Bills and Business by USLege

The Texas grid is the most-watched piece of energy infrastructure in America. In this episode of Bills & Business, host Laura Davis sits down with Jason Ryan — EVP, Regulatory Services & Government Affairs at CenterPoint Energy — to break down what's actually coming for Texas energy policy, where the regulatory pressure is real, and what government affairs teams should be tracking right no...

Welcome to Episode #47 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Davis, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Pavan Kumar, General Manager of Ultrahuman's advanced health tech facility, to explore what happens when cutting-edge biosensor technology meets the realities of smart manufacturing, FDA regulation, and federal policy advocacy. Pavan brings a rare combination of credentials to the con...

Welcome to Episode #46 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Davis, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Megan Mauro, President and CEO of the Texas Association of Business and Texas Chapter President of the American Innovators Network. Megan brings a dual perspective to the conversation, representing both established companies and the startups and entrepreneurs that make up little tech....

Welcome to Episode #45 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Davis, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Laura Davis, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer at USLege. In this special Season 2 kickoff, Laura Davis shares how her career spanning the U.S. House, Senate, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Texas Capitol led to the creation of USLege. After years of navigating inefficient legis...

Welcome to Episode #44 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Carr, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Hope Osborn, Co-Founder of The Pink Granite Foundation. Hope shares the story behind The Pink Granite Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to uplifting, connecting, and supporting women in Texas politics. She discusses the organization’s beginnings, its commitment to bipartisa...

Welcome to Episode #43 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Carr, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Wes Benedict, Grassroots Manager at Texans for Reasonable Solutions. Wes shares his experience in community organizing, cross-partisan advocacy, and the importance of practical policy conversations. He offers insight into how grassroots work has evolved in a polarized climate and how o...

Welcome to Episode #42 of Bills & Business . In this episode, Laura Carr, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Glenn Hamer , President and CEO of the Texas Association of Business , to break down the America’s AI Action Plan and its impact on Texas’s business and innovation ecosystem. Glenn shares valuable insights on how this national policy connects to Texas industries , from data infrastruc...

Welcome to Episode #41 of Bills & Business . In this episode, Laura Carr, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Eric Davis, Co-Founder and CEO of USLege, to share the inside story of building one of Texas’s fastest-growing policy tech startups. Eric opens up about the early days of bootstrapping USLege from their Austin apartment, the lessons learned from building without external capital, and...

Welcome to Episode #40 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Carr, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Amy Whited, Regional Director of Government Affairs at Genmab, a global biotechnology company pioneering antibody-based therapeutics to fight cancer. Amy’s story spans more than two decades in politics and advocacy, from campaign war rooms to the forefront of biotech innovation. She sh...

Welcome to Episode #39 of Bills & Business . In this episode, Laura Carr, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Gavin Nicholson , Founder and CEO of the TexCap Policy Institute , a nonpartisan think tank advancing private-sector guided, public-interest policy across Texas. Nicholson reflects on his journey from serving as Chief of Staff in the Texas Legislature to leading TexCap, sharing lesson...

Welcome to Episode #38 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Davis, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Senator Angela Paxton, who represents Senate District 8 in the Texas Senate. Senator Paxton has been a consistent leader on education, innovation, and online safety. She played a key role in passing House Bill 1181, Texas’ landmark effort to safeguard children online, and is now advan...

Welcome to Episode #37 of Bills & Business . In this episode, Laura Carr, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Glen Pugh from the Texas General Land Office (GLO), a leader in government relations helping guide one of the state’s most influential agencies. The discussion highlights the GLO’s vital responsibilities, from managing state lands and leasing energy rights to coordinating disaster rec...

Welcome to Episode #36 of Bills & Business . In this episode, Laura Carr , Co-Founder of USLege , sits down with Renzo Soto , Executive Director for Texas and the Southeast at TechNet , a leading network of technology CEOs and senior executives advocating for innovation-friendly policies. Renzo shares his inspiring journey from immigrating to Harlingen, Texas, to shaping tech policy at the hig...

Welcome to Episode #35 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Carr, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Katherine McLane—Founder and CEO of The Mach 1 Group. Katherine’s career spans the highest levels of political and public advocacy communications, from her time with the Bush administration and Governor Schwarzenegger to her work with LIVESTRONG and Texas-based organizations navigating...

Welcome to Episode #33 of Bills & Business. In this episode, host Laura Carr takes you behind the scenes at the Texas Venture Gala for a dynamic compilation of interviews with 7 bold leaders shaping the future of innovation, entrepreneurship, and policy. 🎤📍 Recorded live, this episode delivers a fast-paced mix of insight, humor, and real talk—from middle school marketing stories and 19-year-...

Welcome to Episode #34 of Bills & Business . In this episode, Laura Carr , Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with William Hollis , CEO of Campaigns Inc.—a strategist at the forefront of modern advocacy and digital public affairs. William shares how his firm helps mission-driven organizations cut through noise with precision storytelling, creator engagement, and AI-driven campaigns. From grassroo...

Welcome to Episode #32 of Bills & Business. In this episode, host Laura Carr is joined by Desiree Castro, Director of Government Relations at the Texas Food & Fuel Association. With over a decade of legislative experience, Desiree unpacks the key policy battles affecting Texas retailers—from spirit-based RTDs and fuel theft to swipe fee reform. They explore the stakes of SB 2225 and the pu...

Welcome to Episode #31 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Carr sits down with Ben Brewer, CTO of USLege, to explore how AI and engineering are transforming the legislative space—and why that might actually make us more human, not less. Ben shares the origin story of USLege, including how a chance match through Y Combinator led to a powerful collaboration between tech and policy. He br...

Welcome to Episode #30 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Carr, Co-founder of USLege, sits down with Tal Shmueli, COO & Partner at Texas Venture Partners — a $50 million fund investing in Israeli startups with battlefield-proven technologies and helping them scale in the United States. Tal shares his journey from Israel to Austin, and how the events of October 7 reshaped his missi...

Welcome to Episode #29 of Bills & Business. In this episode, we’re joined by Glenn Hamer, CEO of the Texas Association of Business and Founding Chairman of the Texas Venture Alliance, along with CS Freeland, Founder of the Texas Venture Alliance and creator of the Texas Venture Voter Guide. Together, they offer an exclusive look into Texas' innovation economy and the powerful forces shapin...

Welcome to Episode #28 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Carr, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Konni Burton—former Texas State Senator, grassroots advocate, and founder of The Texan. Konni shares her journey from growing up in South Texas, launching a business, and stepping into the political arena to advocate for limited government, individual liberties, and fiscal responsibili...

Welcome to Episode #27 of Bills & Business. In this episode, host Laura Carr is joined by Andrea Sparks, Co-Founder of Not on Our Watch Texas (NOWTX) and Director of Government Relations at Buckner International. Andrea shares her inspiring journey from law school to leading child protection efforts at the state level, including her pivotal role in creating the Governor’s Child Sex Trafficking...

Welcome to Episode #25 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Carr is joined by Craig Casselberry, Founder and CEO of Quorum Public Affairs. With decades of experience in public affairs, Craig has led over 150 corporate communications and legislative campaigns, advised Texas Governors, and collaborated with companies such as ExxonMobil, AT&T, and Pfizer. This episode explores Craig’s...

Welcome to Episode #24 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Carr sits down with David Dunmoyer, Campaign Director for Better Tech for Tomorrow and policy expert at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, to explore the evolving landscape of AI regulation in Texas. David provides insights into Texas House Bill 1709, a legislative effort aimed at balancing AI innovation with critical safeguar...

Welcome to Episode #23 of Bills & Business! In this episode, we’re joined by Norman Garza, the inaugural Executive Director of the Texas Space Commission, to explore the future of Texas’ space economy and the role of public-private collaboration in advancing space innovation. Garza shares insights on the Commission’s mission, the allocation of SEARF grants, and Texas’ positioning as a hub for...