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- Protesters dressed as characters from "The Handmaid's Tale" chant in the Texas Capitol Rotunda under portraits of former Texas governors George W. Bush and Rick Perry in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, July 18, 2017. State lawmakers begin a special legislative session Republican Gov. Greg Abbott felt compelled to call in order to tackle conservative priorities that stalled previously, chief among them a "bathroom bill" targeting transgender people. (Photo Credit: Eric Gay, AP)
- Texas House Speaker Joe Straus at the state Capitol in April 2017. Straus opposes efforts by other powerful Republicans to pass a 'bathroom bill' that would affect transgender people. (Photo Credit: Martin do Nascimento/KUT)
- Young women dressed as Quinceaneras perform and protest SB4, an anti-"sanctuary cities" bill, at the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas, Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The "sanctuary cities" ban, signed in May, lets police ask people during routine stops whether they're in the U.S. legally. (Photo Credit: Eric Gay, AP)
On this episode of Party Politics: Texas Edition, co-hosts Jay Aiyer and Brandon Rottinghaus break down these tumultuous topics in Texas political news:
- Businesses reply to the “Bathroom Bill”
- Democrats running for governor – who’ll step up to the plate?
- Dawnna Dukes plea deal dies
- Air conditioning in Texas prisons
Then the profs dig deep into – once more with feeling! – this very special session. By the way, don't forget to check out our national episodes of Party Politics, too.
Party Politics is produced by Dacia Clay, Edel Howlin and Laura Lucas. Our audio engineer is Todd Hulslander.
