Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, Dec. 19, 2022:
New poll shows Texans skeptical of state government
In the interim between November’s statewide elections and January’s session of the Texas Legislature, Texans are increasingly skeptical of their state government, according to a new poll from the Texas Politics Project at UT-Austin. Director Jim Henson shares his findings.
Aaron Dean verdict draws mixed reactions
Former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean has been convicted of manslaughter – not murder – for the killing of Atatiana Jefferson. Dean is white, and Jefferson was Black. As KERA’s Miranda Suarez reports, the conviction on a lesser charge left some at the courthouse Thursday wondering about the limits of justice:
Texas volleyball wins national championship
The Longhorns won this year’s NCAA volleyball championship – their first national title since 2012, and the third in the school’s history – on Saturday with a 3-0 sweep of the Louisville Cardinals:
Black houses are so hot right now. But are they hotter?
Austin’s East side has undergone large transformations over the years. Many older bungalows and ranch-style homes are being torn down and replaced with boxy, modern-looking places. But one East Austinite noticed another trend, and his question prompted KUT’s Matt Largey to do a bit of house hunting.
Why is Texas’ attorney general trying to compile a list of transgender Texans?
In June, the Texas Attorney General’s Office requested a list of everyone who had changed the gender on their driver’s license over the past two years. The Department of Public Safety says the request went unfilled. But some people are concerned that drawing up such a list could lead to a state-sponsored assault on the rights of transgender Texans. Molly Hennessy-Fiske, a Texas-based reporter for the Washington Post, shares the story.
These bills have little chance of ever being passed. So why do lawmakers file them?
Bill filing is underway for the next Texas Legislature. One bill would dissolve the Austin City Council and have it governed by the state. Another would prevent further abortion restrictions – but it requires Republican lawmakers’ approval to even be sent to voters. Odds of either passing are highly unlikely – so why file such proposals in the first place? Jim Arnold, lobbyist and Austin Community College government professor, offers some insight.
Will school vouchers get a passing grade at the Legislature?
School vouchers have been on some Texas conservatives’ agenda for decades; each time, Democrats and rural Republicans, concerned about a drain on school resources, have blocked their passage. But Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to push for them again in January. We’ll talk to Jaime Puente with progressive advocacy group Every Texan about vouchers’ prospects this session.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
