State of Texas
Recent News About State of Texas
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Fort Capital CEO: We buy spaces ’servicing the more small to medium sized businesses’
Chris Powers, Fort Capital CEO and The Fort podcast host, said Class B building are often located in older, now-central neighborhoods, serve dense trade areas, and are hard to replace, while Fort Capital focuses on smaller industrial spaces catering to small and medium-sized businesses. Powers was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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The Other Ones Foundation ED: I 'believe firmly in people having access to dignified resources’
Chris Baker, executive director of The Other Ones Foundation, said they formed the organization in 2017. Since then it has grown to offer non-congregate shelter, workforce training, and daily work opportunities for its residents at the Esperanza Community, what Baker calls "dignified resources." Esperanza is currently offering 100 cabins in southeast Austin, soon expanding to 200 cabins with further growth planned.
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Lieutenant Game Warden: ‘We have to adapt’ to combat poaching
Lieutenant Game Warden Aaron Sims, a public information officer for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said poaching has evolved to include unauthorized hunting and transnational trafficking, often using advanced technology like night vision goggles, requiring game wardens to adapt and keep pace with these developments. Sims was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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TASB Division Director: There is ‘a plateau with the most recent scores’ due to an inconsistent ‘assessment system’
Dax Gonzalez, the governmental relations division director at the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), said that state-mandated accelerated instruction helped improve test scores initially, but recent data shows a plateau in student performance, partly due to changes in the assessment system. Gonzalez was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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Lieutenant Game Warden: ‘The majority of our contacts involve compliance checks’
Lieutenant Game Warden Aaron Sims, a public information officer for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said game wardens mainly conduct compliance checks and rely on respectful relationships with hunters, especially given the limited number of wardens covering large areas. Sims was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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TASB Division Director: ‘A lot of that [state funding] money isn't classroom-dedicated money’
Dax Gonzalez, the governmental relations division director at the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), said that much of the state funding for education was allocated to reduce property taxes rather than increasing classroom resources, with only minor adjustments for school safety funding. Gonzalez was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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Lieutenant Game Warden: All game wardens have ‘their own interesting tale’
Lieutenant Game Warden Aaron Sims, a public information officer for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said his interest in the outdoors began in elementary school and led him to earn a bachelor's degree and secure a game warden position. Sims was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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TASB Division Director: ‘We provide services that help them [school districts] cut their costs’
Dax Gonzalez, the governmental relations division director at the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), said that the organization helps school districts reduce costs and enhance services and that larger districts like Austin have unique needs compared to smaller rural districts. Gonzalez was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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Rep. Vasut: Accuracy of bill background statements is ‘immaterial’ and ‘who cares’
Texas State Rep. Cody Vasut said that debates over the accuracy of bill background statements, like those for SB 14, should not complicate rule changes and that simpler explanations should be sufficient. Vasut was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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Rep. Plesa: The state's cannabis ‘program needs to become more accessible’
Texas State Rep. Mihaela Plesa said the state's cannabis program needs to be more accessible and effective, especially as access expands to include conditions like chronic pain, cancer, and PTSD. Plesa was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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Senator Menéndez: ‘A good education and public educational system’ are ‘fundamental’
Texas State Senator José Menéndez said that a strong public education system is as crucial to infrastructure as clean water and reliable power and that it's fundamental to a healthy democracy. Menéndez was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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Senator Menéndez: Making Delta-8 illegal would give ‘illegal markets more product’
Texas State Senator José Menéndez said that abruptly making Delta-8 910 products illegal would push them underground, increase illegal market activity, and reduce state revenue for public services. Menéndez was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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Rep. Vasut: Underfunding the government ‘can be a threat to individual liberty’
Texas State Rep. Cody Vasut said that while the government can be a threat to individual liberty if it becomes too large, underfunding it, particularly in judicial pay, can also endanger liberty by affecting the quality and number of judges. Vasut was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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Rep. Plesa: Recapture reform is a ‘very important issue’
Texas State Rep. Mihaela Plesa said that while recapture reform is crucial due to its impact on property taxes, it’s important to prevent voucher system bills from reaching the House floor, considering their negative effects in other states. Plesa was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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Rep. Vasut: Interest rates are ‘one of the largest drivers of the lack of affordability’
Texas State Rep. Cody Vasut said that while high interest rates are a major barrier to affordability, state actions like easing development restrictions in urban areas and regulating corporate home purchases could help improve access to affordable housing for millennials and Generation Z. Vasut was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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Rep. Plesa: ‘Districts can't be bought’
Texas State Rep. Mihaela Plesa said she ran for office after noticing changes in the state, using her legislative experience to win a competitive race in Collin County, and that districts are to be won on policy, not money. Plesa was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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Senator Menéndez: Hemp products ‘should be for those 21 and over’ and ‘heavily regulated’
Texas State Senator José Menéndez said that while cannabis remains illegal, the similarity between hemp and cannabis has led to unintended legalization, prompting calls for stricter regulations, especially to protect children and that these products should be restricted to those 21 and over. Menéndez was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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Paxton secures $1.4 billion settlement against Meta
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has reached a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta, formerly known as Facebook, over the company’s unauthorized practice of capturing and using biometric data of millions of Texans.
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Texas Blockchain Council president: There is ‘hundreds of billions of dollars circulating in stablecoins’
Lee Bratcher, the president and founder of the Texas Blockchain Council, said that stablecoins, mainly in US dollars and significant buyers of treasuries, help maintain the dollar as the world reserve currency and will impact finance greatly in the next decade. Bratcher was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.
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Texas Blockchain Council president: ‘We do specialize in Bitcoin mining’
Lee Bratcher, the president and founder of the Texas Blockchain Council, said that Bitcoin is a highly transformational technology, whereas digital assets and enterprise blockchain offer more modest efficiency improvements, with their primary focus being on Bitcoin mining. Bratcher was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.