Y'all-itics

The  Y’all-itics  team is on holiday break, spending time with family. But the Jasons wanted to share two of our top performing episodes of 2023 with you while they’re out. In this rewind episode, you’ll learn more about whether the minority political party in Texas will stay that way forever. We first released this episode on August 6, 2023.   GUESTS State Rep. John Bryant, D-Dallas (HD 114)

On the last day she could file to run, state Rep. Victoria Neave Criado confirmed the rumors and announced she wants to unseat fellow Democrat, state Senator Nathan Johnson. But neither time nor money are on her side. The Texas Democratic primary is 80 days away and Johnson has a lot more money. So, why is Neave Criado taking the gamble? And will this race help or hurt the Texas Democratic Party i...

You may not have noticed, but the Houston area has been quietly, and quite successfully, addressing its homelessness problem for years now. And the coalition leading this effort has a simple mantra: housing first. They’ve learned it’s more expensive to leave people on the street or put them in temporary shelters than it is to permanently house them. In this episode of  Y’all-itics , the CEO of the...

The city of Dallas needs 33,000 affordable homes. Fast. Statewide, the Texas Miracle is under threat. The affordability crisis is already driving away businesses and people. But one solution may come down to 1,500 square feet. In this episode of  Y’all-itics , Dallas councilman Chad West pours a pint with the Jasons and explains why Dallas could be doing more with its dirt. Guest Chad West, Dallas...

State Rep. David Spiller heard the last episode of  Y’all-itics  and had something to say. Spiller wrote the controversial legislation that lets local and state police charge undocumented immigrants with a misdemeanor. State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado and Congressman Joaquin Castro criticized it, worrying it will lead to racial profiling of lawful U.S. citizens. But Spiller argues this soon-to-be...

*CAUTION: This episode contains adult language* Texas will soon become the ‘Show Me State’ when Governor Abbott signs Senate Bill 4 into law. This is the legislation that lets local and state police arrest people who cannot prove whether they are a citizen. Immigration law is a federal responsibility, not a state one. That’s why lawsuits are threatened. In this episode, state Rep. Victoria Neave-C...

Thanks to voters recently approving the tax relief constitutional amendment, many Texas homeowners owe $0 in school property taxes - possibly permanently! The state will now pick up their tab and pay the schools. But in this episode, one of those taxpayers tells  Y'all-itics  that she's skeptical about the math and the motive. Is this a step toward defunding and undermining Texas public schools, s...

The Jasons are in Austin for this episode with President and CEO of ERCOT, Pablo Vegas...who manages the state's electric grid. In his first-ever podcast appearance, Vegas reveals that Texas might not be able to get enough reserve electricity to have on standby if the state gets socked in with a severe winter storm. Vegas also reveals how much ERCOT has been paying big electric users to shut down...

This is a raw, unedited explanation from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo about her depression, suicidal thoughts, and the breaking point that led her to check-in to an out-of-state facility. In this episode of  Y’all-itics , Judge Hidalgo opens up about where she went, the therapy she brought back, and how it is possible to heal and be your best again… even after hitting rock bottom.   ** If you...

Texas voters are deciding 14 different potential constitutional amendments, but if you’ve read them, they’re clear as mud. In this episode of  Y’all-itics , the Jasons decipher these hard-to-read amendments that will solidify property tax cuts, among other things. Bud Kennedy from the Fort Worth Star Telegram brought Fort Worth beer to this episode. Election day is November 7. Go vote – after you...

State Senator Roland Gutierrez faces an uphill fight to become the Democrat who will challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Ted Cruz next year. But Gutierrez is unlike other Texas Democrats who have run for Senate. He met the Jasons at Peticolas Brewing Co. in Dallas to have a pint, explain how he’s different from Democrat Colin Allred, and lay out positions on Israel, Ukraine, immigration, inflation an...

Never before have 13 Presidential Centers come together to make a joint statement… on anything. But they just did with one simple message: save U.S. Democracy. It’s a call to action for all Americans, but it originated here in Texas. The Executive Director of the George W. Bush Institute says the extremes are drowning out the middle, the majority. And he says we all have a role to play to save the...

The third special legislative session begins October 9, and “school choice” and vouchers will be front and center once again. But has anything changed to make passage more likely? In this episode of  Y’all-itics , veteran political consultant Brian Mayes gives it even lower odds than the regular session because he says Governor Abbott has woken up parents, teachers and especially moms… and they’re...

Even though Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted by the Texas Senate, taxpayers could still be on the hook for a settlement agreement Paxton himself approved. And if the case makes it to trial, the $3.3 Million settlement could double or even triple. In this episode of  Y’all-itics , whistleblower Mark Penley and his attorney Don Tittle explain to the Jasons why they’re confident they could w...

SYNOPSIS: In his first in-depth interview since the senate acquitted Ken Paxton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick takes Jason Whitely behind the scenes of the trial, the reforms he wants to the impeachment process, why the alleged mistress, Laura Olson, did not testify, whether it was a good idea to take $3M from a pro-Paxton group and whether Patrick thinks Paxton’s behavior crossed a line.   GUEST: Lt. Gov....

Before state Senators began deliberating the fate of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, attorneys from both sides had one final opportunity to make their case. In this special release  Y’all-itics , listen to those closing arguments in the historic impeachment trial. Each side received one hour, but the arguments are split. State Representative Andrew Murr, a Republican who is the chair of the...

Y’all-itics special release: September 13, 2023   The leader of the Republican Party of Texas says there will be an “all-out Republican civil war” if suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton is removed from office. In this special release  Y’all-itics , Matt Rinaldi also explains why no matter the outcome, Republican primaries in 2024 could become a season of revenge.   Guest   Matt Rinaldi, Republic...

Claims of a coup. One of the state’s top leaders accused of acting like he had “a gun to his head.” Tears. And plenty of explosive back-and-forth testimony. Week one of the Ken Paxton impeachment trial is in the books and if anyone was expecting a whimper, they were sorely disappointed. In this special release  Y’all-itics , take a deep dive into the week’s developments and the legal, political an...

Defense attorneys for suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton did everything they could to have the impeachment charges against him dismissed. But state Senators, in this case the jurors, overwhelmingly rejected those efforts, one by one. In this special release episode of  Y’all-itics , listen to the opening statements in the historic impeachment trial. State Representative Andrew Murr, a Republica...

Days before the Ken Paxton impeachment trial begins in the Texas Senate, several questions loom large. Can the “prior-term doctrine” save the suspended Attorney General? Will Ken Paxton testify? And it only takes 10 Republicans to prevent impeachment. Will they? In this early release episode of  Y’all-itics , the Jasons have a conversation with David Lethe, a Republican precinct chair in Paxton’s...

Former state Senator Beverly Powell is out of politics, but she's not done with fundraising. The Fort Worth Democrat started the project to build a new elementary school in Uvalde after the 2022 massacre. They need $60M. They’ve raised $48M so far. Plus, will she run for office again? Listen to what she told the Jasons in this episode recorded live at The Texas Ale Project in Dallas. Guest Beverly...

Former state Senator Beverly Powell is out of politics, but she's not done with fundraising. The Fort Worth Democrat started the project to build a new elementary school in Uvalde after the 2022 massacre. They need $60M. They’ve raised $48M so far. Plus, will she run for office again? Listen to what she told the Jasons in this episode recorded live at The Texas Ale Project in Dallas. Guest Beverly...

The battle over Texas’ educational soul will continue during a special session likely to be called in October when lawmakers once again grapple over the issues that have politicized Texas classrooms: education savings accounts (ESAs), per pupil spending and teacher pay. Two former superintendents turned education activists grabbed a beer to join the Jasons and discuss what’s at stake when lawmaker...

Synopsis:   A small security company in Texas is swamped with calls from big school districts in a hurry to find enough officers to comply with a new state law that starts in September requiring an officer on every campus. The mandate is expensive, controversial, and filled with complexities. But can it prevent another Uvalde?  Guest: Charlie Hollis, Director of Operations, L&P Global Security  Lo...

SYNOPSIS: Texas Democrats should not be satisfied with legislative scraps from Republicans, says state Rep. John Bryant. At 76, this veteran Dallas Democrat ordered an IPA and shared how much the Texas legislature has changed since his first stint there in the 1970s and offered advice on how his party could regain control. This episode was recorded at the iconic Stoneleigh P in Dallas, which will...