Second Reading Podcast
Second Reading Podcast

Analysis of Texas Politics by Jim and Josh from the Texas Politics Project. Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin.

James Henson and Joshua Blank look at three big stories in Texas generating national attention as election season heats up in the state: the special election for Senate District 9, Colin Allred’s surprising re-emergence in the Democratic Senate nomination race, and Donald Trump’s public musings about endorsing in the Republican Senate primary.
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at how the shooting deaths of protesters by federal immigration authorities in Minneapolis activate a complex interplay among attitudes on immigration, gun rights, and the First Amendment. The discussion starts with a look at national polling in the immediate aftermath of the killing of Alex Pretti, who was legally […]
James Henson and Josh Blank use Texas polling to compare and contrast the issues at play in the Republican and Democratic primaries in Texas. Plus, some brief discussion of the latest NYT/Sienna national poll and the coverage of polling conducted by campaigns.
James Henson & Joshua Blank look at results on health care, immigration, and the 2026 U.S. Senate race in  the final UT/Texas Politics Poll of 2025 and what they portend for the 2026 election year.
James Henson and Joshua Blank dig up some highlights from UT/Texas Politics Project polling in 2025 on subjects including property taxes, speech rights, views of the legislature, healthcare, vaccines, and more.
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at how Donald Trump’s pardon of Henry Cuellar, and Jasmine Crockett’s likely entrance in the race to replace John Cornyn, have complicated the 2026 election in Texas – and maybe the U.S.
James Henson & Joshua Blank consider the politics of the federal court decision throwing out the recently redrawn Texas Congressional map, and the MAGA crack-up trope.
James Henson & Joshua Blank talk about Gov. Abbott’s 2026 campaign kick-off, the public opinion context for property tax policy, and the still uncertain dynamics of the 2026 election.
The Texas Politics Project Poll team – Daron Shaw, James Henson, and Joshua Blank – discuss what their latest poll tells us about the current Texas landscape for the 2026 election.
Comparative constitutional scholar Zachary Elkins joins James Henson to discuss these state of Constitutional features like the separation of powers and checks and balances during the norms-challenging Trump presidency.
After catching up on the federal shutdown, James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the political dynamics around Gov. Greg Abbott’s fast deployment of Texas National Guard troops to Illinois at the order of President Trump, including a look at Texas attitudes toward Abbott’s response to Operation Jade Helm a decade ago.
James Henson and Joshua Blank dig into what Texas polling can tell us about the public opinion context for the government shutdown.
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the arc of the President’s standing in Texas and how his ratings intersect persistent economic concerns in the state. Plus, they consider approaches to (very) early polling in the 2026 U.S. Senate race.
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at latest Texas Politics Project poll results on redistricting, marijuana, property taxes, and other priorities in the recently-concluded special legislative sessions – and share some historical data on Texans’ view of political violence.
Gromer Jeffers, Jr., Brad Johnson, Mark Jones, and Harvey Kronberg joined James Henson for a roundtable hosted by the Professional Advocacy Association of Texas on the second special session of the Texas Legislature – plus a sneak peak at new Texas Politics Project polling data on the same subject.
Ross Ramsey joins James Henson and Joshua Blank to assess to consider the nature and durability of changes in Texas politics and institutions evident during the 89th Texas Legislature, including the partisan hostility recently on display in the lege, the strengthening of the governor’s office, and the influence of national politics on Texas politics.
In the wake of Texas House Democrats return to the legislature and the passage of the hotly contested new Congressional map by the reconvened House, James Henson and Joshua Blank talk over some of the political and institutional implications of the mid-decade redistricting in Texas.
James Henson and Joshua Blank discuss the uncertainty around Texas House Democrats’ quorum break over mid-decade redistricting, and what the ensuing politics reveal about Texas politics. While the podcast was being recorded, Democrats announced their intention to return to Texas “to take this fight to the courts.” So it goes. Note: in a rushed update, […]
With adopting the new Congressional maps ordered by Donald Trump and response to the July 4 floods at the top of the agenda, James Henson and Joshua Blank talk about the politics of agenda management as the Texas Legislature prepares to return to the Capitol next week for a politically-fraught special session.
In a webinar hosted June 26 by the Professional Advocacy Association of Texas, James Henson and Johsua Blank look at attitudes on issues and actors in the regular session of the 89th Texas Legislature in a special video edition of the podcast.
The UT/Texas Politics Project Poll team – James Henson, Joshua Blank, and Daron Shaw – look at the much-noted decline in President Trump’s job approval numbers in their June pol and how Trump’s standing intersects attitudes on the economy and immigration, as well as what can be read into the current positions of Senator John […]
James Henson and Joshua Blank talk about how immigration protests, the Trump administration’s push for redistricting in Texas, and the short-lived in-state tuition lawsuit have disturbed the post session lull in the Lone Star State.
From ESA’s to property taxes to hurled hemp, James Henson and Joshua Blank take a day-after look at the 89th Texas Legislature and what lawmakers did and didn’t do over the last 140 days.
James Henson and Joshua Blank talk about the progress made on major legislation this week and where the legislative leadership stands as the end of the regular session looms.
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the big issues still pending in the Texas Legislature, including property taxes, education funding, water, the budget, bail, THC products, and more as legislative deadlines start killing bills.
James Henson, Daron Shaw, and Joshua Blank discussed what the newly-released UT/Texas Politics Project Poll reveals about Texas views of Donald Trump, major issues getting hammered out in the final weeks of the Texas Legislature, and the coming 2026 election in Texas.
James Henson talks with political reporter Bayliss Wagner, of The Austin American-Statesman, about her recent coverage of abortion and intraparty tension among Texas House Republicans, as well as the Statesman’s change of ownership, and covering the lege for the hometown paper.
James Henson talks with Harvey Kronberg, publisher and godfather of Harvey Kronberg’s Quorum Report, about the vibes in the legislature as well as the longer trajectory of politics in the state, and the place of Quorum Report in the Texas media universe.
James Henson and Josh Blank look at the arc of politics surrounding ESA’s/vouchers, and check in on 2026 election politics in Texas.
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at Texas public opinion on tariffs and the economy, and how economic upheaval might upend core assumptions about the state budget for the next biennium.
James Henson talks with Brad Johnson, political reporter and managing editor of The Texan, about recent happenings in the Texas Legislature, including the ESA bill voted out of the House Education Committee, the failed attempt to depose Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows, and Dan Patrick’s presser this week. They also talk about The Texan’s […]
James Henson talks with Jasper Scherer, reporter and incoming politics editor at The Texas Tribune about political maneuvering at the legislature as the pace of the session picks up, and about the evolution of the Tribune’s position in the media ecosystem in Texas.
James Henson talks with Jonathan Blitzer about his profile of Texas Governor Greg Abbott for the March 17 issue of The New Yorker.
James Henson talks with veteran political reporter Gromer Jeffers, Jr., about his recent reporting on Democrats’ struggles after the 2024 election and, in Texas, their position in the Texas legislature.
Daron Shaw, Josh Blank, & James Henson discuss news highs for Donald Trump, but amidst persistent economic concerns, and other findings in the just-released University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll.
James Henson talks with Greg Cox about his recently launched Texas politics newsletter, and the state of play in the legislature, where he finds people generally getting along better after the heated 2023-2024 sequence in Texas.
Jim Henson and Joshua Blank talk about how politics are shaping up as the House makes committee assignments, and the current Big Three position as the session shifts into a higher gear.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank discuss how to think about how national politics shape politics in Texas, and consider the feedback loops at work in sorting out the reciprocal effects of Texas and national politics.
James Henson & Joshua Blank look at Gov. Abbott’s emergency items through the lens of Texas Politics Project polling.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank dig into UT/Texas Politics Project polling data in the run-up to the Governor’s State of the State speech.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank consider the ascension of Dustin Burrows as House Speaker, and look at UT/Texas Politics polling on Texans’ attitudes toward the emerging agenda of Donald Trump.
The UT/Texas Politics Project Poll Team discuss what December polling in Texas tells us about public opinion, and potential cross-currents buffeting the Trump administration & Congressional Republicans in 2025.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank join the ongoing speculation about whether Dade Phelan will remain Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
Jim Henson & Joshua Blank look at what UT/Texas Politics Project polling data can (and can’t) tell us about the big Latino vote for Donald Trump in Texas.
On the day after, Jim Henson and Joshua Blank take a first look at the results of the 2024 election in Texas, which delivered Texas’ electoral votes to Donald Trump by a wide margin, and sent Ted Cruz back to the U.S. Senate.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at Texas attitudes on immigration & the border, abortion, and transgender issues in Texas as the election comes down to the wire.
Jim Henson, Daron Shaw and Josh Blank discuss results from the October 2024 UT/Texas Politics Project Poll as early voting begins in Texas.
Jim Henson and Joshua Blank talk about polling and other context in the U.S. Senate race in Texas between incumbent Republican Ted Cruz, and Democratic challenger Colin Allred.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at Texas Politics Project polling related to Speaker of the House Dade Phelan, and what it contributes (and doesn’t) to understanding the dynamics of the current challenges to Phelan’s efforts to continue as Speaker amidst opposition from within the Texas GOP.
James Henson and Joshua Blank discuss trends in Texas public opinion on elections and voting in the context of recent efforts by Texas elected officials to thwart voter registration efforts in Democratic strongholds, and otherwise link immigration to voting in the minds of Texas voters.
James Henson. Daron Shaw, and Joshua Blank dig into the data from the latest University of Texas / Texas Politics Project statewide poll, which found Donald Trump leading Kamala Harris 49% to 44% in the Lone Star State.
Jim Henson and Joshua Blank look at the political context of Texas Republican elected official recent efforts to draw attention to immigration, the border, and “election integrity.”
Jim Henson and Josh Blank talk about new Texas polling data from the University of Houston and Texas Southern, themes at the Democratic National Convention, and “gender gap” in Texas.
Jim Henson talks with Harvey Kronberg of Harvey Kronberg’s Quorum Report about how the rebooted presidential race is playing out in Texas, as well as the dynamics in Texas politics with both an election and the 2025 legislative session on the horizon.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at the baseline numbers in the presidential campaign before the big changes in the presidential race and take a quick look at some of the politics simmering in Texas in the shadow of the national politics.
Jim Henson and Joshua Blank talk over the politics of Texas’ response to Hurricane Beryl and mounting uncertainty around Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.
Jim Henson, Josh Blank, and Daron Shaw discuss the June University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll, and what the results say about the impact of Donald Trump’s felony convictions on the presidential race in Texas.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at the results of the primary run-offs in Texas, the politics of the long primary season, and the implications of the results.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank take a deep dive into new UT/Texas Politics Project Poll data revealing nuances in Texans’ views of abortion not captured in broad labels like “pro-life” and “pro-choice.”
Jim Henson, Daron Shaw, and Joshua Blank dig into the trial ballot results for the presidential and U.S. Senate races in Texas in the latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll.
Jim Henson and Joshua Blank look at different signals transmitted in the Texas Senate’s interim charges.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank talk about the politics and implications of the “Contract with Texas” recently distributed by a group of far-right Texas Republicans, and take notice of a new polling on the presidential and Senate races in Texas.
Jim Henson and Joshua Blank look at past election returns and UT/Texas Politics Project polling data to assess how competitive the presidential election might be in Texas.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at various judicial interventions in politics over the last week, as well as the kick-off of a speaker’s race in the Texas house & the presidential campaign in Texas. Referenced Article Here: https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/why-we-cant-stop-arguing-about-whether-trump-is-a-fascist Referenced Song:  https://open.spotify.com/track/7knlXA2UExr9iboDUIgvkZ?si=Pkjvrfh7TxuJVZPWhGt0tQ&context=spotify%3Asearch%3Abarney%2Bmiller%2Btheme
Jim Henson & Josh Blank look at the conflict between Texas and the federal government over border enforcement, and how it’s fed the boom in attention to Texas nationalism (Note: recorded prior to the US Supreme Court lifting the stay on SB 4.)
The Texas Politics Project team look at the outcome of the primary election in Texas and the implications for politics in the legislature and the state’s political system writ large.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at evidence of shifts in Texas Democrats’ views of immigration and border issues in the latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll, and note how the same poll sheds some light on the audience for Trump’s primary endorsements in Texas House races.
The team behind the latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll team – James Henson, Josh Blank, and Daron Shaw – talk about what the just-released February UT/TxP Poll tell us about the 2024 election in Texas.
Jim Henson talks with Ross Ramsey, co-founder and former executive editor of The Texas Tribune, about the reverberations in Texas  of Donald Trump’s presumed return as the Republican presidential nominee in 2024.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank discuss the convergence of national and Texas politics in the current national focus on immigration and border security.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank round up the flood of developments in politics in Texas, including the latest in the GOP presidential primary, the SCOTUS ruling against Texas, the DOJ’s report on Uvalde, and more.
Jim Henson and Joshua Blank look at Donald Trump’s standing in Texas after his win in Iowa – and the long term roots of support for him among Texas Republicans.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at how voters’ assessments of the long 2023 legislative session provide part of the context of the 2024 Republican primary in Texas.
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Jim Henson and Josh Blank look the state of play in the final days of the special session, and discuss how to assess the overall performance of the 88th Legislature.
Jim Henson and Joshua Blank look at results from the off-year election in Texas and the U.S., and ponder legislative politics as yet another special session gets underway.
Jim Henson and Joshua Blank look at Texans’ views of vouchers as the legislature remains at an impasse on the issue, and discuss what the latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll reveals about views of Ken Paxton as his securities fraud trial begins in Houston.
The UT/Texas Politics Project polling team – Jim Henson, Daron Shaw, and Josh Blank – discuss results related to the 2024 election in Texas from the just-released October UT/Texas Politics Project Poll.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank discuss how intraparty fights among Republicans in the US Congress and the Texas Legislature reveals the multiple axes of conflict in the GOP, and the shifting ideological terrain of the party both nationally and in Texas.
Jim Henson and Joshua Blank discuss how Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s special session agenda taps into the GOP primary electorate, and look at the latest hostilities between Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker of the House Dade Phelan.
Jim and Josh look at the internecine politics of the Texas GOP and the calculations of the Big Three with the legislature set to begin the long-awaited “voucher session” – and consider the GOP meltdown in the US House as context for the #txlege.
Jim Henson and Joshua Blank talk about Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s signal on Fox News that he would add border security to his impending call for another special session of the legislature.
Jim Henson & Josh Blank look at the multiple factors that shaped the decision of (most) Republicans in the Texas Senate’s to reject the House’s impeachment charges against Ken Paxton – and the fallout.
Jim Henson, Joshua Blank & Daron Shaw talk over results from the latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll related to the 2024 election.
Jim and Josh try to figure out what we might have learned from the first week of Ken Paxton’s trial in the Texas Senate, and look at interesting results on Texas’ border buoys and public education.
Jim & Josh discuss results from a new UT/Texas Politics Project Poll that finds Republican still divided or withholding judgment with suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s trial is set to begin.
Jim and Josh look at Texas polling data suggesting most Texans hadn’t heard enough about Ken Paxton’s legal problems to consider his reelection evidence of forgiveness.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank discuss the politics of Greg Abbott’s latest testing of the boundaries of support for his border policies, and look at the impact in Texas, or lack thereof, of the latest Trump indictments.
Jim Henson talks with Lauren McGaughy of the Dallas Morning News about the latest developments in the trials of Ken Paxton.
Jim and Josh take a close look Texans’ reviews of the legislature’s action on policies in the state and the generally mediocre reviews of the 88th Legislature (so far).
Daron Shaw and Joshua Blank join Jim Henson for a conversation about Texans’ largely lackluster reviews of the Texas legislature session in the just-released June UT/Texas Politics Project Poll.
Jim and Josh discuss the impact (or lack thereof) of Republican legal issues on politics and public opinion in Texas.
Jim and Josh discuss Texas Republicans’ curious failure to agree on a plan for delivering a central campaign promise as Dan Patrick pushes back hard against the Governor and the Texas House.
Jim and Josh talk about Gov. Greg Abbott’s quick call for a special session and the politics of Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment and his looming trial in the senate.
Jim and Josh look at where key legislation stands as the 88th Texas Legislature enters the final week.
Jim Henson & Josh Blank look at the dynamics of disagreement among Texas Republicans as the 88th Texas Legislature enters its final weeks.
Jim and Josh look at what the latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll tells us about the surprising movement of a gun bill in the legislature, & Gov. Abbott’s latest moves on the border.
This week, Jim and Josh are joined by Daron Shaw to discuss the results of the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, and what it tells us about politics and policy in the Texas legislature, and Collin Allred’s entrance in the 2024 U.S. Senate Race.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss recent polling data on Texans use and views of media and social media.
Jim and Josh discuss the sources of uncertainty in a very active legislative session in Texas.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss the House budget bill being debated on the floor this Thursday & some revealing recent episodes in legislative politics.
Does polling data support the argument that the influence of Republican primary voters explains the Texas legislature’s focus on hot button cultural politics?
This week, Jim and Josh discuss Texas Republicans’ attitudes toward Donald Trump and what public opinion polling in Texas says about the former president’s position heading into the 2024 election.
Jim and Josh zero in on public education attitudes in the latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll, especially shifts in partisan framings of public education as the legislature agains considers “school choice” and “parental rights”
Jim and Josh are joined this week by Daron Shaw to discuss the results of their latest statewide poll of Texas political attitudes, the current legislative session in Texas, and what the poll says about Texas in national politics.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss what the emergency items in the Governor’s state of the state address say about the emerging agenda in the Texas Legislature.
This episode, Jim and Josh discuss Governor Greg Abbott’s polling numbers in anticipation of this week’s State of the State address.
In this week’s episode, Jim and Josh discuss the results of the Texas Lyceum poll and what they may reveal about the current state of Texas politics.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss the politics of Texas Senate committee assignments and the first draft of each chamber’s budget bills as the Texas Legislature continues to get organized.
As the Texas governor is inaugurated and statewide officials announced, Jim and Josh look at the results of their December poll regarding policies at the intersection of business and government.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank talk about the convening of the 88th Texas Legislature, Texas’ once in a lifetime revenue windfall, and the public opinion context captured in the December UT/Texas Politics Project Poll.
In the last episode of the year, Jim and Josh take a look at key numbers from Texas Politics Project polling, and think about what the dynamics of Texas politics in the looming 2023 legislative session.
Jim Henson talks with Greg Bluestein of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the state of play in the runoff election for U.S. Senate between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker.
This week, Jim and Josh continue their discussion on the results of the 2022 midterm elections by covering how redistricting, key issues, and other factors may have impacted voter turnout both in Texas and nationwide.
This week, Jim and Josh look at the results of the midterm elections in Texas, and find that despite the status quo results, the electoral system very gradually continues to become more competitive.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss early voting news for the 2022 midterm elections in Texas and the efforts of both major political parties to mobilize voter turnout in the state.
This week, Jim and Josh and joined by Daron Shaw to discuss the results of the recent University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll and the final weeks of the 2022 election.
Jim and Josh discuss voting rights legislation in Texas, public opinion on voting issues, and how both loom over the 2022 election in Texas.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank discuss the recent debate between Texas’ gubernatorial candidates Greg Abbott and Beto O’Rourke and the overall arc of the 2022 campaign in Texas.
On this special episode recorded at the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, Jim Henson chats with Greg Bluestein (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution), Andy Chow (Ohio Public Radio’s Statehouse News Bureau), Angela Couloumbis (Spotlight PA), and Jon Ralston (The Nevada Independent) about the 2022 elections in Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank discuss results from the recent University of Texas/Texas Politics Poll on issues in the Texas gubernatorial election in November, including abortion, border security, the economy, gun safety and the Robb Elementary shooting, and more.
Jim Henson, Joshua Blank, and Daron Shaw look at the latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll and talk about what the results say about the election environment in Texas.
Jim and Josh discuss the context of President Joe Biden’s upcoming speech about threats to democracy in the U.S., and how it might land in Texas.
Jim and Josh assess the potential impact of Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke’s campaign efforts in rural parts of the state.
In a new Second Reading Podcast, James Henson & Joshua Blank talk about the politics of Republican responses to the aftermath of the Mar-a-Lago search, and the broader context of the decay of democratic norms and institutions – including how the history of elite messaging encouraging distrust of elections and electoral institutions is now part […]
Jim and Josh discuss debate planning in the Texas gubernatorial campaign, and ponder the reactions to the FBI’s search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. Mixed and Mastered by Allie Arrazola
Jim and Josh discuss Tuesday’s primary results around the U.S., and check in on the race for Texas governor between Gregg Abbott and Beto O’Rourke. Mixed and Mastered by Allie Arrazola
This week, Jim and Josh discuss the Robb Elementary Investigative Committee report. This episode was mixed and mastered by Kate Whitmer, Clayton Faries, & Will Shute
This week, Jim and Josh are joined by guest Ross Ramsey, co-founder of the Texas Tribune to discuss recent polling on the upcoming Texas elections, Abortion, and Gun Control. This Episode was Mixed and Mastered by Karoline Pfiel and Chidera Orazulike
Jim and Josh discuss the ramifications of Roe v. Wade being overturned, and how Texas law and politics will respond to this change. This episode was mixed and mastered by Jonah Hernandez
Jim and Josh discuss the current Texas House’s investigation of the Uvalde shooting police response, as well as the recent Texas Republican Party Convention in Texas. This Episode was Mixed and Mastered by Clayton Faries, and Jonah Hernandez.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss the special election in CD-34, and Senator John Cornyn’s space in the Texas political universe as he receives national attention for his work on gun safety legislation in the U.S. Senate. This episode was mixed and mastered by Clayton Faries and Will Shute
Jim is joined by Molly Hennessy-Fiske, the Houston Bureau Chief of the Los Angeles Times, to discuss her on-site reporting of two current situations: the patrolling of the Texas border by armed militia group Patriots for America, and the aftermath of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. This episode was Mixed and Mastered by Clayton […]
In the aftermath of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Jim and Josh discuss polling on gun attitudes and the upcoming gubernatorial election in Texas. Mixed and Mastered by Oscar Kitmanyen and Clayton Faries
This week, Jim and Josh talk about public education attitudes captured in the latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll in the context of recent school board elections and Gov. Greg Abbott’s signals about private school vouchers.This Episode was Mixed and Mastered by Karoline Pfiel
This week, Jim Henson, Josh Blank and Daron Shaw discuss results from the newly-released University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll, including attitudes toward banning abortion in Texas, border security, the economy, and more.This Episode was Mixed and Mastered by Clayton Faries and Will Shute
This week, Jim Henson and Josh Blank talk about at the structural context of the politics of border security and immigration in Texas, from the complexity of immigration as a policy issue to the cultural politics driving the continued salience of the issue among Republican voters. Mixed and Mastered by Clayton Faries and Will Shute
Jim and Ross Ramsey talk about the range of issues in Ross’s last four Texas Tribune columns – public education, broadband internet to areas of Texas in need, abortion, and gerrymandering in redistricting.
Jim Henson and Josh Blank discuss the collision of COVID-19 and border security politics in Washington D.C. and Texas, and implication for the Texas gubernatorial race between Greg Abbott and Beto O’Rourke. This Episode was Mixed and Mastered by Clayton Faries and Will Shute
Jim and Josh discuss Texas governor Greg Abbot’s renewal of the disaster declarations for COVID-19 and border security, as well as the changing public views of the pandemic in Texas. This Episode was Mixed and Mastered by Clayton Faries and Will Shute
Journalists Perla Trevizo of The Texas Tribune and ProPublica and Andrew Rodriguez Calderón of the Marshall Project join Jim to discuss their joint investigation of Greg Abbott’s border initiative, Operation Lone Star.
This week, Jim talks with Robert Vitalis, the author of Oilcraft: The Myths of Scarcity and Security That Haunt U.S. Energy Policy and Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, about the reemergence of misconceptions and myths about oil and geopolitics in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This Episode was […]
This week, Jim Henson talks with Lauren McGaughy of the Dallas Morning News to discuss the recent developments in the heated politics around gender affirmative care for transgender kids in Texas.
Jim and Josh discuss early results of the 2022 Texas Primaries and the likely upcoming attorney general runoff election.
Jim and Josh discuss the attempted GOP reboot of public education as an issue in Texas, with a look at recent UT/Texas Politics Project polling results on removing books from libraries, parental influence, and teaching about racism.
Jim Henson, Josh Blank, and Daron Shaw discuss the results of the just-released University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll.
In a new Second Reading Podcast, Jim Henson and Josh Blank take a close look Latino voting patterns in Texas  – and what common media narratives miss about the subject.
Jim talks with Harvey Kronberg of Quorum Report about the 2022 primary elections and the forces at work in Texas politics.
Jim Henson and Gromer Jeffers, Jr., of the Dallas Morning News discuss the Republican primary contest in Texas for Attorney General and other legislative and congressional primary races in the North Texas region.
Jim and Ross Ramsey of The Texas Tribune discuss the politics of voting laws, the implications of the lopsided balance of power between the two parties in Texas, and the prospects for political change.
Jim and Josh kick off the new year by taking a cut at the agendas likely to dominate Republican and Democrat midterm elections at the top of the ticket.
In this week’s episode of Second Reading Podcast, Jim and Josh wrap up the year by discussing how negative partisan works and Texas’s political trajectory. This week’s episode of Second Reading Podcast was mixed and mastered by Karoline Pfeil and Will Shute.
In this week’s episode of Second Reading Podcast, Jim and Josh discuss the upcoming Texas Elections as 2021 comes to a close. This week’s episode of Second Reading Podcast was mixed and mastered by Amanda Willis and Will Shute.
In this week’s episode of Second Reading Podcast, Jim and Josh discuss Beto O’Rourke’s recent campaign announcement for Texas governor. This week’s episode of Second Reading Podcast was mixed and mastered by Clayton Faries and Ean Herrera.
In this week’s episode of Second Reading Podcast, Jim and Josh discuss the October 2021 UT Texas Tribune poll results. This week’s episode of Second Reading Podcast was mixed and mastered by Clayton Faries and Ean Herrera.
Jim and Josh discuss the fallout from Texas State Rep. Matt Krause’s letter to Texas school districts seeking information about books on race, gender identity, and sexuality in their libraries and classrooms. This week’s episode of Second Reading Podcast was mixed and mastered by Clayton Faries and Ean Herrera.
With the third special session of the 87th Texas Legislature adjourned sine die, Jim and Josh review the output and implications of the long session.
Jim Henson and Joshua Blank discuss the Governor Abbott’s latest executive order prohibiting vaccine mandates by private businesses, and adding the subject to the agenda of the third special session of the 87th Texas Legislature. . This week’s episode of Second Reading Podcast was mixed and mastered by Alejandra Arrazola.
Jim and Josh discuss the policy output of the 87th Legislature and the Texas Republican Party’s lean towards appeasing the more conservative sides of their base, and ask the question hovering over Texas politics: How far to the right is too far? This week’s episode of Second Reading Podcast was mixed and mastered by Ean […]
In this episode, Jim Henson and Josh Blank discuss the upcoming redistricting process in the Texas Legislature, from demographics to the very personal politics about to get underway when the legislature reconvenes in another special session. This Episode of Second Reading was mixed and mastered by Alejandra Arrazola.
This week, Jim and Josh dive into the just-released UT/Texas Politics Project poll to talk about the relationship between public opinion and the 87th Texas Legislature, and how party polarization is shaping politics in the legislature and the Texas political system. This week’s episode of Second Reading Podcast was mixed and mastered by Ean Herrera.
This week, Jim Henson and Joshua Blank look at Texans’ dour view of conditions in the state as captured in the just-released UT/Texas Politics Project Poll, conducted August 20-30 in Texas. This Episode of Second Reading Podcast was mixed and mastered by Ean Herrera
This week, a look at the dynamics of the Texas legislature as the gears begin to grind again after the return of the quorum-busing House Democrats, with some consideration of poll data on ideological polarization among Texas partisans. This episode of Second Reading was mixed and mastered by Harris Codini.
Jim and Josh discuss the clashing of state and local pandemic policies, as well as the future of Texas Democrats not showing up to quorum in the conflict-ridden state. This episode of Second Reading was mixed and mastered by Clayton Faries and Ean Herrera.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss the continuing partisan gap on COVID-19 policies and vaccinations in Texas, in light of the Delta variant and policy actions by the state. This episode of Second Reading was mixed and mastered by Clayton Faries and Sofia Salter.
This week, Jim talks with Washington, D.C. based political journalist Jonathan Tilove about his reporting on Texas House Democrats’ strategy in the final weeks of their quorum breaking trip to Washington. This episode of Second Reading was mixed and mastered by Clayton Faries, Harris Codini, and Ean Herrera.
In this episode, Jim and Texas Tribune executive editor Ross Ramsey discuss the Texas House Democrats’ plan to flee the state in order to garner national attention towards voting rights, as well as prevent the passing of any Republican-led legislation. This episode of Second Reading was mixed and mastered by Alejandra Arrazola.
In this episode, Jim and Josh discuss the results of a recent Texas Tribune poll regarding current political opinions in Texas, and the upcoming Trump event taking place at the US/Mexico border.
In this episode, Jim Henson talks with Texas State Representative Travis Clardy about Governor Greg Abbott’s line item veto on the Texas Legislature, as well as the incoming special session of the legislature.
In this episode, Jim Henson talks with State Representative Chris Turner about the defeat of Senate Bill 7 during the most recent legislative session, Texas Democrats’ impending visit to Washington, D.C., and prospects for a resumed fight over voting during the likely special session.
In this episode, Jim and Josh discuss whether Texas voters “got what they wanted” in regards to legislation passed during the most recent Texas Legislative Session.
In this episode, Jim and Josh discuss controversies related to the most recent session of the Texas House of Representatives.
Jim and James Barragán, from the Texas Tribune, discuss Texas elections, politics and gun control.
In this episode, Jim and Josh discuss the context of former Texas Senator Don Huffines’ primary challenge to Governor Greg Abbott, and the institutional politics of the Texas House of Representatives’ bill proposing changes to state government’s emergency powers during pandemics.
Jim and Josh discuss the results of the April 2021 UT Texas Tribune Poll and what they reveal about the public opinion context of prominent issues being discussed in the Texas Legislature.
In this special episode, Jim and Josh discuss the results of a year’s worth of Texas polling on the COVID-19 pandemic, including views of vaccines, and how folks feel about vaccine passports.
Jim and Josh discuss the ‘Constitutional Carry’ Bill that has been recently been proposed in the Texas House.
Jim and Josh discuss the corporate pushback on voting rights bills currently moving through the Texas Legislature.
Jim and Josh discuss the results from a poll conducted in collaboration with the UT Energy Institute focused on Texans’ experiences during the recent winter storm and the policies being discussed in response.
Jim and Josh discuss the accumulating legislation in the 87th Texas Legislature up for a vote this week, with a focus on TX SB 7, which would impose stricter requirements on mail-in voting in an attempt to curb potential election fraud.
In this episode, Jim and Josh discuss the Texas Legislature’s political response to last month’s storm-related power outages and the financial issues that have arisen from that.
In this episode, Jim and Josh discuss the reemergence of immigration and border security in Texas politics in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this episode, Jim and Josh discuss Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s lift of mask and capacity mandates in Texas, and ERCOT’s handling of the recent winter weather disaster.
Today Jim and Josh discuss Governor Greg Abbott’s State of the State address.
Jim talks with Houston Chronicle Washington D.C. correspondent Ben Wermund about Senator Ted Cruz and his political future in the aftermath of Cruz’s actions after Donald Trump’s defeat, as well as other reports on the Texas congressional delegation.
Jim talks with Lauren McGaughy about COVID-19 vaccines, and the onset of a post-Trump United States, and how Republicans can move forward.
Jim and Josh discuss the U.S. Capitol riots, Trump’s handling of the presidential transition, and the beginning of the upcoming Texas Legislative session.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to overturn the presidential election results in other states, updates from the Texas Senate’s hearings on COVID-19 this week, and what “covid fatigue” really means.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss the panel that Jim moderated for the Professional Advocates Association of Texas, and upcoming plans for the next Texas Legislature session in January.
Jim and Josh discuss the internal politics of the Texas Republican Party and of Allen West’s participation and role as Party Chair.
Jim and Josh discuss the still-pending results of the 2020 General Election, and how pollster predictions compared to the real world results.
Jim and Josh discuss the match between expectations and outcomes in Texas during the 2020 Election season as well as the national dynamics on the issue of polling.
Jim and Josh discuss the upcoming election and some key areas of polling interest within Texas – Independents, Hispanic voters, suburban voters, and young voters. While these areas may reflect a new and changing demographic, it is important to distinguish between Texas “turning blue” and Texas “becoming competitive” in the coming election cycles.
Jim and Josh discuss more polling results, and the ramifications of Texan voter sentiments towards the incoming election.
Jim and Josh recap the trial ballot results for the 2020 election and give insight on what each political party aims for using historical results.
Jim talks with L.A. Times writer Mark Z. Barabak about his insight into the 2020 election and the current shapes of the presidential campaigns.
In this episode, Jim and Josh discuss public opinion regarding the vacant supreme court seat as a result of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s recent death and how it relates to voter turnout.
Jim interviews Eric McDaniel about his research on the threat to white masculinity, and how that has influenced the politics of the Trump administration and its supporters.
In this episode, Jim and Josh take a look at polling in the run-up to the 2020 Presidential Election, and they particularly focus on the nature of disclosures and the motivations for polling.
In this episode, Jim and Josh discuss Donald Trump’s campaign angle of Law and Order in response to ongoing protests in the country, as well as a Harris County lawsuit related to mail-in ballots.
Jim and Josh discuss house members’ attitudes about the operation of the house in response to the pandemic.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss the policy preferences among various generations of Hispanic voters in Texas in relation to the 2020 Presidential Election.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss policy for school reopening during COVID-19, and the political ramifications of these actions.
This week, Jim is joined by Jonathan Tilove, chief political writer of the Austin American-Statesman, to discuss Governor Abbott’s recent policy positions in regards to the pandemic as well as his “lonely middle course.”
This week, Jim and Josh discuss public attitudes about Confederate Memorials as well as Governor Abbot’s recent policies about the General Election.
This week, Jim and Josh continue their discussion on partisan politics, the political system, and the race for the Democratic nomination.
This week, Jim and Josh talk about public perceptions of policing, discrimination, and racism across party affiliations as well as the Texas special election.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss the rising COVID-19 rates in Texas and Texans’ response to the pandemic across party lines as well as how partisan perceptions of discrimination have changed since 2018.
This week, Jim is joined by Jonathan Tilove, a journalist at the Austin American Statesman, to discuss the heated Senate race in Texas as well as Governor Abbott’s response to rising COVID-19 cases in the state.
Jim is joined this week by Ross Ramsey, executive editor and co-founder of The Texas Tribune, to talk about the rise of coronavirus cases in Texas due to the politics of re-opening the state.
This week, Josh and Jim discuss the recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to protect LGBTQ+ rights in the workplace, and they give an update on Texas’ coronavirus statistics.
This week, Jim and Josh continue to discuss the protests following the killing of George Floyd by Minnesota police, as well as what policies may be proposed by politicians in response to Floyd’s death.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss the turmoil in the US following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis and how different groups relate to the issue.
This week, Jim and Josh talk about the events over Memorial Day weekend, including partisanship relating to COVID-19’s response, voting by mail in Texas, and political projections for the rest of the year.
This week, Jim and Josh talk about Dennis Bonnen’s response to the accusations that he is targeting GOP Republicans, Julian Castro and Beto O’Rourke’s chances in the Democratic debates, and Trump’s attack on Rep. Elijah Cummings.
Jim Henson and special guest Ross Ramsey discuss several topics including immigration, redistricting, and trade relations.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss the upcoming 2020 election and the variety of Democratic candidates, as well as how they’re all polling across the nation and Texas.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss trade deals with Mexico, tariffs and voter rolls.
Jim and Josh kick off the 2019 season of Second Reading by discussing the 2019 Texas Legislative session, the wins, the losses and the overall characteristics.
This week, Jim and Josh welcome guest Jonathan Tilove, Chief Political Writer for The Austin American-Statesman, to the podcast. The trio continues a discussion of the Texas legislature’s special session, including a look into Jonathan’s recent interview with Governor Abbott.
Josh and Jim continue discussing the Texas legislature’s special session, including Governor Abbott’s 20-for-20 strategy.
This week, Jim and Josh continue to discuss the Texas legislature’s special session, touching on the Senate Committee hearings on the Bathroom Bill and the Sunset Provision.
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Jim and Josh discuss the upcoming special session in Texas which debated transgender people’s rights to use their restroom of choice and education policies, among other issues. Our hosts also discuss Donald Trump’s relationship with Russia and Vladimir Putin.
For the week of July 4th, Josh and Jim discuss a decision by the Texas Supreme Court that reversed a lower court ruling regarding public employees and government subsidized same-sex marriage benefits.
This week, Jim and Josh discuss the debate in the Supreme Court on healthcare and the Affordable Care Act, especially Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s role in the conversation as well as the relationship between federal immigration agents and local police officers.
This week, Josh and Jim take part in an episode of The Texas Tribune‘s Tribcast podcast, where they are joined by colleagues Ross Ramsey and Daron Shaw. The group discusses the University of Texas at Austin’s recently released Texas Tribune Poll.
This week, Josh talks with Ross Ramsey, Executive Editor and Co-Founder of The Texas Tribune, about Governor Abbott’s announcement of a special session for the Texas Legislature.
This week, Josh and Jim discuss the conclusion of the Texas legislature and focus on abortion rights, the state’s budget, and changes to Child Protective Services.
Jim and Josh discuss the Texas Voter ID Law, abortion rights in Texas, and some developments in the Presidential race.
Josh and Jim discuss the politics of guns on campus as the Campus Carry Law goes into effect at public colleges throughout Texas, and they cover the response to the Democratic National Convention.
This week, Josh and Jim finish their discussion from last week on the Republican National Convention and discuss the Democratic National Convention.
This week, Josh and Jim discuss the Republican National Convention, which is taking place in Cleveland, Ohio.
Jim and Josh discuss the aftermath of the mass shootings in Dallas and how the shooting have effected politics both nationally and within Texas.
This week, Josh and Jim discuss the recently released Texas Politics Poll from the University of Texas at Austin, which included statistics about the Presidential race and how Texans are responding to the candidates and certain political issues.
Jim and Josh discuss two recent Texas political events – the state convention of the Texas Democratic Party in San Antonio and the visit of the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, to Texas.
This week, Josh and Jim discuss the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida and how it has effected national and state politics.
This week, Josh and Jim discuss Hillary Clinton’s chances in the general election in Texas, how Donald Trump polls in Latino communities, and how Latino voters shape politics differently in Texas than they do in other areas of the U.S.
Jim and Josh discuss Texas suing the federal government over bathroom policies in regards to transgender rights and the run-off elections in Texas.
This week, Josh and Jim discuss the Texas Supreme Court’s decision that found the public school financing system constitutional but broken, the Republican National Convention, and Republican’s thoughts on transgender people’s rights to use gender-specific restrooms.
Jim and Josh discuss the failure of Proposition 1 in Austin, a proposition that attempted to repeal an ordinance that required rideshare companies to carry out fingerprint-based background checks on their drivers.