From your times, I'm likeable borrow this. Isn't it today, the population of Texas is becoming less and less white endless republican by the day. So why have Texas lawmakers Justin, on the most ultra conservative legislative session in modern memory

Tat. Only ask our colleagues many Fernandez, it's Thursday June. Third, many tell me what happened at the Texas Say capital over the weekend, so it was a wild began and Austin. You had the approach of the end of the wedge. We'd obsession at the Texas legislator and, up until this point came running, I had the Texas Republicans who control the legislature bill after bill after bill giving out about three hours. Thirteen conservative legislation. What do you want eyes and ten days bills body best like a rigorous president? Thank you centres,

mostly steam rolling over the Texas Democrats, who are the minority party and just hours before that twenty twenty one legislative session is officially over the Texas. How starts debating the controversial, send a bill said, the bill would restrict, devoting hours and drive a boating would not be allowed, and the Democrats, basically you set up the patched- is planned to walk out to literally walk out of the building, so no votes could be taken I feel that was sort of last straw for Democrats spend a democratic say. This is a border suppression and targets minorities, and that bill would restrict voting stay wide in Texas. It's a straight up. Assault on voting, text messages went out among the democratically makers? It said: leave the building,

take your keys, don't come back and many lawmakers did it. They left. The corn is apparently not present for securing move faster than ten a m tomorrow, dejection juniors nuns order they broke quorum, which basically means that they are enough law makers in the room to make a vote at a basically success. We killed that voting restriction bill, so they effectively shut down the entire legislative session. Yes, that's exactly what they did and the thing is. It was really the only thing they could do, because the levers of power and taxes are so firmly held by Republicans. The Democrats basically have no other options

So many help me understand the context here. What led up to this moment in the Texas Legislature, choices to understand this moment. You really to understand their taxes? Wasn't always like this. contrary to the stereotype of Texas Texas was actually a fairly moderate state from the nineteen ease. Ninety nine, these all the way up through the beginning that the two thousands are concerned The Democrats and my Republicans, who worked together all that. And there was a little bit more of the balance of power in the legislature, and actually, not until the Obama years. The Texas really begins to change dramatically. So what happens during the Obama years so to revamp, gets elected, there's a huge sorted.

Groundswell of conservative momentum in Texas and across the country, and its really, this reaction to Obama himself, to his progressive agenda, and then you have the tea party. Nationally and in Texas and there's this rise of these new politicians. with extremely conservative views on everything from abortion, decisive governing two guns, in Texas is really ground: zero for this movement. That Bush era: Chamber of Commerce, establishment, republican and to be pushed out by this new type of right wing politician and Texas becomes this sort of right wing foil

the federal government that is largely controlled by Democrat right? I think I remember Texas suing the Obama administration a lot in this period. Yes, absolutely Gregg Abbot was the attorney. General at the time. Thank you also very very much. It is great to be it the largest Republican Stay convention on planet earth. He famously was on a stage at the Texas Republican convention. Rosa people ask what exactly does the taxes attorney general do so my jobs, pretty simple, and he said that his entire job I go into the office. I see the federal government, just about suing Obama, and then I got it so that's Texas when it comes to national politics, but what's happening

during this time in the state legislature, situations a little different and the Texas Legislature basically and the legislature the time you have some far right law Acres, but you also have a lot of moderate republican law makers who are from this school of let's compromise and words. Out of the culture worse kind of approached her republican politics, Those moderates are still very much in charge of a lot of aspects of the legislature and in Texas, when you say moderate Republican, many people will think Joe Strauss, whose Jos Droughts, Joe Strauss of San Antonio, emerged from near obscurity to become the seventy fifth speed: of the Texas House. Josef Strauss was a San Antonio Republican.

Was a long time, speaker, the Texas House and Joe Strauss From the Bush school of taxes, politics, what most people know is that he hails from storied clan with deep ties to the business wing of the Republican Party. That he himself is thought to be an idiot nickel. Moderate that sort of carries this through the mantle of always been concerned about, like the real, pragmatic stuff. What I do reject, though, is this intense negative campaigning over wedge issues. I'm I'm a pass the budget and go home, conservative in very short, of a cool headed politician

He starts battling with the more far right forces in the legislature, but there are specific issues on which people in your party have looked at you and say: well, I'm not sure he's one of us and in the run up to your becoming speaker, some quarters of the further right wing of the Republican Party attacked you over abortion. They attacked you over gambling, they attack you over and ill. He was a very effective politician to slow star, ignore or kill bills that he thought were just too far right and we're just nine where Texas was headed and so he and his allies really exercise this power over and over, even as the state legislature is. Getting more more conservative throughout the Obama years and even into the Trump administration. What's an example of that.

so probably the best example I can give. You was in twenty seventeen to remember a few years back where a lot of the red states were passing these bathroom bills to legislate where transgender people can and cannot. Go to the bathroom right? This took off and North Carolina, and then it took off in taxes and taxes tried to pass a bath bill and Joe Strauss started was a terrible idea. He thought that it would shine this sort of spotlight on taxes. He thought it Businesses would back away from doing

thus in Texas because of this bill, as as has happened in North Carolina right, exactly as it is, as has happened in North Carolina to walk with our eyes wide open and do a situation that North Carolina lead on, I think, being the second state after them or the first day after them. I think would be a tremendous mistake and he sort of carefully fought it, not just my opinion and the opinion of thousands of businesses who are those job creators, locking that sort of tightrope between not being too extreme not being to moderate, but he basically effectively killed the bathroom bill in Texas. So it sounds like even after Trump is elected. You have these kind of hard right conservatives who were trying to get their agenda through. There are still these Bonner Republicans trying to maintain their control.

By doing what they always did being moderate and they did that because they thought that was what was best for the Republican Party in the state is absolutely right and they did their best to hold on by it doesnt last much longer point Strauss's innovation a war with his own house and with members of his party the more more moderates been voted out after each election and Strauss shorter Seize the writing on the wall. It allows for will be felt for years to come. Five term speaker Jos, Draw says he will not run for reelection estate representative next year from Antonio Gan laid twenty seventeen this he announces that he'll stepped down before the twenty nineteen session from now on far right Republicans what More sway, its virtually the end

any sort of moderate strain of republicanism in Texas, as one professor put it. The political centre of the state collapsed today well That sounds like a real end of an era. It is so many what happens next happens. Next is the plot Dickens friends the cereals for signals behind because a guy named better work decides to challenge tat crews for his Senate, see I'm running to represent the great stated taxes. In the: U S: Senate, Missis twenty eighty, that our work is in El Paso, democratic congressmen and cancer.

embarking on this campaign where he drives around every county in Texas travelled to two hundred and twenty six of the two hundred and fifty four counties He just starts firing up Democrats better overall, he's a guy. We Guzman Bento heads tonight and he got people excited as in like there was real rockstar status for him I did some idea and it was a little bit of his personnel He is a little bit of his charisma, he's kind, peel to abide in different people for a lot of reasons among the Democrats and all of this, is coming at a crucial time. In Texas history, when

the demographics of taxes are shifting and its changing the politics of Texas. Something else is happening, and we ve been talking about this for several years, and that is the demographic in Texas, were seeing many many more voters show up. Many of them are younger. Under thirty five men, whom of Color and Texas, is becoming more diverse. The Democrats see that they know it and they're, trying to figure out a way to bottle that and a bottle that into electoral, trees, so how did the races in twenty eighteen play out in high profile, Texas celebrates Incumbent Republican TED crews, narrowly defeated his democratic opponent? preventative, better Rourke, so better comes close, but he does not win TED crews.

men's by an electoral hair, roughly two hundred thousand votes in a state wide sat race. So that's basically just a couple of percentage points rate. Absolutely. Yes, it's fifty one. Forty eight It's usually does not get that close, something that is close and then meanwhile an affect happens. So it seems the tall a blue wave fell short in Texas, at least in the: U S: Senate and central taxes. U S! House districts, but the Democrats did have a blue tide of sorts and people call a different names, but you could call it the better effect. It was a free decision, two thousand a teen Lynne for african american women and Harris County for the first time. Seventeen african American, men who are running for Judge ships one and that is that so many new voters. How many voters of color are going to the polls that they're changing the downtown races

and the democratic now whinnying these down bout races, and that starts to change the dynamics in taxes. So many we have better losing, but not by much, and we have all of these democrats winning some of these down ballot. Races were the political, vibrations here. So, despite losing the TED crews, the democratic, pretty excited and That election just seem sort of open up all these new possibilities for democratic gains in Texas that they didn't even think was possible in the past, and they start looking to the twenty twenty election and Republicans. Meanwhile, I worried and their very nervous and they meetly go on the defensive and that's it. art of why the twenty nineteen legislative session ends up being very pragmatic reasons.

quiet session almost ass, because the Republicans avoid the cultural or stuff they might rile up the democratic. ES I held the twenty twenty election and what happens in that election so in the build up to the election Democrats, who are hoping to flip nine seats. They have very targeted campaign if they flip those nine seeds they can take over the Texas House, but on election night they completely fail There are unable to flip any of the nine seats they took their and they missed, and The Republicans are invigorated, the Republicans her saying the blue wave, his affection, The blue line of taxes, the purport of taxes is amiss and there's a lot of gloating and at the same time,

The Texas republican law makers and the legislator are basically saying no more. Been worried about tour of walk. A name about what he nodded. the crowds may or may not do. Let's half an hour a conservative session. Let's past billows. If we want to pass So in a way it's like too thousand any all over again because you have in taking the White House and tax This is returning to this to this playbook playbook of yet again being the conservative antidote to the Democratic White House, but there's something different and the things it different. Is that those moderate republican guard rails are gone

there are no more Jos trousers to kill far right bills, and it's the removal of those guard rails that really can have set up this legislative session that we just seen we'll be right back. The following message is brought you by Charles Schwab. The distance between Washington in Wall Street did shorter all the time from the government's response to the corona virus pandemic to the upcoming elections. The policies in politics coming out of Washington are sure to impact markets MIKE

hounds in Schwab's. Vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs hosts the original podcast Washington, wise investor, where he takes a non partisan, look at the stories that matter most to investors, listeners Schwab, dot, com, Slash Washington, wise or wherever you get your podcast. So many the guard rails are gone. What does the Texas Legislature actually passed this session? The legislature passes a bunch of bills, lawmakers unnoticed in passing how spill nineteen twenty seven allowing any. Twenty one or not to buy a handgun no license need They pass a bill that basically cream. one of the countries most restrictive abortion measures starting September? First abortions will be banned, was a fatal hard mean is dead

Did it basically bands abortion? After six weeks of pregnancy, they possibility pie cities, they try to define their police department, considering how his bill thirty, nine. Seventy nine discourages educators from discussing current events and limits their discussions, around race in satin steeply, pass a bill to limit how racism can be taught in classrooms, educators concerned about having to keep tidies politics out of their history, curriculum and, of course, the legislature was set to pass a bill that what is change Texas election rules. It would have limited forty hours, restricted, vote by mail and would have given more power to partisan Paula

but of course tat was the bill that Democrats walked out on and prevented it from passing. So what happens that bill now? That bill was a priority for Governor Gregg Abbot and The Democrats victorious governor Abbot said: I'm gonna call everyone back to Austin and Morgan. Have a special session and that elections there will be on the agenda, we're gonna have ado over and the law makers you're coming back and so the democratic

to think of some new strategies if they want to kill this bill again, many what's zoom out a little bit. So I'm thinking about Texas is changing demographics, and you know I understand that basically, politics and political races at the end of the day you either win or you lose right, so the Democrats did lose, but isn't the bigger picture here that the demographics are changing and though the Democrats are losing their losing by smaller margins. So why would Republicans really double down on this street?

gee that kind of flies. In the face of that. I think you just gotta goes back to this notion that they want to craft their own taxes and no Magua furs, new strategies- are you gonna do they believe that they can more taxes the way they want you, despite any changing demographics. so I think a lie. This has to do with primary elections in Texas in republican politics in Texas, the I'm areas where the action is an republican lawmaker wants an upstart grass roots fired up far right. Conservative. The challenge for their sea in the Texas House or in the text. The Senate, and so these lawmakers come into the session, Why did you make sure that their scoring points with the people who vote and the republican primaries

These are the voters, did go to the candid forms they go to the debates. They watched the debates they show up at the campaign. Events They have the yard signs, These are you're fired up. Texas, conservatives and They drive a lot of the action in Texas Roebuck in politics I mean it strikes me that it's really a response to a large part of the republican base that never really bought what the Joe Strauss's at the world either the Chamber of Commerce. Republicans those kind of fiscal conservatives were selling and for now least Republicans in a state can win by appealing to them has exactly at the may win by appealing to them and the republican lawmakers told us they feel like they were given a man

and the mandate is the democratic right of the house. The voters are no thank you, and that is their mandate. One republic allow major said: elections have consequences, and in his eyes this was a consequence of the Democrats. failing to flip the Texas House. They believe that they are doing what the voters want them to do. So many hearing all of this, the thing I really want to know is what is what's happening in Texas mean about where we are in american politics knew it tells us a couple of eggs and taxes is about the present versus the future. Republicans have their hands are the levers of power and his long. they're holding onto it They use it and the present and they're not worried about what may or may not happen in the future

What blue wave may or may not be coming years down the road they their hands on the levers of power in the present, and so far you know, has been working for them and also you know, don't forget: Texas Legislative politics may seem small, but it reverberate. It's far beyond Texas is borders just because of the sheer size of taxes because of its in Congress because of its enormous economy those small texas republican turf battles, reverberate around the country, and also to broaden it out a little bit this session. That we're talking about is a window into You know this sort of partisan warfare that is happening

it stayed houses around the country. You ve got purified parties. fewer moderates. Entropy these wars. Extreme is mainstreaming and I think taxes sort of symbolic of this

strange moment that were in an american politics re now many. Thank you very much. Thank you I'll, be right back, don't miss the new peacock original documentary events. Epstein shadow glean Maxwell. This chilling three. Our series investigates the powerful connected and mysterious Maxwell once areas to the Maxwell fortune. Her life took a sordid turn when she met cereal sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. This gripping documentary explores the com

hated story that eventually led to Maxwell's high profile arrest, get up to speed with the details of our case before her upcoming trial, every episode of Epstein shadow glean Maxwell is streaming now only on Peacock sign up at Peacock tv dot com, huge. What else you need? Ten! Thirty on Wednesday political parties opposed to Israel, Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu released new details about their plan to try to oust men young.

In the coming days, under the agreement, a new coalition government would be led for the next two years. By enough told you done it, a former Netanyahu ally who is considered even more right wing and then Yahoo himself, Israel, parliament must still approved the new coalition. Something Netanyahu is lobbying furiously to prevent and former president Trump has shut down. His largest online presents a personal blog, a Trump associate told the times that he closed the site called from the desk. Donald J Trump after becoming frustrated by low traffic tromp remains barred from using the internet largest social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter. Over here

ro in the January sixth riot at the? U S: capital cities, episode was produced by Luke, Vanderbilt asked the child or Diana Win, Leslie Davis and robs it go. It was edited by deep shop engineered by Chris Wood and contains original music by Dan Power and Marion Lozano

that's for the date unworkable by sea along this path. Guest is supported by comments shop, thousands of Carmack certified quality vehicles at car, max dot com and by a mind from the comfort of home, then take a full month and up to fifteen hundred miles to love it or return, it learn more at car max dot com.