Lone Star Deep Dive

Tonya Kleuskens

5.0 (1)
POLITICS

Welcome to Lone Star Deep Dive! We believe that when we take the time to talk to one another, we often find connections that lead to a better understanding of our communities, our state, our nation -- and ourselves. Join us on a journey to explore the intersection of passion, personality and public policy.

09/25/2025

Episode 26: John Umphress

In Episode 26, Tonya Kleuskens talks with John Umphress about the 89th Texas Legislature passing HB14, which allows for $350 million to be used to increase nuclear power in Texas. About $120 million of this funding is earmarked for both Texas Tech University and Abilene Christian University (for research on a molten salt reactor). The bill also establishes the Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office to oversee this support. John Umphress is a life-long resident of Texas with more than four decades of experience in public policy, mostly in the fields of water and energy resources. Prior to his retirement, John spent 14 years at Austin Energy, where he developed the residential energy code for the city of Austin. His goal for the code was to encourage the design and construction of net-zero energy homes. He is currently an apiarist, or beekeeper, running 240 colonies and building a net-zero home in Burnet County. DIVE DEEPER! Learn more about HB14, including written text and sponsors.

42 min
09/04/2025

Episode 25: Dr. Evgenia Spears

In Episode 25, we continue our updates with Dr. Evgenia Spears, by exploring the changes enacted by the 89th Texas Legislature. Dr. Spears will explain to us about the shift in oversight for produced water and desalination discharge. Evgenia Spears is the Water Program Coordinator at the Sierra Club's Lone Star Chapter, where she leads advocacy efforts to protect access to clean water resources in Texas. Through grassroots organizing, water education, and legislative advocacy at the Texas capitol, she works to ensure that communities across the state have a voice in shaping a sustainable water future. Having lived in rural Ukraine, suburban Russia, and now in the U.S., Evgenia brings a unique perspective on water management, viewing water not simply as a resource to manage but as a relationship to nurture. Guided by this philosophy, one of the new initiatives Evgenia is leading is the Sierras Club Water for People & the Environment Committee, created to educate Texans about water issues across the state and empower them to become stronger advocates in their communities. Through her leadership, this committee brings together Texans from diverse backgrounds and geographic regions, united by a shared commitment to protecting our water resources. Prior to joining Sierra Club, Evgenia spent several years at Texas A&M University in College Station where she earned a doctorate with a focus on natural resource management, taught undergraduate courses on natural resource policy, served as a watershed coordinator with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and collaborated with Texas A&M and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to develop strategic natural resource planning documents for the state. Outside of her work, Evgenia enjoys being with her family, spending time in nature, and traveling. DIVE DEEPER! Desalination study done by the Texas GLO and TPWD. Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club's action alert and petition to TCEQ to strengthen the surface water quality standards in Texas.

19 min
08/28/2025

Episode 24: Dr. Ken Kramer

Transcript Here In Episode 24 of the Lone Star Deep Dive Podcast, Dr. Ken Kramer explains the water infrastructure funding bill passed by the Texas Legislature, and the November Constitutional Amendment to allow for funding, which will be on our November 2025 ballot. Dr.Kramer is a writer and Texas water policy specialist who currently serves as the “public” representative on the Region H Water Planning Group which conducts water supply planning for the 15-county area that includes Houston. He's also a representative on the stakeholder committees for environmental flows for the Brazos, Trinity, and San Jacinto River Basins, as well as Galveston Bay. In addition, he serves as the treasurer for the Texas Water Foundation board. Dr. Kramer received a BA in History with a minor in Government from Texas Lutheran University in 1969. He was awarded an M.A. in Political Science from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1971 and then served in the United States Army, stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso. He received his PhD in political science in 1979 from Rice University. For 45 years Dr. Kramer was a volunteer or professional advocate for the Lone Star chapter of the Sierra Club -- an association that began as an elected member of the Chapter Executive Committee as chair of "Legislative" and "Water Resources" committees. He then served for over seven years as the Sierra Club's contract lobbyist in Austin, TX. He became the first Director of the Lone Star Chapter in January 1989 and served in this capacity through July 2012. Upon his retirement as Director, he again became the Chapter’s volunteer water resources chair for over 10 years. Transcript Here

18 min
08/21/2025

Episode 23: Lauren Bick

In Episode 23, we continue our updates with Lauren Bick by exploring the changes enacted by the 89th Texas Legislature. Lauren will explain the changes to Child Welfare intervention and support of older children in Foster Care. After graduating from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX with undergraduate degrees in Public Health and Psychology, Lauren returned to her hometown of San Antonio, TX. Lauren has worked under a judge in the Bexar County Children’s Court Division, conducting research on critical issues impacting foster youth and families in the area, including access to healthcare and housing, support for kinship caregivers, and older youth access to continuing education benefits through the College Bound Docket. Lauren joined the local League soon after returning to San Antonio in September 2024. As the Issue Chair, she has been advocating for policies to address the most pressing challenges of at-risk youth. Having spent much of her academic career working on issues far from home, she found it both refreshing and rewarding to advocate for beneficial change in her own community. To stay engaged with her community and local government, she plans to attend law school in the near future. Lauren reminds us, that the Legue of Women Voters supports only policies that “Promote the well-being, full development, and safety of all children.” DIVE DEEPER! LWVSA June Newsletter Article providing a more complete legislative update on bills impacting children. Bexar County College Bound Docket program supporting older foster youth pursuing continuing education.

14 min
08/14/2025

Episode 22: Dr. Chris Hudson

On this episode of the Lone Star Deep Dive, your regular host is traveling, so Jenny Inzerillo is filling in for Tonya with an interview about Texas Senate Bill 37 (SB 37), which was passed by the 89th Texas Legislature and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025. The bill, effective September 1, 2025, with most provisions applicable from January 1, 2026, concerns the governance of public institutions of higher education in Texas. Today’s guest for episode 22 is Dr. Chris Hudson, a professor of English at Amarillo College who also happens to have served in the state house in a former life. (He was the Director of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee AND the Chief of Staff for State Senator Judith Zaffirini – the dean of the Texas Senate.) He’s also the current president of the Factulty Senate at Amarillo College -- well, until SB 37 kick in on September 1st of this year, effectively dissolving it. He also serves as a representative for the Texas Community College Teachers Association . Dr. Chris Hudson, Professor of English, holds several degrees from the University of Texas at Austin: a BA, Plan II (Philosophy); MA, Latin American Studies; and PhD, English. He has been teaching at Amarillo College since 2018, where he has also worked on the AC Rank, Tenure, and Promotion Committee; Faculty Senate (Senator 2023-24, Vice-President 2024-25, President 2025-26); and various other department and college-wide committees. He also directs the Creative Mind Lecture Series. Before AC, he taught at UT Austin, St. Mary-of-the-Woods College (where he chaired the Languages and Literature Department), and WTAMU. He teaches Freshman Comp I and II, American Literature, Shakespeare, and Selected Topics (Border Literature, Southern Gothic and Grotesque Stories, and the Stories of George Saunders). An Amarillo native, he has lived in Austin; San Antonio; New York City; Xalapa, Mexico; Buenos Aires, Argentina; São Paulo, Brazil; and Indiana. While in Austin, Dr. Hudson worked as Director of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and Chief of Staff for State Senator Judith Zaffirini, Dean of the Texas Senate. His interests include contemporary literature, politics, and rowing.

28 min
08/07/2025

Episode 21: Teri Marsh

In Episode 21, we are hearing from Teri Marsh of the League of Women Voters of Texas. We are exploring the changes enacted by the 89th Texas Legislature. Teri will explain the new support for water infrastructure and conservation. A native Texan, Teri Marsh exchanged the big city lights of Houston for tiny Brackettville, Texas in 2020 upon retiring after 23 years of teaching in the Houston ISD. A Fort Worth native and the mother of two adult sons, Teri holds degrees from Baylor University and the University of Houston. After retirement, Teri discovered the League of Women Voters as a way to engage as a citizen in her new community. She especially enjoys registering first-time voters at nearby community colleges. As concerns grew about the drying of Las Moras Springs beginning in 2022, Teri began attending groundwater conservation district meetings and educating herself about groundwater law and science. Recognizing the importance of a stable water supply for all Texans (and for the future of our state), she agreed to serve as the Water Advocacy Chair for the LWV of Texas in 2024. Teri and Jack, her husband of 45 years, enjoy being surrounded by nature, history, and wildlife on Fort Clark Springs, where they reside. When not at home with their four cats, you’ll probably find them in their RV touring a national forest, visiting a state park, or visiting their two grandchildren in Houston. DIVE DEEPER! League of Women Voters of Texas, Take Action League of Women Voters Amarillo SB7 Financing of certain water infrastructure matters under the jurisdiction of the Texas Water Development Board.

16 min
05/15/2025

Episode 20: Lauren Bick

In Episode 20, we talk with Lauren Bick from the League of Women Voters of Texas. Lauren is the state League's Issue Chair on Child Welfare for the 89th legislative session. We discuss how our state’s legislative proposals will affect foster youth and families, as well as other vulnerable youth in Texas. After graduating from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX with undergraduate degrees in Public Health and Psychology, Lauren returned to her hometown of San Antonio, TX. Lauren has worked under a judge in the Bexar County Children’s Court Division, conducting research on critical issues impacting foster youth and families in the area, including access to healthcare and housing, support for kinship caregivers, and older youth access to continuing education benefits through the College Bound Docket. Lauren joined the local League soon after returning to San Antonio in September 2024. As the Issue Chair, she has been advocating for policies to address the most pressing challenges of at-risk youth. Having spent much of her academic career working on issues far from home, she found it both refreshing and rewarding to advocate for beneficial change in her own community. To stay engaged with her community and local government, she plans to attend law school in the near future. Lauren reminds us, that the Legue of Women Voters supports only policies that “Promote the well-being, full development, and safety of all children.” DIVE DEEPER! LWVTX Take Action Webpage with Action Alerts: https://lwvtx.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=979482&module_id=465924#/ LWVSA April Newsletter Article on “Supporting Vulnerable Children” Published 18 April 2025: https://lwvsa.org/content.aspx?page_id=5&club_id=571900&item_id=114604& LWVTX Children’s Issues Priorities One-Pager: https://1drv.ms/w/c/d88724bf311b3aeb/EXPQ-fh2-O5BsNhofcIhHh4BJLu6HUoG3yE2VuRORbV0tw San Antonio Express-News Article on College Bound: https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/bexar-county-college-bound-docket-foster-care-19499043.php Texas Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Bill Tracker: https://texascasa.org/program-portal/resources/texas-casa-bill-tracker/

39 min
05/01/2025

Episode 19: Evgenia Spears & Teri Marsh

In Episode 19, we are taking with Teri Marsh from the League of Women Voters of Texas and Evgenia Spears of the Lone Star Sierra Club. We discuss our state’s plans to supply water for a growing population in an unpredictable future. A native Texan, Teri Marsh exchanged the big city lights of Houston for tiny Brackettville, Texas in 2020 upon retiring after 23 years of teaching in the Houston ISD. A Fort Worth native and the mother of two adult sons, Teri holds degrees from Baylor University and the University of Houston. After retirement, Teri discovered the League of Women Voters as a way to engage as a citizen in her new community. She especially enjoys registering first-time voters at nearby community colleges. As concerns grew about the drying of Las Moras Springs beginning in 2022, Teri began attending groundwater conservation district meetings and educating herself about groundwater law and science. Recognizing the importance of a stable water supply for all Texans (and for the future of our state), she agreed to serve as the Water Advocacy Chair for the LWV of Texas in 2024. Teri and Jack, her husband of 45 years, enjoy being surrounded by nature, history, and wildlife on Fort Clark Springs, where they reside. When not at home with their four cats, you’ll probably find them in their RV touring a national forest, visiting a state park, or visiting their two grandchildren in Houston. Evgenia Spears is the Water Program Coordinator at the Sierra Club's Lone Star Chapter, where she leads advocacy efforts to protect access to clean water resources in Texas. Through grassroots organizing, water education, and legislative advocacy at the Texas capitol, she works to ensure that communities across the state have a voice in shaping a sustainable water future. Having lived in rural Ukraine, suburban Russia, and now in the U.S., Evgenia brings a unique perspective on water management, viewing water not simply as a resource to manage but as a relationship to nurture. Guided by this philosophy, one of the new initiatives Evgenia is leading is the Sierras Club Water for People & the Environment Committee, created to educate Texans about water issues across the state and empower them to become stronger advocates in their communities. Through her leadership, this committee brings together Texans from diverse backgrounds and geographic regions, united by a shared commitment to protecting our water resources. Prior to joining Sierra Club, Evgenia spent several years at Texas A&M University in College Station where she earned a doctorate with a focus on natural resource management, taught undergraduate courses on natural resource policy, served as a watershed coordinator with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and collaborated with Texas A&M and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to develop strategic natural resource planning documents for the state. Outside of her work, Evgenia enjoys being with her family, spending time in nature, and traveling.

34 min

Welcome to Lone Star Deep Dive! We believe that when we take the time to talk to one another, we often find connections that lead to a better understanding of our communities, our state, our nation -- and ourselves. Join us on a journey to explore the intersection of passion, personality and public policy.

Creator

Tonya Kleuskens
Years Active

2024 - 2025
Episodes

30
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© League of Women Voters of Amarillo
Show Website

Lone Star Deep Dive