The Ragged Edge

We took our second-ever road trip to the Texas Beer Co. for an in depth conversation with Texas HD52 State Rep. James Talarico. We talked about the good, the bad and the ugly from the 87th meeting of the Texas Legislature, why redistricting is a bi-partisan issue and the importance of civics education in our public schools.

Our conversation this week is with Denise Rogers, a Central Texas LGBTQ+ activist, about the horrible legislation working through the Texas Legislature. We also discussed what you can do to support this community — even if all you know is that you dislike the way the way some people are treated — and the importance of representation in popular culture. 

We thought it was time to try something a little different — record the podcast in front of a live audience.  Our friends at the Texas Beer Company here in Taylor were game and so was our guest, Jesse Ancira. What you’re about to hear is the entire conversation Jesse and I had about politics, social media and governance. While we talked specifically about Taylor, many of the issues we discussed could apply anywhere. 

My cousin, Jon Stone, returns to the program this week for another look at Texas history. Most every body knows the role that Sam Houston played in Texas history. But, few of us know much about the man who ended Houston’s political career. In the interview, we’ll meet the most important Texan you probably never knew, Oran Milo Roberts. Stay with us guys … this week’s program is a deep dive into Texas history. 

My guest this week is Joe Jaworski. He’s an attorney out of Galveston, that city’s former mayor, who tossed his hat in the ring last fall to run as a Democrat for Texas Attorney General. Joe and I talked about his Grandfather, Leon Jaworski, about the lessons he learned from his brief stint as the Mayor of Galveston and why he thinks the time is right for Texas to soften the laws around recreational marijuana use.

My guest this week is a very dear friend of mine. Lisa Drummond is a nurse practitioner at Lone Star Circle of Care. We talked about the transformations the Covid-19 pandemic has wrought on the way health care is delivered, the new community-based clinic that’s coming to Taylor real soon and … once that happens, how she’ll be able to prescribe carrots? 

My guest this week is State Representative John Bucy. He’s a second-term member of the Texas House from West Williamson County and serves on the House Elections Committee. It’s not surprising that our conversation focused on proposed legislation that attacks ballot access, but we also talked about his other important issues like medicaid expansion, public education and …. will we learn our lesson from the winter storm?

My guest this week is Wayne Carpenter. Wayne’s a friend of mine from my home town of Belton. Right now, he’s the mayor of that community and has served on the city council for about 20 years. He is also a retired educator, school administrator and government teacher. We talked about why our government seems to be broken, possible fixes and why Gus from Lonesome Dove gives some of the best advice.

MY GUEST THIS WEEK IS TIA STONE. SHE’S THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE GREATER TAYLOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE … SHE’S ALSO MY WIFE SO THIS INTERVIEW GOT INTERESTING AT TIMES. WE TALKED ABOUT WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR BUSINESSES TO BELONG TO THEIR CHAMBER, THE EVOLUTION OF TAYLOR’S CHAMBER INTO A MORE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY IMPACT AND …. WHAT’S FOR DINNER. 

Scott Braddock is a veteran journalist with more than two decades experience reporting on Texas politics. He sat in this week to talk about how much bandwidth the state legislature might have in this pandemic-influenced environment, the internal dynamics of the Texas Republican Party and how elected officials work hard to choose their voters, rather than the other way around. It’s a thorough lesson on the Texas Legislature.