State of Texas

State of Texas - July 28, 2024

Days after launching her campaign for President, Kamala Harris takes her message to Texas. Harris, speaking at the American Federation of Teachers convention, laid out her vision for the country. But she left out a key issue for Texas voters: the border. Ryan Chandler looks closer at her role in the Administration, and the impact of her work.
President Biden's decision to end his re-election campaign draws comparisons to Lyndon Johnson. Now, as Biden prepares to speak at LBJ's library, Matt Grant examines the historic impact and similarities of both of their announcements.
Weeks after a hurricane knocked out electricity to more than two million Texans, leaders of utility CenterPoint appear before state regulators. What company leaders say they're doing now to keep the power on in the next storm.
Texas lawmakers are targeting the potential threat of foreign buyers purchasing assets in Texas. An interim hearing focused on concerns about farmland and tech companies associated with the Chinese government. We look closer at how lawmakers could act on those concerns in the upcoming session.
State of Texas is a statewide, in-depth program focused solely on Texas politics. Produced at KXAN in Austin and airing in 14 markets across the state, the show gives viewers greater perspective on the Texas Legislature, state policy and elections.

State of Texas - July 21, 2024

  Assassination Attempt- An attempt on former President Donald Trump's life changed the identity of this year's Republican National Convention. An eyewitness account of the shooting, how speeches changed ahead of the RNC, and the conversation of border security at the event.
       DOJ Investigation into Texas Nonprofit - The Department of Justice is suing a Texas-based nonprofit that provides housing for unaccompanied children found at the southern border. The lawsuit alleges a pattern of sexual harassment and abuse of those children.
      Preventing Disaster - An update to an investigation that led to major safety changes in Austin. After a deadly crash into a hospital the city approved tougher security requirements at hospitals across the city.
      Campaign Financing - As we get closer to election day, we're taking a look at which candidates are collecting the most cash. Campaign finance reports out this week show big hauls. The interests that are betting on the candidates.

State of Texas - July 14, 2024

 Beryl Recovery - Beryl made landfall this week leaving debris, flooding and power outages in its path. We talked to people who have faced this challenge before, the political fight between state and federal leaders and the call to investigate Centerpoint, the electric provider in Houston.
      Biden in Texas - As more Democratic leaders express concern over the president's ability to win in November. President Joe Biden will visit Austin for the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. Jim Henson breaks down the president's message as campaign concerns loom over.
      Race for the Senate - In a one hour special, Daniel Marin sat down with the U.S. Senate candidates in Texas. We take some time to home in on one of the biggest issues this year, the border.
      Justice Gap - Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are denied justice in the civil court system, because they can't afford a lawyer. Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht was in Washington, D.C. this week speaking with senators about disparities in the system and some solutions to the problem.

State of Texas - July 7, 2024

Pressure grows for Democrats to find an alternative to Joe Biden, and one Texas Congressman is turning up the heat. Monica Madden interviews Congressman Lloyd Doggett about his case for making a change at the party convention, and what could happen next. Plus, we hear from Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett about why she thinks Biden should stay in the race.
There is a new development in our investigation into hospital crashes and the safety barriers experts say could prevent disaster. Investigator Matt Grant reports on a resolution filed after a deadly crash at an Austin hospital. It could be the catalyst for change in Texas and beyond.
Two vastly different candidates are running to represent you in the U.S. Senate. Daniel Marin spent time with both Ted Cruz and Colin Allred away from the noise of the campaign trail, with the goal of finding insight you won’t get in a traditional interview. The result will be a one-hour special set to air this coming Wednesday. We’re giving you a preview this Sunday.
Concern about growing demand on the Texas power grid is fueling calls for more funding to build power plants. Avery Travis reports on the new call from state leaders and how it could shape the future of the grid – and why one expert is skeptical about the demand outlook. State of Texas is a statewide, in-depth program focused solely on Texas politics. Produced at KXAN in Austin and airing in 14 markets across the state, the show gives viewers greater perspective on the Texas Legislature, state policy and elections.

State of Texas - June 30, 2024

Uvalde Indictment – Former Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo and Former police officer Adrian Gonzales faces charges stemming from the Robb Elementary shooting two years ago. Ryan Chandler breaks down the charges, what the victim's families are saying and what happens next
      Public Health Crisis on Gun Violence – The U.S. Surgeon General declared a public health crisis on gun violence. We are getting a look at some of the recommendations and one already being implemented in Texas.
      Connect the Grid – There are renewed efforts to connect more transmission lines between ERCOT and the national grid. Representative Greg Casar explains how the effort is going and how much money he hopes will back the effort.

State of Texas - June 23, 2024

The Texas Medical Board adopted new guidance for when doctors can legally provide an emergency abortion. Monica interviews Amy and Steve Bresnan, the attorney/lobbyists who filed the petition to the board about why they still have concerns about the guidelines.
Gunfire at a Juneteenth celebration in Round Rock killed two people and left more than a dozen others wounded. The shooters were at large, but people living nearby did not receive an active shooter alert. A state law created the alert system, but it's never been activated. Investigator Avery Travis speaks with State Rep. Vikki Goodwin about her calls for a change in procedure.
Our Preventing Disaster investigation revealed several incidents of cars crashing into medical facilities across the country. Now, investigator Matt Grant shows us how our reporting is getting attention from policy makers from the local level to Washington.
State of Texas is a statewide, in-depth program focused solely on Texas politics. Produced at KXAN in Austin and airing in 14 markets across the state, the show gives viewers greater perspective on the Texas Legislature, state policy and elections.

State of Texas - June 16, 2024

State Senators look closer at the billions of dollars put toward securing the border. One question: how long can we do this? Plus, Senate candidate Colin Allred lays out his vision for a bipartisan approach to border security. And as Congress prepares for big decisions on defense and foreign aid, we talk with House Foreign Affairs chairman Michael McCaul about what's at stake. Texas lawmakers get news that demand on the power grid is rising faster than expected, with crypto and A-I getting much of the blame. And a Texas law toughened penalties when people get hurt or killed in a crosswalk. But it's not always enforced. Now, a new case could signal a change. State of Texas is a statewide, in-depth program focused solely on Texas politics. Produced at KXAN in Austin and airing in 14 markets across the state, the show gives viewers greater perspective on the Texas Legislature, state policy and elections.

State of Texas - June 9, 2024

Texas leaders have mixed reactions to the President's order to restrict asylum seekers. Plus, a proposal to create a state-focused stock exchange gets a boost from big-money backers including BlackRock. But the state just divested billions from BlackRock due to ESG. We speak with the State Comptroller to why the deal could move forward despite the state's conflict with BlackRock. Also, our investigation into the case of a Texas veteran seeking a property tax exemption is getting attention from lawmakers. And hiring and keeping nurses is a struggle for small towns in some parts of Texas. We report on a step the state is taking now to help communities that need nurses the most.

State of Texas - June 2, 2024

Texas voters pushed out several House incumbents, likely clearing the path to passage for Gov. Abbott's education savings accounts plan. Plus, the Texas Supreme Court rejects a high-profile challenge to the state's abortion laws, in a case filed by 20 women who said they were denied medically-necessary abortions. Ryan Chandler reports on the fallout from the ruling. And, Kelly Wiley speaks with Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath about new educational materials developed by the state. Morath says early results show they're improving outcomes for Texas students.

State of Texas - May 26, 2024

When a car drove into an Austin hospital, it left the driver dead and an entire family among the injured. Now that family is speaking out. One key question: why didn't the hospital have safety barriers in front of the ER entrance to prevent a car from driving through? Our team looks at similar crashes around the state and across the country, as well as at the barriers that experts say could prevent disaster in the future. Plus, we examine promises of policy changes from elected leaders after watching our report and seeing the lives impacted by this crash.