Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, May 22, 2023:
The Texas Legislature enters the home stretch
It’s one week until sine die, when the Texas Legislature adjourns. As he has each week of the session, The Texas Newsroom’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán joins us with an update on where things are.
Will these ‘zombie bills’ rise from the dead?
This session, Texas lawmakers introduced more than 10,000 measures for consideration. At this point, more of those are dead than alive – or are they? The Texas Newsroom’s Aurora Berry explores how dead bills could rise from the grave and shamble into law.
Why the Rio Grande Valley is a transit desert
Amtrak connects Dallas and Austin. Buses run between Houston and San Antonio. But one region of Texas has limited options for public transportation: the Rio Grande Valley. UT-Rio Grande Valley’s Constantine Tarawneh talks to us about why that is.
Voices from Uvalde: Faith Mata
The one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde is this Wednesday. Faith Mata’s little sister Tess was among the 21 killed that day. She told Texas State journalism student Elissa Jorgensen about how everything has changed since that day.
The wild and violent history of Texas whiskey
Craft distilling is all the rage these days, and Texas whiskey makers have earned a reputation for innovative, high-end spirits. But it hasn’t always been this way. “Fires, Floods, Explosions and Bloodshed: A History of Texas Whiskey” traces the tale. Author and Austin-based distiller Andrew Braunberg tells us about his new book.
Do Texas Democrats have Stockholm syndrome?
Democrats have been the minority party in the Texas Legislature for more than two decades. Texas Monthly senior editor Michael Hardy argues their second-tier status is wearing on some members, even causing them to side with Republicans on controversial bills. He joins us today.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
