Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025:
The latest on Democrats’ quorum break
Texas Democrats have left the state to deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass a mid‑decade redistricting plan. GOP leaders, backed by Gov. Greg Abbott, have issued arrest warrants and threatened removal from office.
For more we’re joined by Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins of San Antonio, who is in Chicago with 50 of her Democratic colleagues:
Examining the legality of arrest threats
After Republican lawmakers authorized arrest warrants for absent Democrats, questions are mounting: Can Gov. Greg Abbott actually remove lawmakers for skipping votes? What real authority do state troopers have?
The Texas Newsroom’s Lauren McGaughy joins the Standard with clarity on the legal limits and implications.
$100 million raised for flood relief
More than $100 million has been raised in the month following the deadly 4th of July floods in the Texas Hill Country. Texas Public Radio’s Marian Navarro has the details:
Texas becomes a hub for professional services jobs
A new study shows Texas cities are outpacing decades-long economic hubs in attracting high-skill professional, scientific and technical jobs. With rising infrastructure, global capital and growing talent pools, the state is transforming its economic identity.
Daniel Oney of the Texas Real Estate Research Center joins the Standard with more.
Back-to-school vaccine exemptions rise
As school starts, more parents in Texas are filing vaccine exemption forms – a process simplified by new state law. Health experts warn that the ease of exemptions could have lasting public health implications.
Emily Brindley of the Dallas Morning News joins the Standard with the latest.
This cotton gin has stood for over 100 years. The connected museum tells the cotton story.
The Texas Cotton Gin Museum is a Texas historic landmark that preserves cotton’s past, present and future. We’ll take a visit as part of the Texas Museum Map series.
Remembering Flaco Jiménez
San Antonio native and conjunto legend Flaco Jiménez died last week at the age of 86. Texas Public Radio’s Jack Morgan shares a remembrance:
A century of redistricting fights in Texas
Walkouts over redistricting are nothing new in the Lone Star State. From 2021 and 2003 back to the early 1900s, partisan map battles have defined Texas politics.
University of Texas political scientist Daron Shaw joins the Standard with a historical perspective.
