Talk of secession has gotten a little louder these days, amplified by the so-called “Take Texas Back” pledge. The site devoted to the pledge boasts that dozens of Republican candidates and officeholders have signed up, promising to support legislation that would push Texas to leave the United States under certain conditions. This has all been talked about before. So, is this time different? And how do we know when chatter about secession is something to take more seriously? The Jasons called Dr. Eric McDaniel, a government professor at the University of Texas at Austin, to learn more about the ..read more

Ken Paxton is on a winning streak: acquitted in his Senate impeachment trial, successfully defeating some fellow Republicans on Super Tuesday, and most recently Paxton got the criminal charges against him finally dropped after nine years. So, is Ken Paxton the most powerful Republican in Texas? One of the state’s top Democrats – who tried to take the AG’s job – says Paxton absolutely is. Why then would Joe Jaworski, a Houston attorney and the grandson of Leon Jaworski, the famous prosecutor in the 1973 Watergate scandal, be considering running for this position again in 2026? And if Ken Paxton ..read more

It’s almost time for the dreaded property tax appraisals in Texas. For the first time, Texans will get a real say in the process. The board overseeing central appraisal districts have always been appointed. A new state law requires at least three members to be elected. Chandler Crouch, a real estate broker and expert in protesting property taxes, says the new law is a game changer. He joined the Jasons at Turning Point Beer in Bedford, Texas for this episode.   GUEST: Chandler Crouch   RECORDING LOCATION: Turning Point Beer Bedford, Texas ..read more

Ever since settling the criminal case against Attorney General Ken Paxton, special prosecutor Brian Wice told us he has been excoriated by people who think it was a bad move. So why did he do it? And why won’t specifics of the deal be made public? We had lots of questions after this bombshell news broke. Wice made the decision and he took our call from his Houston office in this special episode of Y’all-itics. GUEST: Brian Wice / Special Prosecutor in Paxton case ..read more

Turns out, Republicans made errors hand-counting votes. The GOP in Gillespie County (Fredericksburg) did not trust machines to count the votes on Super Tuesday. So, they did it themselves. By hand. 8,000 ballots. And they made mistakes in every precinct. Jessica Huseman, the editorial director of Votebeat, was there on election night and joined the Jasons for a pint on this episode to explain what happened and the bold new project her newsroom is undertaking in Gillespie County. https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/inside-politics/texas-politics/gillespie-county-gop-primary-officials-fou ..read more

There have been several times recently when 60% - 70% of all the power consumed in Texas came from renewables. And in January, the state set a new solar production record, topping out at over 14,000 megawatts, more than enough to power San Antonio and Austin. Life is so good for renewables in Texas, a new study funded by the oil and gas industry found that they should likely connect to the grid to get cheaper power… thanks to the influence of renewables. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons pop open a cold one with energy expert Doug Lewin who explains why Texas should no longer be consi ..read more

How do you beat a Republican in Texas? Move further to the right. And in many ways, that’s exactly what happened in Texas during the primary. But one of the biggest surprises of the night happened on the Democratic ballot. In this election hangover edition of Y’all-itics, the Jasons and our panel experts discuss the results of the GOP civil war, the fallout from the results and what it all means for the future of Texas. Guests Berna Dean Steptoe, WFAA Political Producer Michael McCardel, WFAA Political Coordinating Producer ..read more

Mexicans elect a new president this summer and two women are competing for the top job. How might they impact our politics, our shared border, and the hundreds of billions of dollars in trade that move across it? Laura Collins, an immigration expert at the Bush Institute and Jennifer Apperti, a former Mexican diplomat who now leads SMU’s Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center join the Jasons to explain how immigration impacts politics on the other side of the border. Guests Jennifer Apperti, Director/SMU Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center Laura Collins, Director/Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth In ..read more

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 Powell, former state Senator Location Texas Ale Project  1001 N Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207 ..read more

Y’all-itics: July 10, 2023 Hours after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan announced an agreement on property taxes, Patrick took our call to explain what made the deal. And what did not. The final version of this legislation included something new. GUEST Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, (R) Texas ..read more