Texas Talks

What lessons did Texas learn from the tragedy in Uvalde—and how are lawmakers working to prevent a similar failure from happening again?

On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with State Representative Don McLaughlin, who represents Texas House District 80 and previously served as mayor of Uvalde during one of the most difficult periods in the city’s history.

McLaughlin discusses House Bill 33, the Uvalde Strong Act, which was passed unanimously during his first legislative session and is designed to improve coordination, training, leadership, and preparedness among law enforcement agencies responding to active shooter situations.

The conversation covers:

• The lessons learned from the Robb Elementary School tragedy

• House Bill 33 and active shooter preparedness reforms

• Law enforcement recruitment and retention challenges

• Mental health support for first responders

• Rogue district attorneys and accountability proposals

• Border security and immigration enforcement concerns

• The New World screwworm threat and Texas agriculture

• Property taxes, water policy, and education reform priorities

• Key issues facing the 90th Texas Legislature

The discussion also explores broader challenges facing Texas law enforcement, including officer shortages, training standards, public support for policing, and ways to improve recruitment while maintaining professional standards.

Looking ahead, McLaughlin shares his perspective on the major issues likely to dominate the next legislative session, including property tax relief, water infrastructure, border security, and public education.

Throughout the episode, he emphasizes the importance of practical solutions, local experience, and ensuring Texas communities have the resources needed to remain safe and prosperous.

00:00 — Intro + Rep. Don McLaughlin joins

01:00 — From businessman to Uvalde mayor

03:11 — House Bill 33 and the Uvalde Strong Act

05:31 — What went wrong during the Robb Elementary response

08:11 — Early implementation of HB 33

10:16 — Mental health support for first responders

11:52 — Updates from recent public safety hearings

13:37 — Measuring success for school safety reforms

14:10 — Law enforcement recruitment and retention challenges

21:19 — Rogue district attorneys and accountability

23:10 — State prosecutor proposal discussion

24:25 — Police hiring standards and recruitment

25:57 — Childcare, support systems, and officer retention

27:45 — Border security and immigration concerns

30:40 — The New World screwworm threat

33:21 — Property taxes, water, and education priorities

35:15 — Looking ahead to the 90th Legislature

35:53 — Closing thoughts

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As part of the Future of Texas series in partnership with Texas 2036, this episode explores how education, workforce development, and economic opportunity intersect to shape Texas’ future prosperity.

Through the Future of Texas podcast series, Texas 2036 brings together diverse perspectives as we explore the opportunities and challenges facing our state over the next ten years. The views expressed in this program are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Texas 2036, its staff or its Board of Directors.

Host Brad Swail is joined by Dr. Wynn Rosser, Commissioner of Higher Education and Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and John Hryhorchuk, Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Texas 2036, for a discussion on how Texas can prepare more students for meaningful careers while sustaining one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

The conversation examines the state's evolving approach to education and workforce development, including dual-credit programs, credentials of value, outcomes-based funding, affordability, and strategies for connecting students with high-demand careers.

Major topics include:

Texas’ position as the world’s eighth-largest economy

The importance of credentials of value and workforce alignment

Expanding dual-credit opportunities in high school

Community college reform and House Bill 8

Outcomes-based funding for higher education

Career and technical education pathways

Workforce shortages in healthcare, construction, and skilled trades

College affordability and manageable student debt

My Texas Future and career planning resources

Data-driven policymaking and economic development

Preparing Texas’ workforce for the industries of the future

The path toward Texas’ 2036 goals

The discussion highlights how decades of education reforms have expanded access to postsecondary opportunities and why policymakers are increasingly focused not only on college completion, but on ensuring students earn credentials that lead to strong labor market outcomes.

Rosser and Hryhorchuk also discuss the role of economic development, community colleges, universities, workforce training programs, and career education in preparing Texans for emerging industries ranging from advanced manufacturing and healthcare to semiconductors, aerospace, and energy.

Looking toward 2036, both guests argue that Texas’ continued success will depend on aligning education systems, workforce needs, and economic opportunities so that every Texan has a pathway to prosperity.

00:00 — Intro + The Future of Economic Prosperity

01:17 — Meet Wynn Rosser and John Hryhorchuk

03:53 — Why Texas’ future is still being written

05:01 — The opportunity gap and workforce challenges

06:43 — Why the education pipeline starts earlier

09:09 — Dual-credit success stories in Texas

12:02 — Can every student graduate with college credit?

15:45 — Credentials of value and workforce readiness

17:21 — Innovative education partnerships across Texas

19:10 — Beyond the traditional four-year degree

23:01 — Changing perceptions about career pathways

24:49 — Lifelong learning and workforce adaptability

26:22 — High-demand careers and earning potential

29:16 — Community college reform and House Bill 8

34:04 — College affordability and manageable debt

38:51 — My Texas Future and student planning tools

40:07 — Expanding higher education opportunities

42:53 — What Texas could look like in 2036

46:35 — Measuring progress toward Texas’ goals

48:11 — Legislative priorities and future reforms

52:02 — Final advice for students and families

53:46 — Closing thoughts on Texas opportunity

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No guest this time — just host Brad Swail breaking down three major Texas public policy issues affecting families, businesses, and local governments across the state.

In this episode of Texas Talks, Brad examines the fallout from Texas’ new summer camp safety rules, the state’s new AI-powered regulatory efficiency platform, and Governor Greg Abbott’s proposal to create a statewide prosecutor’s office.

The episode covers:

• Texas’ summer camp licensing crisis after the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act

• Why fiber optic internet requirements became a major point of controversy

• Texas’ new AI tool “Sam” and the push to cut red tape

• How AI could reshape regulatory review and permitting

• Abbott’s proposed statewide prosecutor and the debate over local control

• The balance between public safety, accountability, and county-level authority

Together, these stories highlight a broader question: how can Texas respond to real problems without creating new ones through overregulation, bureaucracy, or excessive centralization?

00:00 — Intro + three major Texas policy issues

00:27 — Texas summer camp safety crisis

01:24 — Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act explained

02:16 — New camp licensing and safety requirements

03:42 — Fiber optic mandate and camp lawsuit

05:04 — Camp Mystic and broader compliance challenges

06:26 — Impact on kids, families, and Texas camps

08:17 — Texas launches AI-powered regulatory review

10:05 — Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office and “Sam”

11:28 — Vulcan Technologies and agent AI

13:16 — Balancing deregulation with safety protections

15:35 — Abbott’s statewide prosecutor proposal

17:25 — Travis County prosecution deadline controversy

18:45 — Constitutional and local-control concerns

20:33 — Reactions from supporters and critics

22:05 — What this could mean for Texas criminal justice

22:52 — Closing thoughts

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As part of the Future of Texas series in partnership with Texas 2036, this episode explores what separates effective public policy from policies that simply sound good.

Through the Future of Texas podcast series, Texas 2036 brings together diverse perspectives as we explore the opportunities and challenges facing our state over the next ten years. The views expressed in this program are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Texas 2036, its staff or its Board of Directors.

Host Brad Swail is joined by Laura Arnold, co-founder of Arnold Ventures, and David Leebron, President and CEO of Texas 2036, for a wide-ranging discussion about evidence-based policymaking, education reform, workforce development, philanthropy, and the long-term future of Texas.

The conversation focuses on a central question: how can policymakers create systems that produce measurable, long-term results instead of temporary political wins?

Arnold and Leebron explain why data, accountability, and long-term thinking are critical to solving some of Texas’ biggest challenges — from higher education and workforce readiness to housing affordability, infrastructure, criminal justice, and childcare.

Major topics include:

• What makes a policy actually “work”

• Why data and accountability matter in government

• Community college reform and “credentials of value”

• Connecting education pathways to workforce needs

• The role of philanthropy in shaping public policy

• Why Texas lawmakers need trusted nonpartisan data

• Housing affordability and infrastructure challenges

• Permitting reform and economic growth

• Criminal justice reform and public safety

• Childcare data gaps and workforce participation

• The importance of long-term thinking before problems emerge

• Building opportunity and economic mobility in Texas

The episode also highlights several major initiatives supported by Arnold Ventures and Texas 2036, including reforms to Texas community college funding and investments in student support systems designed to improve graduation and career outcomes.

A major theme throughout the discussion is the belief that good policy making should be judged not by ideology or political messaging, but by measurable outcomes that improve people’s lives.

Looking toward 2036, both guests argue that Texas’ future success will depend on whether leaders can stay focused on evidence, opportunity, and practical solutions that operate at scale.

00:00 — Intro + Future of Texas overview

01:44 — Laura Arnold and David Leebron introductions

04:02 — Focus, scale, and long-term policy impact

05:21 — Why Arnold Ventures tackles systemic problems

07:26 — What makes a policy actually work

08:41 — Community colleges and “credentials of value”

11:01 — Workforce readiness and education reform

14:23 — Why government needs better data

17:34 — Helping lawmakers make better decisions

20:31 — The role of philanthropy in public policy

27:12 — San Jacinto College partnership explained

31:18 — Housing, infrastructure, and permitting reform

33:27 — Criminal justice reform and public safety

34:35 — Raising families and the future of Texas

37:10 — Opportunity, long-term planning, and 2036 vision

39:35 — Final thoughts on evidence-based policymaking

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What’s really driving declining enrollment in Texas public schools — and how will AI reshape classrooms in the years ahead?

On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Chairman Brad Buckley, Chair of the Texas House Public Education Committee, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of public education in Texas.

Buckley discusses the major challenges facing schools across the state, from demographic shifts and declining birth rates to school funding pressures, learning loss, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in education.

A major focus of the conversation is the surprising decline in enrollment across traditional Texas public school districts. According to testimony discussed during a recent House Public Education Committee hearing, Texas public schools have seen approximately 76,000 fewer students enrolled for the 2025–2026 school year.

The discussion covers:

• Why Texas public schools are seeing declining enrollment

• Birth rates, housing affordability, and demographic changes

• The growth of homeschooling, virtual education, and charter schools

• Why some districts continue growing while others shrink

• Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and their potential future impact

• How school funding formulas struggle with declining enrollment

• The long-term implications of lower birth rates nationwide

• AI in classrooms and concerns about age appropriateness

• Why Buckley believes teachers — not AI — should drive learning

• The risks of AI replacing “productive struggle” in education

• Data privacy, ethics, and accuracy concerns surrounding AI

• Pandemic learning loss and ongoing struggles in mathematics

The episode also explores major testing reforms coming to Texas schools, including the planned replacement of the STAAR test beginning in the 2027–2028 school year.

Additional topics include:

• Replacing one large test with shorter progress-monitoring assessments

• Reducing testing anxiety for students and teachers

• Providing real-time instructional feedback to educators

• Why middle school outcomes are becoming a growing concern

• Workforce readiness and the push toward higher-value technical credentials

• Career training in engineering, cybersecurity, and STEM fields

• Reducing administrative burdens and compliance mandates on schools

Buckley argues that Texas must continue modernizing public education while remaining focused on core fundamentals like literacy, mathematics, and strong classroom instruction.

The takeaway: the future of Texas education will depend on balancing innovation, accountability, and flexibility while ensuring students still receive deep, meaningful learning experiences.

00:00 — Intro + Chairman Brad Buckley joins

02:45 — Declining enrollment in Texas schools

05:37 — Housing costs, homeschooling, and demographic shifts

09:09 — ESAs and school funding impacts

13:25 — Long-term effects of declining birth rates

19:32 — AI in classrooms and education policy

21:51 — Why teachers should still drive learning

23:52 — Age-appropriate use of AI in schools

26:16 — Replacing the STAAR test

27:06 — Pandemic learning loss and math struggles

31:19 — Middle school outcomes and workforce readiness

34:05 — New testing models and real-time assessments

38:03 — Reducing school compliance burdens + closing

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