ENside Politics

The head of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo is warning that a conceptual development plan for the East Side could collide with his organization's expansion — and that tax dollars voters OK'd for the rodeo's designs could wind up paying for some of those clashing projects. Reporter Madison Iszler and host Greg Jefferson discuss.  Suggested reading: Rodeo says East Side development plan clas...

Education reporters Noah Alcala Bach and Sophia Veneziano talk with ENside Politics about which area school districts have come under Texas Education Agency scrutiny and why. Suggested reading: State probes Judson ISD for alleged threats, failure to report child abuse STAAR gains offer lifeline to some S.A. schools at risk of state interventionJudson ISD board OK's budget that nearly slays deficit...

Reporter Liz Teitz and the ENside Politics team discuss the rupture that resulted in City Council postponing a vote on a SAWS rate increase till next fall. Suggested reading: After debate, split City Council delays decision on SAWS rate hike SAWS says it needs to raise rates. It’s hitting resistance at City Hall. City staff to council: Raise SAWS rates — just not by quite as much Sign up here for...

Former San Antonio Mayor and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff talks with reporters Madison Iszler and Molly Smith about the hallmarks of Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' first year in office, what Ron Nirenberg's administration could look like if he wins the county judge election and tensions over Project Marvel and plans for the Frost Bank Center grounds. Suggested reading: One year in, Mayor Jones remains...

Former City Councilman Manny Pelaez talks with host Greg Jefferson about the freebies council members are offered — and that many of them accept — such as Spurs, concert and gala tickets, not to mention "parking wherever the hell they want." He also weighs in on Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' rocky first year in office and Project Marvel. Suggested reading: Which San Antonio politicians got free Spurs pl...

The ENside Politics team talks about how President Trump scrambled the race for the GOP nomination in San Antonio-anchored Congressional District 35 and Luz Elena Chapa's razor-thin margin in the Democratic primary for Bexar County district attorney. Suggested reading: Luz Elena Chapa wins tight runoff for Bexar County DA Johnny Garcia to face Carlos De La Cruz for Congressional District 35 Does J...

Politics reporter Molly Smith and host Greg Jefferson talk about the heated race between Luz Elena Chapa and Jane Davis for the Democratic nomination for Bexar County district attorney, and the blow-up in the Democratic contest in Congressional District 35 between Maureen Galindo and Johnny Garcia. Suggested reading: DA candidates in Democratic runoff clash over experience, case backlog Personal l...

Megan Rodriguez chats with fellow Express-News reporters Liz Teitz and Madison Iszler as they dig into a proposed rate hike at SAWS and the controversy surrounding the pitch. Suggested reading: As SAWS mulls rate hike, these City Council members want a shakeup at the utility SAWS seeks rate hikes as City Council weighs cost to residents SAWS says it needs 8% rate hike this year to avoid system fai...

Political consultant Andrew Solano talks with the ENside Politics team about Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' chief of staff calling it quits a week after her deputy abruptly stepped down, and why Jones' struggle to keep staff matters. Suggested reading: Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ chief of staff quits one week after deputy leaves Amid outcry, San Antonio council advances mayor's veterans housing proposal Mayo...

Education reporters Noah Alcala Bach and Sophia Veneziano talk with host Greg Jefferson about the drastic steps Bexar County's largest school district are taking to make ends meet — such as closing schools and slashing positions — and what's making it harder to keep the lights on. Suggested reading: Judson school district cuts 536 jobs, moves toward balanced budgetInside the charter network that m...

Port San Antonio CEO Jim Perschbach discusses his role as head of the mayor's Economic Security Advisory Group with the ENside Politics team --  and air taxis, his lonely quest for the 16th Air Force, the possibility of government funding for a new South Side grocery store and how San Antonio does "economic development." Suggested reading: Port San Antonio teams with Austin firm to develop air tax...

City Hall reporters Megan Rodriguez and Molly Smith talk with host Greg Jefferson about Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' pledge to help one of San Antonio's biggest and oldest gay nightclubs raise money for legally required fire sprinklers, and how it has gone weirdly wrong. Suggested reading: Bonham Exchange says mayor hasn't delivered on $550K fundraising pledge City Council delays creation of Mayor Jone...

Councilman Marc Whyte talks with the ENside Politics team about what's behind a resolution that he and council members Marina Alderete Gavito and Misty Spears are pushing at  City Council to commit to hiring 65 police officers next year. Suggested reading: City Council set to square off over police department staffing What mayor, council want in San Antonio’s next police chief City Council majorit...

Express-News reporters Liz Teitz and Kelsey Brown talk with host Megan Rodriguez about potential utility rate hikes that officials at CPS Energy and SAWS are mulling  — and how the utilities want to use the extra funds if they secure them. Suggested reading: Council members call for outside review of SAWS before rate hike vote City Council, SAWS leaders spar over proposed water rate hikes SAWS say...

Political consultant Laura Barberena talks with the ENside Politics team about what was behind the former San Antonio mayor's landslide victory for the Democratic nomination for Bexar County judge, and a potential fight at City Council over plans to add 65 officers next year. Suggested reading: How did your neighborhood vote in the Nirenberg-Sakai primary? City Council set to square off over polic...

Recapping the events that led Tony Gonzales to drop his reelection bid with Texas politics reporter Bayliss Wagner, half of the Express-News reporting duo who broke the story of the San Antonio representative’s affair with a former staffer. Wagner and host Megan Rodriguez also talk about the now-unchallenged GOP candidate in District 23, Brandon Herrera a.k.a., The AK Guy. Suggested reading: Tony...

Nirenberg's big win, Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez's big loss and the Democratic runoff for district attorney — host Greg Jefferson and reporters Saul Pink and Molly Smith talk about all of it in a special edition of ENside Politics. Suggested reading: Nirenberg wins Bexar County judge nomination in a landslide Indicted County Court Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez loses reelection bid Bexar DA elect...

Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez presided over Friday's censure of Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones — and he debriefs with the ENside Politics team on this week episode. Suggested reading: San Antonio City Council censures Mayor Jones for ‘unacceptable conduct’ Bonham Exchange to stay open, cut occupancy during fire sprinkler installationJones refuses to step down from committee ahead of upcoming censure Si...

Political consultant Andrew Solano talks with the ENside Politics team about former Mayor Ron Nirenberg's City Hall track record and whether it'll help him in his bid to unseat Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai. Also: Does it matter that Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is getting along with many of her City Council colleagues? Suggested reading: Why did Ron Nirenberg replace the logo on his Tesla? What is a c...

Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai took time out from his Democratic primary fight against former Mayor Ron Nirenberg to talk with ENside Politics about improving the county lock-up, backing a new Spurs arena but not the sports district it would tie together, and why he's campaigning on balanced budgets -- which are required under the Texas constitution. Suggested reading: Should Bexar County build a...

San Antonio Food Bank CEO Eric Cooper talks with host Greg Jefferson about why San Antonio remains one of the poorest cities in the country despite education and income improvements. Suggested reading: Thousands could go hungry in San Antonio because of federal shutdown San Antonio ranks third-highest in poverty among major U.S. metro areas San Antonio incomes jump, but still trail nearly all majo...

City Councilwoman Sukh Kaur talks with the ENside Politics team about the possibility of Immigration and Customs Enforcement buying an East Side warehouse for a massive detention center, the search for San Antonio’s next police chief and iconic gay nightclub Bonham Exchange's clash with the city. Suggested reading: Bonham Exchange expected to be shut down, but the club got 5-day reprieve SAPD Chie...

UTSA criminology professor Michael Smith talks with the ENside Politics team about how ICE and Border Patrol agents are trained, how they work with San Antonio police and the call at City Council last week to cut off all interaction with federal immigration authorities. Suggested reading: Commissioner Grant Moody drowned out by boos at City Council meeting on ICE Is ICE going door to door in San A...

City Hall reporter Molly Smith talks to county government reporter Saul Pink and business reporter Madison Iszler about fundraising in the county judge's race, why Bexar County hasn't switched the software it uses to manage voter rolls, and where the sports and entertainment district stands. Suggested reading: Nirenberg outraises Sakai but trails in cash ahead of county judge primary Bexar County...

Bryan Gervais, head of UTSA's polling center, talks with City Hall reporter Megan Rodriguez and host Greg Jefferson about the Ron Nirenberg-Peter Sakai race in the March 3 Democratic primary and the future of public financing for a Spurs arena downtown and Project Marvel. Suggested reading: Project Marvel, Spurs arena firing up the Bexar County judge race Jefferson: People like Ron Nirenberg, but...