Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
A recent analysis from the Houston Chronicle shows that nearly twice as many Texans died in February’s winter storm as the state is reporting. The paper found almost 200 people died of hypothermia in their homes or when exposed to the low temperatures outside. Reporter Zach Despart is part of the team covering the story, and he joins us today.
Texas Election Law Backlash
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he’s no longer participating in any event held by Major League Baseball. This comes following the MLB announcement that they’re pulling their All-Star game from Atlanta, after Georgia’s governor signed off on more restrictive election law changes. Gromer Jeffers has been writing about this for The Dallas Morning News, where he covers state politics. He talks about the Texas bill and the backlash on today’s show.
So far, three dozen Texans have been arrested and charged with various crimes in connection with the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol. That’s more than from almost any other state in the country. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider looked into why Texans had such an outsized presence at the riot.
Energy Bills Repricing and Reforms
With two months left in the legislative session, Texas state lawmakers are split on how to address the fallout of February’s sweeping power outages. As Texas Public Radio’s Dominic Anthony Walsh reports, there’s a lot to do but little consensus.
A Black Church versus Payday Lenders, part 2
Yesterday, we heard about the role Black churches played in passing Dallas’ first-in-the-state regulations on payday and auto-title lending. Today, hear how one Dallas church ended up buying a credit union to offer their congregation alternatives. KERA’s Christopher Connelly has the story.
One big issue this legislative session are proposed changes to how and when Texans can vote. But it wasn’t a right that was always guaranteed for everyone, of course – including women. A new documentary shines a light on the Texas women who fought for the right to cast a ballot. “Citizens At Last: Texas Women Fight For The Vote” is airing on PBS stations across the nation and streaming also. We’ll speak with two of the film’s principals, Ellen C. Temple and Nancy Schiesari.
Investors and the Housing Market
If you thought the Texas real estate market was tough these days, it’s not just buyers from out of state you’re competing with. It can be entire investment groups. Take Conroe, just 40 miles north of Houston. This past winter, a bidding war took place: not over just one house, but an entire subdivision. To find out about what’s going on to drive those housing prices even higher, we turn to Wall Street Journal reporter Ryan Dezember.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
