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Blogs: Public Education

Second Reading Podcast: A #Txlege Vibe Check Ahead of a Busy Weekend at the Texas Capitol

May 23, 2025 | By:

James Henson and Joshua Blank talk about the progress made on major legislation this week and where the legislative leadership stands as the end of the regular session looms.

criminal justice, Marijuana, Public Education, state budget, Texas Legislature

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Second Reading Podcast: Public Opinion and the Big Unresolved Issues Pending in the Texas Legislature

May 15, 2025 | By: James Henson

James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the big issues still pending in the Texas Legislature, including property taxes, education funding, water, the budget, bail, THC products, and more as deadline pressures suffocate House bills. Also: #txlege theme songs.

89th Legislature, Abortion, Advertisement, Marijuana, Property Tax, Public Education, Vouchers

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Latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll: Economic Uncertainty Hurts Trump Ratings in Texas, Looms Over the Legislature

May 06, 2025 | By: Joshua Blank, James Henson

After a brief post-election honeymoon in Texas, President Donald J. Trump’s job approval ratings have fallen back to levels found during his first term in office, as Texans’ widespread economic concerns persist amidst the President’s ongoing trade war, according to a new University of Texas / Texas Politics project Poll. With 47% of Texas voters approving of the job he is doing as President and 46% disapproving, Trump barely remains in net-positive territory in Texas, though.

2026 election, 89th Legislature, Abortion, criminal justice, Gambling, Marijuana, Property Tax, Public Education, Religion, Texas Economy, Texas House of Representatives, Texas Senate, The economy, Vouchers

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If at first you don’t succeed…ESA’s are back in the House

April 15, 2025 | By: Joshua Blank, James Henson

The basic configuration of public opinion before, during, and now in the wake of millions spent on advocacy and campaigning has been fairly apparent in University of Texas/Texas Politics Project polling over the last few years.

89th Legislature, Public Education, Vouchers

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Texans Divided on GOP Legislative Priorities, Remain Concerned about Prices in New University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll

March 05, 2025 | By: Joshua Blank, Jim Henson

A new University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll finds Texas voters broadly aligned with the overall agenda outlined by the governor, legislative leaders, and lawmakers, though there are stark, if familiar, differences between Republicans and Democrats over which issues lawmakers should prioritize in the ongoing legislative session.

89th Legislature, Border Security, Budget and Taxes, Discrimination, Immigration, Property Tax, Public Education, The economy, Vouchers

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Second Reading Podcast: A conversation with Greg Cox about producing a daily Texas politics newsletter & the state of play in the #TxLege

February 27, 2025 | By: Texas Politics Project

James Henson talks with Greg Cox about his recently launched Texas politics newsletter, and the state of play in the legislature, where he finds people generally getting along better after the heated 2023-2024 sequence in Texas.

Media, Public Education, Texas Legislature

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Second Reading Podcast: Texas Public Opinion and Gov. Abbott's Emergency Items

February 06, 2025 | By: Jim Henson and Joshua Blank

Jim Henson and Joshua Blank talk over the public opinion context of Gov. Abbott's emergency items.

89th Legislature, criminal justice, Discrimination, Property Tax, Public Education, Vouchers

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Second Reading Podcast: Texas Public Opinion as the #Txlege Agenda Develops

January 30, 2025 | By: Jim Henson and Joshua Blank

James Henson & Joshua Blank look at baseline attitudes on likely agenda items in the run-up to Gov. Abbott's State of the State address and Lt. Gov. Patrick's declaration of Senate priorities.

89th Legislature, Border Security, Healthcare, Marijuana, Public Education

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Despite the record of the 88th Legislature, GOP legislators have trouble displaying enough of the Right Stuff to fend off widespread challenges to incumbents.

January 12, 2024 | By: Jim Henson, Joshua Blank

The last two legislative sessions saw Texas Republicans successfully championing new laws that gained national attention for testing the boundaries of Constitutionality and public acceptance. From Texas’ de facto ban on abortion, with its creation of a civil bounty-hunting enforcement mechanism, to the assertion of state authority over border and immigration enforcement, the Republican-led legislature and leading statewide elected officials have invested an enormous amount of political capital in implementing measures expected to appeal strongly to the most conservative corners of the Texas GOP. Yet public opinion polling and the emerging dynamics of the 2024 GOP primary suggest that for Republican legislative incumbents, the threshold for demonstrating that you have the right stuff to avoid being challenged from the right in this year’s heated primary is at best a moving target.

2024 election, Public Education, Republican Primary

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Second Reading Podcast: Public opinion and 2024 primary politics in Texas

January 09, 2024 | By: Texas Politics Project

In the first Second Reading Podcast of 2024, Jim Henson and Joshua Blank look at how voters' assessments of the extended 2023 session provide part of the context of the 2024 Republican primary in Texas.

Border Security, Infrastructure, Public Education, Vouchers

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