DALLAS — This week on Inside Texas Politics:
Colin Allred speaks about Taiwan trip
Inside Texas Politics starts with one of Texas' biggest trading partners - the island of Taiwan. It is 7,700 miles across the Pacific, but Texas companies do $7 billion a year in business with them. However, the Chinese consider Taiwan a breakaway territory. And many worry that a war could be coming. During the Thanksgiving holiday, a bipartisan group from Congress boarded a plane and flew to Taiwan. U.S. Representative Colin Allred was among them. He is a Dallas Democrat.
5th Circuit Court of Appeals decisions
Ross Ramsey, the co-founder and executive editor of the Texas Tribune in Austin, joins Jason Whitely to talk about news across the state of Texas.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals made two significant decisions affecting Texas. Both are temporary ones. The first is the Court of Appeals telling school districts that they cannot require students to wear face masks. And in Austin, a federal judge blocked a new Texas law from going into effect. This is the one that forbids social media companies from kicking users off their platforms for their viewpoints. These decisions were good news and bad news for Texas Republicans. Governor Abbott especially. But are they the final decisions?
And President Biden just got Mexico to agree to restart President Trump's remain in Mexico program. Biden wanted to end it altogether. A court said no. How long will this last?
Will there be a fourth special session?
Jason Whitely talks with The Republican Party of Texas Chair Matt Rinaldi about a possible fourth special legislative session.
There are growing calls this weekend for Governor Abbott to call a fourth special legislative session. Republicans say there's unfinished business that needs to be addressed. Specifically, conservatives want to make it illegal for businesses to require workers to get vaccinated. Matt Rinaldi, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, is also behind this effort.
As goes Texas...
For most of the last 20-years, the politics of Texas created an ideal place for businesses to grow. It was often referred to as the Texas Miracle. But Texas politics are no longer as moderate as they once were. So, does that put this state's explosive growth in jeopardy?
That is a question that UT Austin is studying. And it's also the focus of the latest episode of our Y'all-itics political podcast with Steven Pedigo - the director of the LBJ Urban Lab. Look for Y'all-itics wherever you get your podcasts.
Reporter Roundtable discusses SCOTUS abortion law and Omicron variant
The Texas Tribune’s Ross Ramsey and Bud Kennedy with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram are joined by Berna Dean Steptoe, WFAA’s political producer.
Last week, a new Mississippi law that banned abortions after 15-weeks was argued before the Supreme Court. Justices seemed poised to overturn Roe versus Wade. How does that impact the 2022 midterm election? Does it motivate Democrats? Or depress them?
The Omicron variant is spreading in the United States. There's a lot of confusion about booster shots. Are the state and counties doing enough to get the word out? What do we expect from Governor Abbott for this variant? Is this just a new variant of COVID-19, or does it signal another surge in cases?
