Progress Texas Podcasts

Progress Texas Executive Director Kathleen Thompson took part in a terrific celebration and fundraising event for the Texas Democratic Party hosted by the Funky East Dallas Democrats club - better known as The FEDDs - as they celebrated the rise of one of their founding members, Kendall Scudder, to the position of party chair! Kathleen asked important questions regarding recent progressive wins, h...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The long-languishing HB 2, the promised "historic" public school finance proposal purported to offset concerns about the impact to public schools by private school vouchers, will be heard at the Capitol today after massive cuts by Senate Republicans - the increase to the basic allotment goes from about $500 to a paltry $55: https://www.expres...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The ERCOT dashboard shows that solar power was the primary source for Texas energy throughout the first day of this historic heat wave yesterday: https://www.ercot.com/gridmktinfo/dashboards ...Ironic that at the very same time, Republicans in Austin are doing all they can to undermine future renewable energy development: https://www.nytimes....

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: All-time temperature records look likely to fall for both San Antonio and Austin as a dangerous and alarmingly early heat wave arrives: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/weather/article/dangerous-extreme-heat-texas-20323488.php ...Even those who are bullish about ERCOT's prospects with this heat wave are concerned about the many fossil fuel-p...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: This week's mid-May heat wave is expected to shatter daily high temperature records - parts of Texas will be hotter than parts of the Sahara Desert between Tuesday and Thursday: https://www.expressnews.com/san-antonio-weather/forecast/article/heat-wave-south-texas-historic-temperatures-20320730.php ...ERCOT expects to keep up with pow...

We are proud to have been invited to host a terrific panel of Texas-based enviromental activists and advocates during the recent EarthX conference in Dallas! Advocacy Manager Reagan Stone welcomed representatives of Environment Texas, the Sunrise Movement, Public Citizen and the Environmental Defense Fund for a wide-ranging and enlightening discussion. Enjoy! Thanks for listening! Learn more about...

We gather for our weekly roundtable and group gripe - this week, a postgame of our terrific Party For Progress in San Antonio, the hugely important runoff election for Mayor in that city (June 7 Alamo City folks!), great engagement on social media as we celebrate Democratic and progressive municipal election wins in the May elections, and as we celebrate Mother's Day this weekend, how Texas makes...

Thumbnail credit to live-action artist Amitai Plasse: https://www.instagram.com/amirocks73/ Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: SB 37, which would allow politically-appointed regents to direct the content that Texas college professors teach, is progressing through the Lege: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/tomlinson/article/texas-university-censorship-patric...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: "Vote harvesting" - voter assistance practices long in place in many Black and Latino communities, but outlawed by the Texas GOP in 2021 - is the crime several Frio County officials have been charged with committing, resulting in their arrests: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/07/texas-ken-paxton-vote-harvesting/...

A terrific time, and far overdue, at our Party For Progress on Tuesday night in San Antonio! We recorded conversations with Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who is in the final weeks of his eight-year, four-term tenure as mayor of San Antonio, as well as the Democrat running to replace him, Gina Ortiz Jones, who is now locked in battle against a Republican challenger who is a longtime ally of Governor Greg Ab...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Could Texas Republicans be feeling the heat from recent losses in the May municipal elections? A bill amounting to a GOP intellectual takeover of state universities may be scaled back: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/06/texas-house-higher-education-diversity-equity-teaching-bill/ ...On the same track, Ken Paxton has dropped his lawsu...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Progressives continue savoring wins in the May municipal elections across the state, while one major piece of business remains unfinished - the San Antonio mayoral race: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/05/texas-school-board-races/ ...What an interesting moment to visit San Antonio! Hope to see y'all at our Party For Progress tonight: ⁠⁠⁠...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Democrats and progressive candidates won widespread victories across Texas, seen by some as a backlash against MAGA extremism: https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/magas-very-bad-night-in-texas Tarrant County saw a complete shutout of county GOP and Patriot Mobile-backed candidates: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/tarrant-county/gop-endorse...

Reviving a program that was discontinued under the Obama Administration due to widespread abuse including racial profiling, the Trump administration has begun entering into agreements with local law enforcement agencies that essentially convert their officers into ICE agents, tasked with seeking out and arresting people whom they suspect are undocumented. More and more Texas police and sheriff's d...

Our weekly venting session features Digital Director Sam Gonzalez, Advocacy Manager Reagan Stone, Advocacy and Development Coordinator Tatum Owens, and Digital Associate Haley Smith - we figure you're probably pissed about the same stuff we are, so we now include you in our weekly airing of the grievances...enjoy and happy weekend! Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Governor Abbott is set to sign private school vouchers into law this weekend - how did we get here? https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/02/texas-school-vouchers-greg-abbott/ ...Meanwhile, HB 2 - the bill Republicans have called an "historic" increase in public school funding - appears to be languishing in committee: https://x.com/scottbraddo...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Governor Greg Abbott is threatening to pull state funding from the city of San Marcos in retaliation for a largely symbolic Gaza ceasefire resolution placed on its city council's agenda: https://www.kut.org/politics/2025-04-30/san-marcos-tx-city-council-resolution-ceasefire-gaza-genocide-israel-governor-greg-abbott-funding-antisemitism ...Mea...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: SB-31, the abortion clarification bill, unanimously passes the Texas Senate: https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-ban-medical-exceptions-b54173653ce04a7ba434dae899624374 ...Meanwhile, SB-2880, a bill that will crack down on abortion medication and does not include language declaring neutrality on old abortion laws still on the books in T...

Aside from the daily drama at the Capitol, the race to succeed Ron Nirenberg as the next mayor of San Antonio is one of the top political stories in Texas, as the leadership of the Lone Star State's second-biggest city for next four years hangs in the balance. Attorney and San Antonio City Council Member Melissa Cabello Havrda has thrown her hat into the ring. Now in her third Council term, she ha...

The "list of 50" Democrats dug in to oppose Republican legislation in response to the forcing through of private school vouchers fell apart yesterday, as at least 8 Dems voted in favor of GOP items: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/25/republicans-texas-house-calendar-democrats/ The "Uvalde Strong Act" - passed by the House yesterday to establish uniform and coordinated school shooter response...

The idea of "due process" as a privilege or an option, given to some but denied others, has become a cornerstone of the policies of the second Donald Trump administration - and the right-wing disinformation machine appears all too willing to go along. What is due process, and what risks do each of us assume for ourselves in standing by as it's taken away from others, for any reason? We're fortunat...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Watch for a deep dive on Donald Trump's attack on due process here later today, even as suspicions of the deportation of a young U.S. citizen arise: https://www.npr.org/2025/04/26/nx-s1-5378077/honduras-deported-girl-citizen ...While a growing number of Texas law enforcement agencies sign force multiplier agreements with ICE: https://www.texa...

In Progress is out weekly venting session, in which we unload a bit on the issues we've been tackling lately - at PT we find group therapy intellectually stimulating, occasionally cathartic, and always fun - so we're letting YOU join in. We're always all ears for your input at ProgressTexas.org .

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Rising demand and dwindling supplies of water in Texas are placing major pressure on the business-friendly and environmentally-indifferent Texas GOP: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/the-impossibly-expensive-plan-to-save-texass-water-supply-texas-monthly/ Trump crazy is beginning to wear on his MAGA faithful - will they be able to find com...

The future of transportation infrastructure in Texas faces challenges both from our historic past - now starting a fourth decade under Republican control - and the uphill battles presented by the present day under Donald Trump and Governor Abbott's dubious priorities. We're proud to welcome a long-overdue visit with State Rep. John Bucy of Austin, and UT professor Miriam Schoenfield with the Texas...