Texas Tribune Events

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 sessionThe 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 WilliamsModerator: 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 HarrisModerator: Chris CoblerThis 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 RodriguezModerator: Shannon NajmabadiThis 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 WoodleyModerator: Kate McGeeThis 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 VanDeaverModerator: Aliyya SwabyThis 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 WhiteModerator: Ross RamseyThis 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 McGeeThis 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 McGeeThis 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 McGeeThis session is supported by The University of Arizona.

College and university faculty are feeling burned out by the extra demands of planning and preparing courses for online — and sometimes in-person or hybrid — courses. Texas State University professor Janet Bezner and UT-El Paso professor Guillermina Gina Núñez-Mchiri spoke with Texas Tribune higher education reporter Kate McGee about how they’re balancing rigor with flexibility and compassion for students struggling to stay in school during the pandemic. They discussed food and housing insecurity among their students, some of whom can’t make it to class because they are working while attending school.Both professors expressed relief that their respective universities provided flexibility to most faculty, allowing them to choose whether they wanted to teach in person or remotely this fall. Bezner is teaching a hybrid class where her students are split into groups that attend once a week in person. There are still unknowns, including how well students will perform this semester, whether first-generation college students will feel supported enough to continue and whether faculty have the endurance to continue in this current environment. — Kate McGeeThis session is supported by Texas State University System.

Former United States Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and Drexell Owusu of the Dallas Regional Chamber see the pandemic as a moment to correct a long-standing disconnect that prevents higher education institutions from preparing students for actual labor market needs.They spoke to Texas Tribune energy and economy reporter Mitchell Ferman about how to better include employers in developing applicable curriculum.They also discussed how schools need to convince those without a degree or credential who became unemployed during the pandemic that college is a viable path forward for them. As Texans adjust to a new reality, Spellings and Owusu agree it’ll take everyone from employers and professors to the Texas Legislature and the federal government to make sure access to higher education isn’t interrupted, and students are actually prepared for the jobs employers need filled. — Kate McGeeThis session is supported by Texas State Technical College, Texas State University System, Bank of America, Trellis Foundation and Texas Association of Community Colleges.

The academic shift online across colleges and universities was swift and often chaotic last spring. Sharra Hynes, associate vice president and dean of students at Baylor University, and Wil Del Pilar, vice president of higher education at The Education Trust, shared with Texas Tribune higher education reporter Kate McGee that the response, communication and support for students since then has varied from institution to institution. Often, the neediest students attend schools with the fewest resources, exacerbating existing inequities between student groups. Del Pilar encouraged the state and federal government to set aside more funding to assist those schools.Both experts said they worry most about the students they don’t hear from who may be struggling silently during the pandemic. Hynes pointed out that low-income and first-generation college students who need extra support often don’t know what resources are available to them. Despite these resources, many low income students are opting to push off higher education, which is concerning because statistically it’s unlikely they will return to the classroom, the experts said. They believe the pandemic presents opportunities to create more flexibility for online and hybrid course options, which can increase access to higher education for low-income and non-traditional students. — Kate McGeeThis session is supported by The University of Arizona.

Before the pandemic hit, some lawmakers were positioning the 2021 legislative session to be a “higher education session,” with big plans to overhaul funding for colleges and universities. COVID-19 has pushed some of those conversations to the side. But Texas Higher Education Commissioner Harrison Keller and House Higher Education Committee chairman Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, told Texas Tribune Executive Editor Ross Ramsey that higher education needs to remain a priority next session.In this conversation, Keller argued research institutions and university health centers haven’t gotten the recognition they deserve for their pandemic response. He said they’ll continue to need funding, as will community colleges and regional public universities that will help unemployed Texans learn new skills and reenter the workforce. Both Turner and Keller insist more investment in higher education will help Texas’ economy recover from the pandemic. As Texas works toward a goal of ensuring 60% of 25- to 34-year-olds have some kind of degree or credential by 2030, Keller said the state must also consider how it's helping older Texans who need access to training and development. — Kate McGeeThis session is supported by Texas State University System, Texas Association of Community Colleges, TEXAS 2036, Raise Your Hand Texas, Educate Texas and Philanthropy Advocates.

Texas Association of Community Colleges CEO Jacob Fraire and Prairie View A&M President Ruth Simmons lay out what is at stake for Texas if the most vulnerable students attending college are unable to stay on track to graduate because of the pandemic. In short, Simmons says, it's everything. The two leaders spoke with Sara Hebel, co-founder and executive editor of Open Campus, about the changes they’ve made to help struggling students stay in school, from more emergency aid and deadline extensions to mental health counseling and extra communication. And still, Texas community colleges experienced a nearly 10% decline in students this fall compared to last year.They emphasized that strong state leadership is crucial and that lawmakers need to encourage higher education and workforce leaders to work together to make sure a generation of Texans do not fall behind. They suggested improving broadband access and stressed the importance of allowing vulnerable students to remain on campus to take advantage of support they may not have access to at home. Simmons and Fraire expressed worry that the pandemic could wipe out progress the state has made to improve the outcomes of low income students without continued support for higher education from the state. — Kate McGeeThis session is supported by Bank of America, Trellis Foundation, Philanthropy Advocates and Educate Texas. Media support is provided by Open Campus.Catch up on education news with our weekly newsletter

COVID-19 cases have stabilized for now at Texas Tech University and Texas State University and respective chancellors Dr. Tedd Mitchell and Brian McCall are breathing a sigh of relief. Mitchell, a medical doctor, contracted the virus himself in early October and experienced mild symptoms. Now, the two leaders are thinking about the challenges that lie ahead during the spring semester.The chancellors spoke to Matthew Watkins, the Texas Tribune’s managing editor for news and politics, about tough choices they’ve been forced to make to manage increased costs associated with the pandemic without traditional revenue streams like room and board.Mitchell said higher education was already heading toward more online offerings, but the pandemic sped up that process. Both chancellors agreed there are benefits to improving and expanding online courses, even though the in-person experience is lost. But both also said students who need access to higher education the most could be left behind without improvements to statewide broadband service. That’s just one of a few points they’re preparing to make to lawmakers next legislative session as they make plans to argue why higher education should be prioritized during a session in which money will be tight. — Kate McGeeThis session is supported by The University of Arizona, TEXAS 2036 and McCombs School of Business-University of Texas.

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 [email protected] or tweet us using the hashtag #AskTrib.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, joined Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith on Wednesday to discuss the recent surge of coronavirus cases in Texas, the federal and state response to the growing outbreak, and what it means for Texans and for the Texas economy.Joaquin Castro serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Education and Labor Committee. He is chair of the Texas Democratic Caucus. Previously, he served for 10 years in the Texas Legislature.Julián Castro served as U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017 and as mayor of San Antonio from 2009 to 2014. He was a Democratic candidate for U.S. president in 2020 and recently endorsed his former opponent Joe Biden.

With just days left to campaign for Tuesday's U.S. Senate Democratic primary runoff, State Sen. Royce West said Friday during a Texas Tribune event that he is confident that he will win and become a unifying force during such a divisive time in the state and the country.West, of Dallas, who became Texas’ first Black chief felony prosecutor when he worked at the Dallas County District Attorney’s office, is competing against MJ Hegar, a retired Air Force pilot.Although Hegar's campaign has greatly outpaced West’s in terms of spending, West says he's leaning on other tools, like social media, and is getting support from Democratic elected officials in Texas. He has represented Senate District 23 since 1993. In the 2019 legislative session, he served as vice chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee and sat on the Education, Finance and Transportation committees. He announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in July 2019.The two are vying to take on U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a three-term Republican, in November.In March, West narrowly grabbed the second-highest vote total in the 12-way primary election, sending him to a runoff election against Hegar. She has the backing of national Democrats, while West has been endorsed by the majority of his Democratic colleagues in the Legislature.Patrick Svitek, the Tribune’s senior political reporter, sat down Friday for a virtual conversation with West on his campaign, the way it has been affected by current national events, and how he plans to secure Republican voters.

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 2022Rodriguez 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.”

Join The Texas Tribune at noon May 1 for an interview with U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, conducted by the Tribune’s Washington bureau chief, Abby Livingston.Garcia will be answering questions about how the federal government is responding to the coronavirus outbreak across the nation. We’ll be discussing how Texans can expect to feel the effects of the U.S. government’s recently passed coronavirus package, what additional support the federal government is expecting to pass, how the pandemic is impacting the execution of the U.S. census and more.

Texas Tribune multimedia reporter Alana Rocha sat down with J.B. Milliken, the chancellor of the University of Texas system, for a live discussion on how the UT System is responding to the coronavirus pandemic, the system’s rapid pivot to online instruction and how its medical schools and facilities are bracing to serve COVID-19 patients.

Texas Tribune health care reporter Edgar Walters and Andy Slavitt, the former acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under President Barack Obama, for a discussion on the effect that the coronavirus outbreak is having nationally on the economy, the health care system and public policy.

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 higher education reporter Shannon Najmabadi sat down with Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp for a discussion on how the novel coronavirus outbreak in Texas has impacted higher education institutions and the students they serve.

Texas Tribune executive editor Ross Ramsey sat down with Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar for a discussion on how the novel coronavirus outbreak in Texas has impacted the state’s economy and workforce.

Texas Tribune demographics reporter Alexa Ura sat down with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo for a discussion on the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak on one of the state’s largest counties and how her office has responded.

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.