In the June 28 episode, Rep. Gene Wu talks a newly launched effort by house Democrats to build cross-state legislative coalitions across the American South to counter Republican legislation. Rep. John Rosenthal lays out his qualifications for the railroad commission, and Senator Bettencourt looks back at the legislative aftermath of the devastating Hill Country flash floods.
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Texas Democrats taking a page from Republicans, House Democratic leader Gene woo launches a new strategy reaching beyond Texas and building support across the South. A new poll reveals where Republican voters now stand on Ken Paxton. What the new number might mean for November. He's a low profile Houston lawmaker taking on outspoken Republican Beau French.
Why? John Rosenthal says his experience in Texas's biggest industry makes him the better choice for railroad commission. And the one issue where he says they actually agree
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a major shift in Texas classrooms. The state Board of Education votes to spend less time on cultural diversity and more on Bible stories. And one year after the devastating Hill Country floods, camp mystic is in bankruptcy. Lawsuits are on hold. State Senator Paul Bettencourt on what it will take for Texans to regain trust in that camp.
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Inside Texas Politics with Jason Whitely starts now.
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Hello, everybody, and thank you so much for watching this week I'm Teresa Woodard in for Jason Whitely. We want to get things started with some political headlines from across the state of Texas. And let's begin talking about Republicans consolidating around Ken Paxton's campaign for U.S. Senate.
In April. Only 63% of Republicans said they would back Paxton against Talarico. Now, 84% of Republicans polled by UT Austin say they'll support Paxton. This was a survey of 1200 registered voters. Overall, it shows Paxton and Talarico virtually tied right now to Corpus Christi. Now, where significant rain, newly drilled wells and maybe a little bit of prayer are paying off, the city had warned that by December it could go into a water emergency and be close to not meeting demand.
The city now says beneficial rain and additional groundwater wells it has drilled along the Nueces River have helped. Corpus officials say the potential water crisis might not actually hit until September 2027, and this affects families all across the state of Texas. Public schools in Texas will be required to emphasize the Bible more in class.
The state Board of Education approved curriculum changes and a new reading list. The reading list requires schools to teach Christian stories about Adam and Eve, the prodigal Son, and others. Social studies classes will focus less on world cultures and more on Texas and the United States. Those changes should take effect in 2030.
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Now there is something new from Texas Democrats. They are branching out and building support in legislatures all across the South in the 1960s. Republicans developed the Southern strategy that eventually did flip the South over to the GOP. Democrats call their plan the new Southern Strategy. State Representative Jeanne Woo from Houston is behind it.
He spoke with Jason. Representative, welcome back here. Let's start with the new southern strategy. You guys call it a success already with what happened in Georgia, but start wide. What is this all about? So look, in the past, the Southern strategy was a movement designed to divide communities, to consolidate power in the conservative south and take power away from minority communities and other people.
Uh, this this new southern strategy is saying a rebuke not only to what is being done right now, but to what was done in the past. This new southern strategy is our effort to unite the South, to unite our communities, and to say we are not going back to Jim Crow. We're not going back to segregation. We're not going back to this, to this America that was divisive and horrible for a lot of people.
And we're going to fight every bit of the way. And this time, it's not going to be just the black community in the South. It's going to be Latinos. It's going to be Asians. It's going to be working class white people. It's going to be Muslims and Jews and everybody else. Explain what this looks like. I mean, you are literally getting together with other lawmakers from other southern states to come up with strategies, uh, to, to go after and to counter Republican, uh, legislation.
Aren't you? Yeah. No, absolutely. So what we learned from the corn break last, last year, and watching all the fights happening right now is that we're all so weak because we're operating in silos. We're fighting battles by ourselves. Our communities feel isolated. They feel like there's no one helping them.
They feel like there's nothing they can do. What we're saying now is, no, wait. This is all of us. We're all in this same position. If we're all in the same position, let's fight together. Um, already we've met. We've shared strategies. We've shared tactics. We've talked about what we can do in the future and how we can move this along.
And, you know, just that one meeting has paid off. Just huge dividends. Looking ahead to the November election here, I've heard, you know, a lot of folks say, well, you know, Democrats in this state could could potentially win up to ten more seats here. What do you think is realistic for Democrats? I don't care.
I'm not concerned about how many seats you pick up. We're going to fight. We're going to fight with everything we have. We're going to give it everything we got because we're going to fight like our lives depend on it, because our lives do depend on this. So many people will die if the Republicans continue to be in power.
So many people are going to be hurt. If Donald Trump is allowed to continue without any kind of accountability. We're not here to help Democrats win. We're here to save the damn country.
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Let me ask you about the Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi as well. Not all the big names are there. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett notably skipping that. How unified are Texas Democrats right now? Yeah. Look, I can't speak for for Jasmine or anybody else. All I can tell you is that the people on the ground, the the activists, the workers, hell, the people who just joined as volunteers, um, they're they're not.
I don't want to say they're excited. They're determined. Like people are determined to save their country. People are determined to take our lives back. People are determined not to let the American dream die.
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And that's. That's all that matters to me. Representative. Always good to talk to you. Thank you for the time. Absolutely.
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All right. A fiery Chairman Wu there. We want to bring in the roundtable to discuss that new strategy. And I'll admit, there's a lot of unfamiliar faces for you this week on Inside Texas Politics, including mine. We appreciate all three of you being with us on a holiday week. Let's introduce who we have on the roundtable.
We have Jessica Hussman from the. She's the editorial director at Vote Beat. We also have Matthew Watkins, the Texas Tribune's editor in chief, and Alex Samuels, Bloomberg's government correspondent, who covers Texas politics. Thank you again for being here, giving up a little bit of a holiday week to talk with us.
I want to go to Alex first with this Alex, Georgia, South Carolina Republicans, they recently did back away from new congressional maps. What does that say about this strategy that Wu and others are beginning to employ?
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Right. So I think it reinforces his argument that Democrats need to compete everywhere. But I think it also shows Republicans are not all powerful in the South. So in Georgia and South Carolina specifically, GOP lawmakers faced pressure from their respective governments, President Donald Trump, etc. to redraw their congressional maps, but both ultimately backed away.
You know, at least for now. And so what that shows to me is that even in Republican controlled states, lawmakers are concerned about things like timing, lawsuits, voter backlash, and maybe to that same extent, political. The political fallout of drawing new maps. So new maps, especially ones that would eliminate seats held by black representatives, that could energize Black and Democratic voters in the South.
Those are two huge voting blocs, especially in states like Georgia and South Carolina. So, yes, Republicans have the advantage. But exercising that power maybe isn't always as straightforward as people think. And I think these redistricting fights have exposed disagreements within the Republican Party.
And that's where Democrats see an opening. Absolutely, Matthew. Quickly. Your take. You know, the South is a different place than it was a couple generations ago. It's more, uh, urban. It's more suburban. It's the economies are changing and growing. So I think Democrats see that as an opportunity. Georgia is a perfect example.
It was solid red for a very long time. And now there's, you know, Democratic senators, Democratic governor, uh, you know, I think they look to places like that and think Texas is going through similar changes. And so there's similar opportunities for this party there. The question is, is that opportunity there this year in 2026?
We'll have to see. Absolutely. Jessica what do you think? Is there an opportunity and will Democrats actually capitalize on it? You know, I think if they can capitalize on it, now is the time. We are looking at rock bottom approval ratings for the president and the sitting Congress. People are not satisfied at all with the current trajectory of Texas and U.S. politics.
And so so I think this is a real moment. And if Democrats can take advantage of it. And maybe this strategy. Maybe another. This is this is good timing for them. Absolutely. Okay. We have got more roundtable. So you three stick around and you as well. Here's what's coming up.
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A candidate for railroad commission says don't believe the rumors that he wants to take out Texas's biggest industry. He says his career before politics is proof he'll protect and grow oil and gas.
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Were lessons learned from catastrophic flooding in the Texas Hill Country. State Senator Paul Bettencourt on what the tragedy at camp mystic should have taught Texans. That's next on Inside Texas Politics.
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Welcome back to Inside Texas Politics. Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at one statewide office that a lot of voters don't really know much about. It's the railroad commission, but it has nothing to do with trains. It regulates the state's lucrative oil and gas industry. Two candidates are in the race Republican Beau French and Democrat John Rosenthal.
He's a state rep from Houston. Rosenthal leads us off speaking with Natalie Haddad. John Rosenthal, thank you for joining us on Inside Texas Politics. Nice to have you here. Thanks so much for having me. Why you. Why now? Um, I'm a career mechanical engineer. I did, uh, worked in the oil field industry for over 25 years.
And northwest Harris County has a lot of oil field, um, industry in the area that I represent. Also the Cipher Independent School District. Um, people don't usually know about the Railroad Commission. It's the most important agency that people have never heard of because it has nothing to do with trains.
The Railroad Commission of Texas regulates oil and gas operations in the state. So it's massively important to our energy infrastructure, to our economy. And it kind of flies under the radar. So, uh, career engineer who's now had four terms in the Texas House. This was the time. Yeah. I was doing a little reading on your background.
You started as a plumber's apprentice? Yeah. Work your way up into the mechanical engineer. You are now. Now the state representative. And I think some may argue that, you know, respectfully, a state representative is different than running a large energy industry here in Texas. Texans feel very deeply about their energy and oil.
What is your argument for that? So before I ever got into politics, um, the career part of the engineering, I ran large scale projects. I'm talking about billion dollar subsea development projects. So I'm intimate with the technology. I'm also intimate with leading large teams, vast groups engaged in massive undertakings, and I'm a technical expert on the industry itself.
I've worked on drilling rigs and production platforms. I did work on pipelines and even in chemical processing plants, so I know the industry from the inside out. And now, with a little bit of government experience, I think that uniquely qualifies me for this job. Republicans will likely paint you as someone quite aggressive in regulatory efforts in this industry.
What is what do you say to that? So four elections now. And sometimes my opponents have tried to say that I'm a Democrat that wants to destroy the oil and gas industry. My answer to that is it's literally how I make my house payments. I'm not looking to cut the legs out for my own household. And plus it's 30% of the state's economy.
And plus, the revenue from oil and gas pays for our schools, our universities, our our parks and wildlife. It's a vital part of the Texas economy and the Texas culture. I'm all in to make sure that we're strong, profitable, and responsible. Let's stay on the subject of your opponents and how you may be painted.
You are running against the Republican Beau French. He has generated headlines as of recent over comments he's made on social media. Have some of them written down. I don't want to misquote. He's made some of these comments on the campaign trail and again online, um, including from top Republicans. After posting a social media poll asking whether Jews or Muslims were a bigger threat to America, do you believe a candidate's judgment or temperament on the campaign trail is a relevant problem to this race?
Specifically? In my personal opinion, they shouldn't matter. It's just this guy's so extreme that that kind of temperament just is not a fit for management and oversight of our largest piece of the Texas economy. Uh, also, he has no operational experience that I'm aware of. Uh, he has limited engagement with the industry overall.
His family owns an oil company.
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He does not know the ins and outs of this business. So I'll be working with with all of our stakeholders in and around this business, both from the environmental side and the industrial and the energy majors and. And let's see if we can't build a consensus for sensible governance over cultural wars. Is there anything you and your opponent may potentially agree on?
There is. Okay. Let's hear it. So I do believe we both agree that the commission should be renamed it. It's not the railroad commission because it has nothing to do with railroads. How about we call it the Texas Oil and Gas Commission? I think that's fair enough. Sure. Anything else you think, policy wise, when it comes to this position that you and Mr. French may agree on?
I haven't heard much policy from him, so I don't know. Representative Rosenthal, thank you for your time. Thank you so much.
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We will hear from Republican Beau French next month. Now to Central Texas and the Hill Country. July 4th will mark one year since those devastating flash floods. In all, more than 130 people lost their lives. That includes 27 campers and counselors at camp mystic, a Christian camp for girls. The legislature acted fast to improve summer camp safety.
Six new storm sirens now stand along the Guadalupe River. They are supposed to sound 20 minutes before flash flooding is possible. Plus, every camp has to now have broadband or satellite connections to get weather warnings and be able to contact emergency responders. State Senator Paul Bettencourt led on a lot of this.
He is on this week's episode of Your Fix.
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Do you think that that that camp mystic can ever regain the trust of Texas families?
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You know, that's a very interesting question, because the heavens 27 people make a very strong point that they can't. However, there's 100 years of people that have gone to that camp that, that that didn't result in their deaths. So that's something the courts are going to have to adjudicate in that civil case.
Um, you know, my guess is someday some camp will open, whether it's called camp mystic or not in that area. They'll have learned all the lessons of where not to build. Um, they'll have an A, you know, an emergency evacuation plan. They'll have people certified, uh, someday in the future. I just can't tell you when or who it will be.
Um, but it's a beautiful spot on the Guadalupe River. Uh, and it was a terrible tragedy that one of the most beautiful spots had the greatest loss of life. But when you don't pay attention to your business, you don't have a plan. You don't do what you need to do to get kids out of harm's way. Then that's what can happen to you.
And that's a lesson that, uh, will be, uh, learned for Decades on that river. Senator Bettencourt looks back at what happened and ahead to tweaks that the next legislature might make. This episode of y'all ready to download wherever you get your podcasts. The roundtable returns when we come back.
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All right. Let's get right back to our roundtable. Now. We've got Jessica, Matthew and Alex back with us. We want to talk about something that feels like it is brewing in every corner, every community, every county in Texas, and that is data centers. Matthew, to you first, is there a conflict here? Because Texas really talks about being pro-business.
We want to grow, but now we're talking about maybe needing to put some guardrails in. Yeah. You know, the Republican leadership in this state, their stranglehold over power in the state is because of rural Texas and conservative rural Texas. But it's rural Texas where people are really upset about this, that are asking for regulations.
And that creates a conflict and a challenge that the Republican leadership is going to have to figure out. Yeah. Alex, if there were to be something regarding legislation that passes in the next legislative session, any ideas what that might look like?
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Yeah, I think the most realistic proposals focus maybe on transparency. And that's what we saw debated during a Texas House committee earlier this week. Lawmakers talked about requiring more reporting on water use, the sources of that water and how much electricity these facilities need, so I could see a need for that during the next legislative session.
All right. I also want to talk about this ongoing discussion about curriculum in the state of Texas. We know that the Board of Education is moving towards more Bible infused lessons and less diverse content. So, Jessica, for you, we heard from a lot of voices on both sides of this issue during recent hearings.
How do you see that this fits in with sort of the ongoing culture war fight we see all across the country, but particularly in Texas politics. You know, I think that this is part of the same piece we have been hearing about the Texas Board of Education for so many years, and all of the interesting things that they try to do with our children's curriculum.
And I think this year we are seeing it even in a more concentrated way. They've sort of dismissed a lot of the procedures they typically follow to rush this stuff through very quickly. And I think that they see this as an accelerated cultural moment in Texas that they're trying to capitalize on. And we'll see how it plays for them in November.
Absolutely. Matthew, do you think that there's any chance that there's no blowback? Do you think that there could be some voters who say, you know what, this is a little bit of a step too far? Yeah. You know, it can get sticky when you talk about teaching religion, because there are a lot of people, you know, of the Christian faith in Texas.
But the way Catholics and Baptists and Episcopalians and other folks interpret, you know, what is in the Bible can be complex and nuanced. And sometimes you might have your version of Christianity that you want to hear from, and you're hearing a different one, and that might make you unhappy. And so yeah, we'll see.
I think it could be a sticky issue for the the educators going forward. And Alex, I'll give you the final word on this. Do you feel like there could be blowback? Do you think there could be any middle of the road voters who are swayed to say, I'm not going to go there, although it's hard to predict in Texas, isn't it?
Yes, it's hard to predict. And we also don't have good, fresh polling on this specific proposal. What we do know as to Jessica's earlier point is that education has become one of the clearest partizan dividing lines in Texas politics. So I think the political question I'm curious about is whether independent and suburban voters see these proposals as teaching important historical context, or as the government promoting one religion over another.
Very good. All right. We'll leave it there. Alex. Matthew. Jessica, thank you guys so much. And thank you for watching Inside Texas Politics. Have a great week ahead.