Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, April 5, 2022.
Dan Patrick is calling for a ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law, reviews to tenure and school libraries and more
Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill has drawn nationwide attention and controversy. It prohibits teachers from discussing sexual orientation through the third grade. Now Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says the state needs its own version of the law – and it will be a priority when the Texas Senate gavels in next year. To discuss this and other interim charges from Patrick, we’re joined by Cayla Harris, Hearst Newspapers Austin bureau reporter.
What a painful, prolonged labor dispute at a Beaumont refinery means for union organizing
For more than 10 months, Exxon Mobil locked workers out of a refinery in Beaumont. The lockout was over a contract dispute between the company and the United Steelworkers Union, which represents refinery workers. It was one of the most hard-fought labor disputes in recent memory. It almost broke the union itself, and questions remain about the future of organized labor at the refinery. Justin Miller, politics and government reporter for the Texas Observer, joins us with the story.
Don’t expect traffic problems around Austin’s Circuit of the Americas to be fixed anytime soon
Diana Ross is performing at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas Saturday night. A lot of people going to hear her sing might be wondering about the traffic. A Rolling Stones concert there last year turned into a traffic apocalypse, kicking off a renewed effort to improve mobility around the venue. But as KUT’s Nathan Bernier reports, big change could take years.
National Butterfly Center reopens its doors
Back in early February, the National Butterfly Center in South Texas shuttered its doors, citing threats and harassment from right-wing extremists and conspiracy theorists. Now the center, located near the border, has plans to reopen in mid to late April. Carolina Cuellar with Texas Public radio has more.
The latest on Russia’s attack against Ukraine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been painful for everyday Ukranian from the beginning. Now there’s evidence that Russian forces killed hundreds of civilians in the Kyiv suburbs as they withdrew from the area. How will NATO respond? For answers to this and others questions about the conflict we turn to Jeremi Suri, distinguished professor in history and the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin
Stevie Ray Vaughan is a blues icon. Now a Texas university has many of his artifacts.
Stevie Ray Vaughan was a guitar legend with an unmistakable sound. Now, some of the most important artifacts of Vaughan’s life and career have been acquired by the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, ranging from clothing to music to song lyrics. Hector Saldana, music curator at the Wittliff, joins us with an overview.
Should Texas Democrats expect a midterm beating?
With President Biden’s approval rating down and Republican control in Texas undiminished, are the 2022 midterms a lost cause for Texas Democrats? It’s a question Gromer Jeffers, political writer for The Dallas Morning News, is posing in his latest analysis. He joins us today.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
