Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024:
Some convicted felons can actually vote from prison in Texas. Here’s why.
Many state prison inmates in Texas, including people on death row, are eligible to vote and may not know it. Under a little-known section of state elections law, felons who are actively appealing their convictions can legally cast a ballot – even if they’re currently behind bars.
The Texas Newsroom’s Lauren McGaughy joins the Standard with the story.
Marvin Nichols Reservoir debate reaches boiling point
On Monday afternoon, a group of people assembled in Arlington to take up an old argument: whether to build the Marvin Nichols Reservoir. The 66,000-acre reservoir was first proposed in 1968 to meet the future water needs of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but it would come at the expense of landowners to the northeast, whose land would be flooded under the current plan.
Lana Ferguson, who’s covering the controversy over the $4 billion project for The Dallas Morning News, joins the Standard with more.
That time Johnny Cash was arrested in El Paso
This week in Texas music history, we learn that though he may not have shot a man in Reno, the Man in Black did spend a night in a West Texas jail. Jason Mellard with the Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University shares the tale.
Texas Stock Exchange announces leadership team
The Texas Stock Exchange is pulling in big names for its recently announced leadership team. The roster includes former Dallas Federal Reserve President Richard Fisher and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Exchange CEO James Lee said at a press conference that they are planning to launch from Dallas in late 2025 with trades in early 2026.
Kyle Arnold, assistant business editor at The Dallas Morning News, joins the Standard with the latest.
Why are Tesla and Travis County hiding tax-break records?
When Tesla announced four years ago that it would build its new “gigafactory” just outside Austin, local and state governments lined up to offer incentives and tax breaks. Today, Tesla is the Austin area’s largest private employer, with more than 22,000 workers. But it’s proven difficult for journalists to find out just how much public money Travis County, where the gigafactory sits, has invested and whether it’s been a good deal for taxpayers.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga is following the story for The Austin Free Press and joins the Standard with more.
A tour of regional Mexican music
From the corridos tumbados of one-time San Antonio resident Peso Pluma to the runaway success of the Rio Grande Valley’s Grupo Frontera and their take on norteño, regional Mexican music appears to be in the midst of a renaissance.
The Standard checks in on what’s happening with Cat Cardenas, who’s covered the regional Mexican music scene for Texas Highways.
Ted Cruz shifts tone as Texas Senate race heats up
This week, the Cook Political Report updated Texas’ closely watched Senate race from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican,” signaling that Rep. Colin Allred’s campaign to unseat incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz may be gaining momentum. In response, political watchers are noticing a potential shift in Cruz’s approach: Once known for his hardline stances, the Republican senator now appears to be highlighting his bipartisan efforts.
Daniella Diaz, congressional reporter for Politico, joins the Standard to break down the race.
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
