WEBVTT 1 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:07.839 This week's episode is sponsored by the Lone Star Economic Alliance, 2 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:12.080 the Texas Managed Care Alliance, and the Safer Texas Alliance. 3 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:23.600 Hello and welcome to the Texas Tribune trip Cast for 4 00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:30.399 Tuesday May twenty seventh, twenty twenty five. It is the 5 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:34.960 last Texas Tribune trip cast of the regular session. 6 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:36.159 We did it? 7 00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:38.359 We did it? Did we do it? 8 00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:39.840 You specified regular sessions? 9 00:00:39.960 --> 00:00:41.640 Yes, we will get into that. 10 00:00:42.359 --> 00:00:46.840 Parentheses are soon. I am Matthew Watkins, Editor in Chief 11 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:53.759 Text Tribune. Next to me is my co host, Eleanor Klebanoff. Hello, Eleanor, Matthew. 12 00:00:54.200 --> 00:00:58.560 And next to her is jasper Cher, politics reporter, not 13 00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:03.200 co host, but frequent guest and friend of the podcast, 14 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:03.600 Friend of. 15 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:07.439 The pod, favored guest, guest to guests, favorite guests. 16 00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:08.400 How's everybody doing? 17 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:09.319 Doing well? 18 00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:13.200 Tired, very tired, hanging in there? Ready for ready for snyde? 19 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:17.719 Yeah yeah, I was sad to have missed all the 20 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:21.000 intense text A and M discussion in last week's podcast. 21 00:01:21.239 --> 00:01:24.560 Oh, I actually do have some feedback I got about 22 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:25.040 that episode. 23 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:25.280 Okay. 24 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:28.359 I would like to offer the audience a male coolpa 25 00:01:28.439 --> 00:01:31.079 on okay, which is that we got a lot of emails, 26 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:33.680 and I'm sure I didn't respond to all of them 27 00:01:33.719 --> 00:01:36.159 because it's been very busy, So consider this My response. 28 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:40.239 The feedback was that we, uh, the average listener listen 29 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:42.120 to that episode might have thought that there were only 30 00:01:42.200 --> 00:01:45.239 two institutions of higher education in Texas. 31 00:01:45.640 --> 00:01:47.040 Really there's only one text A. 32 00:01:47.079 --> 00:01:54.879 And M not helping, uh, But yeah, we you know, 33 00:01:54.920 --> 00:01:56.599 obviously spend a lot of time talking about UT and 34 00:01:56.680 --> 00:01:59.079 A and M, but we hear your feedback that you know, 35 00:01:59.159 --> 00:02:01.359 there's that, there's the Texas States and the University of 36 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:04.359 Houston's and the couple people email me about RICE. We're 37 00:02:04.359 --> 00:02:06.200 not gonna spend a ton of time time at RICE, guys, 38 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:11.319 because we largely cover state institutions, but we hear your feedback, 39 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:13.280 and on a future episode, we'll get Kate and Jessica 40 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:13.719 back to. 41 00:02:13.639 --> 00:02:15.560 Get into the weeds on those systems. 42 00:02:15.879 --> 00:02:18.719 Listen, Eleanor cannot help it that all those other schools 43 00:02:18.759 --> 00:02:21.680 are so much more functional than A and M and 44 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:22.000 U two. 45 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:24.439 Yes, so they just suck all the oxygen out of 46 00:02:24.439 --> 00:02:24.759 the room. 47 00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:28.599 But I have lots of takes, but I'm just gonna 48 00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:30.439 go ahead and keep them to myself because we don't 49 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:34.719 need to do another higher education podcast because it is 50 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:37.960 May twenty seventh, which means there is less than a 51 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:40.879 week left in the legislative session, and we are officially 52 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:42.680 at the point of the calendar where things are moving 53 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:45.919 so fast and furious that it's hard for even me, 54 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:48.280 whose job it is to keep track of these things, 55 00:02:48.520 --> 00:02:52.400 to keep up. Today, the twenty seventh is deadline for 56 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:55.240 the House to pass Senate bills. Tomorrow is the deadline 57 00:02:55.240 --> 00:02:57.639 for the Senate to pass any bills. All that's left 58 00:02:57.639 --> 00:03:00.919 off for that is conference committee reports ironing out you know, 59 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:05.400 the differences between the chamber bills the chambers past in 60 00:03:05.479 --> 00:03:10.000 different in different chambers. You know, this is the time 61 00:03:10.039 --> 00:03:14.479 where people are tired, tensions often run high. Uh be 62 00:03:14.599 --> 00:03:17.639 worried are things going to break down? And I can 63 00:03:17.719 --> 00:03:20.159 think of no one better to help us talk this 64 00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:23.960 through than Jasper, So thank you for being here. Of 65 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:28.919 course we are, you know, usually at this time going 66 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:32.000 through the list of all the legislative priorities, what's happening, 67 00:03:32.120 --> 00:03:34.199 what's not What is the thing that is most likely 68 00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:37.560 to ruin our summer vacation. And so that's the exercise 69 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:40.639 I want to go through with you. Where do we 70 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:43.439 stand on the big priorities. We're going to start with 71 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:48.599 schools education issues. School vouchers obviously passed a long time ago. 72 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:51.840 No big issue, it is, it is law. We are 73 00:03:51.960 --> 00:03:55.560 we are there. But the the second step of the 74 00:03:55.599 --> 00:03:59.120 Texas two Step s B two, the school Finance Bill, 75 00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:03.199 remain means somewhat open up in the air. Although both 76 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:06.680 the chambers have seemed to made somewhat of a deal here, 77 00:04:06.919 --> 00:04:08.520 Desper can you tell us a little bit about what 78 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:10.120 this deal is around school finance. 79 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:13.120 Yeah, I mean, I think kind of the top line, 80 00:04:13.159 --> 00:04:16.480 big picture summary is, you know, both chambers got a 81 00:04:16.519 --> 00:04:17.920 little bit of what they wanted. 82 00:04:17.959 --> 00:04:18.199 It was. 83 00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:20.120 I think we described it in our story as kind 84 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:24.040 of a face saving compromise for both folks in the 85 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:26.439 sense that, you know, Dan Patrick and the Senate get, 86 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:30.680 you know, a big bucket of the money narrowly targeted 87 00:04:30.680 --> 00:04:34.399 at teacher pay raises, and there's kind of this newly 88 00:04:34.439 --> 00:04:37.759 created fund that, from what I can tell, kind of 89 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:40.920 replicates a lot of the functions of what the basic 90 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:44.279 lawment increase would have done, you know, kind of dedicated 91 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:48.079 to helping schools pay for overhead costs, giving them some 92 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:51.360 of that flexibility to pay for stuff beyond teacher pay raises, 93 00:04:51.879 --> 00:04:55.839 but still kind of how do I put it, like 94 00:04:56.319 --> 00:04:58.959 complying with the dan Patrick mandate, the brand and creating 95 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:03.439 mandate to you know, have more oversight kind of tell 96 00:05:03.879 --> 00:05:06.160 schools what they can and can't spend their money on. 97 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:09.120 So but from what we can tell, it's, you know, 98 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:12.600 eight and a half billion dollar deal that unless there's 99 00:05:12.600 --> 00:05:16.439 some weird last minute hiccup, it's trending towards being signed 100 00:05:16.439 --> 00:05:16.839 into law. 101 00:05:17.079 --> 00:05:18.120 Yeah, so let's break this down. 102 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:21.839 I mean, the disagreement seemed to en large part be 103 00:05:21.879 --> 00:05:24.199 centered around how much to go into the basic allotment, 104 00:05:24.279 --> 00:05:28.399 which is, tell me, if I'm describing this poorly, like 105 00:05:28.519 --> 00:05:31.439 sort of the big pot of discretionary money that the 106 00:05:31.480 --> 00:05:34.720 schools can spend. Dan Patrick wanted to put less in 107 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:38.160 the house, seemed to want to put more. What the 108 00:05:38.199 --> 00:05:42.160 compromise ended up being would be creating a new allotment 109 00:05:42.279 --> 00:05:45.120 for basic costs that would put one point three billion 110 00:05:45.240 --> 00:05:49.600 dollars toward that kind of feels like just sort of 111 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:52.439 changing the order of the words here from basic elipment 112 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:54.279 to allotment for basic costs. 113 00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:58.000 See how that could get mixed up a little bit? Yeah, yes, Yeah, yeah, 114 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:00.240 but it does you know, a lot of the I 115 00:06:00.279 --> 00:06:03.720 was referring to overhead costs, you know, the kind of 116 00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:09.240 the list of allowable uses for that fund. It replicates 117 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:11.319 a lot of what I think the schools would have 118 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:15.199 wanted to spend the basic alowment increase on transportation, utilities, 119 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:17.399 insurance cost increases. 120 00:06:17.399 --> 00:06:19.040 That kind of stuff feels a little bit like a 121 00:06:19.079 --> 00:06:21.120 distinction without much of a difference. 122 00:06:20.800 --> 00:06:21.120 I think, so. 123 00:06:21.240 --> 00:06:24.240 Yeah, And if it does sound like the overall increase 124 00:06:24.399 --> 00:06:29.360 to kind of the equivalent increase of the basic allotment, 125 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:31.959 you know, even with it's going to be a fifty 126 00:06:31.959 --> 00:06:33.959 five dollars increase to the basic allotment, and then on 127 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:36.879 top of that, even factoring in this new fund, it's 128 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:40.279 still not quite I think what the schools were looking for. 129 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:42.839 But a lot of that extra difference is going to 130 00:06:42.839 --> 00:06:45.480 be made up with the money going directly to teacher 131 00:06:45.480 --> 00:06:46.439 pay raises. 132 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:48.839 Which is four point two billion dollars for teacher pay 133 00:06:48.920 --> 00:06:52.360 raise is a pretty substantial increase there to nearly two 134 00:06:52.439 --> 00:06:55.639 billion for special education four hundred and thirty million in 135 00:06:55.720 --> 00:06:59.160 additional school safety funds. That was a big issue last 136 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:01.160 session where there are a lot of new rules and 137 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:03.240 not a lot of money to spend toward them. 138 00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:05.560 What is the reaction of the schools on this. 139 00:07:05.959 --> 00:07:08.920 I think it's it's been sort of a grudging, a 140 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:12.240 big grudging acceptance of it. You know, they eight and 141 00:07:12.279 --> 00:07:15.160 a half billion dollars is a lot of money, you know, 142 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:17.560 no matter how much how you spend it. And I 143 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:22.120 think what I've seen it's generally positive, with you know, 144 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:24.879 the caveats that you know, they always would have liked 145 00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:26.439 to see more, They would have maybe liked to have 146 00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:29.560 a little bit more flexibility in an ideal world. But 147 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:32.439 I think everyone's also just kind of breathing a big 148 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:34.759 sigh of relief. You know, you go back to twenty 149 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:38.079 twenty three, the school voucher fight. This kind of a 150 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:41.240 similar amount of money got caught up in was a 151 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:44.759 casualty of that fight. So just I think big sigh 152 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:48.519 of relief has been kind of the overarching response that 153 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:48.959 I've seen. 154 00:07:49.480 --> 00:07:51.720 And do we feel like the big hurdle has been crossed? 155 00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:53.920 I mean, the Big Three put out a press release, 156 00:07:54.680 --> 00:07:56.759 all of their names, all of their quotes. There are 157 00:07:56.800 --> 00:07:59.519 even some Democrats in that press release that you know, 158 00:08:00.360 --> 00:08:03.120 we're not done yet, right, Like the bill has passed 159 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:05.399 the House, it's going back to the Senate. They can 160 00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:08.959 concur on the amendments or request a conference committee. But 161 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:12.959 is there anything that you're seeing in that situation right 162 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:15.160 now that makes you think that this is at risk 163 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:15.800 in any way? 164 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:16.519 I don't think so. 165 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:16.680 No. 166 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:20.360 I think I think this And if I'm remembering correctly, 167 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:22.879 I've there's so many different bills that have been trying 168 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:26.800 to track. But I think the Senate has officially signed off, 169 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:29.680 so we're like, we're good to go. I think we're 170 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:33.120 they have, I believe so, unless I'm mixing this up 171 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:36.759 with something else, but they they have. You know, Dan 172 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:38.480 Patrick put out a bit when they passed it in 173 00:08:38.519 --> 00:08:40.960 the Senate the other day. Dan Patrick's up on the 174 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:44.559 die is making a big show of, you know, saying 175 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:48.720 basically smacking down the haters, saying, you know, people were 176 00:08:49.320 --> 00:08:52.440 accusing us of holding this hostage and complaining about what 177 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:55.519 was taking so long, and sort of touting it as 178 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:58.039 you know, you got to work through the details on 179 00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:02.960 this thing. And so he was taking a big victory lap. 180 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:06.159 And I think everyone's considering this this done at this point. 181 00:09:06.360 --> 00:09:10.759 So around the same time that happened, we also saw 182 00:09:10.919 --> 00:09:15.600 action in the House on a THHC ban, a previously 183 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:21.720 skeptical house in which they voted to essentially ban the 184 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:24.840 sale of any substances with you know, a detectable amount 185 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:29.919 of THHC that will essentially, you know, starting September first, 186 00:09:30.120 --> 00:09:33.240 completely erase what you know, you have reported to be 187 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:37.600 an eight billion dollar industry in this state. This is 188 00:09:37.639 --> 00:09:42.240 the House that last session voted to decriminalize marijuana. So 189 00:09:42.279 --> 00:09:46.720 we're talking about a pretty significant shift from being pretty 190 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:52.159 pro marijuana to being pretty anti anything you know, THHC 191 00:09:52.440 --> 00:09:53.200 related at all. 192 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:56.159 Well, and in twenty nineteen being like, you know, open 193 00:09:56.200 --> 00:09:59.519 for a bit, like you know, yeah on THHC specifically 194 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:00.879 like the pendulum swim. 195 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:05.240 What happened there, Well, there's a lot going on. 196 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:08.519 I mean the kind of the to word answer is 197 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:09.960 like Dan Patrick happened. 198 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:12.559 You know. He he adopts this as his you know, 199 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:15.960 one of his top pet issues, you know, almost six 200 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:20.120 months ago now, and was pretty much driving the hardest 201 00:10:20.200 --> 00:10:23.080 bargain possible from the get go, you know, made clear 202 00:10:23.159 --> 00:10:24.919 that he was going to go to the mat force 203 00:10:24.960 --> 00:10:29.200 a special session over this, and the House you know, 204 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:31.600 I think this was sort of a frustration of mine 205 00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:33.559 in reporting on this story throughout the session, it was 206 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:36.639 really difficult to get a sense of where the House 207 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:39.840 stood on this. Even you know, Ken King, the State 208 00:10:39.879 --> 00:10:43.200 Affairs Chairman who carried the bill throughout the session, kind 209 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:45.399 of was, I think it's fair to say, a little 210 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:47.519 bit all over the place, or at least was you know, 211 00:10:47.559 --> 00:10:51.360 he put out different versions of the bill that you know, 212 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:56.960 would have regulated the industry almost to the point of extinction, 213 00:10:57.080 --> 00:10:59.279 and then sort of went back and it was, you know, 214 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:03.159 maybe a little more of a permissive regulatory approach, and 215 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:05.279 that was the version that got to the House floor, 216 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:11.639 and Tom oliverson another Republican state representative, brought forth an 217 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:15.480 amendment that that essentially reverted the the build back to. 218 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:16.200 The Senate ban. 219 00:11:16.440 --> 00:11:18.799 And to my initial point, I think the House was 220 00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:22.080 pretty ambivalent about this issue sort of from the get go, 221 00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:25.600 and you sort of saw them falling in line with 222 00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:27.440 what the Senate wanted on it. And it's I think 223 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:30.919 it was a show of Dan Patrick's way over you know, 224 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:33.799 kind of both chambers of the Legislature in some points. 225 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:37.159 So we're seeing a lot of blowback to this sort 226 00:11:37.159 --> 00:11:39.759 of anecdotally, right, I mean, a lot of I think 227 00:11:39.799 --> 00:11:42.559 this is not an issue that falls along partisan lines always. 228 00:11:42.600 --> 00:11:45.240 I mean, it sort of ensnares a lot of like 229 00:11:45.320 --> 00:11:47.720 veterans groups are very active around this, a lot of 230 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:52.360 you know, older people who use these products sort of 231 00:11:53.679 --> 00:11:56.639 you know what they would say, like medicinally, like not 232 00:11:56.639 --> 00:11:59.159 not through like an official medical marijuana program, but they 233 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:03.600 just sort of use them that way. And so I 234 00:12:03.639 --> 00:12:06.799 think this is there's like I'm hearing a lot of 235 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:08.759 chatter almost like is this something? 236 00:12:10.039 --> 00:12:11.360 Is everyone else on board with this? Or is this 237 00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:15.000 Stan Patrick's thing? Would Abbot veto something like this? 238 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:19.480 Yeah, we haven't gotten It's been sort of radio silence 239 00:12:19.879 --> 00:12:23.159 from Abbot on, you know, not just whether he'll veto it, 240 00:12:23.159 --> 00:12:26.159 but kind of the issue overall. He's been pretty adamant 241 00:12:26.200 --> 00:12:29.159 about just letting the sort of the will of the 242 00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:30.360 ledge dictate what happens. 243 00:12:31.559 --> 00:12:31.799 You know. 244 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:34.919 I do think that the kind of trying to read 245 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:37.759 the tea leaves here. The other part of this equation 246 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:40.919 is the expansion of the state medical marijuana program. And 247 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:44.799 I think the kind of the cliff notes version is 248 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:47.639 that the two chambers seem to have reached deal to 249 00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:55.080 do a more expansive expansion than what was previously thought 250 00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:57.600 to be on the table, and I think that maybe 251 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:02.159 slightly decreases the odds of Abbot vetoing this. You know, 252 00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:05.159 the kind of the outrage meter was at its like 253 00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:08.080 fever pitch when it seemed like we're going to have 254 00:13:08.120 --> 00:13:12.200 the ban and also, you know, a less permissive expansion 255 00:13:12.600 --> 00:13:15.440 of medical marijuana. So I think you know now that 256 00:13:15.480 --> 00:13:19.360 the medical program tea cup is being seems like expanded 257 00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:22.039 to include chronic pain in some of the you know, 258 00:13:22.120 --> 00:13:24.480 the things that were on the table that seemed to 259 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:27.519 be on the table in the House when lawmakers were 260 00:13:27.519 --> 00:13:31.000 deciding whether to do the THHC ban. You know that 261 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:34.039 the band was sort of sold as going in tandem 262 00:13:34.039 --> 00:13:37.360 with this major expansion of medical marijuana. I think the 263 00:13:37.399 --> 00:13:41.120 fact that that seems to be happening now, maybe Abbot 264 00:13:41.159 --> 00:13:45.559 just doesn't want to ruffle, you know, feathers with with 265 00:13:45.639 --> 00:13:49.440 Dan Patrick. I mean, he he had that happen on 266 00:13:49.559 --> 00:13:52.919 property taxes two years ago, and it was a messy situation. 267 00:13:53.399 --> 00:13:55.600 We're kind of at this point now where all the 268 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:58.919 Republicans are more or less on the same page. You know, 269 00:13:59.080 --> 00:14:02.840 everything's fine. My money would be on no Veto at 270 00:14:02.840 --> 00:14:06.720 this point. But I also, you know, stranger things have happened. 271 00:14:06.919 --> 00:14:09.600 Yeah, the twists in terms of this have been very interesting, 272 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:12.960 right because you mentioned the the kind of deal to 273 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:18.799 expand the medical marijuana provision. Then you see that measure 274 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:22.399 go up in the House and there's the Senate then 275 00:14:22.440 --> 00:14:26.240 removes chronic pain from the list of those provisions, which 276 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:29.320 then creates this whole stir Tom Olliversen you already mentioned 277 00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:32.399 kind of tweets up against you know, against this decision. 278 00:14:32.919 --> 00:14:35.399 People seem to think that maybe Dan Patrick has pulled 279 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:37.840 a fast one on them and you know, has kind 280 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:40.399 of gone back on the deal. Then they come out 281 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:42.519 on social media and are sort of having their. 282 00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:45.879 Little like that. 283 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:49.039 It would be quite a twist if Abbott were to 284 00:14:49.080 --> 00:14:50.919 then come in and veto that. 285 00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:52.720 But it'll be interesting to see. 286 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:57.279 I mean, you know, where we land on all this 287 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:02.200 will be curious because you know, you've seen times in 288 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:06.519 different states where you had a more broad medical marijuana 289 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:09.159 program and you could basically just go find a doctor 290 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:11.240 to write you a prescription and then. 291 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:13.080 You know, do that. 292 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:16.279 I think Dan Patrick seems very intent on keeping that 293 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:17.840 from happening again in Texas. 294 00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:20.039 Yeah, he was pretty clear that that was like his 295 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:22.960 big the thing that he wanted to make sure was, 296 00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:25.519 you know, not part of the equation was and he's 297 00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:28.879 kind of been riding that train for for years now, 298 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:31.000 like he just you go back to some of the 299 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:33.639 comments he's made over the years. He that's been his 300 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:37.039 big sort of line in the sand or sticking point 301 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:40.000 that he doesn't want to open this up to you know, 302 00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:42.799 anyone being able to get their doctor to write this prescription. 303 00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:46.600 I think also the big unexplored question is what does 304 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:49.559 what's kind of the ripple effects of this in twenty 305 00:15:49.559 --> 00:15:52.840 twenty six, how big of a you know, a backlash 306 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:56.039 I guess on both or on either side of the aisle. 307 00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:58.120 You guys were mentioning just. 308 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:01.200 Some of the kind of the opinions on this issue 309 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:02.440 within the Republican Party. 310 00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:04.480 I mean, you've got farmers that. 311 00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:07.399 Are upsett veterans, You've got small business owners. I think 312 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:09.919 it's an example of like, particularly in these final days 313 00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:11.759 of session, like things that are happening inside the dome 314 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:15.200 feels so like like, of course Abbot couldn't veto this 315 00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:17.960 because like Alliver sin Patrick struck this d and everyone 316 00:16:18.039 --> 00:16:21.080 is on board finally, and it's like that can become 317 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:23.279 so insular that it's like you sort of lose track 318 00:16:23.320 --> 00:16:27.360 of like what do people outside of this don't want? 319 00:16:28.279 --> 00:16:30.240 As we get into like the nitty gritty of negotiating. 320 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:32.080 Yeah, and this is one of those I mean, we 321 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:34.360 were talking about school finance earlier, and it's like, do 322 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:37.879 people really understand and notice that, like, you know, however 323 00:16:37.960 --> 00:16:40.639 much is in or not in the basic a lotment 324 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:43.279 determines whether I have like a music teacher in my 325 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:46.039 elementary school or whatever. Like there's a lot of different 326 00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:48.440 kind of steps you have to get to understand that. 327 00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:51.720 But the number of people, I don't know what that 328 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:54.919 number is, but there's clearly enough of a number that 329 00:16:55.159 --> 00:16:57.679 it allows these stores to pop up pretty much everywhere, 330 00:16:57.759 --> 00:17:00.279 not just like in downtown Austin, but like every you know, 331 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:02.840 rural parts of the state too. You can find these 332 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:07.079 these things. And starting September first, those stores are probably 333 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:12.119 going to have to close and that you know, product 334 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:15.000 that they're selling will be illegal and like in some cases, 335 00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:17.680 like you could get a felony charge for having it 336 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:20.839 and you've got you know, and it's going to be 337 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:24.319 very clear who did this, Yeah, right, and that'll be 338 00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:27.279 interesting to watch. I honestly have no idea of like 339 00:17:27.480 --> 00:17:30.440 how much of a political impact or penalty this will be. 340 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:32.880 It might be fairly limited. And I think in defense 341 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:35.680 of the of the Senate of Dan Patrick for this, 342 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:38.359 it was never the intent of the legislature to have 343 00:17:38.400 --> 00:17:40.920 all these stores pop up when they legalized him. They 344 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:43.400 were trying to do something very different than what they've 345 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:46.559 done right now. But yeah, this will be This will 346 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:47.720 be one to watch politically. 347 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:51.240 And just on your your last point, this one comment 348 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:55.119 that Raphael and Sheia, the Stay lawmaker from a Democrat 349 00:17:55.119 --> 00:17:58.680 from Dallas, made on the floor as this THHC band 350 00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:01.480 debate was going on. He he made the comment that essentially, 351 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:04.799 you know, we as the legislature kind of you know, 352 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:06.920 if you're looking for someone to blame for this, it's 353 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:10.119 kind of the legislature's fault for, as you say, sort 354 00:18:10.119 --> 00:18:13.160 of inadvertently creating this issue, this industry six years ago 355 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:17.559 and then basically doing nothing to step in and you know, 356 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:20.279 put some at least reasonable regulations on it in the 357 00:18:20.359 --> 00:18:23.359 intervening time, really laid the groundwork for folks to come 358 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:25.960 in and you know, say, we just got to get 359 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:26.720 rid of it altogether. 360 00:18:26.920 --> 00:18:30.519 So yeah, all right, Let's take a break and hear 361 00:18:30.599 --> 00:18:37.440 from our sponsors. A coalition of more than one and 362 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:41.559 fifty Texas job creators, citizens and business associations is working 363 00:18:41.640 --> 00:18:46.240 to stabilize the insurance market by restoring transparency and fairness 364 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:50.759 to Texas's courts. That's the Lone Star Economic Alliance. Learn 365 00:18:50.839 --> 00:18:56.200 more at ww dot l s e A t X 366 00:18:56.440 --> 00:19:01.160 dot com. That address again, l s e A TX 367 00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:06.119 dot com. The Safer Texas Alliance supports SB three, advocating 368 00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:09.720 for responsible THC policies that protect public health and safety. 369 00:19:10.119 --> 00:19:15.079 Learn more at Safer Texasalliance dot com. Texas Managed Care 370 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:19.759 Alliance is working to protect high quality healthcare for Medicaid patients, 371 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:24.720 ensure accountability for taxpayer dollars, and advocate for fair and 372 00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:30.359 competitive contracting policies. More at ww dot Texas Managed Care 373 00:19:30.519 --> 00:19:37.680 Alliance dot org. That's Texas Managed Care Alliance dot org. Okay, so, Jasper, 374 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:41.200 I think one of the big topics of conversation then, 375 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:46.640 is is dan Patrick just getting everything he wants here? 376 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:49.440 And you know, I think we talked about these two 377 00:19:49.480 --> 00:19:52.640 bills HB two, the school finance and the THHC ban, 378 00:19:53.400 --> 00:19:55.799 and I think one of the big questions here is 379 00:19:55.880 --> 00:19:59.160 how related are these pieces of legislation? Is this a 380 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:01.640 part of some kind of big deal struck between the 381 00:20:01.640 --> 00:20:04.240 big two? We're going to give you your THC band 382 00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:05.880 if you give us a little bit more on the 383 00:20:06.200 --> 00:20:07.400 on the school finance. 384 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:11.279 Yeah, I think, uh, you know, Dan Patrick's folks at 385 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:14.400 least dispute that notion. But I think it just if 386 00:20:14.440 --> 00:20:16.720 you kind of look at the timing of you know, 387 00:20:16.759 --> 00:20:21.359 when these you know, for example, SB three, the THHC 388 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:26.599 band kind of getting increasingly postponed and delayed until you know, 389 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:30.000 sort of a trust uh, but verify a situation where 390 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:33.039 the House was waiting for the Senate to take action 391 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:37.039 and on approving the school finance deal. So I think 392 00:20:37.240 --> 00:20:39.720 clearly those backroom discussions were happening to an extent. 393 00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:40.440 You know. 394 00:20:41.559 --> 00:20:44.440 I also think that HB two school the school finance 395 00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:48.799 package was always going to pass in some form anyway. 396 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:52.079 I don't think, you know, anyone in either chamber really 397 00:20:52.119 --> 00:20:54.960 realistically saw an opportunity to go back to their school 398 00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:58.200 districts and say like, we're again giving you zero dollars. 399 00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:01.240 But you know, I think think kind of the timing 400 00:21:01.240 --> 00:21:03.799 of how all this came together, maybe certain provisions within 401 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:09.200