Y'all-itics WFAA

They’re Governor Greg Abbott’s biggest priorities: border security and school vouchers. But a new poll by the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation (THPF) makes it clear that while Abbott, and Republicans, are winning big with one, the other issue is a major political loser. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons hit a patio with THPF CEO and former Republican state Representative Jason Villalba, who explains why he thinks the Governor is so hell-bent to move forward with an issue a clear majority of Texans oppose.



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Jason Villalba, CEO/Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation

He does not do a lot of interviews. State Rep. Glenn Rogers, a conservative Texas Republican, lost his re-election last month after a pricey misinformation campaign against him. Despite a very conservative voting record, Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz, and billionaire backers campaigned against him because Rogers opposes school vouchers. So, is there still a place for him in the Texas GOP? Is Rogers responsible for enabling any of it? Will he vote for Cruz in November? In this episode of Y’all-itics, Rogers reveals the new priority he’s focusing on now.



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State Rep. Glenn Rogers, R-Graford

Talk of secession has gotten a little louder these days, amplified by the so-called “Take Texas Back” pledge. The site devoted to the pledge boasts that dozens of Republican candidates and officeholders have signed up, promising to support legislation that would push Texas to leave the United States under certain conditions. This has all been talked about before. So, is this time different? And how do we know when chatter about secession is something to take more seriously? The Jasons called Dr. Eric McDaniel, a government professor at the University of Texas at Austin, to learn more about the movement and what might happen if it were to succeed.

Guest
Eric McDaniel, University of Texas at Austin

Ken Paxton is on a winning streak: acquitted in his Senate impeachment trial, successfully defeating some fellow Republicans on Super Tuesday, and most recently Paxton got the criminal charges against him finally dropped after nine years. So, is Ken Paxton the most powerful Republican in Texas? One of the state’s top Democrats – who tried to take the AG’s job – says Paxton absolutely is. Why then would Joe Jaworski, a Houston attorney and the grandson of Leon Jaworski, the famous prosecutor in the 1973 Watergate scandal, be considering running for this position again in 2026? And if Ken Paxton is unstoppable, Jaworski explains what that means not only for his party, but also for Texas Republicans.

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Joe Jaworski, Houston Attorney

Ever since settling the criminal case against Attorney General Ken Paxton, special prosecutor Brian Wice told us he has been excoriated by people who think it was a bad move. So why did he do it? And why won’t specifics of the deal be made public? We had lots of questions after this bombshell news broke. Wice made the decision and he took our call from his Houston office in this special episode of Y’all-itics.

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Brian Wice / Special Prosecutor in Paxton case