Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, March 13, 2023:
What’s happening at the Texas Legislature
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of The Texas Newsroom previews the upcoming week at the Texas Legislature, including bills related to voter fraud.
Texas House speaker makes ‘tampon tax’ repeal a priority
The “tampon tax” is a term that refers to charging sales tax on feminine hygiene products. Some states in recent years have exempted these products from sales tax, but Texas isn’t one of them. That could change soon though, since Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan named repealing the “tampon tax” as a priority this legislative session. The Texas Newsroom’s Aurora Berry reports.
Bill filed to close youth prisons in Texas
State Rep. James Talarico, an Austin Democrat, filed a bill late last week to abolish the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, which has struggled in recent years, and shutter the state’s youth prisons. The agency is under federal investigation for sexual and physical abuse allegations. Texas Public Radio’s Paul Flahive reports.
Alternative energy a growing source of power for Texas
Oil and gas reign supreme in Texas. But that doesn’t mean that alternative energy sources aren’t a growing presence in the state’s power generation mix. That’s especially true amid a growing need for energy to power our homes, businesses and even cars. Matt Smith, lead oil analyst for the Americas at Kpler, joins us with more.
Some tips before you saddle up to attend your first rodeo
Rodeo season is officially underway in the Lone Star State. But what if you’ve never been to a rodeo and need some help figuring out how to get started? We’ve got you covered. Joe Dodge has been competing in the calf roping event for over 20 years and joins us today to share some tips for attending a rodeo.
New documentary highlights competitive high school mariachi
Many Texans know that mariachi is a competitive high school event, with many of the best teams coming from South Texas. A new documentary that had its Texas debut at South by Southwest, “Going Varsity in Mariachi,” is now bringing their stories to the world. Co-directors Alejandra Vasquez and Sam Osborn, as well as one of the film’s student stars, Abby Garcia, join us.
Migrants crowd El Paso bridge, block traffic
On Sunday, there was chaos on the pedestrian bridge connecting El Paso, Texas, with Juárez, Mexico. A large number of migrants – mostly from Venezuela – crowded the bridge for hours, blocking traffic and attracting a large police presence. Lauren Villagran, border reporter for the El Paso Times, joins us to discuss what happened.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Michael Marks with the Talk of Texas.
