Texas Talks

Terri Behling is Director of Communications at Haven for Hope, an organization that addresses the root causes of homelessness by offering programming tailored to the specific needs of the individual. Their unique approach is person-centered, trauma-informed and recovery-oriented. The goal is to meet individuals where they are and support them as they move toward self-sufficiency. https://www.haven...

Todd Staples is the president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association and previously served as the Texas Agriculture Commissioner, as well as a Texas State Senator and Representative. He joins the show to discuss the record breaking amount of tax revenue the Oil and Gas industry brought to Texas in 2024, who benefits, the future of energy in Texas, and much more. https://www.txoga.org/ Watch Full-Len...

Lee Parsley is the General Counsel and President for Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR), an organization focused on tort and lawsuit reform in Texas. Lee discusses Nuclear Verdicts, Public Nuisance Lawsuits, and the effects of lawfare on Texans. https://www.tortreform.com/ Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks   Follow us on social media X: @Texas_Dispatch Instagram: thete...

Jennifer Rabb is the president of TTARA (Texas Taxpayers and Research Association) and joins the show to discuss the tax landscape in Texas - property taxes, school taxes, business taxes, and how Texas is faring under it all. https://ttara.org/ Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks   Follow us on social media X: @Texas_Dispatch Instagram: thetexasdispatch LinkedIn: The...

Texas Senator Nathan Johnson of Senate District 16 joins the show to discuss infrastructure: everything from physical infrastructure, but also education and government programs. https://linktr.ee/NathanForTexas Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks   Follow us on social media X: @Texas_Dispatch Instagram: thetexasdispatch LinkedIn: The Texas Dispatch TikTok: texas_talks...

Tony Bennett is the President and CEO of the Texas Association of Manufacturers, a position he has held since 2012. The Texas Association of Manufacturers gives voice to more than 600 small and large companies at the State Capitol as well as in Washington, DC. Tony joins the show to discuss education, energy, foreign trade, AI, and much more as it all relates to manufacturing. https://manufacturet...

Dr. Ben Carson is the former 17th Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban and Development, founder and Chairman of the American Cornerstone Institute, and currently serves on the Texas Education Agency Open Education Resource advisory board. Dr. Carson joins the show to discuss the recently approved Open Education Resource curriculum here in Texas, how to inspire kids to learn, modern...

Cameron Abrams is a reporter for The Texan, a statewide political news organization focusing on Texas news and politics. In addition to being a reporter, he is a doctoral candidate with a focus on postmodern philosophical influences in education. We discuss the recent Texas Legislative elections and the potential ramifications for policy and legislation in the upcoming 89th Texas Legislature. Watc...

Writer, speaker, consultant, and lobbyist, Adam Jones joins the show to discuss education finance in Texas. Adam served as the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer for the Texas Education Agency from 2003 - 2012. Since then he founded CapitolJones to help organizations achieve their objectives, and presents regularly at education and government conferences. Watch Full-Length Interviews:...

Ken W. Good is a noted bail attorney and board member of the Professional Bondsmen of Texas, and who has worked closely with lawmakers, argued cases before the Supreme Court of Texas among others. He is the author of Good’s on Bail. Ken joins the show to discuss the recent correction in crime statistics, crime trends in Texas, the bail system in Texas, and efforts in the next legislative session....

Ray Martinez is the President and CEO of the Texas Association of Community Colleges, providing leadership to advance state policy, institutional practices and research in support of Texas Community Colleges. Ray discusses the role that community colleges play in Texas Higher Ed, workforce alignment in Texas' Building a Talent Strong Texas plan, changing the funding mechanism for community college...

Aaron Silva is a former candidate for Eanes ISD School Board, lifelong entrepreneur, and founder of Paladin-fs, a professional technology contract negotiation company for community banks and credit unions. He is also the founder of Texas Education Project 103. Aaron discusses the importance of fair elections at the local level, financial and educational issues facing school districts across the st...

Senator Brandon Creighton represents Senate District 4, encompassing parts of Montgomery, Harris, Chambers, Jefferson and Galveston Counties. He is the chair of not only the Education Committee, but the Higher Education Subcommittee, as well. During his tenure he has taken the lead on key issues that matter to Texas job creators, fought excessive taxation, and passed legislation to improve Texas s...

John Hryhorchuk is the Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Texas 2036, a non-partisan, data driven public policy think tank here in Austin, Texas. John previously worked as the Deputy Director of Budget and Policy for Governor Greg Abbott, and he joins us here today. John discusses many issues facing Texas today including health care, mental health, education, water sustainability, and...

This week's guest is Representative David Spiller of House District 68, which spans across 12 counties here in Texas. He serves on multiple committees, including as cochair of the Texas Energy Fund Advisory committee. He discusses border security, foreign ownership of land, water availability, and the electric grid. Lern more: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069525410865 Watch Full-Leng...

Chris Powers, founder and CEO of Fort Capital, a real estate investment firm having completed more than $2.1B in real estate transactions in Texas, Tennessee, and Florida. He is also the host of The Fort podcast, a show about entrepreneurship where each episode's mission is to up your game by hearing directly from men and women in the arena. https://fort-companies.com/ https://x.com/fortworthchris...

Chris Baker is executive director of The Other One's Foundation, a homeless service provider focusing on shelter and workforce services. Since graduating from the State University of New York at Oneonta in 2007, Chris has worked many different jobs in the field of homeless services and activism, but also as a musician, writer, and even paralegal. He started The Other Ones Foundation in the summer...

Lieutenant Game Warden Aaron Sims is a public information officer for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He joins the show to discuss hunting and boat safety, poaching, wildlife conservancy, and more. Website: https://tpwd.texas.gov/ Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks   Follow us on social media X: @Texas_Dispatch Instagram: thetexasdispatch LinkedIn: The Texas...

Dax Gonzalez is the Governmental Relations Division Director at the Texas Association of School Boards. Dax joins the show to discuss TASB advocacy efforts including increasing local control, improved funding, school choice/vouchers, and more. https://www.tasb.org/ Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks   Follow us on social media X: @Texas_Dispatch Instagram: thetexasdi...

Representative Cody Vasut represents House District 25, which comprises southern and western Brazoria County. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Business & Industry Committee and member of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committees. Rep. Vasut discusses the need for additional transparency with campaign finance records, affordable housing, potential changes to the house parliamentarian a...

Representative Mihaela Plesa of Texas House District 70, which includes parts of Dallas, Richardson, Plano, and Allen, is a first generation Romanian American. She discusses education, women's health and reproduction, THC and compassionate use, and more. Website: https://www.plesafortexas.com/ Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks   Follow us on social media X: @Texas_D...

Senator Jose Menendez of Texas Senate District 26 in Bexar County, joins the show to discuss Interim Hearings in the Texas Legislature. The discussion includes a potential ban on Delta 8 and 9 products, social media and children, catching kids up in education, and more. http://www.josemenendez.com/ https://x.com/Menendez4Texas https://www.facebook.com/Menendez4Texas Watch Full-Length Interviews: h...

John Wallace is a Houston native and attorney specializing in Municipal Utility Districts. John discusses what MUD's are, as well as PFCs (Public Facility Corporations) and how they are used, at the expense of MUDs, cities, counties, school districts, and all taxing entities, to create "affordable housing." You can learn more about John's law practice at https://bwplegal.com/ Watch Full-Length Int...

Lee Bratcher is a Board Member and President of the Texas Blockchain Council, an industry association that exists to advocate for blockchain centric public policy initiatives, educate members of government about the benefits of bitcoin, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. https://texasblockchaincouncil.org/ Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks   Follow us on soci...

Steve Bruno is the Deputy Executive Director of the Licensing and Education and Examination Divisions and Customer Service at The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Steve discusses the role that TDLR plays in the everyday lives of Texans, as well as their new five year strategic plan. https://x.com/tdlrlicense https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube...