Texas Talks

Texas State Representative Carl Tepper joins Brad Swail on Texas Talks to discuss some of the major issues being examined by the House Select Committee on Governmental Oversight. Tepper discusses the committee’s examination of district attorneys and criminal prosecution, including the scrutiny surrounding the Travis County District Attorney’s Office and possible approaches lawmakers could consider...

In Part 2 of our special Texas Talks series recorded live at the Texas Hospital Association Annual Conference in Fort Worth, host Brad Swail sits down with Chris Bryan, Vice President of Clarity Child Guidance Center in San Antonio, to examine the state of children’s mental healthcare in Texas. Bryan shares the personal experience that led her from a career in technology to becoming an advocate fo...

In Part 1 of a special two-part Texas Talks series recorded live at the Texas Hospital Association Annual Conference in Fort Worth, host Brad Swail sits down with Allen Harrison, President of Medical City Healthcare, HCA Healthcare’s North Texas Division, and Chair-Elect of the Texas Hospital Association Board of Trustees. Harrison shares the personal story that led him to a career in healthcare b...

Women are paying $350 for a testosterone pellet. The same hormone, in a men’s tube, can last a year for $86. Texas Rep. Katrina Pierson (HD 33) — former Trump national spokesperson and chair of the House Subcommittee on Maternal Health, Menopause and Access to Evidence-Based Medicine — sits down with Brad Swail on Texas Talks to walk through her Texas Women’s Health Initiative: baseline hormone te...

Why is it so difficult to know what healthcare will cost before you receive it? On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Patrick Quigley, CEO and co-founder of Sidecar Health, following his testimony before the Texas House Select Committee on Health Care Affordability. Quigley explains Sidecar Health’s approach to insurance and why he believes greater price and quality transp...

What is driving rising litigation and insurance costs in Texas—and what does Texans for Lawsuit Reform want lawmakers to do about it? On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Ryan Patrick, the new CEO of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, to discuss his vision for the organization and its priorities heading into the 90th Texas Legislature. Patrick draws on his career as a prosecutor,...

Texas lawmakers are taking a closer look at government transparency, taxpayer spending and accountability at the state and local levels. On this episode of Texas Talks , host Brad Swail welcomes back State Rep. Cody Vasut , who represents House District 25 and chairs the House Select Committee on Government Oversight. Vasut explains the committee’s mission and the wide range of issues lawmakers ar...

How should Texas prepare its colleges, workforce, tax system, and infrastructure for the state's continued growth? On Episode 126 of Texas Talks , host Brad Swail sits down with State Rep. Vince Perez , who represents House District 77 in El Paso, to discuss some of the major policy questions facing Texas ahead of the next legislative session. Perez describes his district at the center of the El P...

Pilot. Flight paramedic. Firefighter. State Representative. Rep. Armando Martinez (HD 39) joins Texas Talks to break down why Texas general aviation airports are more important than most people realize — and what the new House Select Committee on General Aviation is trying to fix. In this episode we cover:  • Why Speaker Burrows created a Select Committee on General Aviation  • The real difference...

What would it take for Texas to become the national leader in health, wellness, and regenerative medicine? On this episode of Texas Talks , host Brad Swail sits down with Jack Collier , co-founder and CEO of Optimized Health and Performance , a nationwide telehealth clinic based in the Austin area. Collier explains how his own experience with hormone testing led him into the health and wellness in...

What will higher education look like in an age of artificial intelligence, and how can Texas universities make sure their degrees continue to deliver value? On this episode of Texas Talks , host Brad Swail sits down with Brandon Creighton , Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System and former Texas state senator and representative, to discuss higher education reform, artificial intelligence,...

How can Texas improve healthcare access, strengthen public education, and prepare its workforce while balancing competing budget priorities? On this episode of Texas Talks , host Brad Swail welcomes State Representative Donna Howard , who represents House District 48, for a wide-ranging conversation on healthcare, higher education, workforce development, public school funding, and the state's fisc...

Texas Talks host Brad Swail sits down with State Representative Gary Gates, Chairman of the House Land and Resource Management Committee and longtime Fort Bend County representative.  As one of the Legislature’s leading voices on housing policy, Chairman Gates breaks down the interim hearings focused on restoring affordability across Texas. The conversation covers the real-world impact of recent b...

"The Municipal Utility Districts hearing discussed in this episode is before the House Committee on Land & Resource Management, chaired by Rep. Gary Gates - not the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee." What are the biggest public policy debates unfolding in Texas today? In this solo episode of Texas Talks , host Brad Swail examines three major issues likely to shape the next legislative session:...

Can Texas' electric grid keep up with the explosive growth of AI, data centers, and a rapidly expanding population? On this episode of Texas Talks , host Brad Swail sits down with Mark Bell , President and CEO of the Association of Electric Companies of Texas (AECT) , to discuss the future of the Texas electric grid, the unprecedented demand for electricity, and how the state is preparing for the...

How should Texas prepare for rapid growth, extreme weather, and increasing demands on its infrastructure? On this episode of Texas Talks , host Brad Swail sits down with Texas State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt to discuss the state's response to flooding, water infrastructure, data centers, public education funding, property taxes, and redistricting. Sen. Eckhardt reflects on the aftermath of the devastati...

Can artificial intelligence help make government more efficient while saving taxpayers and businesses billions of dollars? On this episode of Texas Talks , host Brad Swail sits down with Reeve Bull , Policy Director at the Fulcrum Foundation and former Director of the Office of Regulatory Management under Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, to discuss one of the nation's most successful state regula...

What happens when a livestock threat once thought eradicated begins moving north toward Texas? On this episode of Texas Talks , host Brad Swail sits down with Dr. Lori Teller , licensed veterinarian and Executive Director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) , to discuss the growing concern surrounding New World screwworm, the state of veterinary medicine in Texas, rural veterinarian...

How should Texas address rising property taxes, growing concerns about public safety, and the challenges facing the state's criminal justice system? On this episode of Texas Talks , host Brad Swail sits down with State Representative Mitch Little , who represents Texas House District 65 in southern Denton County, for a wide-ranging discussion on criminal justice policy, government regulation, prop...

What lessons did Texas learn from the tragedy in Uvalde—and how are lawmakers working to prevent a similar failure from happening again? On this episode of Texas Talks , host Brad Swail sits down with State Representative Don McLaughlin , who represents Texas House District 80 and previously served as mayor of Uvalde during one of the most difficult periods in the city’s history. McLaughlin discus...

As part of the Future of Texas series in partnership with Texas 2036, this episode explores how education, workforce development, and economic opportunity intersect to shape Texas’ future prosperity. Through the Future of Texas podcast series, Texas 2036 brings together diverse perspectives as we explore the opportunities and challenges facing our state over the next ten years. The views expressed...

No guest this time — just host Brad Swail breaking down three major Texas public policy issues affecting families, businesses, and local governments across the state. In this episode of Texas Talks , Brad examines the fallout from Texas’ new summer camp safety rules, the state’s new AI-powered regulatory efficiency platform, and Governor Greg Abbott’s proposal to create a statewide prosecutor’s of...

As part of the Future of Texas series in partnership with Texas 2036, this episode explores what separates effective public policy from policies that simply sound good. Through the Future of Texas podcast series, Texas 2036 brings together diverse perspectives as we explore the opportunities and challenges facing our state over the next ten years. The views expressed in this program are those of t...

What’s really driving declining enrollment in Texas public schools — and how will AI reshape classrooms in the years ahead? On this episode of Texas Talks , host Brad Swail sits down with Chairman Brad Buckley , Chair of the Texas House Public Education Committee, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of public education in Texas. Buckley discusses the major challenges facing schools ac...

As part of the Future of Texas series in partnership with Texas 2036, this episode explores the region powering not just Texas — but increasingly the global economy: the Permian Basin. Through the Future of Texas podcast series, Texas 2036 brings together diverse perspectives as we explore the opportunities and challenges facing our state over the next ten years. The views expressed in this progra...