Speaker 2>is it the political landscape that they're the sam they're in.

201
00:11:01.159 --> 00:11:03.080
<v Speaker 3>I'd be interested in hearing your opinion on that. Jams.

202
00:11:03.480 --> 00:11:05.279
<v Speaker 4>My thoughts are that he's not new to this, he's

203
00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:07.279
<v Speaker 4>true to this and so.

204
00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:10.799
<v Speaker 1>This is how you get a TV contract.

205
00:11:13.720 --> 00:11:16.720
<v Speaker 4>No, I mean he is a very very savvy political player.

206
00:11:16.919 --> 00:11:18.879
<v Speaker 4>One thing that you did point out, Matthew is that

207
00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:23.679
<v Speaker 4>a couple of the people on his pledge list or

208
00:11:23.720 --> 00:11:27.519
<v Speaker 4>people that he targeted in that twenty nineteen styles So

209
00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:29.559
<v Speaker 4>you look at folks like Drew Darby, you look at

210
00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:32.879
<v Speaker 4>folks like Stan Lambert and say, man, what did this

211
00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:35.120
<v Speaker 4>guy do? How did this guy talk to them? What

212
00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:37.480
<v Speaker 4>has he done in the last couple of years to

213
00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:40.360
<v Speaker 4>get those guys to come over to his side? That

214
00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:43.960
<v Speaker 4>is remarkable for a politician to be able to do

215
00:11:44.039 --> 00:11:48.399
<v Speaker 4>that that turnaround. He's very savvy. He we had a

216
00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:52.799
<v Speaker 4>profile of him talking about how relentless he is. He's

217
00:11:52.919 --> 00:11:55.600
<v Speaker 4>very organized. He doesn't just sit around and wait, and

218
00:11:55.639 --> 00:11:58.639
<v Speaker 4>he also is it's not I wouldn't say he's the

219
00:11:58.759 --> 00:12:04.759
<v Speaker 4>friendliest personality, but he is a very straight shooter, and

220
00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:06.399
<v Speaker 4>when it's a no, he's going to tell you it's

221
00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:08.120
<v Speaker 4>to know. When it's a yeah, he's going to tell

222
00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:10.720
<v Speaker 4>you it's a yeah. But he doesn't stop at no.

223
00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:14.759
<v Speaker 4>He's like, Okay, it's a no, now, but here are five, six, seven, eight,

224
00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:17.399
<v Speaker 4>ten things we can do to get it to a yes.

225
00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:19.720
<v Speaker 4>And that's the kind of person that you need to

226
00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:24.759
<v Speaker 4>be in the capital to get stuff done. And that's

227
00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:26.200
<v Speaker 4>the person that he has shown to be.

228
00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:27.679
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, this is the kind of person you need to be,

229
00:12:27.720 --> 00:12:30.559
<v Speaker 5>particularly in the speaker's chair, right, because we always talk

230
00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:34.279
<v Speaker 5>about how the Lieutenant governor is perhaps the most powerful

231
00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:37.759
<v Speaker 5>person in the state, particularly during the legislative session. And

232
00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:40.639
<v Speaker 5>one of the reasons for that is structural, right, because

233
00:12:40.679 --> 00:12:43.480
<v Speaker 5>he's elected by the people, right, he's not elected by

234
00:12:43.480 --> 00:12:46.000
<v Speaker 5>the other members of the Senate, so he can preside

235
00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:49.639
<v Speaker 5>over it without worrying about angering enough lawmakers that they'll

236
00:12:49.720 --> 00:12:52.240
<v Speaker 5>end up voting him out. And that's a much more

237
00:12:52.279 --> 00:12:55.840
<v Speaker 5>comfortable and just ap perch with more leverage than the

238
00:12:55.840 --> 00:12:58.960
<v Speaker 5>House speaker, who has to you know, I mean, we've

239
00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:03.120
<v Speaker 5>seen this repeatedly over recent years. Has to keep those

240
00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:05.279
<v Speaker 5>members happy in order to keep them going, and he

241
00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:06.559
<v Speaker 5>just seems to be pretty good at that.

242
00:13:06.679 --> 00:13:09.320
<v Speaker 4>You've got to serve two masters, and serving the people

243
00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:11.759
<v Speaker 4>who elect you to your House seat, but then also

244
00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:13.480
<v Speaker 4>the other one hundred and forty nine members who are

245
00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:16.440
<v Speaker 4>going to elect you as House Speaker. And he again,

246
00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:21.519
<v Speaker 4>he has this political talent for turning nose into yeses.

247
00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:23.399
<v Speaker 4>And that's kind of what you need when you have

248
00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:25.600
<v Speaker 4>that dynamic between the House and the Senate, which is

249
00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:29.759
<v Speaker 4>often at odds, especially with the Lieutenant governor like Dan Patrick,

250
00:13:29.799 --> 00:13:32.000
<v Speaker 4>who is just we've talked about this, we've used this

251
00:13:32.039 --> 00:13:35.159
<v Speaker 4>phrase before. He rules with an iron fist. But you know,

252
00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:38.080
<v Speaker 4>Dennis Bondon was also really good at this. He was wiley,

253
00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:40.759
<v Speaker 4>he was very smart. And it's because they had been

254
00:13:40.840 --> 00:13:45.919
<v Speaker 4>chairman of big committees and had led had authored big bills,

255
00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:49.240
<v Speaker 4>had known where the levers were to pull to make

256
00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:51.519
<v Speaker 4>things go. And I think this is the dynamic that

257
00:13:51.559 --> 00:13:56.200
<v Speaker 4>there is. And importantly, Lieutenant Governor Patrick respects that he

258
00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:58.639
<v Speaker 4>knows that he's a player. He knows that he can't

259
00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:01.559
<v Speaker 4>just go above his head or bully him on Twitter.

260
00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:04.480
<v Speaker 4>We haven't seen those kinds of messages, and so that

261
00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:06.600
<v Speaker 4>is a dynamic that is playing out now. Of course,

262
00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:09.279
<v Speaker 4>again the caveat what is going to be a relationship,

263
00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:10.960
<v Speaker 4>Like in June, you can play this back.

264
00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:16.600
<v Speaker 2>I was going to say, right, roll this right back. Yeah, yeah, no, certainly.

265
00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:20.080
<v Speaker 2>I mean I think we're seeing at least like friendlier. Also,

266
00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:22.320
<v Speaker 2>there is a lot that they are in agreement on, right, Like,

267
00:14:22.360 --> 00:14:25.600
<v Speaker 2>it's easier to be friendly when you are all you're

268
00:14:25.639 --> 00:14:27.240
<v Speaker 2>at least in you know, the Big three are all

269
00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:29.559
<v Speaker 2>saying we all want vouchers, we all want property text cuts.

270
00:14:29.879 --> 00:14:32.440
<v Speaker 2>We're going to have some conflict over how we do that,

271
00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:33.600
<v Speaker 2>but like we're all kind of on the.

272
00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:37.840
<v Speaker 4>Same People sleep on this. But Dustin Burrows is a

273
00:14:38.039 --> 00:14:40.919
<v Speaker 4>very strong conservative. I mean people will try to in

274
00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:43.440
<v Speaker 4>certain interests, will try to convince you that he is not.

275
00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:46.000
<v Speaker 4>But I mean I get emails from people in his

276
00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:48.840
<v Speaker 4>district saying like this guy is a dyed in the

277
00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:52.519
<v Speaker 4>wool like red as blood conservative, And that's why they

278
00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:54.960
<v Speaker 4>get along. That's why they are in such agreement on

279
00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:57.559
<v Speaker 4>these issues. Whereas, again going back to our earlier comment

280
00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:00.120
<v Speaker 4>about when I started covering it was Joe Strauss. He

281
00:15:00.200 --> 00:15:02.559
<v Speaker 4>was not as conservative. He was a more traditional like

282
00:15:03.159 --> 00:15:07.000
<v Speaker 4>Reagan Republican, George Bush Republican. Uh, these are much more

283
00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:10.039
<v Speaker 4>socially conservative lawmakers. And that's why they're don't want right.

284
00:15:10.039 --> 00:15:12.399
<v Speaker 2>I mean, the gap between Joe Strauss and Dustin Burroughs

285
00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:15.879
<v Speaker 2>versus Dustin Burroughs and say David Cook is you know,

286
00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:18.240
<v Speaker 2>Strauss and Burrows much wider.

287
00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:19.159
<v Speaker 3>Right.

288
00:15:19.320 --> 00:15:24.480
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, speaking about vouchers, you know, we're not going to.

289
00:15:24.519 --> 00:15:25.919
<v Speaker 4>Get into the whole segue.

290
00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:27.519
<v Speaker 1>That's what we call a segue.

291
00:15:27.559 --> 00:15:30.879
<v Speaker 2>And in the biz, uh, you know, we've got all

292
00:15:31.080 --> 00:15:33.039
<v Speaker 2>the big three, we're all agreeing on vouchers.

293
00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:34.840
<v Speaker 1>Everybody's all so happy.

294
00:15:34.919 --> 00:15:38.440
<v Speaker 2>James, where does that stand right now? In this pre

295
00:15:38.679 --> 00:15:41.320
<v Speaker 2>uh you know, the warm up period.

296
00:15:41.639 --> 00:15:44.399
<v Speaker 4>I think it's uh, you know, when you're making pasta

297
00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:46.480
<v Speaker 4>and like you got to let the water boil a

298
00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:49.159
<v Speaker 4>little bit. That's where we're at right now, because everybody

299
00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:51.080
<v Speaker 4>is like, Okay, this thing is moving.

300
00:15:51.480 --> 00:15:52.000
<v Speaker 3>Uh.

301
00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:54.679
<v Speaker 4>The Senate bill has passed the Senate. Now we've got

302
00:15:54.679 --> 00:15:59.519
<v Speaker 4>the House bill. Weirdly, like, tell me what your thoughts

303
00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:02.080
<v Speaker 4>are on this, man, but like the education advocates are

304
00:16:02.120 --> 00:16:05.759
<v Speaker 4>sort of kind of quiet. Yeah, and Jayden had a

305
00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:10.559
<v Speaker 4>really great story about the the Democrats, like top leaders

306
00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:13.000
<v Speaker 4>on voucher stuff, sort of saying like, you guys are

307
00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:16.159
<v Speaker 4>being too nice, like if you need money, you come

308
00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:18.759
<v Speaker 4>out swinging right. And it's it's sort of a Dayton

309
00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:21.159
<v Speaker 4>or a little bit of an under the radar kind

310
00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:22.919
<v Speaker 4>of battle that they're fighting because they don't want to

311
00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:27.000
<v Speaker 4>tick off the state officials who basically control their purse

312
00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:30.200
<v Speaker 4>strings because they really desperately need the money. But also

313
00:16:30.279 --> 00:16:34.320
<v Speaker 4>it's like vouchers could really hurt their public schools, and

314
00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:36.559
<v Speaker 4>this is what they say, maybe not publicly, but they

315
00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:39.080
<v Speaker 4>certainly say it privately to us, right, And so I

316
00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:41.360
<v Speaker 4>think it's it's that part. But then there's and I

317
00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:43.960
<v Speaker 4>think Republicans are pretty confident that it's going to pass.

318
00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:49.159
<v Speaker 4>But then you're also seeing folks like Cody Harris and

319
00:16:49.240 --> 00:16:52.960
<v Speaker 4>Brad Buckley getting booed on stage, getting shouted down at

320
00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:55.360
<v Speaker 4>their own town halls. I saw Carl Tepper isn't even

321
00:16:55.399 --> 00:16:58.360
<v Speaker 4>doing a town hall. He's doing kind of a moderated

322
00:16:58.679 --> 00:17:01.840
<v Speaker 4>radio appearance. Because there is starting to be some pressure,

323
00:17:01.879 --> 00:17:04.599
<v Speaker 4>and you know, things are starting to the rubber is

324
00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:06.799
<v Speaker 4>hitting the road, and so we're really getting to see

325
00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:09.519
<v Speaker 4>like what the actual proposals look like, what impacts it's

326
00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:12.079
<v Speaker 4>going to have, and I think the fight is just beginning.

327
00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:16.960
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, I think going back to the comment about the

328
00:17:17.319 --> 00:17:21.359
<v Speaker 5>schools maybe not being you know, fighting as much, I

329
00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:24.359
<v Speaker 5>think that's an interesting observation and it kind of goes

330
00:17:24.359 --> 00:17:26.359
<v Speaker 5>back to something I've talked about on the podcast before,

331
00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:30.680
<v Speaker 5>which is, you know, they successfully quote unquote successfully blocked

332
00:17:30.759 --> 00:17:34.039
<v Speaker 5>vouchers last session, and what it got them was, you know,

333
00:17:35.319 --> 00:17:38.559
<v Speaker 5>losing access to billions of dollars in additional state funding,

334
00:17:39.640 --> 00:17:43.920
<v Speaker 5>about a dozen of their strongest school's strongest supporters in

335
00:17:43.960 --> 00:17:48.440
<v Speaker 5>the Republican Party losing their primary seats, and you know,

336
00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:52.920
<v Speaker 5>vouchers likely getting passed two years later. Anyways, Right, And

337
00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:55.559
<v Speaker 5>so I wonder I haven't talked to anyone about this,

338
00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:57.960
<v Speaker 5>but I wonder whether there's a sort of like, Okay,

339
00:17:58.279 --> 00:18:03.680
<v Speaker 5>this is probably going to happen. Let's stop this fight

340
00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:06.319
<v Speaker 5>and let's focus on getting what we can get, which

341
00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:10.920
<v Speaker 5>is basically that since twenty nineteen, when the state passed

342
00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:14.680
<v Speaker 5>you know, a major campaign or sorry, school finance overhaul

343
00:18:15.480 --> 00:18:21.960
<v Speaker 5>and really significantly boosted up school funding, that funding has

344
00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:24.599
<v Speaker 5>not kept up with inflation since then and if you

345
00:18:24.759 --> 00:18:27.160
<v Speaker 5>watch from twenty twenty where it kind of hit a

346
00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:30.799
<v Speaker 5>high water mark until now, if you're talking in real dollars,

347
00:18:30.839 --> 00:18:33.880
<v Speaker 5>and you know, twenty twenty five dollars accounting for inflation,

348
00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:37.599
<v Speaker 5>the school funding has dropped about ten billion dollars from

349
00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:41.559
<v Speaker 5>the state during that time, and so these schools, and

350
00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:45.279
<v Speaker 5>it's important to note that that happened during really, really

351
00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:49.279
<v Speaker 5>financially healthy times for the state, where there were unprecedented

352
00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:53.799
<v Speaker 5>levels of school of state surpluses and funds. Right, and

353
00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:57.079
<v Speaker 5>so if I'm a school official, I'm thinking, you know,

354
00:18:57.759 --> 00:19:01.359
<v Speaker 5>we're not in great shape during really strong, you know,

355
00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:04.319
<v Speaker 5>economic times for this state. We're not always going to

356
00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:06.759
<v Speaker 5>be in strong economic times. We need to be getting

357
00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:09.839
<v Speaker 5>as much money as possible right now, and we probably

358
00:19:09.880 --> 00:19:12.799
<v Speaker 5>need to do it by not antagonizing the people who

359
00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:16.920
<v Speaker 5>actually control the purse strings. And you know, there is

360
00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:18.920
<v Speaker 5>a good amount of money on the table for these

361
00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:23.480
<v Speaker 5>schools this year, and maybe the equation here is let's

362
00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:26.079
<v Speaker 5>focus on that and not the one billion dollars on vouchers.

363
00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:27.880
<v Speaker 4>Of course, the other side of it is, well, do

364
00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:30.400
<v Speaker 4>we take the money in the short term and then,

365
00:19:30.759 --> 00:19:34.440
<v Speaker 4>according to them, allow vouchers to pass, which will in

366
00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:37.319
<v Speaker 4>the long term hurt our schools in our school districts.

367
00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:40.319
<v Speaker 4>And that seems to be the decision that they've made,

368
00:19:40.359 --> 00:19:43.400
<v Speaker 4>like we need this money so desperately right now that

369
00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:46.599
<v Speaker 4>we are willing to sort of just be quiet, take

370
00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:48.880
<v Speaker 4>the money, and we'll deal with the voucher stuff later.

371
00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:51.759
<v Speaker 4>And I think they're also hoping that other people will

372
00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:53.799
<v Speaker 4>fight that fight for them. I think even within the

373
00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:56.839
<v Speaker 4>Democratic Caucus there's that feeling of like, well, it's going

374
00:19:56.920 --> 00:20:00.920
<v Speaker 4>to pass anyway, so let's, you know, get the victories

375
00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:03.759
<v Speaker 4>that we can. And then there's like the three you

376
00:20:03.799 --> 00:20:07.000
<v Speaker 4>know public education people, Taller Rico, you know, Hosa and

377
00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:09.599
<v Speaker 4>John Bryant just going to the mats. But even they

378
00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:11.640
<v Speaker 4>were frustrated in that here and they're like, if you

379
00:20:11.640 --> 00:20:14.880
<v Speaker 4>guys need the money, then you guys might like, we're

380
00:20:14.920 --> 00:20:16.279
<v Speaker 4>not just gonna be out here for well at least

381
00:20:16.279 --> 00:20:17.599
<v Speaker 4>you know, you know, hosts said that we're not just

382
00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:19.200
<v Speaker 4>gonna be out here fighting if you guys aren't going

383
00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:20.759
<v Speaker 4>to fight. So it's a very interesting dynamic.

384
00:20:20.920 --> 00:20:23.440
<v Speaker 5>James, do you what do you think about these town halls,

385
00:20:23.640 --> 00:20:27.799
<v Speaker 5>like is that do you think lawmakers are worried about them?

386
00:20:28.079 --> 00:20:30.319
<v Speaker 5>And do you think they should be they.

387
00:20:30.200 --> 00:20:32.559
<v Speaker 4>Should be worried about them. I mean, I was very

388
00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:36.319
<v Speaker 4>interested to see Cody Harris's town hall. I mean I

389
00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:39.160
<v Speaker 4>saw some videos of that one, and yeah, I mean,

390
00:20:39.279 --> 00:20:41.799
<v Speaker 4>I mean, these are rural districts, and and you know,

391
00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:45.759
<v Speaker 4>the messaging from the governor's team and from Republican leaders

392
00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:48.559
<v Speaker 4>is like the polling works. The polling people in rural

393
00:20:48.599 --> 00:20:52.720
<v Speaker 4>areas support that. The town halls showed that perhaps not

394
00:20:52.759 --> 00:20:56.720
<v Speaker 4>everybody supports them, that there's a very vocal group of

395
00:20:56.759 --> 00:20:58.680
<v Speaker 4>people who don't support it. So I think that does

396
00:20:58.799 --> 00:21:00.640
<v Speaker 4>sort of worry legislators. I mean, do I think they're

397
00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:04.200
<v Speaker 4>going to change their mind? I don't think so, but

398
00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:07.440
<v Speaker 4>it is starting to show some of those cracks. And

399
00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:09.920
<v Speaker 4>I think we've talked about this before, but some of

400
00:21:09.960 --> 00:21:13.359
<v Speaker 4>these new freshmen who are newly elected and say yes

401
00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:15.440
<v Speaker 4>school choice, school choice. Well it's easy to say yes

402
00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:18.359
<v Speaker 4>school choice when you don't have specifics. But then when

403
00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:21.920
<v Speaker 4>you have a school superintendent or a school principal saying

404
00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:23.960
<v Speaker 4>I got to close three schools in the district and

405
00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:25.519
<v Speaker 4>you're only going to have one school district or a

406
00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:27.559
<v Speaker 4>school in the district left like, it gets a lot

407
00:21:27.640 --> 00:21:29.799
<v Speaker 4>tougher when you get the specifics.

408
00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:30.680
<v Speaker 2>Right, I think you can get kind of that like

409
00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:33.200
<v Speaker 2>dome blindness, like you're under you know, you're like, oh,

410
00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:35.039
<v Speaker 2>the only thing that matters is like what's happening here

411
00:21:35.079 --> 00:21:36.640
<v Speaker 2>and like trading votes and all that, and then you

412
00:21:36.680 --> 00:21:39.039
<v Speaker 2>go back to your district and you're getting yelled out

413
00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:40.240
<v Speaker 2>the town town at all, Like.

414
00:21:40.200 --> 00:21:43.279
<v Speaker 4>The person who like, you know, does your laundry is like.

415
00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:47.240
<v Speaker 2>Right, I mean in a area like the superintendent you know,

416
00:21:47.319 --> 00:21:49.519
<v Speaker 2>could be like a very powerful person and.

417
00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:52.599
<v Speaker 4>Your or your friends and neighbors are mattitude. It does,

418
00:21:52.759 --> 00:21:53.920
<v Speaker 4>you know, it does make you think.

419
00:21:54.079 --> 00:21:57.480
<v Speaker 1>So there's a little more like logistics, you know.

420
00:21:57.680 --> 00:21:59.400
<v Speaker 4>But the other thing too is that like some of

421
00:21:59.480 --> 00:22:02.240
<v Speaker 4>these lawmakers could also add tweaks and amendments to the

422
00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:05.279
<v Speaker 4>legislation that could and I think they're probably looking to

423
00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:08.680
<v Speaker 4>do that that could assuage some of those concerns. So

424
00:22:08.680 --> 00:22:12.920
<v Speaker 4>there's probably that, But it's awful to take the heat obviously.

425
00:22:13.400 --> 00:22:14.920
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it definitely feels like there's a little bit of

426
00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:18.359
<v Speaker 2>like critically you know, from some Democrats, also from some

427
00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:20.279
<v Speaker 2>of the education activists, like just sort of a sense

428
00:22:20.279 --> 00:22:22.559
<v Speaker 2>of like this is going to happen like, let's just

429
00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:24.079
<v Speaker 2>like find ways we can tweak.

430
00:22:24.640 --> 00:22:27.640
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, but I think also there's just a lot of

431
00:22:28.079 --> 00:22:31.279
<v Speaker 5>we're what these town halls are reflective of is the

432
00:22:31.400 --> 00:22:35.440
<v Speaker 5>energy starting to re emerge in the democratic or more

433
00:22:35.480 --> 00:22:38.000
<v Speaker 5>moderate area of Texas politics, right.

434
00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:40.680
<v Speaker 4>And those are rural Republican areas.

435
00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:43.279
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, yeah, and I mean exactly. You know, you know

436
00:22:43.319 --> 00:22:46.000
<v Speaker 5>when Trump was first elected in twenty sixteen, you saw

437
00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:48.039
<v Speaker 5>that kind of you know, the Women's March all this,

438
00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:51.359
<v Speaker 5>like people literally out in the streets, and we did

439
00:22:51.400 --> 00:22:55.759
<v Speaker 5>not immediately see that this time, but we're starting to

440
00:22:55.799 --> 00:22:58.480
<v Speaker 5>see that in the And you know, if I'm a Republican,

441
00:22:58.559 --> 00:23:00.440
<v Speaker 5>I might worry a little bit about that, right because

442
00:23:00.440 --> 00:23:03.079
<v Speaker 5>twenty eighteen was not a great election year for them,

443
00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:07.519
<v Speaker 5>and you know, maybe they're some energy popping up. Maybe

444
00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:09.079
<v Speaker 5>I want to get some bills out there that I

445
00:23:09.079 --> 00:23:11.200
<v Speaker 5>can point to and say, yeah, you maybe not might

446
00:23:11.319 --> 00:23:13.519
<v Speaker 5>not like school vouchers, but look at this, you know,

447
00:23:13.559 --> 00:23:15.880
<v Speaker 5>five thousand dollars rais we did for teachers. Look at this,

448
00:23:16.039 --> 00:23:18.559
<v Speaker 5>these billions of dollars we put into public schools.

449
00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:20.759
<v Speaker 4>Anyways, Yeah, and the other thing that I don't want

450
00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:25.680
<v Speaker 4>to like let pass before commenting is as the details

451
00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:27.880
<v Speaker 4>come out, like what you're talking about, the detail about

452
00:23:27.960 --> 00:23:31.519
<v Speaker 4>the prioritization that there is in the House versus the Senate,

453
00:23:31.559 --> 00:23:34.160
<v Speaker 4>where there isn't a real prioritization. But a person who

454
00:23:34.359 --> 00:23:37.039
<v Speaker 4>or a family that makes one hundred and fifty six

455
00:23:37.079 --> 00:23:40.119
<v Speaker 4>thousand dollars can still qualify for these school vouchers and

456
00:23:40.119 --> 00:23:43.200
<v Speaker 4>they're calling that a low income family. I think that's

457
00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:45.559
<v Speaker 4>going to rile a lot of people up and people say,

458
00:23:45.640 --> 00:23:48.079
<v Speaker 4>like one hundred and fifty six thousand dollars is low income,

459
00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:51.039
<v Speaker 4>Like it really kind of speaks to sort of the.

460
00:23:51.000 --> 00:23:54.200
<v Speaker 5>Design of the bill, right, and that does seem to

461
00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:56.200
<v Speaker 5>be where the tension is right, Like the thing they

462
00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:58.200
<v Speaker 5>need to figure out the most in order to get

463
00:23:58.240 --> 00:24:00.000
<v Speaker 5>this across the finish line is that.

464
00:24:00.039 --> 00:24:01.559
<v Speaker 4>The send it seems to think like it's fine, we

465
00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:03.759
<v Speaker 4>want to offer it to everybody like that. This is

466
00:24:03.880 --> 00:24:06.720
<v Speaker 4>this is in fairness, it's universal, it's universal for everybody.

467
00:24:06.839 --> 00:24:08.480
<v Speaker 4>And the House is being a little bit more like

468
00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:11.920
<v Speaker 4>maybe more careful about those optics because they're getting lit

469
00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:14.279
<v Speaker 4>up by their districts.

470
00:24:14.680 --> 00:24:14.799
<v Speaker 3>Hi.

471
00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:18.559
<v Speaker 2>I asked for a brief update on vouchers, but that's okay.

472
00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:21.680
<v Speaker 2>I just want the listeners to know I am fighting

473
00:24:21.720 --> 00:24:22.720
<v Speaker 2>for them.

474
00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:24.920
<v Speaker 1>I do want to jump.

475
00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:26.920
<v Speaker 2>Ahead a little bit and talk about another big story

476
00:24:26.920 --> 00:24:31.839
<v Speaker 2>from this week. We saw State Representative Brian Harrison. There

477
00:24:31.880 --> 00:24:36.599
<v Speaker 2>was this committee meeting where things got pretty tense. He

478
00:24:36.839 --> 00:24:39.839
<v Speaker 2>was sort of repeatedly pressing the Texas Water Development Board

479
00:24:39.960 --> 00:24:43.599
<v Speaker 2>chair Loreal Stepney about the role of race in state

480
00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:49.119
<v Speaker 2>hiring practices, and this really sort of blew up. I mean, Stepanie,

481
00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:52.759
<v Speaker 2>who is black, was visibly distraught, very upset, wiping tears

482
00:24:52.759 --> 00:24:55.559
<v Speaker 2>from her eyes while Harrison sort of continued to push

483
00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:58.359
<v Speaker 2>on this issue. We saw a big outpouring of support

484
00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:03.079
<v Speaker 2>for you know, the board chair Stephanie, from Governor Abbot,

485
00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:08.200
<v Speaker 2>Lieutenant Governor Patrick, Speaker Burroughs. Harrison did not back down,

486
00:25:08.240 --> 00:25:10.559
<v Speaker 2>you know, claim said his he felt like his questions

487
00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:11.240
<v Speaker 2>were perfect.

488
00:25:12.920 --> 00:25:15.839
<v Speaker 3>That's a familiar word to describe things like that.

489
00:25:15.960 --> 00:25:16.519
<v Speaker 1>Yes, right.

490
00:25:16.680 --> 00:25:21.119
<v Speaker 3>It reminds me of another politician, James.

491
00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:22.640
<v Speaker 2>What did you make of I mean, this seems like

492
00:25:22.680 --> 00:25:25.400
<v Speaker 2>an outlier in terms of the kind of clash we

493
00:25:25.480 --> 00:25:29.200
<v Speaker 2>tooplacy between an agency head and lawmaker.

494
00:25:29.319 --> 00:25:32.119
<v Speaker 4>Yes, and I think there was calls from leaders.

495
00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:32.960
<v Speaker 3>Uh.

496
00:25:33.160 --> 00:25:37.319
<v Speaker 4>Speaker Burroughs kind of called it out, uh in terms

497
00:25:37.319 --> 00:25:40.279
<v Speaker 4>of like being on a committee and the kind of

498
00:25:40.680 --> 00:25:43.559
<v Speaker 4>decorum and respect that is expected. But I thought it

499
00:25:43.720 --> 00:25:48.200
<v Speaker 4>was noteworthy that both Patrick and Abbot, who are no

500
00:25:48.759 --> 00:25:52.200
<v Speaker 4>snowflakes on de I. There's certainly no supporters of de I.

501
00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:55.160
<v Speaker 1>There i Abbot's executive order, that we're talking.

502
00:25:55.079 --> 00:25:58.559
<v Speaker 4>With their opponents of DEI. But they were saying that this,

503
00:25:58.759 --> 00:26:01.279
<v Speaker 4>I mean they didn't. For example, Abbat didn't say like

504
00:26:01.319 --> 00:26:05.000
<v Speaker 4>this went overboard, but he did express sort of support

505
00:26:05.079 --> 00:26:07.599
<v Speaker 4>for Stepney, and I think you have to read him

506
00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:08.200
<v Speaker 4>between the lines.

507
00:26:08.200 --> 00:26:08.279
<v Speaker 3>Now.

508
00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:11.640
<v Speaker 4>The other thing for listeners is like Representative Harrison is

509
00:26:11.720 --> 00:26:16.200
<v Speaker 4>one of like the most conservative social warrior that there is,

510
00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:21.519
<v Speaker 4>and this is his his I don't know, pep issue, Pep.

511
00:26:21.640 --> 00:26:24.319
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, he's like a bomb thrower kind of and he's.

512
00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:26.000
<v Speaker 4>He's like, I'm going to be the DEI guy. I'm

513
00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:29.920
<v Speaker 4>going to track the police every at every stage. And

514
00:26:30.039 --> 00:26:36.680
<v Speaker 4>the questioning was I sort of see where he's getting

515
00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:39.119
<v Speaker 4>what he's getting at saying like I didn't say anything

516
00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:41.319
<v Speaker 4>specifically about her or that she was a.

517
00:26:41.319 --> 00:26:44.640
<v Speaker 1>D He was like threading this very fine needle, right.

518
00:26:44.680 --> 00:26:49.799
<v Speaker 4>But the the takeaway from it was very much sort

519
00:26:49.839 --> 00:26:52.640
<v Speaker 4>of like are you a de I hire are you

520
00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:58.160
<v Speaker 4>supporting DEI hires? Is DEI a part of your system?

521
00:26:58.319 --> 00:27:00.440
<v Speaker 4>And I think because she's a person of color also,

522
00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:04.799
<v Speaker 4>it sort of was putting her on the spot, maybe unfairly,

523
00:27:04.960 --> 00:27:06.839
<v Speaker 4>and people on the committee called it out. I mean

524
00:27:07.559 --> 00:27:11.799
<v Speaker 4>Representative Harrison obviously said he felt like the questioning was perfect,

525
00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:16.640
<v Speaker 4>but seeing so many other lawmakers say, hey, this went

526
00:27:16.680 --> 00:27:18.960
<v Speaker 4>too far, I think you've got to pause and think

527
00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:22.279
<v Speaker 4>about that. And making an agency head cry who's served

528
00:27:22.279 --> 00:27:24.440
<v Speaker 4>for thirty years and this has not happened to her,

529
00:27:24.440 --> 00:27:26.240
<v Speaker 4>I think you've got to pause and think about it.

530
00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:33.079
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, Harrison is a really interesting example of would you

531
00:27:33.319 --> 00:27:34.839
<v Speaker 5>agree with me that it's fair to say that he's

532
00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:37.400
<v Speaker 5>a bit of a backbencher in the House in terms

533
00:27:37.400 --> 00:27:42.559
<v Speaker 5>of influence. Yes, he has still managed to with this

534
00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:47.039
<v Speaker 5>DEI push that he's doing anti d I de I

535
00:27:47.079 --> 00:27:51.640
<v Speaker 5>push that he's doing, have a lot of influence on

536
00:27:51.799 --> 00:27:55.079
<v Speaker 5>state government. I mean, he's really up in some university

537
00:27:55.200 --> 00:27:56.039
<v Speaker 5>leaders heads.

538
00:27:55.880 --> 00:27:56.599
<v Speaker 4>Texas A and M.

539
00:27:56.680 --> 00:27:58.400
<v Speaker 3>Yeah. Yeah, his alma mater.

540
00:27:58.880 --> 00:28:02.079
<v Speaker 5>He you know, as you know, finds these emails or

541
00:28:02.079 --> 00:28:06.200
<v Speaker 5>individual program starts tweeting about them, and it draws a response.

542
00:28:06.200 --> 00:28:08.319
<v Speaker 5>It draws a response from the port of Regents at times,

543
00:28:08.359 --> 00:28:12.200
<v Speaker 5>the governor and everything like that. He's it's a sort

544
00:28:12.200 --> 00:28:15.440
<v Speaker 5>of like modern something you see in DC frankly a

545
00:28:15.480 --> 00:28:18.640
<v Speaker 5>lot someone who's maybe not necessarily like getting a lot

546
00:28:18.680 --> 00:28:21.279
<v Speaker 5>of legislation through, but getting a ton of attention and

547
00:28:21.359 --> 00:28:25.000
<v Speaker 5>actually being able to create some movement on things just

548
00:28:25.079 --> 00:28:28.359
<v Speaker 5>by sort of activating a certain wing of the party

549
00:28:28.359 --> 00:28:30.119
<v Speaker 5>on the internet by pointing to these things.

550
00:28:30.200 --> 00:28:34.599
<v Speaker 1>I mean, he's done this with like very specific both

551
00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:36.039
<v Speaker 1>subtly dying.

552
00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:39.839
<v Speaker 2>He's done this I think on like really like before

553
00:28:39.880 --> 00:28:42.359
<v Speaker 2>the session, you know, in the interim, like on very

554
00:28:42.359 --> 00:28:44.680
<v Speaker 2>specific things. I like, you know where he's like posting

555
00:28:44.680 --> 00:28:47.000
<v Speaker 2>on Twitter about you know, this is on you know,

556
00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:50.079
<v Speaker 2>a policy on some agency's website, and then he's calling

557
00:28:50.079 --> 00:28:51.119
<v Speaker 2>out the governor, telling his.

558
00:28:51.079 --> 00:28:52.440
<v Speaker 1>Supporters to call out the governor.

559
00:28:52.480 --> 00:28:55.160
<v Speaker 2>He's like calling and then the governor will sweep in

560
00:28:55.319 --> 00:28:57.240
<v Speaker 2>and change things right.

561
00:28:58.240 --> 00:28:59.960
<v Speaker 5>One thing that was different this time is that it

562
00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:04.680
<v Speaker 5>wasn't on Twitter. It was face to face with a

563
00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:08.160
<v Speaker 5>black woman in a position of power, and you kind

564
00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:10.640
<v Speaker 5>of got to see how she was reacting to that

565
00:29:10.680 --> 00:29:12.799
<v Speaker 5>and how it felt to her to be kind of

566
00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:14.519
<v Speaker 5>receiving that line of attacking.

567
00:29:14.200 --> 00:29:16.480
<v Speaker 4>Twitter is in real life, as we say, and like Twitter,

568
00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:18.720
<v Speaker 4>Like I mean, this agency head is clearly very busy

569
00:29:19.240 --> 00:29:23.519
<v Speaker 4>giving the state like water. She's probably not on Twitter

570
00:29:23.559 --> 00:29:25.240
<v Speaker 4>all the time listening to these things. But then you

571
00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:27.240
<v Speaker 4>got to see exactly what you're saying, like the reaction

572
00:29:27.319 --> 00:29:29.799
<v Speaker 4>when people say these things to you and to your face,

573
00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:32.160
<v Speaker 4>and it's it's hurtful stuff. I think I want to

574
00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:34.279
<v Speaker 4>shout out a Jundra Martinez, our colleague, who I think

575
00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:36.839
<v Speaker 4>did a really really great job of saying, this is

576
00:29:36.920 --> 00:29:40.079
<v Speaker 4>sort of a build out of the atmosphere that we're

577
00:29:40.119 --> 00:29:45.599
<v Speaker 4>in with diversity, equity and inclusion, where politicians are targeting it,

578
00:29:45.799 --> 00:29:50.400
<v Speaker 4>folks like Representative Harrison screamed from the rooftops, and then

579
00:29:50.599 --> 00:29:54.799
<v Speaker 4>are higher officials then react and do something, and so

580
00:29:55.759 --> 00:29:58.440
<v Speaker 4>there it becomes a cycle, right, it becomes a cycle.

581
00:29:58.480 --> 00:30:01.880
<v Speaker 4>And so this this is the natural build out of that.

582
00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:05.359
<v Speaker 4>And perhaps it's a moment not just to say that

583
00:30:05.400 --> 00:30:08.079
<v Speaker 4>moment was bad, but also to think about the broader

584
00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:09.039
<v Speaker 4>issue here.

585
00:30:09.359 --> 00:30:12.079
<v Speaker 2>But you know, I mean this whole you know, yes,

586
00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:14.400
<v Speaker 2>this is representive Brian Harrison sort of, this is his

587
00:30:14.839 --> 00:30:16.960
<v Speaker 2>m O kind of, but it was he was citing

588
00:30:17.000 --> 00:30:20.640
<v Speaker 2>and building on the momentum around Governor Abbot's executive order

589
00:30:20.680 --> 00:30:24.559
<v Speaker 2>removing DEI from state agencies, and you know, yes, like

590
00:30:24.599 --> 00:30:27.759
<v Speaker 2>Governor Abbott stepped into the you know, board chair Stepanese

591
00:30:27.799 --> 00:30:31.640
<v Speaker 2>defense basically saying like she's the best expert we have

592
00:30:31.720 --> 00:30:33.640
<v Speaker 2>on water on this hugely important issue.

593
00:30:33.720 --> 00:30:35.400
<v Speaker 4>But it is like that meme. It's like who would

594
00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:36.559
<v Speaker 4>do this right, right, right right?

595
00:30:36.599 --> 00:30:40.559
<v Speaker 2>The underlying thing is that, you know, I think Governor

596
00:30:40.559 --> 00:30:46.559
<v Speaker 2>Abbot has certainly empowered this crusade of Brian Harrison's through

597
00:30:46.599 --> 00:30:50.640
<v Speaker 2>this executive order, and you know, I think we're probably

598
00:30:50.720 --> 00:30:54.519
<v Speaker 2>just going to see more clashes like this. I think,

599
00:30:55.119 --> 00:30:57.039
<v Speaker 2>you know, my sense, at least on Twitter. Again, Twitter

600
00:30:57.119 --> 00:30:59.400
<v Speaker 2>is not real life, but Governor Abbott has been much

601
00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:02.920
<v Speaker 2>more assertive and vocal on Twitter on like a range

602
00:31:02.920 --> 00:31:07.480
<v Speaker 2>of issues, and you know, I think that comes from

603
00:31:07.519 --> 00:31:09.599
<v Speaker 2>the very very top right we're seeing, you know, President

604
00:31:09.640 --> 00:31:13.720
<v Speaker 2>Trump is sort of engendering a lot of that rhetoric,

605
00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:16.960
<v Speaker 2>and so I think Governor Abbitt stepping in to say,

606
00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:20.160
<v Speaker 2>like in this case, that was maybe too far, even

607
00:31:20.200 --> 00:31:22.680
<v Speaker 2>if you wouldn't use those words, is something.

608
00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:25.480
<v Speaker 1>But you know, the underlying.

609
00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:29.200
<v Speaker 2>You know, I don't think we're gonna anticipate Brian Harrison

610
00:31:29.240 --> 00:31:37.839
<v Speaker 2>being sort of chagrined by that. Yeah, yeah, Matthew, what

611
00:31:37.880 --> 00:31:39.440
<v Speaker 2>the hell is happening at the lottery?

612
00:31:40.519 --> 00:31:41.720
<v Speaker 3>That is an excellent question.

613
00:31:42.440 --> 00:31:47.240
<v Speaker 5>So the this this is like, this feels like just

614
00:31:47.279 --> 00:31:49.799
<v Speaker 5>like a fun old school It really does.

615
00:31:49.920 --> 00:31:52.000
<v Speaker 4>I'm like, this is like a joy.

616
00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:55.000
<v Speaker 2>It really is like one of those things that you're like,

617
00:31:55.079 --> 00:31:58.079
<v Speaker 2>it feels like a heist movie that now the Texas

618
00:31:58.160 --> 00:31:59.839
<v Speaker 2>Legislature has to get involved in. And I think we

619
00:32:00.279 --> 00:32:04.160
<v Speaker 2>one every session, get one little treat story like this.

620
00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:08.039
<v Speaker 5>So the background here is that we have this concept

621
00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:13.319
<v Speaker 5>of lottery couriers, which is basically a you can go

622
00:32:13.400 --> 00:32:15.720
<v Speaker 5>on to an app you can be anywhere, I guess

623
00:32:15.720 --> 00:32:18.440
<v Speaker 5>anywhere in the world, not just in the US, and

624
00:32:19.039 --> 00:32:25.200
<v Speaker 5>buy a lottery ticket and someone will will go buy

625
00:32:25.240 --> 00:32:27.319
<v Speaker 5>the ticket for you and take a picture of it

626
00:32:27.359 --> 00:32:30.200
<v Speaker 5>for you, and then you know, I guess if it wins,

627
00:32:30.279 --> 00:32:32.640
<v Speaker 5>they will either go collect the money for you and

628
00:32:32.680 --> 00:32:34.640
<v Speaker 5>send it to you or mail the ticket to you

629
00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:35.759
<v Speaker 5>wherever you are.

630
00:32:36.240 --> 00:32:38.880
<v Speaker 2>And so this is one of those things that until

631
00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:41.039
<v Speaker 2>we find out about what happens next, do you think.

632
00:32:40.839 --> 00:32:45.079
<v Speaker 1>Like, who is that Who's that desperate to play the lottery?

633
00:32:45.079 --> 00:32:47.160
<v Speaker 2>That they're like, I need someone to do this third

634
00:32:47.200 --> 00:32:50.279
<v Speaker 2>hand for me, but you're kind of like it seems inoffensive, especially.

635
00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:51.720
<v Speaker 4>Because they don't even let it paid for my tickets

636
00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:53.000
<v Speaker 4>with a credit card, like I have to pay them

637
00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:54.720
<v Speaker 4>with cash. Then I hear about this.

638
00:32:54.839 --> 00:32:56.720
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, are you a lottery player, James?

639
00:32:57.039 --> 00:32:57.519
<v Speaker 4>Not anymore?

640
00:32:57.640 --> 00:33:00.680
<v Speaker 1>Okay when it gets big? Yeah yeah, yeah yeah.

641
00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:03.599
<v Speaker 5>I buy lottery tickets and put them in my children

642
00:33:03.680 --> 00:33:07.039
<v Speaker 5>and wife's stalking every Christmas. So I'm once a year.

643
00:33:07.200 --> 00:33:10.039
<v Speaker 2>And that's Christmas in the Watkins house and make your

644
00:33:10.079 --> 00:33:13.400
<v Speaker 2>own luck, keep them right.

645
00:33:14.400 --> 00:33:19.200
<v Speaker 5>So anyways, lottery couriers. So what has happened though, is

646
00:33:19.240 --> 00:33:21.799
<v Speaker 5>that there was this particular situation. The Houston Chronicle wrote

647
00:33:21.799 --> 00:33:24.599
<v Speaker 5>a great story about this where essentially some folks essentially

648
00:33:24.640 --> 00:33:26.400
<v Speaker 5>found that they could game the system. And there are

649
00:33:26.400 --> 00:33:30.880
<v Speaker 5>times where you can essentially buy a massive volume of

650
00:33:30.960 --> 00:33:34.559
<v Speaker 5>tickets in order to essentially like work the odds and

651
00:33:34.720 --> 00:33:38.200
<v Speaker 5>you know, I think, like practically like sort of guarantee

652
00:33:38.200 --> 00:33:39.920
<v Speaker 5>that you're going to win something. One of them.

653
00:33:39.960 --> 00:33:43.960
<v Speaker 2>They bought every single number, yeah, exactly everything, combination numbers,

654
00:33:44.359 --> 00:33:45.640
<v Speaker 2>and so this.

655
00:33:45.599 --> 00:33:48.599
<v Speaker 5>Has now raised concern. There's this one place, a store

656
00:33:48.640 --> 00:33:52.440
<v Speaker 5>called Winner's corner in Austin that in twenty twenty two

657
00:33:53.559 --> 00:33:57.000
<v Speaker 5>sold eighty nine million dollars worth of lottery tickets, which

658
00:33:57.039 --> 00:34:01.240
<v Speaker 5>is about eighty three million dollars in lottery tickets than

659
00:34:01.319 --> 00:34:05.519
<v Speaker 5>the second highestwhere else. And so Dan Patrick, you know,

660
00:34:05.759 --> 00:34:07.279
<v Speaker 5>this has come up a little bit. The Chronicle has

661
00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:11.559
<v Speaker 5>done some good reporting on this. The Sunset Commission wrote

662
00:34:11.599 --> 00:34:14.119
<v Speaker 5>a report on this in the in the state, leading

663
00:34:14.199 --> 00:34:17.719
<v Speaker 5>Dan Patrick to show up to the Winner's Corner again

664
00:34:17.800 --> 00:34:21.000
<v Speaker 5>on Twitter with making a video kind of talking to

665
00:34:21.199 --> 00:34:23.800
<v Speaker 5>the folks seeing what he described as sort of a

666
00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:28.039
<v Speaker 5>massive number of these lottery lotto machines, which I can

667
00:34:28.039 --> 00:34:30.199
<v Speaker 5>tell as a tell you from a Christmas buyer, are

668
00:34:30.239 --> 00:34:34.039
<v Speaker 5>not very reliable and sometimes only come halfway torn up

669
00:34:34.039 --> 00:34:34.320
<v Speaker 5>so you.

670
00:34:34.239 --> 00:34:35.320
<v Speaker 3>Can't even read the numbers.

671
00:34:35.599 --> 00:34:38.920
<v Speaker 5>Then your your daughter is really upset on Christmas because

672
00:34:38.920 --> 00:34:41.639
<v Speaker 5>she doesn't know whether she's gonna win the lottery or not.

673
00:34:41.960 --> 00:34:45.599
<v Speaker 1>Santa's complaints are reaching new levels.

674
00:34:46.199 --> 00:34:49.639
<v Speaker 5>But ultimately this has led to the resignation resignation of

675
00:34:49.639 --> 00:34:52.199
<v Speaker 5>one of the lottery commissioners. There is a lot of

676
00:34:52.239 --> 00:34:57.000
<v Speaker 5>talk about possibly banning these couriers, other kinds of legislation investigation.

677
00:34:57.039 --> 00:35:00.440
<v Speaker 5>There's a Texas Rangers investigation. Yes, so just a lot

678
00:35:00.440 --> 00:35:04.280
<v Speaker 5>of concern about the Lottery Commission here, and you know,

679
00:35:04.360 --> 00:35:06.760
<v Speaker 5>whether it should even continue to exist. There are some

680
00:35:06.800 --> 00:35:08.119
<v Speaker 5>all makers who would like to get rid of an.

681
00:35:08.159 --> 00:35:10.800
<v Speaker 4>Entirely now a priority item for the Lieutenant Governor. And

682
00:35:10.800 --> 00:35:13.679
<v Speaker 4>I think it's going to get heard in Former Speaker Feelings.

683
00:35:14.199 --> 00:35:16.400
<v Speaker 4>A similar issue is going to get heard on speak

684
00:35:16.519 --> 00:35:18.480
<v Speaker 4>Former Speaker Feelings Committee. So it's moving.

685
00:35:18.599 --> 00:35:19.599
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it's definitely moving.

686
00:35:20.079 --> 00:35:20.280
<v Speaker 5>You know.

687
00:35:20.320 --> 00:35:22.800
<v Speaker 2>We should say Eric Dexheimer and the Houston Chronicle did

688
00:35:22.800 --> 00:35:25.760
<v Speaker 2>a lot of this reporting initially, and you know, we

689
00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:29.760
<v Speaker 2>owe him our thanks because we love a little heist story.

690
00:35:29.840 --> 00:35:32.360
<v Speaker 5>And if there are any agents out there, Eleanor is

691
00:35:32.400 --> 00:35:33.920
<v Speaker 5>looking to sell a screenplay.

692
00:35:33.559 --> 00:35:34.280
<v Speaker 1>Yeah exactly.

693
00:35:34.440 --> 00:35:37.039
<v Speaker 2>I'm like, I've got the wheels already turning, and I

694
00:35:37.079 --> 00:35:39.800
<v Speaker 2>feel like Eric should get first bite at that, you know.

695
00:35:40.360 --> 00:35:43.440
<v Speaker 2>But yeah, it's a crazy story that is moving pretty

696
00:35:43.480 --> 00:35:45.000
<v Speaker 2>quickly through the legislature.

697
00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:45.800
<v Speaker 1>There's been this, you know.

698
00:35:45.840 --> 00:35:48.000
<v Speaker 2>The interesting thing of the Lottery Commission for a long

699
00:35:48.039 --> 00:35:51.039
<v Speaker 2>time has said that they cannot regulate these couriers. Now

700
00:35:51.079 --> 00:35:55.360
<v Speaker 2>there we can regulate these careers. It's been a little yeah.

701
00:35:55.119 --> 00:35:57.119
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, it is interesting that it's coming along in a

702
00:35:57.159 --> 00:35:59.920
<v Speaker 5>time where there's also a big push to expand gambling

703
00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:02.679
<v Speaker 5>the state. I think this probably doesn't do great for

704
00:36:03.079 --> 00:36:03.679
<v Speaker 5>that cause.

705
00:36:04.239 --> 00:36:05.880
<v Speaker 4>One thing that it will point out is that the

706
00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:10.519
<v Speaker 4>Sunset Commission had pointed out all these issues with the

707
00:36:10.599 --> 00:36:13.320
<v Speaker 4>Lottery Commission, like their their last report I think last

708
00:36:13.400 --> 00:36:17.559
<v Speaker 4>year was like this is this is not going right. So,

709
00:36:18.159 --> 00:36:20.719
<v Speaker 4>you know, I think lawmakers can sort of be upset

710
00:36:20.840 --> 00:36:24.559
<v Speaker 4>and yelling and doing some investigative reporting on it, but

711
00:36:25.960 --> 00:36:28.360
<v Speaker 4>these problems existed and they existed under their watch.

712
00:36:28.639 --> 00:36:31.159
<v Speaker 2>Feels like a strong endorsement for you know, things are

713
00:36:31.199 --> 00:36:33.519
<v Speaker 2>only a problem once the media gets involved. You know,

714
00:36:33.599 --> 00:36:36.519
<v Speaker 2>we create problems, No, but I do think you know,

715
00:36:36.599 --> 00:36:38.320
<v Speaker 2>they shine a light on it, and it's one of

716
00:36:38.360 --> 00:36:40.039
<v Speaker 2>those things that is like pretty shocking when you get

717
00:36:40.079 --> 00:36:45.039
<v Speaker 2>into the details involved, like Malta and some Brits and people. Yeah,

718
00:36:45.159 --> 00:36:49.719
<v Speaker 2>and the screenplay rights itself is all I'm saying, you know,

719
00:36:49.800 --> 00:36:51.440
<v Speaker 2>one last thing to sort of throw up, just to

720
00:36:51.480 --> 00:36:55.480
<v Speaker 2>discuss before we you know, wrap this up. A lot

721
00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:58.840
<v Speaker 2>is happening on the federal level that is trickling down

722
00:36:58.880 --> 00:37:02.400
<v Speaker 2>into Texas as all we saw. Vice President Vance was

723
00:37:02.440 --> 00:37:05.159
<v Speaker 2>here this week at the border along with Governor Abbott

724
00:37:05.199 --> 00:37:09.639
<v Speaker 2>and Attorney General Paxton. You know, we obviously saw the

725
00:37:09.639 --> 00:37:13.480
<v Speaker 2>speech from President Trump in which immigration was front and center.

726
00:37:14.280 --> 00:37:15.960
<v Speaker 2>Anything standing out to you on that that we feel

727
00:37:15.960 --> 00:37:21.320
<v Speaker 2>like is gonna you know, we've got a Doge committee now.

728
00:37:21.840 --> 00:37:26.360
<v Speaker 2>Definitely feels like Texas is following in some federal footsteps

729
00:37:26.880 --> 00:37:31.360
<v Speaker 2>on on that. I mean, even the DEI executive order.

730
00:37:32.159 --> 00:37:35.239
<v Speaker 1>You know what's next in the Texas Trump love affair.

731
00:37:37.000 --> 00:37:41.679
<v Speaker 5>Well, you know, encounters that the border are way down, right.

732
00:37:43.000 --> 00:37:45.159
<v Speaker 5>I think there's maybe a little bit more concerned about

733
00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:48.079
<v Speaker 5>tariffs as we continue to go on the tariff coaster

734
00:37:48.760 --> 00:37:51.400
<v Speaker 5>up and down. I actually think though, it feels like

735
00:37:51.519 --> 00:37:54.119
<v Speaker 5>maybe as the temperature has turned up in d C,

736
00:37:54.320 --> 00:37:56.639
<v Speaker 5>the temperature in Austin has kind of gone down a

737
00:37:56.679 --> 00:37:58.800
<v Speaker 5>little bit. Maybe there's like a feeling of a less

738
00:37:59.159 --> 00:38:00.960
<v Speaker 5>need to be like you need to be the tip

739
00:38:01.000 --> 00:38:03.760
<v Speaker 5>of this spear now and now that we have Donald

740
00:38:03.800 --> 00:38:05.519
<v Speaker 5>Trump in the President's office.

741
00:38:05.559 --> 00:38:07.000
<v Speaker 3>So I don't know.

742
00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:09.880
<v Speaker 5>I mean, there's still a long session to go, and

743
00:38:09.880 --> 00:38:12.239
<v Speaker 5>there's going to be a lot of social issues that

744
00:38:12.519 --> 00:38:14.760
<v Speaker 5>come up in between now. But so far, I mean,

745
00:38:14.760 --> 00:38:17.039
<v Speaker 5>it's like we're talking about school finance, We're talking about

746
00:38:17.079 --> 00:38:20.440
<v Speaker 5>the lottery commission. We're talking about water and all those

747
00:38:20.480 --> 00:38:24.280
<v Speaker 5>types of things that it seems like the craziness, the

748
00:38:25.360 --> 00:38:28.280
<v Speaker 5>high temperature type stuff right now is.

749
00:38:30.199 --> 00:38:31.400
<v Speaker 3>Happening elsewhere that.

750
00:38:31.480 --> 00:38:33.800
<v Speaker 2>A simmer a little bit here in Texas. Yeah, which,

751
00:38:33.800 --> 00:38:35.920
<v Speaker 2>you know, we would take a boring session. I think

752
00:38:36.519 --> 00:38:39.519
<v Speaker 2>I think all of us would be, at least Matthew

753
00:38:39.559 --> 00:38:40.679
<v Speaker 2>and I would you know for.

754
00:38:40.679 --> 00:38:43.280
<v Speaker 3>TV you need the it bleeds it.

755
00:38:43.440 --> 00:38:47.039
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, exactly, Yeah, but no, it's definitely hopefully a little

756
00:38:47.079 --> 00:38:49.280
<v Speaker 2>bit more of a.

757
00:38:48.599 --> 00:38:49.440
<v Speaker 1>Low key session.

758
00:38:50.599 --> 00:38:50.760
<v Speaker 3>Well.

759
00:38:50.760 --> 00:38:52.360
<v Speaker 1>That brings us to the end of our episode.

760
00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:54.599
<v Speaker 2>James, we want to thank you so much for your

761
00:38:54.639 --> 00:38:56.360
<v Speaker 2>time at the Helm of the Texas Trip guest.

762
00:38:56.480 --> 00:38:57.079
<v Speaker 4>Thank you so much.

763
00:38:57.079 --> 00:38:59.119
<v Speaker 3>I'll miss you, guys, We'll miss you James.

764
00:38:59.280 --> 00:38:59.719
<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

765
00:39:00.199 --> 00:39:02.199
<v Speaker 2>You can find all of the episodes of the Tribcast

766
00:39:02.239 --> 00:39:04.599
<v Speaker 2>on YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Even though

767
00:39:04.639 --> 00:39:07.119
<v Speaker 2>James is leaving, we are continuing on, so do not

768
00:39:08.159 --> 00:39:10.440
<v Speaker 2>you know, don't look away from YouTube or wherever you

769
00:39:10.679 --> 00:39:14.360
<v Speaker 2>subscribe to podcasts like subscribe Share. If you'd like to

770
00:39:14.360 --> 00:39:15.760
<v Speaker 2>get in touch with us, you can reach us at

771
00:39:15.800 --> 00:39:19.960
<v Speaker 2>Tribcast at Texastribune dot org. Our producers are Robavila and

772
00:39:20.039 --> 00:39:23.280
<v Speaker 2>Chris Phobada. Our theme music is composed by Rob and

773
00:39:23.480 --> 00:39:25.280
<v Speaker 2>two of us. We'll see you next week.