It’s time for the week that was in Texas politics with Emily Ramshaw, editor-in-chief for The Texas Tribune.
Business owners are feeling the effects of President Donald Trump’s immigration policy. With less visas available for skilled workers, employers aren’t able to hire foreign workers as quickly or as easily as before.
“The federal government issues about 85,000 visas every year for highly skilled non-citizen workers,” Ramshaw says. “But under the Trump administration these numbers are way down, under much greater scrutiny. And so, businesses are really sounding the alarm that they are not getting workers approved at rates they need them to.”
Another member of the Richards family is making a name for herself in politics. The granddaughter of former Gov. Ann Richards, Lily Adams, is communications director for Sen. Kamala Harris. The Tribune profiled Adams and her political career this week.
“Lily Adams is the third in this generation of incredible women leading political movements in the U.S.,” Ramshaw says.
Adams’ mom, Cecile Richards – Ann Richards’ daughter – is a political activist and the former president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle spoke about gun violence this week. After presidential candidate from Texas, Beto O’Rourke, announced his plan for an assault weapons buyback program in the recent Democratic debate, President Donald Trump called him a “dummy” in a Twitter post on Wednesday.
“Everybody is mad right now,” Ramshaw says.
Texas’ Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had said he might support expanding background checks for so-called stranger-to-stranger gun sales, which led to blowback from other conservatives.
Ramshaw says it’s unlikely that the Texas Legislature will hold a special session to address gun violence.
“Democrats have been pushing hard, but I think it is very unlikely,” she says.
Written by Libby Cohen.
