ENside Politics
by San Antonio Express-News
A weekly podcast that breaks down how politics works, and often doesn't work, in San Antonio. Metro Editor Greg Jefferson and Express-News reporters question politicians and other newsmakers about what they're up to in our name.
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Episodes
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Should Pre-K 4 SA get your sales tax dollars for next 20 years? | ENside Politics
Pre-K 4 SA CEO Sarah Baray talks with the ENside Politics about what two decades worth of tax revenue would mean for the 14-year-old program, one of the first its kind in the country. She also shares her thoughts about VIA Metropolitan Transit eyeing the 1/8 cent sales tax going to Pre-K 4 SA....
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Councilwoman Misty Spears talks ICE lawsuit, voting against SAWS rate hike | ENside Politics
North Side Councilwoman Misty Spears talks with the ENside Politics team about why she voted a SAWS rate increase last week, why she's against the city's lawsuit to stop a planned ICE detention center on the East Side and why she's dead-set opposed to Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' bond proposal....
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Think City Hall fight over affordability ended with tax hike? Nope. | ENside Politics
Political consultant Andrew Solano talks with the ENside Politics team about the coming fight at City Council over whether to once again raise San Antonio's tax rate to underwrite a big bond package. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones says no — but it's complicated. Suggested reading: City staff proposes…
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R.I.P. NIOSA? | ENside Politics
Reporters Madison Iszler and Megan Rodriguez talk with host Greg Jefferson about why the Conservation Society cancelled next year's NIOSA, one of Fiesta's main events — and why some of the event's many diehard volunteers and fans aren't buying the society's explanations. Suggested reading: Anger...
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What you need to know about plans for future of Brooks with CEO Leo Gomez | ENside Politics
Brooks Development Authority CEO Leo Gomez talks with the ENside Politics team about what it took to land Industrial Electric Manufacturer, a utility equipment maker that will build a $200 million plant at the former Air Force base and hire 3,000 workers. Gomez also details plans to continue...
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What happens when 'broken' City Council confronts $158M deficit? | ENside Politics
After weeks of sniping at one another both in public and behind the scenes, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and City Council finally vote on the city's $4.4 billion budget and its first property tax rate hike in more than three decades. The ENside Politics team examines how we got here and what's behind…
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Councilman Marc Whyte makes case against San Antonio property tax hike | ENside Politics
District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte talks with the ENside Politics team about cuts he wants to see to the city budget to avoid a property tax increase and why he's OK diverting tax revenue from the general fund. Suggested reading: 'Unacceptable': San Antonio nonprofits rally against proposed $5.1M...
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Jalen McKee-Rodriguez talks fight to stop ICE facility, budget cuts | ENside Politics
District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez talks with the ENside Politics team about his efforts to stop or at least slow down a planned ICE detention center on the East Side, the hard budget choices facing City Council — and the tattoo shop he co-owns with former Councilwoman Melissa Cabello...
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Commissioner Justin Rodriguez on budget, potential new Spurs 'asks' | ENside Politics
County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez talks with the ENside Politics team about how Bexar County will close its two-year, $145 million budget deficit, what's next for the publicly financed Spurs arena (and what request Spurs Sports & Entertainment might make in the near future), and the recent…
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The sound, the fury, the arena vote that's not happening | ENside Politics
The ENside Politics team dissects Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' campaign to put the city $489 million contribution to the planned Spurs arena to a public vote in November -- and a razor-thin City Council majority's rejection of the move this week. Suggested reading: Mayor Jones again calls for city…
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Ivalis Meza Gonzalez makes her pitch for a Pre-K 4 SA election this November | ENside Politics
District 8 Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez talks with the ENside Politics team about why she wants to ask San Antonio voters in November to reauthorize Pre-K 4 SA for another 20 years. Note: A few hours after this was recorded Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones announced that she was no...
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Teri Castillo talks budget pain and those Mayor Jones memos | ENside Politics
District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo talks with the ENside Politics team about the many hard choices City Council will have to make in next year's budget and what it's like to serve under Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones. Suggested reading: Mayor Jones proposes killing Ready to Work to close budget…
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The coming city budget battle, and more Bonham Exchange news | ENside Politics
Political consultant Andrew Solano talks with the ENside Politics team about whether City Council has the appetite to cut funding for the San Antonio Botanical Garden and other nonprofits -- or to increase the city's property tax rate. Also, the Bonham Exchange is asking for more time to install...
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Are voters in danger of 'bait and switch' on the East Side? | ENside Politics
The head of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo is warning that a conceptual development plan for the East Side could collide with his organization's expansion — and that tax dollars voters OK'd for the rodeo's designs could wind up paying for some of those clashing projects. Reporter Madison…
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Why the state is eyeing San Antonio-area school districts | ENside Politics
Education reporters Noah Alcala Bach and Sophia Veneziano talk with ENside Politics about which area school districts have come under Texas Education Agency scrutiny and why. Suggested reading: State probes Judson ISD for alleged threats, failure to report child abuse STAAR gains offer lifeline…
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The big blow-up over SAWS' proposed rate hike | ENside Politics
Reporter Liz Teitz and the ENside Politics team discuss the rupture that resulted in City Council postponing a vote on a SAWS rate increase till next fall. Suggested reading: After debate, split City Council delays decision on SAWS rate hike SAWS says it needs to raise rates. It’s hitting...
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Nelson Wolff weighs in on the mayor, Nirenberg, Project Marvel | ENside Politics
Former San Antonio Mayor and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff talks with reporters Madison Iszler and Molly Smith about the hallmarks of Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' first year in office, what Ron Nirenberg's administration could look like if he wins the county judge election and tensions over Project...
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Manny Pelaez talks free Spurs tickets, Mayor Jones, Project Marvel | ENside Politics
Former City Councilman Manny Pelaez talks with host Greg Jefferson about the freebies council members are offered — and that many of them accept — such as Spurs, concert and gala tickets, not to mention "parking wherever the hell they want." He also weighs in on Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' rocky…
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Trump's local candidate wins; Chapa squeaks by in DA race | ENside Politics
The ENside Politics team talks about how President Trump scrambled the race for the GOP nomination in San Antonio-anchored Congressional District 35 and Luz Elena Chapa's razor-thin margin in the Democratic primary for Bexar County district attorney. Suggested reading: Luz Elena Chapa wins tight...
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The free-for-alls in Bexar County DA and CD 35 races | ENside Politics
Politics reporter Molly Smith and host Greg Jefferson talk about the heated race between Luz Elena Chapa and Jane Davis for the Democratic nomination for Bexar County district attorney, and the blow-up in the Democratic contest in Congressional District 35 between Maureen Galindo and Johnny…
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Some council members throw cold water on SAWS rate hike plans | ENside Politics
Megan Rodriguez chats with fellow Express-News reporters Liz Teitz and Madison Iszler as they dig into a proposed rate hike at SAWS and the controversy surrounding the pitch. Suggested reading: As SAWS mulls rate hike, these City Council members want a shakeup at the utility SAWS seeks rate hikes...
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With chief quitting, more chaos in Mayor Jones' office | ENside Politics
Political consultant Andrew Solano talks with the ENside Politics team about Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' chief of staff calling it quits a week after her deputy abruptly stepped down, and why Jones' struggle to keep staff matters. Suggested reading: Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ chief of staff quits one…
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Why Bexar County's biggest school districts are deep in the red | ENside Politics
Education reporters Noah Alcala Bach and Sophia Veneziano talk with host Greg Jefferson about the drastic steps Bexar County's largest school district are taking to make ends meet — such as closing schools and slashing positions — and what's making it harder to keep the lights on. Suggested...
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Port SA chief talks Mayor Jones, future of military missions and more | ENside Politics
Port San Antonio CEO Jim Perschbach discusses his role as head of the mayor's Economic Security Advisory Group with the ENside Politics team -- and air taxis, his lonely quest for the 16th Air Force, the possibility of government funding for a new South Side grocery store and how San Antonio does...
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The strange — and strained — relationship between Mayor Jones and the Bonham Exchange | ENside Politics
City Hall reporters Megan Rodriguez and Molly Smith talk with host Greg Jefferson about Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' pledge to help one of San Antonio's biggest and oldest gay nightclubs raise money for legally required fire sprinklers, and how it has gone weirdly wrong. Suggested reading: Bonham...
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Marc Whyte says S.A. needs more cops. Here's why. | ENside Politics
Councilman Marc Whyte talks with the ENside Politics team about what's behind a resolution that he and council members Marina Alderete Gavito and Misty Spears are pushing at City Council to commit to hiring 65 police officers next year. Suggested reading: City Council set to square off over…
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Higher utility bills could be on city agenda as CPS, SAWS float rate hikes | ENside Politics
Express-News reporters Liz Teitz and Kelsey Brown talk with host Megan Rodriguez about potential utility rate hikes that officials at CPS Energy and SAWS are mulling — and how the utilities want to use the extra funds if they secure them. Suggested reading: Council members call for outside review...
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Behind the scenes of Ron Nirenberg's win, a fight over cop hiring | ENside Politics
Political consultant Laura Barberena talks with the ENside Politics team about what was behind the former San Antonio mayor's landslide victory for the Democratic nomination for Bexar County judge, and a potential fight at City Council over plans to add 65 officers next year. Suggested reading…
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Tony Gonzales’ fall and the rise of The AK Guy | ENside Politics
Recapping the events that led Tony Gonzales to drop his reelection bid with Texas politics reporter Bayliss Wagner, half of the Express-News reporting duo who broke the story of the San Antonio representative’s affair with a former staffer. Wagner and host Megan Rodriguez also talk about the...
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What's behind Ron Nirenberg's landslide win over Peter Sakai | ENside Politics
Nirenberg's big win, Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez's big loss and the Democratic runoff for district attorney — host Greg Jefferson and reporters Saul Pink and Molly Smith talk about all of it in a special edition of ENside Politics. Suggested reading: Nirenberg wins Bexar County judge nomination...
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Jalen McKee-Rodriguez talks censure of Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones | ENside Politics
Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez presided over Friday's censure of Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones — and he debriefs with the ENside Politics team on this week episode. Suggested reading: San Antonio City Council censures Mayor Jones for ‘unacceptable conduct’ Bonham Exchange to stay open, cut occupancy...
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Nirenberg's track record, his 'Toyota' and what's next for Mayor Jones | ENside Politics
Political consultant Andrew Solano talks with the ENside Politics team about former Mayor Ron Nirenberg's City Hall track record and whether it'll help him in his bid to unseat Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai. Also: Does it matter that Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is getting along with many of her City...
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Peter Sakai talks Project Marvel, jail reform, sticking to basics | ENside Politics
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai took time out from his Democratic primary fight against former Mayor Ron Nirenberg to talk with ENside Politics about improving the county lock-up, backing a new Spurs arena but not the sports district it would tie together, and why he's campaigning on balanced...
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Many San Antonians can't make ends meet. Here are a few reasons why. | ENside Politics
San Antonio Food Bank CEO Eric Cooper talks with host Greg Jefferson about why San Antonio remains one of the poorest cities in the country despite education and income improvements. Suggested reading: Thousands could go hungry in San Antonio because of federal shutdown San Antonio ranks...
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Can council stop a rumored ICE facility coming to S.A.? | ENside Politics
City Councilwoman Sukh Kaur talks with the ENside Politics team about the possibility of Immigration and Customs Enforcement buying an East Side warehouse for a massive detention center, the search for San Antonio’s next police chief and iconic gay nightclub Bonham Exchange's clash with the city....
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In the aftermath of Minnesota killings, what is ICE doing in SA? | ENside Politics
UTSA criminology professor Michael Smith talks with the ENside Politics team about how ICE and Border Patrol agents are trained, how they work with San Antonio police and the call at City Council last week to cut off all interaction with federal immigration authorities. Suggested reading:...
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Bexar County’s voter registration saga and a Project Marvel update | ENside Politics
City Hall reporter Molly Smith talks to county government reporter Saul Pink and business reporter Madison Iszler about fundraising in the county judge's race, why Bexar County hasn't switched the software it uses to manage voter rolls, and where the sports and entertainment district stands....
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The Nirenberg-Sakai face-off for Bexar County Judge by the numbers | ENside Politics
Bryan Gervais, head of UTSA's polling center, talks with City Hall reporter Megan Rodriguez and host Greg Jefferson about the Ron Nirenberg-Peter Sakai race in the March 3 Democratic primary and the future of public financing for a Spurs arena downtown and Project Marvel. Suggested reading…
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Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones wins one, data center angst and free VIA bus rides | ENside Politics
District 6 Councilman Ric Galvan talks with City Hall reporter Molly Smith and host Greg Jefferson about last Thursday's nailbiter - City Council's 6-5 vote to change the city election calendar - as well as Galvan's efforts to potentially regulate data centers and eliminate fares for VIA buses....
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Erasing the rainbow, brawling over city elections | ENside Politics
Gov. Greg Abbott gets the last word on San Antonio's Pride rainbow crosswalk on North Main, and Thursday's City Council vote on moving municipal elections is shaping up to be a test of Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' strength -- or a measure of her weakness. City Hall reporters Megan Rodriguez and Molly...
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Primary season starts as all eyes on Nirenberg-Sakai matchup | ENside Politics
City Hall reporter Molly Smith and county government reporter Saul Pink talk to political consultant Andrew Solano about Texas Congressional District 35, the Bexar County judge's race and Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' push to move city elections to November. Suggested reading: Who filed to run in the...
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The city election shuffle and a Sakai-Nirenberg showdown | ENside Politics
Former Bexar County commissioner Kevin Wolff, reporter Megan Rodriguez and host Greg Jefferson discuss Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' proposal to move city elections from May to November, her rocky start at City Hall and former Mayor Ron Nirenberg's run against County Judge Peter Sakai in the March...
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The ongoing saga of Mayor Gina and the arena | ENside Politics
City Hall reporters Megan Rodriguez and Molly Smith and host Greg Jefferson talk about Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' new push for the city to take a tougher approach in talks with the Spurs for tax dollars to build a new arena. Suggested reading: Could Spurs arena infrastructure make next city bond a...
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So they're building a Spurs arena....right? | ENside Politics
City Hall reporters Madison Iszler and Molly Smith and host Greg Jefferson discuss what comes after the narrow passage of Bexar County's Prop B, which dedicates up to $311 million in tax revenue to a new Spurs arena. One of the biggest next steps: a big city bond election for infrastructure…
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Nelson Wolff talks Spurs arena vote, mistakes and all | ENside Politics
The retired Bexar County judge and ENside Politics team dissect the Spurs and Rodeo tax elections and discuss why arena proponents had to grind out a narrow win in the Nov. 4 vote. Suggested reading: Spurs get the W: Bexar County voters approve downtown San Antonio basketball arena Voters approve...
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Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez on why he's voting 'no' on Spurs arena, rodeo funding | ENside Politics
The East Side councilman talks with reporter Madison Iszler and host Greg Jefferson about why he's opposed to Bexar County tax funding for the Freeman Coliseum grounds and a Spurs arena at Hemisfair. Suggested reading: Downtown Spurs arena campaign raises more than $7M Can a $192M rodeo plan do...
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COPS/Metro sees ball bouncing its way in Spurs arena vote | ENside Politics
COPS/Metro leaders Adrian Castro and Sonia Rodriguez make their case against spending any tax dollars on a new Spurs. Their bottom line in a conversation with reporter Molly Smith and host Greg Jefferson: billionaire team investors would benefit, not taxpayers. Suggested reading: What to know…
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Spurs exec makes case for Prop B arena funding | ENside Politics
Bobby Perez, Spurs Sports & Entertainment's general counsel, talks public financing for a downtown arena and addresses relocation fears in a wide-ranging conversation with reporter Madison Iszler and host Greg Jefferson. Suggested reading: How the Spurs and arena opponents are making their…
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Keeping up with Mayor Jones | ENside Politics
City Hall reporters Megan Rodriguez and Molly Smith and host Greg Jefferson discuss Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' ups and downs since taking office in June -- her strained relationship with some City Council members, how she's doing on her agenda and the losing votes she's racked up so far. Suggested...
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Spilling the cowboy beans on the rodeo tax election | ENside Politics
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo CEO Cody Davenport talks with reporter Madison Iszler and host Greg Jefferson about the $192 million tax proposition on the Nov. 4 ballot and the huge rodeo expansion plan it would pay for. Suggested reading: As Spurs eye downtown arena, county asks voters to help…
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About this show
A weekly podcast that breaks down how politics works, and often doesn't work, in San Antonio. Metro Editor Greg Jefferson and Express-News reporters question politicians and other newsmakers about what they're up to in our name.
Hosted by
San Antonio Express-News