In the February 15 episode, Congressman Tony Gonzales discusses why there needs to be better coordination between the military and the FAA, and why he thinks airports should already have laser technology to shoot down drones. Plano Mayor John Muns on whether he thinks his city will cancel its DART withdrawal vote after significant concessions were made. And state Representative Salman Bhojani tells us why he expects legal action for Muslim private schools to participate in the state’s voucher program.
0:00 Primaries Shake Up – New Texas Polling
1:02 University of Houston Poll Breakdown
1:57 Sid Miller, Don Huffines & GOP Races
2:24 El Paso Airport Shutdown Explained
3:00 Tony Gonzales on FAA & Military Coordination
4:21 Should Airports Have Laser Drone Defense?
5:32 DHS Funding Standoff & Partial Shutdown
6:28 Roundtable on FAA Failures & Politics
9:23 Plano’s DART Withdrawal Vote
10:12 Mayor John Muns on Rescinding the Exit
13:47 GOP Anti-Islam Messaging Debate
14:51 Salman Bhojani on Sharia Law Claims
16:45 Reaction from Texas Muslim Community
17:20 Y’all-itics Voter Guide Preview
17:50 Roundtable: Abbott Endorsements Tested
18:56 Can Abbott’s Influence Deliver Wins?
19:22 Democrats Gaining Momentum?
20:45 Undecided Voters & Primary Uncertainty
21:14 Final Thoughts
< spk_0 - 00:00:02.8090000 >
Straight ahead here, days away from early voting and new numbers shake up the biggest primaries in Texas. What they say about Chip Roy, Sid Miller, and Don Huffines. What happened in El Paso exposed another failure to coordinate between the military and the FAA. Congressman Tony Gonzalez joins us from West Texas with the clearest explanation we've heard yet.
< spk_0 - 00:00:29.5200000 >
Fighting for survival, Dallas and Dart make unprecedented moves to save mass transit in North Texas, but are they enough to stop four cities from pulling out? Plano Mayor John Munn's in studio. And the border no longer a campaign issue for Republicans. The GOP now back to anti-Islam messaging. State Rep Salman Bhojani, one of two Muslims in the legislature, on what it means and who it hurts.
< spk_0 - 00:01:01.8490000 >
Inside Texas Politics with Jason Whitely starts now. Welcome to the program here. Early voting begins on Tuesday, and the University of Houston out with some brand new polling on what some of the biggest statewide races look like right now. The Republican race for Texas Attorney General Chip Roy here, the clear front runner. May's Middleton polling 2nd, neither close to 50%, meaning a runoff remains likely here in the race to replace Ken Paxton.
< spk_0 - 00:01:28.0990000 >
On the Democratic side, Nathan Johnson just a couple of points ahead of Joe Jaworski. What's remarkable here, a vast majority of Democratic primary voters there remain undecided. The Republican race for Texas comptroller with the state's CFO here, a clear front runner in this race, former state senator Don Huffines from Dallas has 3 of likely voters in this survey. Kelly Hancock, the acting comptroller right now who the governor endorsed, is polling 3rd here.
< spk_0 - 00:01:57.6690000 >
And the GOP race for Texas agriculture commissioner, incumbent Sid Miller closing in on 50%. Challenger Nate Sheets at 18%. Lots of undecided here again. Still noteworthy because Governor Abbott supports Sheets over Sid Miller. Let's begin right now though with what happened in El Paso. Another failure to coordinate between the military and the FAA. The international airport there in El Paso forced to close.
< spk_0 - 00:02:24.1300000 >
Airlines, travelers, even state and local officials all left in the dark about this. Our first guest, Congressman Tony Gonzalez, a Republican who represents 2/3 of the Texas-Mexico border. Congressman, it's good to see you here. It took hours for the public to get clarity from the FAA on why it closed El Paso International Airport, and talked to the military was testing lasers. The FAA wanted to be, uh, you know, cautious to make sure no, no civilian aircraft were impacted.
< spk_0 - 00:02:52.0800000 >
But why wasn't this better coordinated between Fort Bliss and the airport? They've been side by side for decades.
< spk_1 - 00:03:00.0080000 >
Yeah, this should have been better coordinated. It, it was deja vu for me. I represent a district that's 2/3 of the Texas-Mexico border, and just a few months ago in our neighboring county of Hudspeth County, something similar happened. Now it's a much smaller population, so it didn't get that much attention. El Paso airspace is the 23rd largest. Airport in the country. A lot of people woke up in shock, but it really was a miscommunication.
< spk_1 - 00:03:23.9600000 >
We have to do a better job of that, especially as we work towards countering these drones that are intruding in our airspace on a daily basis and are a growing threat to all airports all across the country.
< spk_0 - 00:03:36.1790000 >
You know, after that deadly midair collision last year in DC at Ronald Reagan National Airport there, between that military helicopter and the American Eagle jet, the failure to coordinate between the military and the FAA was cited as one of the reasons there. What's it going to take to, to, to clean things up between the two agencies?
< spk_1 - 00:03:54.4790000 >
Yeah, as, you know, out here in West Texas, a lot of times we feel like we're alone, uh, and we shouldn't feel that way, and hopefully, it, it shouldn't take a, a mass casualty event to occur. We should take this, you know, unfortunate event that caused all this chaos and, and uncertainty as a, as a way of how do we fix this? How do we make sure this doesn't happen again? How do we make sure this doesn't happen in Fort Worth or, or San Antonio or Houston, or anywhere else in the country?
< spk_1 - 00:04:21.2630000 >
How do we make sure that when there is something that occurs, us having the ability to shoot down drones via lasers is not a new technology. It's a, it's a growing technology. It's something that I envision every airport having the ability to do as we see. These drones be more of a threat to our, our, our people, but there has to be procedures in place where, where folks, especially at the local and federal and the state level, know what is happening.
< spk_1 - 00:04:47.1560000 >
It can't just be a unilateral FAA waking up and saying we're shutting your airspace down today.
< spk_0 - 00:04:52.2760000 >
You think we'll get to a point where airports will have the capability to shoot down drones that are in their airspace?
< spk_1 - 00:04:58.0190000 >
To be frank, we should already have that capability now. Uh, the fact that we don't, as a country, we are behind the, the power curve, Jason. And I, uh, these threats are real. I, I, these threats are happening all over the world. You know, anyone can basically buy a drone at Best Buy, arm it with some sort of, uh, of, of, uh, material and, and cause damage. This is already happening in other parts of the world. Once again, I don't wanna wait for us. To happen here in the United States before we go, what do we do about it?
< spk_1 - 00:05:27.4540000 >
We need to, we need to protect our airspace, specifically our airports.
< spk_0 - 00:05:32.7740000 >
Congressman, let's talk for a moment about the partial government shutdown. The Democrats have blocked funding for the Department of Homeland Security. They're still upset about the chaos we watched in Minneapolis with the ICE agents there. But what, what is it going to take to reach resolution here? And do you expect any movement from Republicans?
< spk_1 - 00:05:49.9200000 >
You know, it seems like both sides are dug in. Uh, as a Republican, we're not gonna, we're not gonna give in on, on not allowing, uh, uh, officers to not protect themselves from the threats, you know, wearing a mask. If rioters can wear, if rioters can wear a mask, then agents can wear a mask. We're also not gonna allow The Democrats to defund ICE and then on their side, they're dug in. So hopefully, you know, that we can come to a resolution. I was at the White House earlier this week having some conversations.
< spk_1 - 00:06:18.8800000 >
Hopefully, there can be more of that. But, uh, right now, it, it appears as if both sides are, are kind of dug in. Congressman,
< spk_0 - 00:06:25.3590000 >
it's good to see you. Thank you for the time. Thank you,
< spk_1 - 00:06:27.3500000 >
Jason.
< spk_0 - 00:06:28.7000000 >
All right, let's bring in the roundtable to talk about the politics of this. Natalie Haddad's with us here. She is a political reporter at WFAA in Dallas. Matt Matthew Watkins, editor in chief of the Texas Tribune, and Ashley Goode, political director at KVUE in Austin. But Natalie, let's start with you and going back to what happened in El Paso, that failure to coordinate, it's been a year since that deadly collision in DC. The FAA and the military. Still not on the same page.
< spk_2 - 00:06:52.5290000 >
Yes, let's start with basic communication. Shortly after that 10 day shutdown of the airspace was lifted, all of El Paso's, you know, city officials came on to streaming and on air and said they found out about the shutdown of the airspace at the same time as everybody else overnight. They didn't receive a phone call. They didn't receive an email. Police didn't know it was all a shock to them. And because this hadn't happened, according to the mayor, since 9/11 in their airspace, it didn't just cause a lot of confusion but fear too.
< spk_0 - 00:07:21.9400000 >
Yes, a lot of fear, a lot of uncertainty. I want to ask you though, Matthew, about the partial federal government shutdown that we're watching right now with the Department of Homeland Security, Democrats and Republicans, neither side ready to budge.
< spk_3 - 00:07:34.1490000 >
Yeah, you know, I mean, it, it seems to be the same story over again, right? Um, just very strong disagreement on how our federal government should be functioning and operating. Democrats not seeing a lot of leverage in order to affect the functioning of government, except for when these funding issues come up and, and they're very reluctant to give up that. Republicans don't want to cooperate with them. Their voters, their supporters are telling them not to, so it becomes very hard to see how they will break that impasse. And
< spk_0 - 00:08:01.1300000 >
Ashley, it seems like Democrats have the momentum right now, but they have to be careful. Republicans have been very successful using defunding the police as a weapon against Democrats.
< spk_4 - 00:08:11.7090000 >
Yeah, they certainly have. I think the, the other thing, uh, Jason, that's interesting about this, you know, the Democrats had the momentum during the last shutdown and then all of a sudden, um, you know, discussion within the party and people were unhappy and, you know, there were some members that broke, so we just don't know how long this is going to last, but. I think at the end of the day everybody can agree that government shutdowns are not the best way for you all to compromise and work out your differences. It doesn't work for long.
< spk_4 - 00:08:40.0800000 >
It just puts hardship on folk who work in the Department of Homeland Security, you know, a lot of them not even related to what's going on with immigration. And so I think they've got to find a better way to to work together. That's what people elect them to do. I,
< spk_0 - 00:08:53.7890000 >
I think we'll see what voters say about that compromise word as we get closer to November 2, guys, good input. We're back to you guys here in just a moment here. A lot more ahead, including this. When we come back here, Plano's Mayor John Muns on his next move now that Dallas and Dart have taken unprecedented steps to save mass transit in North Texas. And as the GOP ramps up rhetoric against Islam, one Muslim lawmaker is not staying quiet.
< spk_0 - 00:09:23.7000000 >
State Rep Salman Bhojani next on Inside Texas Politics. Welcome back to Inside Texas Politics. Over the past week, Dallas and DART did what few people thought they would. They shattered the long-standing model of mass transit in North Texas and approved a brand new deal, handing suburban cities more power and more of their sales tax dollars back.
< spk_0 - 00:09:46.9740000 >
Now the pressure shifts and the question emerges, will 6 cities now scrap their plans to leave the transit agency and will Plano hit pause on its own exit vote? One voice has pushed for this moment for years, it's Plano Mayor John Muns. Mayor, welcome back to the program here. Let's start with a big question. Based on what has happened, do you expect Plano is going to rescind its withdrawal election come May?
< spk_5 - 00:10:12.0200000 >
You know, after yesterday's meeting with the RTC, that was almost the last hurdle to get over to, to really have an opportunity to take it back to the council and rescind the item on the ballot.
< spk_0 - 00:10:26.6590000 >
That sounds like a yes to me.
< spk_5 - 00:10:27.9000000 >
It is, uh, you know, it's up to my council, but at the same time we we've had these conversations. If we can get to this area of funding agreement.
< spk_5 - 00:10:40.2390000 >
Would we be willing to take this off the ballot, and so I think we're all in agreement in that area and we just, we hope that Uh, DART can deliver that ILA, which is the agreement on the funding issue, and get it to all the member cities and hopefully all the member cities can agree that we can move forward, uh, with this funding formula and
< spk_0 - 00:11:03.7890000 >
that's gonna happen in the next 10-12 days though, right? I mean this, this is imminent
< spk_5 - 00:11:07.9890000 >
very soon,
< spk_0 - 00:11:08.6300000 >
yes, have you heard of any dissension at all on your council in Plano? No, if the buses are still there and fewer people were riding the buses, you were also saying that this is all about money too. Plano pays in, you know, one cent like all the other member cities, and we're not getting back as much as we're paying in here. Is, is that going to change because the, the funding still kind of remains funky here, doesn't it?
< spk_5 - 00:11:29.5900000 >
Yeah, I mean, the funding is a combination of DART, uh, reducing. Their revenue and the RTC participating as well in Transportation council, correct, and, and so they will, uh, kind of partner in being able to bring that penny down to to 0.75 of a penny. And by doing that we're also gonna do a stair step for the next 5 years.
< spk_5 - 00:11:57.8690000 >
So this will not all happen in year one. It will work its way to year 5.
< spk_0 - 00:12:02.8690000 >
So just for clarity, Plano still pays its 1 cent in, but it's getting money back from the regional transportation council and DART, and DART is giving up to 10% of the sales tax money back to then, right? Correct? You've been working on this for a number of years though. At the end of the day you got it done.
< spk_5 - 00:12:17.3590000 >
We did. We did. I'm, I'm, I'm very satisfied with the effort and this wasn't just me, it was, it was our city manager, it was our, uh, staff that worked so hard down in Austin right here in Dallas trying to convince, uh, not, not just the six member cities that wanted to put it on the ballot.
< spk_5 - 00:12:41.6690000 >
But everyone who understood that not only is there a funding issue but there's a governance issue and we need to work on being better at our service and our ridership to really pull cars off the freeway. And, and, and really find solutions for mass transit that I think we all think are there and we just need to make it better
< spk_0 - 00:13:07.0200000 >
cities have revolted in the past that's always been unsuccessful. Why do you think Dallas and Dart relented this time?
< spk_5 - 00:13:14.1690000 >
I think they realized we needed to make changes so they could grow, so they could have a better efficient system for their cities and, and I think DART realized in the end that they needed to make some changes as well, but
< spk_0 - 00:13:27.9690000 >
it's hard to give up power like Dallas did to give up a majority influence on the board like it did.
< spk_5 - 00:13:32.4500000 >
It, it truly is and that that was significant. So this week has been pretty significant. Uh, for, for all the things that have occurred and really just this week it's been amazing. Mayor, congratulations. Thank you.
< spk_0 - 00:13:47.4500000 >
Have you noticed that Texas Republicans no longer campaign on securing the border? President Trump essentially sealed it. So now the GOP message is anti-Muslim. Don't Islamify Texas. Keep Sharia law out of the state. Our next guest, one of two Muslims in the legislature, State Rep Salman Bhojani, a Democrat from Euless. Let me start with this here. Republicans talk about wanting to stop Sharia law, which is Islamic religious law.
< spk_0 - 00:14:14.8900000 >
Is that being practiced anywhere in Texas to your knowledge, Representative?
< spk_6 - 00:14:19.0990000 >
So Sharia law, I mean, I can say that as a Muslim, right? Sharia law is is a personal religious guidance framework, right, which every religion has, right? Catholics have that Jewish community have that, and so does Muslims, and what it says is how do you govern your religious and personal beliefs. It is not the tribunals. It is not taking over the US Constitution or the Texas Constitution, which is often touted as Sharia law is going to come in and replace our court system.
< spk_6 - 00:14:48.0100000 >
That's absolutely false and completely wrong.
< spk_0 - 00:14:51.2000000 >
For clarity though, is there any Sharia law tribunals, as Republicans have said, to your knowledge?
< spk_6 - 00:14:57.6900000 >
Absolutely not.
< spk_0 - 00:14:58.9090000 >
Why do you think we're hearing so much about this?
< spk_6 - 00:15:01.2100000 >
I think it's important for them to tout this because that's what the voters want to hear. Like everybody's on this bandwagon to get more further right and to target a minority that uh you know it's sort of scapegoating, right? Like, OK, like immigrants are different and it's coming down from the federal administration as well, right? The current administration is saying harmful and hateful rhetoric for immigrants they're having travel bans from Muslim majority countries.
< spk_6 - 00:15:27.1500000 >
It's coming down to the governor that's saying oh these Muslim civil rights organizations are going to be now labeled as terrorist organizations, in fact, foreign terrorist. Organization, even though they're from America, I'm not concerned about the political differences that we have. We can debate them all day long, but when we talk about targeting people based on their faith, that's a line we should not cross.
< spk_0 - 00:15:47.3800000 >
There's also a big push, as you well know, to oppose Islamic communities being built in Collin County, reportedly one being built in Kaufman County as well too. What's going on there? I mean, it seems like that is more Republican red meat, but these are private developments that are being built. Yes,
< spk_6 - 00:16:03.6590000 >
absolutely, and When we talk about limited government, the government shouldn't come and interfere amongst the private developers. But
< spk_0 - 00:16:09.5100000 >
is anyone talking about limited government anymore?
< spk_6 - 00:16:11.7500000 >
It doesn't seem like that. It's just all coming down and saying, oh, we need to stop this. How can we Islamify our Texas? I get that all the time as an elected official, that how are you, you know, accepting this, or, you know, should we not do something about Sharia or these Sharia compounds. There's no such thing as Sharia compound.
< spk_6 - 00:16:27.3950000 >
The epic City development, all they're trying to do is, you know, come together, give a particular, you know, acreage to the mosque, and then have the community live close by to the mosque when they have older parents that can walk to the mosque, you know, they just want to be able to pray in peace, and that's the right that we all enjoy in the state of Texas in our country.
< spk_0 - 00:16:45.5490000 >
What's the reaction to all this in the community right now, in the Muslim community in Texas?
< spk_6 - 00:16:49.8590000 >
The Muslim community is devastated. It's living under sort of a blanket of fear, a blanket of suspicion that, oh, if you're Muslim, then you must be doing something illegal, and I feel like we need to stop, especially elected officials that are sort of preying on this, should be held to a higher standard. I believe that. There's more Texans who love the diversity that we have, right? There's a loud minority that says otherwise, but I believe that bringing people together is what elected officials should be doing. Representative, good to see you.
< spk_6 - 00:17:19.1990000 >
Thank you so much for having me.
< spk_0 - 00:17:20.9000000 >
The roundtable is ready when we come back here on Inside Texas Politics, and this week's episode of Y'all-itics actually comes out on Monday just as early voting is getting ready to begin. We're taking apart the most competitive races in the state with Democrat and Republican insiders. It's the Y'all-itics Voter guide available to download Monday afternoon. This is Inside Texas Politics with Jason Whitely. All right, time now for reporters roundtable to put the headlines in perspective.
< spk_0 - 00:17:50.3290000 >
Natalie, Matthew, and Ashley all back with us here. And, and Ashley, let's start with you and, and the poll we just saw a few days ago from the University of Houston. My immediate takeaways here is Don Huffines leading the comptroller's race and then Sid Miller leading the race for agriculture commissioner. This is noteworthy, as we said in the beginning of the program because Governor Abbott is supporting both of the challengers who aren't polling well.
< spk_4 - 00:18:14.5300000 >
Yeah, and, and really surprising, I think to see acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock polling 3rd in that race, right? Railroad commissioner Christy Craddick is even ahead of him behind on her Feins, and so I think this is gonna be a real test for the governor to see how much weight does his name carry with Republican primary voters. I mean, he's starting to take real big stances on a lot of issues. Things that perhaps people aren't used to seeing him come out and talk about. And so whether or not people are going to back Abbott and his candidates
< spk_0 - 00:18:43.1250000 >
and Matthew, we know Governor Abbott, he is super cautious, super cautious to do anything here. Why is he, does he have different polling, do you think? Why would he get involved in these races if they're polling the wrong way?
< spk_3 - 00:18:56.1700000 >
Well, you remember 2 years ago he got involved in a lot of legislative races in the Republican primary and was very successful in impacting those. This is a different test though, statewide races. He's not necessarily on the same side as the hardline, most grassroots candidates in some of the polling at least suggests. He's the most popular politician in the state. He has been ever since he was elected governor, but this is a new test to see how much that popularity can transfer.
< spk_0 - 00:19:22.9790000 >
And Natalie, lots of races were surveyed here. What was your Biggest takeaway from
< spk_2 - 00:19:26.1500000 >
this? My biggest takeaway is that it really looks like Democrats are going to show out this election season, and I think that is both refreshing to see a little more edge here personally.
< spk_0 - 00:19:37.7090000 >
And Ashley, when we talk about Democrats showing out, you know, Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic candidate, one of the Democratic candidates for governor, Vicky Goodwin, one of the Democrats running for lieutenant governor, they polled really close to the incumbents there, but I don't think they're that well known outside of central Texas.
< spk_4 - 00:19:55.7600000 >
Yeah, they're, they're not that well known outside of central Texas, but you know why they polled really closely? Because they're the Democrats running in these races, and I think people, we're starting to see in poll after poll and some early signs that people are not happy with some of the things that the Republican Party is doing. And so if the party is not going to make some changes, you could see some really close races. It's certainly worth noting you had what, Vicky Goodwin within 5 points. Of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Hinojosa within 7 points of Governor Greg Abbott.
< spk_4 - 00:20:24.9100000 >
Normally this early in this type of poll, I was talking to one of the researchers, you see Republicans with 10 point leads, um, over, you know, the Democrats. So a 5 point lead, that's gonna be really telling.
< spk_0 - 00:20:37.5100000 >
And the other telling thing in the survey, Matthew, was just how many undecided voters there are in so many of these races. Why don't people have their minds made up yet?
< spk_3 - 00:20:45.9200000 >
Well, because they don't know that much about these candidates. I mean, you know, go out on the street and ask the first person you see what the comptroller in Texas does, they might not have a good answer. But I think this is a good reason to just take all of these polls with a pretty big grain of salt right now. It is very hard to poll primary elections. We've seen different polls kind of be all over the place this, you know, these past weeks, and I think there can be some unpredictability in the next two weeks before we see, you know, where the voters actually stand.
< spk_0 - 00:21:14.1500000 >
Yeah, uh, some unpredictability at the end of the day here though, you know, guys, is that polls are only a snapshot in time and they haven't, you know, don't predict winners and they haven't been always correct at the, uh, at the end of the day. Guys, thanks so much. We appreciate the input as always and thank you for watching as well. We're back next Sunday to take you inside Texas politics. We hope to see you then. Take care.