School choice, gender identity, and online sports betting: TWITP

AUSTIN, Texas - There was a lot of money talk in This Week in Texas Politics from the classroom all the way to the border.

FOX 7 Austin's chief political reporter Rudy Koski and our panel of analysts take a look at the top stories in Texas politics from this week.

A longer discussion can be found on the FOX 7 YouTube page.

Texas headlines

What they're saying:

RUDY KOSKI: So, let's get the headlines from our panel, and we'll start with political analyst Karina Kling. Karina, what's your headline for the week?

KARINA KLING: Governor Abbott lays out his conservative agenda.

RUDY KOSKI: Brian Smith with Saint Edward's University, your headline.

BRIAN SMITH: Vouchers pass the Senate, but obstacles remain.

RUDY KOSKI: Business analyst Annie Spilman, your headline for the week.

ANNIE SPILMAN: Texas House Speaker Burrows discusses water, school choice and small business priorities.

Gov. Abbott's State of the State

Local perspective:

RUDY KOSKI: The governor kicked off the week with his State of the State address. He unpacked a lot of issues during that speech. Karina, what caught your attention in that speech?

KARINA KLING: I think his overall appeal really appears to both factions of the Republican Party. And as well as a bipartisan approach with the property tax relief, Texans are really clamoring for more of that.

BRIAN SMITH: I didn't see a lot that really caught my eye. It was what we knew was coming. It was part of his electoral agenda. Tax cuts, infrastructure, school choice.

ANNIE SPILMAN: I was elated that the governor made note of his small business priority, mentioning his small Business Freedom Council. That, you know, requires state agencies to slash any unneeded rules and regulations.

Battle of school choice

Local perspective:

RUDY KOSKI: The day after the governor's speech, Texas House Democrats said that they were ready for the coming battle over school choice. It has arrived. Karina, do you think anything in that Senate floor debate was really something that would carry over to the House fight?

KARINA KLING: But I think it will move and probably pretty quickly. I think the big question is then going to be what does it look like compared to the Senate version and what do they come up with.

Online sports betting in Texas

Local perspective:

RUDY KOSKI: Governor Abbott this week somewhat showed his hand on the issue of online sports betting. Talking to FOX 7 and several other outlets about this, saying voters should have the say. So, Annie, what's the buzz about this from the business community?

ANNIE SPILMAN: You know, it estimates that the market could generate $360 million in direct tax revenue for the state and adding 8000 jobs. So, to the business community and to any, you know, anybody that's interested in economic growth. That says a lot.

RUDY KOSKI: You know, there is a real joker in the deck here, Brian. That's the Lieutenant Governor.

BRIAN SMITH: I don't think that anything beyond the hearing is going to happen.

Abbott's trip to Washington D.C.

Local perspective:

RUDY KOSKI: As we mentioned earlier, Governor Abbott was in Washington, D.C. earlier this week at the White House. He attended a ceremony where President Trump signed an order that bans trans athletes from girls’ sports. The day before that happened, we learned Attorney General Ken Paxton was investigating two Dallas area school districts. They are accused of allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports, violating state law. Karina, there are a lot of gender bills that have been filed this session.

KARINA KLING: Advocacy groups for LGBTQ plus Texans, I think they're tracking at least 50. That number has probably gone up, affecting the lives of LGBTQ+ Texans. Some of that legislation could affect them. I looked up a couple. I mean, the bathroom bill is back. That was the fight. Others require government records to reflect that there are only two genders. I also saw legislation that would prevent trans people from amending their birth certificates to reflect their gender identity. So again, I think that, you know, this is going to be another fight this session.

RUDY KOSKI: Greg Abbott went to Washington on Wednesday. No, it's not the old movie. He went to the White House to visit the president, telling the president state resources, including jail cells here in Texas, are available to the feds as they continue to ramp up immigration enforcement. Brian, do you think that this is going to be the beginning of an Operation Lone Star handoff, or are we still dancing with the feds?

BRIAN SMITH: He's pivoting to help the federal government. He would love the government, the Feds to take on some of the costs of Lonestar, but he's not going to give up this signature immigration policy. If he gives up Lone Star, that's an admission of failure.

Rep. Scott Turner confirmed as Sec. of Housing and Urban Development

Local perspective:

RUDY KOSKI: Another Texan is going to the Trump cabinet. Former Texas State Representative Scott Turner was confirmed as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Brian Turner, when he was in Austin, spoke out against welfare programs. Do you think that he's going to be able to really reinvent HUD?

BRIAN SMITH: I think he's going to try. But you can't reform an executive agency overnight.

ANNIE SPILMAN: I worked with Rep. Turner while he served in the Texas House. Good guy. Lots of energy. He's got personal stories of family impacted by homelessness and things like that. And he previously worked in a role in the Trump administration that encouraged public and private investment in urban and economically distressed areas. If anything, no change will be good.

Wrapping up This Week in Texas Politics

Local perspective:

RUDY KOSKI: Let's end it with that and get our one word for the week. And we'll start first with Karina. What's your word for the week?

KARINA KLING: I think we saw a lot of the same policies, legislation. So, I'm going to say, Déjà vu.

BRIAN SMITH: I think things are starting to get busy, so I'm going to say, Escalating.

ANNIE SPILMAN: Karina and I are on the same path here, Groundhog's Day.

RUDY KOSKI: And that is This Week in Texas Politics.

Texas PoliticsGreg AbbottLGBTQEducation