Texas Tribune Events: Recent Episodes
The Texas Tribune
Heider Garcia, the Tarrant County elections administrator, and Isabel Longoria, the Harris County elections administrator, discussed the future of voting in Texas, a state with some of the nation’s most restrictive voting rules.
A month before the 2021 legislative session, much remains unclear, including how a session will work during a pandemic and what the priorities of the governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker will be, Texas Tribune reporters said.
The conversation, moderated by Tribune CEO Evan Smith, included Tribune political reporters Cassi Pollock, Alex Samuels, Patrick Svitek and Alexa Ura.
Following an election that largely maintained the status quo within the Texas Legislature, Pollock said Democrats’ inability to gain any seats in the House means they’ll have limited input on the state’s redistricting process. Ura said their level of input will depend on how early Texas receives census information, and that overall, she’d be surprised if the process was complete by the end of the session.
Other than redistricting, setting the budget and addressing the impacts of the coronavirus, the governor, lieutenant governor and presumptive House speaker, Dade Phelan, haven’t made their legislative priorities clear, Svitek said.
Conversations on how people will testify during the session are underway, Pollock said, and lawmakers are considering options such as limiting the number of people in the Capitol and requiring a negative COVID-19 test before entering.
“A lot of this is just really kind of up in the air and I think folks are … getting antsy on just having some answers and some clarity on what all this ends up looking like come January,” Pollock said.
The state’s budget and redistricting, along with access to education, will be some of the top priorities for new members of the Texas Legislature as the state wrestles with soaring COVID-19 cases and a projected shortfall of nearly $5 billion.
“The more things change, the more things stay the same,” said Rep.-elect Shelby Slawson, R-Stephenville, adding that supporting law enforcement is also one of her top concerns.
The conversation, moderated by Tribune political reporter Cassi Pollock, also included Rep.-elect Eddie Morales Jr., D-Eagle Pass, and Rep.-elect Jacey Jetton, R-Sugar Land. Falling along party lines, the new members had different views for addressing the budget and managing COVID-19 during session, though all three said they supported Dade Phelan, the presumptive Texas House speaker.
The Republicans, Jetton and Slawson, said they wanted to reopen the economy to address shortfalls. While they supported safety precautions like wearing masks in their offices — members can make their own office guidelines — both said they didn’t want rapid testing to prohibit constituents from accessing members.
“This is the people’s house, and we need to make sure the people have access to us,” Jetton said.
Morales, the Democrat, said he wants to consider pulling money from the state’s “rainy day fund” to address the budget and would like to increase access to broadband and healthcare in the many rural counties in his district, the largest in the state. He also supports rapid testing in the Capitol and will require masks in his office.
Last legislative session, the Texas House had a “shocking underrepresentation” of women on its most powerful committees, said state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, in a conversation about what a group of women lawmakers wants to see in the upcoming legislative session.
“I think just the fact that we only had one woman on the Calendars Committee — the committee that sets the agenda for the entire House — was a hard pill to swallow.”
This time around, a group of Democratic lawmakers are hoping to change that, having formed an “Equity Caucus” to advocate for women’s equity in House leadership and pledging to vote as a bloc for the House speaker, going public with its pick of Dade Phelan.
State Reps. Hinojosa and Julie Johnson, D-Carrollton, spoke about what the women’s bloc is hoping for in the upcoming legislative session during a conversation with Emily Ramshaw, the co-founder and CEO of the 19th, a nonprofit newsroom focused on gender equity. Ramshaw is also a former editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune.
Johnson said some Democrats and Republicans weren’t aware of women’s lack of opportunity in the House until the group of women lawmakers brought it up.
Now, Johnson said she’s hopeful the presumptive speaker, Phelan, will empower women in his administration, “giving women an opportunity to work hard, use the intelligence that God gave us and be smart leaders and participate in a high level in the Texas House.”
The representatives also spoke about the importance of health care, education, child care access and LGBTQ+ protections in the upcoming session. Johnson said the caucus will bring the perspective of women who have children and care for their families.
“Women are the glue of most households and women have to make tough choices,” Johnson said. “And we have to pick and choose what bills get paid when times are tough, and how to manage feeding our family, and how to manage educating our kids, and all the things that women and mothers have to do across the state.”
During the 2021 legislative session, the Texas Legislative Black Caucus will focus on continuing efforts to reform the state’s criminal justice system, said state Rep. Nicole Collier, the caucus’ first vice chair.
“We have different police departments with different policies,” Collier, D-Fort Worth, said. “We want to aim to provide uniformity, some type of consistent system, that people in Texas can look to and say, ‘This is what is expected of our law enforcement officers all across the state.”’
The conversation, moderated by Tribune political reporter Alex Samuels, also included state Rep. Harold Dutton, chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus. While Dutton said the caucus has long advocated for increased police training and oversight, widespread outrage following the death of George Floyd in police custody has heightened visibility of Black Americans’ treatment by law enforcement.
Still, Dutton acknowledged the challenges of reimagining policing in a Legislature where only a fraction of bills become law and in a state where some Republican officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott, have pledged to “back the blue.”
“All the good members of the Legislature will at least entertain the discussion about this, and let’s see if we can’t agree to do something that changes the outcome of policing in Texas,” Dutton, D-Houston, said.
Collier said the caucus also plans to address disparities in health care, which have been exposed with greater clarity by the coronavirus pandemic.
“For years we've had Texas Legislative Black Caucus members attempting to break down the barriers to access to health care and health services,” Collier said. “What this pandemic tells us is that we have a problem … in Texas, and now all the people are seeing it.”
Editor's note: This session was recorded Dec. 4, when Sen. Chuy Hinojosa was vice chair of the Senate Finance Committee. On Dec. 9, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick appointed Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. as vice chair of the panel, replacing Hinojosa.
Two Texas lawmakers said despite an expected shortfall of almost $5 billion for the current two-year budget, they hope to increase funding for health care and broadband services in the next budget, without increasing taxes.
“In these times of economic uncertainty and high unemployment, tax increases are completely off the table,” said Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake.
State Sen. Chuy Hinojosa, D-McAllen, also joined the conversation moderated by the Tribune’s executive editor, Ross Ramsey.
Capriglione and Hinojosa said the state has an obligation to continue funding public education to keep the commitment made in the 2019 session.
As more people are relying on the internet for education and telehealth during the pandemic, Hinojosa said lawmakers also hope to create a plan to increase access to broadband services.
“Broadband speed, internet was not a priority, it was just a normal one of the key issues that we needed to address, but because of the pandemic, now it’s become a priority,” Hinojosa said.
Both acknowledged the challenges of navigating a session with a significantly decreased budget, but Hinojosa said it’s nothing the state hasn’t worked through before.
“We have so many tools in our toolbox that we’ll be able to work through it. It will be nothing compared to 2011,” Hinojosa said. “It will be some pain, yes, but nothing compared to 2011.”
Drawing the Maps at The Texas Tribune's symposium previewing the 2021 legislative session
The redistricting process — redrawing congressional and state legislative districts — could take longer than usual this year, two state lawmakers said. Redistricting takes place every 10 years following the census.
“There’s a lot of unknowns,” said state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, who chairs the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting. “We’ll start the session with those unknowns still there.”
Huffman was joined by state Rep. Phil King, R-Austin, in a conversation moderated by Ross Ramsey, executive editor of The Texas Tribune. Legal challenges and changing deadlines, compounded by the coronavirus pandemic, frustrated census efforts and could push redistricting into a special session, the lawmakers said.
If the U.S. Census Bureau doesn’t hand over data to lawmakers by mid-April, Huffman said “it will be impossible to get” maps redrawn without a special session.
A number of statewide public hearings scheduled for earlier this year were canceled because of the pandemic. King said he was working with the House parliamentarian to draft rules to allow virtual meetings where the public can weigh in on how new maps are drawn. Huffman said she plans to introduce a similar proposal.
Health care will likely be top of mind for Texas lawmakers as they return to the Capitol for the 2021 legislative session during the worst public health crisis in a century.
“It is time for us to be very pragmatic and take a common-sense approach to how we cover the health care needs of Texans,” said state Sen. Beverly Powell, D-Burleson, during a Texas Tribune panel discussion on the state Senate’s agenda. She added that, amid a mounting number of uninsured Texans, she was “extremely optimistic” legislators would vote to expand Medicaid this session. Texas lawmakers have been reluctant to expand coverage for people with incomes near or below the poverty line.
The conversation, moderated by Tribune reporter Patrick Svitek, also featured state Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock. Perry said he has “no doubt this is the session” to expand access to broadband internet for rural Texans. More than 800,000 people lack adequate broadband infrastructure, according to a letter sent to Gov. Greg Abbott in September by a bipartisan group of state lawmakers.
The panelists also highlighted new safety protocols that will be in place this session at the Capitol. Members of the public who wish to testify may first have to test negative for COVID-19.
“My hope is that we make it a work environment where we can get the job of the people done in a safe and professional way,” Menendez said.
Several Texas lawmakers said the upcoming legislative session will likely be pushed into a special session next year if federal census results are delayed for long.
The comments came from state Reps. Four Price, R-Amarillo; Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth; Toni Rose, D-Dallas; and Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, during a conversation about the House agenda moderated by Cassandra Pollock, the Tribune’s state politics reporter.
Price, who went through redistricting in 2011, said that under any circumstances, the process of redrawing state political maps is difficult. Now, he said, it could be delayed because the U.S. Census Bureau has pushed back its deadlines for counting the population due to COVID-19.
“It's crazy to think that it's not contentious at some moments,” Price said. “Because inherently, when you're drawing maps that affect the state board of education, House and Senate districts and congressional districts, at some level … it can become controversial or personal to many of the members in both chambers.”
The representatives also talked about how the legislative session will be affected by the pandemic, elections and the presumptive new speaker.
“It's up to the 150 of us to come together for the betterment of Texas,” Goldman said. “We're going to have a $4 to $5 billion budget deficit that we have to balance the budget on. We have redistricting, of course, that we have to do. And then there are other major issues, in my opinion, like health and human services that we have to find some long-term solution on.”
With Dade Phelan likely to become the Texas House speaker, Price said Phelan will have the “incredibly difficult job” of placing members on committees and deciding who will chair them.
Canales said some of the members will need to energize their base for the next election and that’s why there will be at least one special session with “a lot of red meat to it.”
“The reality is that’s historically been the tool used,” Canales said. “And so, we'll be back. How many times? I don't know.”
Three veteran Texas lawmakers said that Dade Phelan, the presumptive Texas House speaker, will unite lawmakers through his experience and sincerity in what will be the Legislature’s first chance to address the health and economic impact of the pandemic next month.
“With coronavirus, COVID-19, the agenda could be very narrow this session,” said state Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, during a panel discussion previewing the Phelan administration and the 2021 legislative session. “And Dade Phelan is the perfect person for this situation.”
The conversation, moderated by Tribune CEO Evan Smith, also included Joe Moody, one of Phelan’s more prominent Democrat supporters from El Paso, and Angie Chen Button, R-Richardson. While Moody said he supported Phelan for his character, Button praised the Beaumont Republican for his years of leadership, including when Phelan didn’t push Button last session to support a bill he knew her constituents would reject.
“First, he respects people from his heart,” Button said of why she supports Phelan. “Second, he takes time to communicate with people. Third, definitely, he is trustworthy.”
The panelists also said that Phelan, like Dennis Bonnen — who will retire as speaker at the end of his term after a secret recording revealed he encouraged the targeting of 10 GOP members for primary challenges — has the same focus and knack to get things done as his predecessor and will, as Hunter said, fairly call “balls and strikes.”
Texas lawmakers will meet next month to address the health and economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, but social distancing measures will likely disrupt the Legislature’s daily grind, said Ross Ramsey, executive editor of The Texas Tribune.
“It's a social mechanism,” Ramsey said during a panel discussion explaining the Legislature and previewing the 2021 session. “This is where we go to debate, jump up and down, scream at each other, come out with a kind of forced agreement – and if you can't get together, it doesn't function right.”
The conversation, moderated by Tribune CEO Evan Smith, highlighted the inner workings of the Texas Capitol, from how a bill becomes a law to the differences between the Legislature’s upper and lower chamber. Thousands of bills are expected to be filed during the session, but less than one in four of those will become law, Ramsey said.
“It's all insider baseball,” Ramsey said. “Basically, you have to have approval – either expressed or tacit – from the House, Senate and governor in order to pass a law.”
Despite a Republican-controlled state government, Ramsey said working across the aisle is common during the 140-day session. Lawmakers in January will tackle issues including the next state budget and redistricting.
“Most issues in the Legislature aren't really Republican and Democratic issues,” Ramsey said. “There's a million ways to do this.”
Speakers: Merlyn Holmes, John Howard, Bella Rubio, Anthony Williams
Moderator: Evan Smith
This session was recorded on Nov. 4. It is presented by Texas Rural Funders and supported by Texas Tech University, TORCH - Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals and Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
Speakers: Charlie Cano, Annette Gutierrez, Jennifer Harris
Moderator: Chris Cobler
This session was recorded on Nov. 6. It is presented by Texas Rural Funders and supported by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, TEXAS 2036, TORCH - Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute / The Hackett Center and the Texas Rural Health Association.
Speakers: Sudip Bose, James Frank, Leticia Rodriguez
Moderator: Shannon Najmabadi
This session was recorded on Nov. 5. It is presented by Texas Rural Funders and supported by TORCH - Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute / The Hackett Center, Texas Rural Health Association, Office of Public Insurance Counsel, TEXAS 2036 and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.
Speakers: Brenda Kays, Mike Reeser, Sandra Woodley
Moderator: Kate McGee
This session was recorded on Nov. 3. It is presented by Texas Rural Funders and supported by Texas Tech University and the Texas Association of Community Colleges.
Speakers: Donna Hale, Georgina C. Pérez, Gary VanDeaver
Moderator: Aliyya Swaby
This session was recorded on Nov. 6. It is presented by Texas Rural Funders and supported by Raise Your Hand Texas.
Speakers: Chuy Hinojosa, Tracy King, Geanie Morrison, Drew Springer, James White
Moderator: Ross Ramsey
This session was recorded on Nov. 6. It is presented by Texas Rural Funders and supported by Texas Farm Bureau, Water Grows, Texas Corn Producers Association, Texas Municipal League, Raise Your Hand Texas, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, Texas Agriculture Council, Texas Tech University and Office of Public Insurance Counsel.
The current higher education climate seems bleak with nationally declining enrollment, especially among the poorest and most vulnerable students. The declines are especially concerning at community colleges, which traditionally sees an increase in enrollment as unemployed people return to school to learn new skills. Instead, students are working full time or pushing off college dreams. Meanwhile, others are questioning the value of the degree as they pay large amounts for a much more restricted college experience online.
Archie Holmes, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Texas System, and Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of the Lumina Foundation, both told Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith that higher education remains vital to boost social mobility and train the next generation of workers. But there are ways the sector can improve to serve students with stronger quality online courses, they said. Merisotis also argued higher education needs to capitalize on building important skills like collaboration and empathy. Holmes said schools need to reinforce efforts to boost the number of students who actually complete their degree so they leave college able to earn enough to pay off student loans. But both hesitated to endorse free community college as the panacea that will solve the nation’s student debt crisis. — Kate McGee
This session is supported by Texas State Technical College, McCombs School of Business and Texas Association of Community Colleges.
As Texas continues to grow and change demographically, colleges and universities must adapt to be more welcoming to students who haven’t traditionally enrolled. K-12 schools must become a partner in preparing students to think about college, sometime as early as middle school. Those are just a few points Lisa Blazer, associate vice president for enrollment services at Texas A&M University and Ruth N. López Turley, director of the Houston Education Research Consortium and associate director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University, emphasized to Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith as they discussed how well Texas is preparing students to enroll and graduate from college.
Blazer and López Turley said there are multiple interventions that K-12 school districts and higher education can implement to make sure the pandemic doesn’t harm an entire generation of students who want to go to college, but can’t find the resources to make it happen. López Turley emphasized the importance of college advisers to help guide students and rejected the notion that college isn’t for everyone. Instead, she said, the value of a college degree is more important now than ever. It is everyone’s responsibility to convince young students it’s worth the effort and cost, she said. — Kate McGee
This session is supported by Raise Your Hand Texas, Texas State University System and Bank of America.
College students have shown resilience throughout the pandemic as their courses shifted online. But Sara Brennan, student government president at the University of Texas at Dallas and Jasmine Khademakbari, president of the Student Government Association at the University of Houston, told Texas Tribune reporting fellow Sami Sparber that it’s difficult to ignore that they’re missing the in-person college experience they grew accustomed to as freshmen and sophomores. Both students say barriers to online classes continue to exist for low-income students or working students. They said many students might not have access to solid broadband and can’t always meet at the same time every week. The two student leaders lamented the loss of building connections with classmates and the struggle to connect with professors over virtual office hours.
Overall, both students said classmates are taking the pandemic seriously and cases have remained low on their respective campuses. Based on that, Khademakbari, a senior, advocated for in-person spring commencement next year. — Kate McGee
This session is supported by The University of Arizona.
In the midst of a pandemic that has disproportionately affected Hispanic and Black communities, Republican candidate Tony Gonzales addressed how he would support people in the 23rd Congressional District, the majority of whom are Hispanic.
Gonzales sat down (virtually) Thursday with Texas Tribune political reporter Patrick Svitek to discuss his run against Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones for the seat now held by retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes. They touched on Gonzales' positions on the Affordable Care Act, the coronavirus relief bill and the border wall.
Voters from almost every state are pitching in financially to help flip the Texas House this year, Democratic candidate Joanna Cattanach said Friday.
Cattanach sat down (virtually) with Texas Tribune political reporter Alex Samuels to discuss her run for Texas House District 108 in Dallas. She was joined by Akilah Bacy and Celina Montoya, who are also running to unseat Republicans in November.
All three Democratic challengers highlighted an increase in national support for their campaigns compared to the 2018 election cycle. Cattanach and Montoya, both running for a second time after losing in 2018, are hoping the outside resources will give them an edge this time around.
“Oprah was not calling for our campaigns in 2018,” said Cattanach, a former journalist turned educator and advocate based in East Dallas. In 2018, she was narrowly defeated in the race for HD 108 by Republican Rep. Morgan Meyer, who won by roughly 200 votes.
Montoya, running again for House District 121 in San Antonio, said the difference in outside support between 2018 and 2020 is like “night and day.”
“Resources are coming from everywhere,” said Montoya, a business owner, political activist and lifelong San Antonio resident who is running for a second time against Republican Rep. Steve Allison. “The reality is it's not these giant $1,200 checks like my opponent is getting from corporate PACs and special interests. These are $5 coming from a teacher in Illinois. These are $7 coming from a firefighter in California. These are people who are dealing with real issues every single day.”
Join The Texas Tribune at noon Central on Oct. 9 for an interview with Sima Ladjevardian, Democratic candidate for Texas’ 2nd Congressional District, conducted by the Tribune’s Washington bureau chief, Abby Livingston.
Ladjevardian is a Houston attorney and political activist. She shook up the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, when she entered the race in the final moments before the filing deadline.
She quickly won the support of prominent Democrats, including former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke and raised substantial campaign funds. Following the suspension of fellow Democratic challenger Elisa Cardnell's campaign, the path to the general election was cleared.
Texas' 2nd Congressional District is not among the six seats that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has prioritized flipping this election cycle in Texas, but Democrats believe it is within reach following Crenshaw's narrow victory in 2018. However, Crenshaw will not be an easy challenge. His profile has risen in Republican politics since his 2018 election, and he has a hefty $1.6 million stockpile for his reelection campaign.
Ladjevardian, an Iranian immigrant, says she is running because she wants everyone to have a shot at the American Dream like she did. As an activist, Ladjevardian has worked to elect candidates up and down the ballot, including serving in senior roles in O’Rourke's senate and presidential campaigns.
We're sitting down for a live interview with Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly for a discussion on the coronavirus outbreak’s impact on air travel and the state of the airline industry.
Join The Texas Tribune at 8 a.m. Central time July 22 for a discussion with Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, moderated by Tribune executive editor Ross Ramsey.
Hegar will be answering questions about his recently revised revenue estimate for the state and the economic outlook and budget implications as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hegar, who was elected comptroller in 2014, serves as Texas’ treasurer, check writer, tax collector, procurement officer and revenue estimator. Previously, he served as a member of the Texas Senate and House.
This conversation will be livestreamed starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22, here and on our social media channels. What do you want us to ask Hegar? Send your questions to events@texastribune.org or tweet us using the hashtag #AskTrib.
MJ Hegar, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, is already envisioning how she’d work with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz — confident that she will win both the Democratic nomination and the election in November.
Hegar is competing in the July 14 runoff election against state Sen. Royce West. The winner will face off against Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in November. Backed by national Democrats, Hegar led by 7% in the 12-way primary in March.
Hegar is a retired Air Force officer, helicopter pilot and recipient of the Purple Heart. She announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in April 2019 after a high-profile but unsuccessful campaign to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. John Carter.
In 2012, she successfully sued the Department of Defense to repeal the Ground Combat Exclusion Policy, which prohibited women from serving in ground combat units.
She sat down for a virtual conversation Thursday morning with The Texas Tribune’s Washington bureau chief, Abby Livingston, to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, her strategy to beat Cornyn and policy.
Join The Texas Tribune at noon CT/11 a.m. MT June 22 for an interview with U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, conducted by the Tribune’s Washington bureau chief, Abby Livingston.
Escobar will be answering questions about how the federal government is responding to the coronavirus outbreak across the nation. We’ll be discussing what ongoing support Texas residents and businesses can expect from the U.S. government, how her home city of El Paso is faring, her view of Gov. Greg Abbott’s efforts to reopen the Texas economy and more.
Join The Texas Tribune at 8 a.m. CT June 18 for a discussion with Tom Luce, Texas 2036’s founder and chair, and Margaret Spellings, the organization’s president and CEO, moderated by Tribune CEO Evan Smith.
Luce and Spellings will be answering questions about their organization’s latest research and data analysis on what the state needs to do between now and its bicentennial year to be the best place to live and work for the next generation of Texans. Texas 2036 is a public policy nonprofit that conducts research for policymakers to make informed decisions about the state’s future ahead of the year 2036 — Texas' bicentennial — when the state is expected to have 10 million more people.
Texas Tribune state politics reporter Cassi Pollock sat down with former Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt, a Democrat, for a discussion on her bid for state Senate, the response to the coronavirus outbreak and how the pandemic has reshaped her campaign. In March, she declared her candidacy for Senate District 14, left vacant by former Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, who retired. She is one of six candidates running in a special election for the seat.
Watch our interview with state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, conducted by Tribune state political reporter Cassi Pollock.
Rodriguez has represented House District 51, covering much of southeast Travis County, since 2003. In March, he declared his candidacy for Senate District 14, left vacant by retiring state Sen. Kirk Watson, who was named the first dean of the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs.
The special election to fill the seat was originally scheduled for early May, but Gov. Greg Abbott postponed the election due to the coronavirus pandemic. Watson was set to face reelection in 2022
Rodriguez faces a challenge for the seat from Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt, who also declared her candidacy in March and announced her resignation as county judge. However, Eckhardt delayed her resignation to mid-May to help local officials handle the coronavirus pandemic.
Rodriguez sits on the House Calendars, State Affairs, and Ways and Means committees. He also serves as co-founder and chair of the Texas House Farm-to-Table Caucus and policy chair of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.
This conversation was livestreamed at noon May 14, here and on our social media channels.
Join The Texas Tribune at noon Central time Tuesday for an interview with Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick, conducted by the Tribune’s energy and economy reporter Mitchell Ferman.
Craddick will be answering questions about the effects the coronavirus outbreak is having on Texas’ energy economy. We’ll also be discussing the recent historic drop in oil prices globally, what Texas energy producers are saying and the anticipated impact on the state’s budget for the upcoming legislative session.
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a firebrand freshman Republican, on Wednesday called for a return to economic normalcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to secure an “overall net positive outcome” for Americans.
“The goal here is for the least amount of human harm, right?” the Austin conservative said in a Wednesday interview with The Texas Tribune’s Evan Smith. “And so the virus is one piece of a much larger puzzle. So should we reopen our society? I believe yes.”
“I think it is important for us to engage as human beings together, to worship together, to work together. Can we do it in a way that protects the most vulnerable?...It’s important that we do that, and we can do that.”
Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith sat down with state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, for a discussion on Watson’s recent naming to Gov. Greg Abbott's Strike Force to Open Texas—tasked with providing guidance to Abbott on reopening the state’s economy and local businesses—and his take on the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. We also looked back at Watson’s most memorable moments in the Texas Senate, what he wishes he had accomplished and what he hopes will be his legacy.
We're sitting down with Jenkins on Tuesday to answer your questions about the coronavirus outbreak’s impact on residents and businesses in North Texas and Dallas County’s response.
Texas Tribune public education reporter Aliyya Swaby sat down with Aldine ISD superintendent LaTonya Goffney on Thursday for a discussion on the impacts of the novel coronavirus outbreak on the Texas education system.
We're sitting down for a live interview with Dr. Peter Hotez, renowned vaccine expert and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, to answer your questions about the coronavirus outbreak in Texas.
We're sitting down for a live interview with Austin Mayor Steve Adler for a discussion on public health, the state of the post-SXSW-cancellation economy, paid sick leave and more.
We sat down for an interview with Jason McLellan, a leading expert on the coronavirus, to answer your most pressing questions about the outbreak in Texas.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith will moderate the discussion.
Morath was appointed education commissioner by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2016. In this role, he heads the Texas Education Agency, which oversees pre-kindergarten through high school education for more than 5 million Texas students. Previously, Morath served on the Dallas ISD board of trustees.
The Texas Tribune is pleased to present its "Future of" series, exploring the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for Texas' government, business and civic communities.
Join us as we travel to El Paso for a day-long series of conversations on the economic, political and cultural significance and evolution of the border region at a population inflection point for Texas. We’ll sit down with state lawmakers, members of Congress, diplomats, business leaders, educators, issue advocates and border residents to discuss, among other hot topics, what it means to be a bi-national city, how to harness the growth of a vibrant future workforce and leverage the potential of profound demographic change, what it will take to get border cities, the state and the federal government on the same page in terms of public policy, and where investments in health care, education, the environment, and others areas of physical and social infrastructure can make the most difference.
8:30-9:30 a.m. – The Federal View of the Border
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso
Woody Hunt, senior chair of Hunt Companies
Moderated by Evan Smith, CEO of The Texas Tribune
It’s the question everyone’s asking across the state — and at the Capitol. With the speakership up for grabs, big issues looming, and redistricting around the bend, Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith talks strategy and tactics with state Rep. Celia Israel of Austin, who’s leading the Democratic party’s efforts to regain the majority, and state Rep. Craig Goldman of Fort Worth, one of the Republicans tasked with retaining it.
Israel, D-Austin, has represented House District 50 since 2015. She sits on the House Elections and Homeland Security & Public Safety committees. She also serves as vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus and is a member of the House's first-ever LGBTQ Caucus. Previously, Israel served on the boards of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Alliance for Public Transportation.
Goldman, R-Fort Worth, House District 97 since 2013. He serves as vice chair of the House Licensing & Administrative Procedures Committee, and sits on the Calendars and Transportation committees. Throughout his career, Goldman has worked on campaigns helping to elect Republican office holders at the local, state and national level.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Harrison Keller, Texas higher education commissioner, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Keller began his tenure as the state's higher education commissioner in October 2019, succeeding Raymund Paredes. Previously, he was a clinical professor of public policy practice at the University of Texas at Austin and served as a deputy to the president, responsible for strategy and policy. While at UT-Austin, Keller created a program to provide college-level courses to high school students, called OnRamps, and founded an initiative to improve college and career advising. He also worked in the Texas House as a director of research and as a senior education policy adviser to Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Amanda Edwards, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Edwards is a former at-large Houston city council member, serving one term beginning in 2015. In this role, she led city-wide efforts to cultivate technology, innovation and public transit. Previously, she worked as an attorney and a community organizer. Edwards announced her candidacy for the 2020 U.S. Senate race in July.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Chris Bell, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Bell served in the U.S. House from 2003 to 2005, was a gubernatorial nominee in 2006 and ran for mayor of Houston in 2015. He has also served on the Houston City Council. Bell announced his candidacy for the 2020 U.S. Senate race in July.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with MJ Hegar, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, which Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith will moderate.
Hegar is a retired Air Force officer and recipient of the Purple Heart. In 2012, she successfully sued the Department of Defense to repeal the Ground Combat Exclusion Policy, which prevented women from serving in combat positions. Hegar announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in April.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, which Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith will moderate.
Tzintzún Ramirez is a labor organizer and author. She co-founded the Workers Defense Project and served as its executive director from 2006 until 2016. In 2017, she founded Jolt, a civil rights organization that works to lift up the voice, vote and issues impacting Latinos in Texas. Tzintzún Ramirez announced her intention to run in the 2020 Democratic primary for the United States Senate in August.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with state Sen. Royce West, a candidate for U.S Senate. Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith will moderate.
West, D-Dallas, has represented Senate District 23 since 1993. He is vice chair of the Higher Education Committee and sits on the Education, Finance and Transportation committees. He is a managing partner for the law firm West & Associates L.L.P. In July, West announced his candidacy for the 2020 U.S. Senate race.
Kenneth Evans, president of Lamar University
Ginger Gossman, senior director for innovation and policy development for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Millicent Valek, president of Brazosport College
Ashley Williams, economic opportunity policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Wendy Davis, a Democratic candidate for Texas’ 21st Congressional District, which Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith will moderate.
Davis announced her congressional campaign in July. She founded Deeds Not Words, an online engagement initiative focused on women’s rights, in 2016. Previously, she served in the Texas Senate for six years, representing parts of Fort Worth, and on the Fort Worth City Council. In 2014, Davis unsuccessfully ran for Texas governor against Greg Abbott.
The Texas Tribune is touring the state with a series of post-session events recapping the major policy debates of the 86th Texas Legislature and what they mean for Texas' largest regions and surrounding communities.
Join us in person or on our livestream for a conversation about public education, taxes, immigration, health care, spending and other consequential matters with two legislators representing rural Texas districts — state Rep. Trent Ashby and state Sen. Robert Nichols. The conversation will be moderated by Evan Smith, co-founder and CEO of The Texas Tribune.
Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin, has represented House District 57 since 2013. He sits on the House Defense & Veterans' Affairs and Public Education committees. Previously, he served as president of the Lufkin ISD Board of Trustees. Ashby also serves as the Angelina County chair for VeraBank.
Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, has represented Senate District 3 since 2007. He serves as chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and vice chair of the Business & Commerce Committee, and he sits on the Administration, Finance and Intergovernmental Relations committees. Previously, Nichols served as transportation commissioner for eight years.
Roy, R-Austin, has represented Congressional District 21 since the beginning of this year.
Our Conversation Series is presented by AT&T and Walmart. Breakfast and coffee provided by Tacodeli and Caffe Aragona.
Tribune events are also supported through contributions from our founding investors and members. Though donors and corporate sponsors underwrite The Texas Tribune events, they play no role in determining the content, panelists or line of questioning.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Cecile Richards, co-founder of Supermajority, a new women’s advocacy group, moderated by Texas Tribune Editor-in-Chief Emily Ramshaw.
Richards, the former president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, launched Supermajority, a new national women’s movement, with the aim of connecting and empowering progressive women and inspiring them to take action. She previously served as deputy chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, now speaker of the House, and is the founder of the Texas Freedom Network and America Votes, a coalition aiming to maximize voter participation.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation about how law enforcement agencies, cities and counties use civil asset forfeiture and why many states are restricting the practice. Law enforcement calls asset forfeiture a vital tool for seizing ill-gotten gains from criminals, while reformers argue that it gives officials too much power to take citizens’ money and property without requiring proof of a crime.
The panel features state Rep. Terry Canales of Edinburg, Harris County Assistant District Attorney Angela Beavers and Jacob Ryan, a reporter with the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting and will be moderated by Texas Tribune criminal justice reporter Jolie McCullough. Both Ryan and McCullough contributed stories to "Taken," a collaborative, investigative reporting effort supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. McCullough was the lead writer for a Tribune investigation on asset forfeiture in Texas that published June 7.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation about how the Texas House did during the 86th legislative session with State Reps. Mary Gonzalez, Jeff Leach and Drew Springer, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
We previously hosted all three lawmakers on a panel discussing the Bonnen Administration as part of our symposium previewing the 86th legislative session back in November 2018. You can watch that discussion here.
Gonzalez, D-Clint, has represented District 75 since 2012. She is the vice-chair of the Local & Consent Calendars Committee and also sits on the Appropriations and Public Education committees.
Leach, R-Plano, has represented District 14 since 2012. He is the chair of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee and also sits on the Pensions, Investments & Financial Services and Redistricting committees..
Springer, R-Muenster, has represented District 68 since 2012. He is the chair of the Agriculture & Livestock Committee and also sits on the Local & Consent Calendars and State Affairs committees.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with state Sens. Kel Seliger and Kirk Watson, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Seliger, R-Amarillo, has represented District 31 since 2004. Seliger currently sits on the Senate Health & Human Services, Nominations and Veteran Affairs & Border Security committees. Previously Seliger served four terms as mayor of Amarillo and was a member of the Amarillo City Commission and Amarillo Civil Service Commission.
Watson, D-Austin, has represented District 14 since 2006. Watson is the vice chair of the Senate Nominations Committee and sits on the Education, Finance and Higher Education committees. Previously Watson served as Austin’s mayor from 1997-2001.
Texas has a problem getting students of all kinds through some kind of postsecondary education: Graduation rates at four-year public universities, at community college, and in career and technical classes are well below the expectations of a state that brands itself exceptional. That’s why the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board created the 60x30 plan, which calls for, among other ambitious goals, an increase by 2030 in the number and percentage of Texans with a degree or certificate from a Texas-based institution. But wishing doesn’t make it so. What strategies and tactics are being deployed to increase college completions? Who is succeeding in this effort, and can emerging best practices be scaled and emulated? Can our parsimonious legislature afford the price of success?
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation about improving higher ed outcomes, moderated by the Tribune’s higher education reporter, Shannon Najmabadi.
Panelists will include:
Vistasp Karbhari, president of the University of Texas at Arlington
Raymund Paredes, Texas commissioner of higher education
Millicent Valek, president of Brazosport College
This event will be held in the second floor lecture hall at the Texas A&M University School of Law. The event is free, open to the public and includes a light lunch. Lunch and networking begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by the conversation at noon. Paid visitor parking is available at the coin-operated parking meters on the streets around the perimeter of the building and parking lots. Paid public parking is also available at the Fort Worth Convention Center Parking Garage on the north side of the law school.
This event is hosted by the Texas A&M University School of Law. This event is supported by Pearson, Educate Texas and The Trellis Foundation. Foundation support is provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Lumina Foundation and the Sid Richardson Foundation. Media support is provided by KERA, WFAA, CultureMap Dallas, The Shorthorn and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with public education committee chair Rep. Dan Huberty, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Our Conversation Series is presented by AT&T, Walmart and 86th legislative session sponsor BillsUpNow. This event is sponsored by Educate Texas, Pearson, Raise Your Hand Texas, Texas Association of School Boards, Texas Association of School Business Officials, Pearson and Raise Your Hand Texas. Foundation support from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Houston Endowment, Meadows Foundation and Sid Richardson Foundation. Breakfast and coffee provided by Tacodeli and Caffe Aragona.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with state Sen. Larry Taylor, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Taylor, R-Friendswood, has represented Senate District 11 since 2016. He serves as chair of the Education Committee and sits on the Finance, Higher Education, and Water & Urban Affairs committees. Taylor owns the Truman Taylor Insurance Agency.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with new Republican Texas state Reps. Brad Buckley, Sam Harless and Cody Harris, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Buckley, R-Killeen, was elected to represent House District 54 in November. He is a former member of the Killeen Independent School District Board of Trustees and holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Texas A&M University. He sits on the Agriculture & Livestock, Appropriations, and Local & Consent Calendars committees.
Harless, R-Spring, was elected to represent House District 126 in November. He serves on the Harris County Constable Precinct 4 and the Harris County Sheriff advisory boards. Harless and his wife, former Texas State Rep. Patricia Harless, are co-owners of Fred Fincher Motors.
Harris, R-Palestine, was elected to represent House District 8 in November. He founded Liberty Land & Ranch, which specializes in farm and ranch real estate, management and development, and serves as president and executive Broker. He is deacon of First Baptist Church in Palestine and is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with new Texas state Reps. Rhetta Bowers, Jessica Gonzalez and James Talarico, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Bowers, D-Garland, was elected to represent House District 113 in November. Before her election, Bowers was an educator, PTA member, and volunteer at Garland ISD. She was appointed to the Rowlett Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and served from 2009-16. She is a former broadcast journalist.
Gonzalez, D-Dallas, was elected to represent House District 104 in November. She is a founding partner of the law firm Gandara & Gonzalez PLLC, which specializes in personal injury litigation. Gonzalez was previously selected as the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Law Graduate Fellow in Washington, D.C. and served as a legislative assistant at the U.S. House of Representatives in 2011.
Talarico, D-Round Rock, was elected to represent House District 52 in November. He is a former public school teacher and executive director for Central Texas for the non-profit Reasoning Mind, which integrates data and technology into math classrooms. Talarico is the youngest member of the Texas Legislature.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with University of Texas System Chancellor James B. Milliken, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Milliken was named the 12th chancellor of the UT System in August 2018. He previously served as chancellor of the City University of New York from 2014 to 2018 and as president of the University of Nebraska from 2004 to 2014. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Business-Higher Education Forum.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with state Sen. Brandon Creighton and state Rep. Chris Turner, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Creighton, R-Conroe, has represented Senate District 4 since 2014. He serves as chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, vice chair of the Water and Rural Affairs Committee and sits on the Business & Commerce, Property Tax and State Affairs committees. Previously, Creighton served in the Texas House from 2007-2014.
Turner, D-Grand Prairie, has represented House District 101 since 2013, after previously representing the district from 2008-2010. He serves as chair of the House Higher Education Committee, vice chair of the Redistricting Committee and sits on the Insurance Committee. Turner also serves as chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with new Texas state Sens. Carol Alvarado, Pete Flores, Nathan Johnson and Beverly Powell, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Alvarado, D-Houston, won election to the seat in Texas' 6th District in a special election in December 2018. She was first elected to represent HD-145 in 2008. As a Texas state representative, she served as chair of the Urban Affairs Committee, and sat on the Higher Education Committee and the Select Committee on Opioids and Substance Abuse. Previously, Alvarado served on the Houston City Council and as Houston Mayor Pro Tem.
Flores, R-Pleasanton, has represented Senate District 19 since October 2018, after a special election to fill the seat of former state Sen. Carlos Uresti. Previously, he served as colonel game warden for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Flores currently works as a consultant and instructor for the National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Leadership Academy.
Johnson, D-Dallas, defeated incumbent Don Huffines to represent Texas’ 16th District in November 2018. He co-founded Spector & Johnson, PLLC, a law firm concentrating on bankruptcy and commercial litigation. Previously, Johnson chaired the Dallas County Trails and Preserve Board.
Powell, D-Fort Worth, defeated incumbent Konni Burton for Texas' 10th District in November 2018. Born in Fort Worth and raised in Burleson, she is a lifelong resident of North Texas. Powell is the immediate past chair of the Texas Wesleyan University board and was president of the Burleson Independent School District board from 2011 to 2013.
Please note that we have invited two other new senators -- Pat Fallon, R-Frisco, and Angela Paxton, R-McKinney -- and hope they’ll participate as well.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Glenn Hegar, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Hegar, who was elected comptroller in 2014 and re-elected in 2018, serves as Texas’ treasurer, check writer, tax collector, procurement officer and revenue estimator. Previously, he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate, where he worked on public education, transportation, tax cuts, property tax reform, water and tort reform. Hegar also served as vice chairman of the Sunset Advisory Commission, which reviews the operations and efficiency of each state agency.
The 86th legislative session is nearly upon us. Members and their constituents are ranking their agenda items, and they agree on at least one thing: Issues related to health and human services are at or near the top of the list. What can we expect when the gavel comes down in January? Will the House and Senate address access to coverage and care challenges we face? What about mental health, maternal mortality, opioiods? Can we slow the pace of rural hospital closures? Can we increase the flow of dollars to graduate medical education? What about women’s health?
The Texas Tribune is pleased to present, in partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, a three-part series of conversations on where the state is headed on health care. Join us on our livestream for 2018's third and final installment of this series: a discussion on the health care agenda heading into the 86th legislative session.
Our panelists are:
State Rep. César Blanco, D-El Paso
State Rep. Mary González, D-Clint
State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso
State Rep. Lina Ortega, D-El Paso
State Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso
State Sen. José Rodríguez, D-El Paso
Evan Smith, CEO and co-founder of The Texas Tribune, will moderate this event.
Opioid abuse is a crisis in many of our communities and state lawmakers are figuring out how best to address it. Outgoing House Speaker Joe Straus appointed a select committee of the Texas House to study the problem and potential solutions ahead of the 2019 legislative session. How should the Legislature address this critical health care issue? What medical advances are on the horizon? How do we deal with the scourge from a criminal justice standpoint?
The Texas Tribune — in partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas — is pleased to present a three-part series of conversations on where the state is headed on health care. Join us in person or on our livestream for 2018's second installment of this series — a wide-ranging discussion of the many impacts of the opioid crisis on our state and nation, and the public policy solutions in the works to address them.
Our panelists are:
State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston; member of the House Public Health Committee and the House Select Committee on Opioids and Substance Abuse
State Rep. J.D. Sheffield, R-Gatesville; vice chair of the House Public Health Committee and member of the House Select Committee on Opioids and Substance Abuse
Stephanie Jones, assistant professor of anesthesiology and pain management at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Marissa Evans, health and human services reporter for The Texas Tribune, will moderate this event.
Join The Texas Tribune for lunch and a conversation with state Reps. Doc Anderson and Kyle Kacal, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Anderson, R-Waco, has represented House District 56 since 2005. He serves as vice chair of the House Energy Resources Committee and sits on the Agriculture & Livestock Committee. He holds appointments to the statewide Agricultural Policy Council and is a board member of the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute and the State Agricultural and Rural Leaders. Previously, Anderson served on the Texas Small Business Advisory Council and worked as a small-animal veterinarian in Waco.
Kacal, R-College Station, has represented House District 12 since 2013. He serves as vice chair of the House Rules & Regulations Committee and sits on the Environmental Regulation, Natural Resources and Calendars committees. He serves on various business and community boards, including the Texas Beef Extension, the Brazos Valley Farm Bureau and the Allen Academy School Board. Kacal also operates a ranching business in Brazos County.
The Texas Tribune is pleased to present a symposium previewing the upcoming legislative session. Over the course of this daylong event, we'll dive into the state budget, the agendas of the House and Senate, the race for House speaker and other major issues on tap, as well as how the outcome of the 2018 midterm elections could impact the political environment in the upcoming session and ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
State Sen. Chuy Hinojosa, D-McAllen
State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin
State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham
State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond
Moderated by Ross Ramsey, executive editor of The Texas Tribune
Presented by WGU Texas
Becky Garlick, executive dean of Blinn College
Marilu Hastings, vice president for sustainability at the Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation
Arleene Loyd, executive director of the Gainesville Economic Development Corporation
Ines Polonius, CEO of Communities Unlimited
Moderated by Brandon Formby, urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune
Join The Texas Tribune for lunch and a conversation with state Sen. Pete Flores and state Rep. Poncho Nevárez, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Flores, R-Pleasanton, has represented Senate District 19 since October 2018, after a special election to fill the seat of former state Sen. Carlos Uresti. Previously, he served as colonel game warden for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Flores currently works as a consultant and instructor for the National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Leadership Academy.
Nevárez, D-Eagle Pass, has represented House District 74 since 2013. He serves as vice chair of the House Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee and sits on the Calendars and Natural Resources committees, as well as the Select Committee on Opioids & Substance Abuse. Nevárez heads his own law firm, the Nevárez Law Group.
Why is it so hard to find affordable housing in Texas? The Texas Tribune has been investigating this question — and others related to what many are calling a crisis — for the past several months. We’ve asked lawmakers, advocates, homeowners and more for their take on why affordable housing remains so elusive and what the possible solutions are. Now we want to hear from you.
Join The Texas Tribune for a conversation in Dallas on how the cost of housing influences — and is impacted by — the real estate industry, transportation infrastructure, schools and Dallas residents across the socio-economic spectrum.
Immediately following the discussion, attendees are invited to stick around for a series of reporter-led roundtable conversations on specific issues of affordable housing that impact their communities. Through these small group discussions, attendees will be able to connect with one another, share stories and reach possible solutions.
Panelists include:
Monte Anderson, Dallas-area developer
Christie Myers, managing director for Opportunity Dallas
Miguel Solis, trustee for the Dallas Independent School District
The conversation will be moderated by Brandon Formby, urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune, and will include audience Q&A.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Joseph Kopser, Democratic candidate in Texas’ Congressional District 21, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Kopser, a 20-year combat veteran, is the Democratic candidate in Congressional District 21 hoping to replace incumbent Lamar Smith, who is not seeking re-election. Kopser is currently president of the advisory and analytics firm Grayline, and is a member of the Defense Council of the Truman National Security Project. He has also served as the director of Texas Lyceum, is a member of the board of directors of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, and is the chairman and co-founder of Bunker Labs Austin. Kopser served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, earning the Combat Action Badge, Army Ranger Tab and Bronze Star.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Chip Roy, Republican candidate in Congressional District 21, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Roy, a former federal prosecutor and banking analyst, is the Republican candidate in Congressional District 21 hoping to replace incumbent Lamar Smith, who is not seeking re-election. He most recently served as the Vice President of Strategy for the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Previously, he served as the first assistant attorney general of Texas under Ken Paxton, chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and as a senior advisor to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Roy was also special assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Texas, and served Sen. John Cornyn as staff director of his leadership office and senior counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Justin Nelson, Democratic candidate for Attorney General of Texas, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and executive editor Ross Ramsey.
Nelson, an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law, is the Democratic challenger facing incumbent Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Nelson is a former law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and the founder of the nonprofit One Nation One Vote, an organization focused on electing the U.S. president by popular vote. Nelson is a partner specializing in major civil litigation at the Houston law firm Susman Godfrey LLP and has been named a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Marvin Odum, chief recovery officer for the city of Houston, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Odum was appointed by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner in 2017 to lead the city's recovery effort from the historic damage it suffered as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Previously, he served as chairman and president of Shell Oil Company and as an executive committee member of Royal Dutch Shell, where he directed a broad portfolio, from traditional oil and gas development to emerging technologies in a wide range of areas, including heavy oil, onshore gas, light tight oil, deepwater, wind and biofuels. Odum also served as CEO of InterGen, a global power development and generation company. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a board member for the National Urban League.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Rep. Travis Clardy, Republican candidate for Speaker of the Texas House, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Clardy, R-Nacogdoches, was the fourth Republican candidate to throw his hat in the ring to be the next Speaker of the Texas House when he filed on Aug. 20. There are now seven candidates in the running to succeed retiring House Speaker Joe Straus. Now in his third term, Rep. Clardy served as Vice Chair of the Local and Consent Calendars Committee during the 85th Legislative Session, as well as serving on the Higher Education and Energy Resource Committees. Clardy is a partner with the law firm Kelly Hart & Hallman, has over 30 years of experience in civil litigation and is licensed to practice law before all state and federal courts in Texas, as well as the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with Colin Allred, Democratic candidate for Texas' 32nd Congressional District, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Allred, a civil rights attorney, is the Democrat challenging U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, in Texas’ 32nd Congressional District. After a career in the NFL, Allred started his legal career as a special assistant in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of General Counsel, where he worked with then-Secretary Julián Castro. Allred put his legal skills to work as the Dallas-Fort Worth director of the first-ever statewide coordinated voter protection program during the 2014 gubernatorial election. In the second quarter of 2018, Allred’s campaign raised more than $1 million, with 99 percent of the contributions coming in at $100 or less.
Join The Texas Tribune for lunch and a conversation with South Texas legislators, state Reps. Tracy King and Richard Peña Raymond, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
King, D-Batesville, has represented House District 80 since 2005, after previously representing the district from 1995-2003. He serves as chairman of the House Agriculture & Livestock Committee and sits on the Natural Resources Committee and the Select Committee on Texas Ports, Innovation & Infrastructure. King also serves on the Edwards Aquifer Legislative Oversight Committee and the Energy Council.
Raymond, D-Laredo, has represented House District 42 since 2001. He serves as chairman of the House Human Services Committee and sits on the Ways & Means and the Health & Human Services Transition Oversight committees.
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation with MJ Hegar, Democratic candidate for Texas Congressional District 31, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Hegar, an Air Force combat veteran, is the Democratic challenger against U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, in Texas’ 31st Congressional District. Hegar’s campaign reported raising $1.1 million in the second fundraising quarter of the year with over $750,000 coming in the 10 days after the release of her viral video “Doors,” which has been viewed more than 2.5 million times. Hegar served three tours in Afghanistan as a search-and-rescue pilot. On July 29, 2009, while on a medevac mission, Hegar's helicopter was shot down during a conflict with the Taliban and she was wounded by shrapnel in her arm and leg. She received the Purple Heart as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device.
After Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas coast and poured historic amounts of rain over Houston and a wide swath of the state, hundreds of thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed. In the year since, displaced Texans have turned to federal agencies, insurance entities and nonprofits for help rebuilding their lives. Where does the recovery stand and what are the long-term plans for getting neighborhoods and towns back on their feet?
Join The Texas Tribune in person or on our livestream for a conversation about the federal response to Hurricane Harvey one year after the storm made landfall in Texas, moderated by the Tribune's urban affairs reporter, Brandon Formby.
Panelists include:
George P. Bush, Texas land commissioner
Traci Brasher, recovery division director for FEMA Region 6
Marvin Odum, chief recovery officer for the city of Houston
Beth Van Duyne, regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Moderated by Brandon Formby, urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune
The Texas Tribune and the LBJ Future Forum are hosting a conversation on the historic mobilization of women in politics, featuring some of the leading candidates for office, both for Congress and the Texas House, in the midterm elections this November.
Panelists include:
Sheryl Cole, attorney, former Austin mayor pro tem, candidate for House District 46
MJ Hegar, Air Force veteran, candidate for Congressional District 31
Gina Ortiz Jones, former Air Force intelligence officer, candidate for Congressional District 23
Deanna Metzger, businesswoman for a Fortune 100 company, owner of two businesses, candidate for Texas House District 107
The conversation will be moderated by Alexa Ura, demographics reporter for The Texas Tribune.
Join The Texas Tribune for lunch and a conversation with San Antonio-area legislators: state Sen. José Menéndez and state Reps. Roland Gutierrez and Ina Minjarez, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Menéndez, D-San Antonio, has represented Senate District 26 since 2015. He currently sits on the Senate Criminal Justice, Higher Education, Intergovernmental Relations and Nominations committees. He also serves as the national director for emerging real estate markets for Stewart Title Company. Previously, Menéndez spent 14 years in the Texas House, representing House District 124.
Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, has represented House District 119 since 2009. He is currently running for state Senate District 19, currently held by Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio. Gutierrez serves as chairman of the House Defense & Veterans' Affairs Committee and sits on the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence committee. Previously, he served on the San Antonio City Council.
Minjarez, D-San Antonio, has represented House District 124 since a 2015 special election. She currently sits on the House Human Services, Local & Consent, Calendars, and Transportation committees. She has her own private law practice where she represents child abuse victims in Child Protective Services cases. Previously, Minjarez worked as an assistant district attorney in Bexar County.
After seeing their cities flooded and homes destroyed in Hurricane Harvey, Texas teachers and students spent the rest of the academic year struggling to get back to baseline, working through the negative academic and mental health effects of one of the worst natural disasters in the state's history. How are teachers and students focusing on classroom demands while continuing to pick up the pieces of their lives?
Our panelists include:
Rhonda Howard, social worker at Houston ISD's T.H. Rogers School
Jennifer Mann, principal at Wharton ISD's Wharton Elementary School
Anh-Minh Nguyen, graduating senior at Alief ISD's Alief Early College High School
Tiffany Robinson, secondary science instructional specialist at Alief ISD's Elsik Ninth Grade Center
A conversation about public education, immigration, health care, spending, taxes and other consequential matters with Austin-area state Reps. Celia Israel and Paul Workman. Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith will moderate.
A Conversation with -
John Sharp, chairman of the Governor's Commission to Rebuild Texas and chancellor of the Texas A&M University System
Moderated by Ross Ramsey, executive editor of The Texas Tribune
A conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Lawrence Wright, discussing his new book God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the Lone Star State. This conversation will be moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
A candidate forum with the two Democratic hopefuls for House District 46, Sheryl Cole & Chito Vela.
A conversation on school finance reform with four members of the Texas Commission on Public School Finance: state Reps. Dan Huberty and Diego Bernal; Todd Williams, education policy adviser; and Nicole Conley Johnson, CFO for Austin Independent School District. This conversation will be moderated by Evan Smith, co-founder and CEO of The Texas Tribune.
Maternal mortality is on the rise across the United States, but all eyes are on Texas, where the way maternal deaths are calculated is under scrutiny, the highest number of uninsured women in the country live, state policies around women’s health programs are consistently evolving and legislators have taken little action to curb this public health crisis. How did Texas get here? And how do we save Texas mothers now?
A conversation with state Sen. Sylvia Garcia, the Democratic candidate for Texas' 29th Congressional District, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
A conversation with Veronica Escobar, the Democratic candidate for Texas' 16th Congressional District, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Escobar is the Democratic candidate for Texas' 16th Congressional District covering El Paso and surrounding areas. If elected, she would be the first Latina sent to Congress from Texas. She previously served two terms as El Paso County judge and one term as County Commissioner for El Paso's 2nd Precinct.
A conversation with North Texas state Reps. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, and Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
An evening conversation with Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, moderated by Evan Smith, co-founder and CEO of The Texas Tribune.
A Conversation with Steve Adler, Mayor of Austin.
Adler has served as mayor since 2015 and recently announced his re-election campaign for 2018. He has represented Austin in the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda, a network of nearly 400 U.S. mayors focused on addressing climate change at the local level, and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a similar international effort by more than 90 major cities. Adler previously practiced civil rights law and sat on the board of the Austin Ballet and The Texas Tribune.
A special live edition of our popular weekly podcast the day after the March 6 primaries. TribCast host Emily Ramshaw sits down with the Tribune's Evan Smith, Abby Livingston, Patrick Svitek and Ross Ramsey to discuss the previous night's results and what they mean for Texas.
A conversation about public education, immigration, health care, spending, taxes and other consequential matters with Austin-area state Reps. Gina Hinojosa, Donna Howard and Eddie Rodriguez. Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith will moderate.
A conversation with Houston-area state Reps. Garnet Coleman and Shawn Thierry, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
A conversation on sexual misconduct in the Texas Capitol and efforts to reform the Legislature's sexual harassment policies.
A conversation with Scott Milder, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor. Milder is challenging sitting Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for the 2018 Republican nomination.
The Texas Tribune is pleased to present a symposium on immigration in Texas and nationwide. Join us as we explore the recent actions of the Texas Legislature, the rhetoric on the subject out of Washington under President Donald Trump and the human cost of immigration.
The Texas Tribune is pleased to present a symposium on immigration in Texas and nationwide. Join us as we explore the recent actions of the Texas Legislature, the rhetoric on the subject out of Washington under President Donald Trump and the human cost of immigration.
The Texas Tribune is pleased to present, in partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, a three-part conversation series on where the state is headed on health care. Join us in person or on our livestream for the second installment of this series: a discussion of the ongoing efforts to reform health care and their impact on Texas.
a conversation with state Rep. John Zerwas, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and newly announced candidate for speaker of the Texas House.
A conversation with four Texas Gulf Coast mayors whose communities were affected by Hurricane Harvey on how they weathered the storm and what's ahead for the region.
a conversation with Phillip Huffines, Republican candidate for Texas Senate District 8.
a conversation with state Reps. Chris Paddie and Gary VanDeaver, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
State Sen. Bryan Hughes was originally on the program but has cancelled his appearance.
A special live edition of our popular weekly podcast the day before the special session wraps. The Tribune's Emily Ramshaw, Evan Smith, Ross Ramsey and Patrick Svitek will discuss the ups and downs of the special session and what it means for Texas. They will be joined by Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth and Rep. Kevin Roberts, R-Houston.
A conversation previewing the special session with state Reps. Carol Alvarado, Drew Darby and Matt Schaefer.
A conversation with U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro. Castro, D-San Antonio, was first elected in 2012 to represent Texas’ Congressional District 20. He serves on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees and in 2013 was elected president of the freshman Democratic class. Previously, Castro served for 10 years in the Texas Legislature.
A Conversation About the 85th Legislative Session with state Sens. Konni Burton, Bryan Hughes and Royce West.
A conversation with Matthew Dowd, political strategist and author of A New Way: Embracing the Paradox as We Lead and Serve.
The Texas Tribune is pleased to present, in partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, a three-part conversation series on where the state is headed on health care. The first installment of this series: a discussion of the potential impact on Texas of the end of the Affordable Care Act.
A conversation on foster care and CPS reform in Texas with state Reps. James Frank and Ina Minjarez.
A conversation with Austin-area state Sen. Kirk Watson and state Reps. Gina Hinojosa and Donna Howard, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
A conversation on higher education in Texas with state Sen. Kel Seliger and state Rep. J.M. Lozano.
A conversation with state Reps. Senfronia Thompson and James White, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
A conversation with state Reps. César Blanco and Brooks Landgraf, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
A conversation with state Reps. Dustin Burrows and Drew Darby, moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Audio from The Texas Tribune’s symposium on race and public policy in Texas. This panel was recorded on January 14, 2017 at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas.
Aliyya Swaby, reporter for The Texas Tribune, moderates a discussion with Olivia Hernandez, assistant superintendent for bilingual/ESL/migrant for the San Antonio Independent School District; Michael Sorrell, president of Paul Quinn College; U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio; and Michael Williams, former Texas education commissioner.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events or follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
Audio from our January 19 public event with state Reps. Dustin Burrows and Drew Darby. Howard College hosted this event in San Angelo, Texas. Evan Smith, Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO, moderated the discussion.
Burrows, R-Lubbock, has represented House District 83 since 2015. He serves on the House County Affairs and International Trade & Intergovernmental Affairs committees. Burrows currently practices at the law firm of McClesky, Harriger, Brazill & Graff and primarily focuses on commercial litigation and representing agricultural producers in West Texas.
Darby, R-San Angelo, has represented House District 72 since 2007. He serves as chairman of the House Energy Resources Committee and is a member of the Ways and Means Committee. Darby is also the owner of Surety Title, a title and escrow services company, and is of counsel to the energy and real estate practice group at the Jackson Walker law firm.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events or follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
The Texas Tribune’s Ross Ramsey moderates a discussion with lawmakers about the big issues for the upcoming Legislative Session. Ross’s guests include:
• State Rep. Sarah Davis, R-West University Place;
• State Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, Vice Chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee;
• State Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, Chairman of the House Transportation Committee; and
• State Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, Chairman of the Senate Education Committee.
This event was recorded before a live audience on November 29, 2016, at The University of Texas in Austin, Texas. It was part of the Tribune’s daylong symposium previewing the 85th Legislative Session.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events or follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
Chancellor John Sharp of the Texas A&M University System in conversation with moderator Evan Smith, co-founder and CEO of The Texas Tribune.
This is a live recording from the Tribune's Symposium on Transportation, a full-day event held on the Texas A&M campus in College Station, Texas, on November 3, 2016.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events or follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
Live audio from our October 25, 2016 conversation with U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul. Recorded before a live audience at The Austin Club in Austin, Texas.
McCaul, R-Austin, represents Texas’s 10th Congressional District in the U.S. House. He chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security and the U.S.-Mexico Interparliamentary Group. McCaul also serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Previously, he served as chief of counterterrorism and national security in the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Texas.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events or follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
Four Price, R-Amarillo, has represented House District 87 since 2011. He currently serves as chairman of the Select Committee on Mental Health and sits on the House Appropriations, Calendars and Human Services committees. He also co-chairs the Health and Human Services Commission Transition Legislative Oversight Committee. Price is a licensed attorney working in Amarillo.
John Smithee, R-Amarillo, has represented House District 86 since 1985. He currently serves as chairman of the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee and sits on the State Affairs Committee. Previously, he served as chairman of the Insurance Committee. He also serves as chairman of the Timothy Cole Exoneration Review Commission. Smithee also works as an Amarillo-based attorney.
This event was recorded before a live audience at Amarillo College's Downtown Campus in Amarillo, Texasm on October 4, 2106. Tribune CEO Evan Smith moderates the discussion.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events or follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
Audio from our August 26, 2016 conversation with state Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa and state Reps. Bobby Guerra and Terry Canales. The event was moderated by Texas Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith.
Hinojosa, D-McAllen, has represented Senate District 20 since 2003. He serves as vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and sits on the Criminal Justice; Natural Resources & Economic Development; and Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs committees. Previously, Hinojosa served in the Texas House and in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.
Guerra, D-Mission, has represented House District 41 since 2013. He sits on the House Insurance; Public Health; and Local & Consent Calendars committees. He is a founding member and managing partner of the Guerra, Leeds, Sabo & Hernandez, P.L.L.C. law firm. Previously, Guerra served as chairman of the Hidalgo County Democratic Party.
Canales, D-Edinburg, has represented House District 40 since 2013. He sits on the House Criminal Jurisprudence and Energy Resources committees. Canales owns an Edinburg-based law practice and specializes in oil and gas litigation, criminal defense, personal injury, family law, real estate and municipal law.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events and follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
Recently returned from southern Mexico and El Salvador, The Texas Tribune's Jay Root will host an evening conversation in McAllen to talk about the project's findings. Special guests will include Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, associate professor of Public Affairs and Security Studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), and Chris Cabrera, deputy spokesperson for the National Border Patrol Council and Local 3307 in the Rio Grande Valley.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events and follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
Does Texas have enough medical professionals to accommodate our surging population? Listen to our May 19, 2016, conversation from the Medical World Americas Conference in Houston. Evan Smith moderates the discussion with Vivian Ho of Rice University; Thomas Kim, chief medical officer at Med2You; Jonathan MacClements of Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin; and Elena Marks of the Episcopal Health Foundation.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events and follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
Chris Coxon, chief program officer for Educate Texas, moderates a discussion about social and emotional learning in public education. Chris’ guests are Paul Cruz, superintendent of the Austin Independent School District; Eric Gordon, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District; Terry Grier, superintendent of the Houston Independent School District; and Airick West, member of the board of directors for Kansas City Public Schools.
The event was recorded before a live audience on January 22, 2016 at the University of Texas at El Paso campus. It was part of a half-day symposium on urban public education in Texas.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events and follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
Here is our discussion with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, which was recorded before a live audience in Austin, Texas, on March 10, 2016.
Miller was elected to his current post in 2014. Previously, he served six terms in the Texas House. During his tenure, Miller chaired the Agriculture and Livestock Committee and the Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee. He authored the abortion sonogram bill in the 82nd legislative session. Miller also served on the Agriculture Policy Board and was appointed to serve on the National Energy Council.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events or follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
Evan Smith interviewed Karl Rove, author and former White House deputy chief of staff. This event was recoded live on Dec. 17, 2015 at The Austin Club in Austin, Texas.
Rove is an author, Republican commentator and former senior adviser to President George W. Bush. At the White House, he also served as deputy chief of staff for policy, coordinating the White House policymaking process. Rove recently authored The Triumph of William McKinley and previously wrote the New York Times best-seller Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight.
For more info on Texas Tribune live events visit texastribune.org/events and follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
For this look at the future of health care policy, Evan Smith is joined by State Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Denton, chairwoman of the House Public Health Committee; State Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin, vice chairman of the House Public Health Committee; and Paul Ogden, interim executive vice president and interim vice president for clinical affairs for the Texas A&M Health Science Center and interim dean for the Texas A&M College of Medicine.
This event was recoded live on Dec. 2, 2015 at the Texas A&M Health Science Center in Round Rock, Texas.
For more info on Texas Tribune live events visit texastribune.org/events and follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
The panel features Amy Chozick of The New York Times, Peter Hamby of Snapchat, Ryan Lizza of The New Yorker and Dave Weigel of The Washington Post. It's moderated by Evan Smith, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune.
For more audio like this, check out our podcasts on iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and leave us a rating and a comment! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Audio from our September 28, 2015, event at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, a discussion on the future of the environment in Texas.
The Texas Tribune is excited to present a special statewide series of public events looking ahead five years in eight major policy areas: criminal justice, energy, the environment, health, higher education, immigration, public education and transportation. Each event features a conversation with leading thinkers and policymakers on that day's particular subject.
For more details on events like this, visit http://www.texastribune.org/events/ and follow @texastribune on Twitter.
Live audio from our September 4, 2015, conversation with Austin Mayor Steve Adler and San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor.
Adler was elected mayor of Austin in 2014. He is co-founder of the Barron, Graham and Adler law firm and previously sat on the board of the Austin Ballet and The Texas Tribune. Adler spent eight years working in the Texas Legislature as the chief of staff and general counsel to state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso.
Taylor was elected mayor of San Antonio this year after serving as interim mayor since 2014. Previously, she served as the District 2 councilwoman and as vice president of Merced Housing Texas. Taylor began her career working for the city in the Housing and Community Development Department and the Neighborhood Action Department.
Audio from our May 4, 2015 symposium on health care at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin. This panel, entitled Texas and Obamacare: A Status Update, features the following:
- Anne Dunkelberg, health and wellness program director for the Center for Public Policy Priorities; and
- Jaime Dudensing, executive director of Texas Association of Health Plans.
The panel is moderated by Tribune reporter Alexa Ura.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events or
follow us on Twitter @TXTribuneEvents.
Audio from our live conversation with state Sen. Kevin Eltife, chairman of the Business and Commerce Committee.
Eltife, R-Tyler, was first elected to the Texas Senate in 2004. In addition to chairing the Business and Commerce Committee, he also serves on the Administration and Finance committees. Eltife is the the owner of Eltife Properties, and he previously served three terms on the Tyler City Council and later as the city’s mayor.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events or follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
Audio from our April 30, 2015 event with Rep. Sylvester Turner.
Turner, D-Houston, represents House District 139 and was first elected in 1988. He is the vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee and chairman of the Subcommittee on Articles I, IV & V. He also sits on the State Affairs Committee. He previously served on the Business and Industry, State Affairs and Criminal Justice Legislative Oversight committees and serves as the chairman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and co-chairman of the Harris County Legislative Delegation. He is running for mayor of Houston.
Want more Tribune live events? Check out texastribune.org/events or follow us on Twitter @texastribune.
Live recording of our Thursday, May 7, 2015 conversation with John Sharp, Texas A&M University System Chancellor.
As chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, Sharp serves as chief executive officer under the direction of the board of regents. A graduate of Texas A&M University, he was elected to the Texas House in 1978. He went on to win a seat in the Texas Senate in 1982, where he served on the powerful Senate Finance Committee, and he was elected to the Railroad Commission of Texas in 1986. Sharp was elected state comptroller in 1990 and re-elected in 1994.