Texas Talks

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

Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks

As part of the Future of Texas series in partnership with Texas 2036, this episode explores the region powering not just Texas — but increasingly the global economy: the Permian Basin.

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 Tracee Bentley, President and CEO of the Permian Strategic Partnership, and Jordan Wat, Director of Government Affairs at Texas 2036, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of energy, workforce growth, infrastructure, and community development in West Texas.

The discussion begins with a striking reality: if the Permian Basin were its own country, it would rank as the fourth-largest energy producer in the world — behind only Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

But this conversation goes far beyond oil production alone.

Bentley and Wat explain how the Permian Basin has become one of the most strategically important economic regions in the United States, supporting everything from electricity reliability and manufacturing to public education funding and technological innovation.

The discussion covers:

• Why the Permian Basin produces more than 50% of U.S. oil and gas

• How drilling technology and AI transformed energy production

• Why Texas energy production continues hitting record levels

• The growing electricity demand driven by AI and data centers

• Pipeline, transmission, and grid infrastructure bottlenecks

• Natural gas, LNG, and Texas grid reliability after Winter Storm Uri

• The role of the Permian in stabilizing global energy markets

• Workforce shortages and the need for 176,000 additional workers by 2040

• Housing affordability challenges in Midland and Odessa

• Health care access and specialty care shortages in West Texas

• Water scarcity, produced water, and future recycling technologies

• Career and technical education investments tied to workforce needs

• Why literacy and workforce readiness remain major long-term concerns

The episode also highlights how public-private partnerships are reshaping the region. Bentley explains how the Permian Strategic Partnership has invested more than $200 million into infrastructure, education, workforce development, and health care — leveraging those investments into billions more through state and federal collaboration.

A major takeaway is that the future of the Permian Basin is no longer just an “energy story.” It is increasingly a story about building sustainable communities capable of supporting long-term economic growth.

Looking toward 2036, both guests argue that Texas’ continued success depends on whether the state can match energy growth with investments in roads, schools, workforce training, housing, water infrastructure, and grid reliability.

The message is clear: the future of Texas is deeply tied to the future of the Permian Basin.

00:00 — Intro + Future of Energy overview

01:35 — Why the Permian Basin matters globally

03:22 — Record energy production and drilling technology

05:04 — Jobs, workforce growth, and the Texas economy

07:18 — Education funding and workforce pipelines

09:09 — Innovation, AI, and modern energy production

13:26 — Electricity demand, LNG, and grid reliability

16:24 — Infrastructure bottlenecks and pipeline capacity

22:04 — Global energy markets and the Permian’s role

25:15 — Community life in Midland and Odessa

26:57 — Roads, schools, healthcare, and housing challenges

32:32 — Career training and workforce development

35:33 — Public-private partnerships and long-term planning

37:42 — Literacy, workforce readiness, and recruitment

45:06 — Water challenges and produced water innovation

47:22 — Looking toward 2036 + closing thoughts

Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks

What’s driving Austin’s economic boom — and can it keep up with its own success?

In this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Jeremy Martin, President and CEO of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, to break down the forces shaping one of the fastest-growing regional economies in the country.

From explosive population growth to major infrastructure projects, Austin continues to punch above its weight — but that growth comes with real challenges for businesses, workers, and policymakers alike.

Martin shares his perspective from nearly two decades of experience representing Central Texas businesses, explaining how Austin has evolved into a hub for innovation, talent, and global investment.

The conversation covers:

• Why Austin and Central Texas continue to outperform the national economy

• The role of talent, universities, and quality of life in driving growth

• How Texas’ business-friendly climate attracts companies and investment

• The infrastructure boom reshaping Austin (airport expansion, I-35, transit)

• Housing affordability and the long-term impact of rapid population growth

• The biggest cost pressures facing businesses today

• How the Austin Chamber represents over 1,900 businesses across industries

• The balance between growth, regulation, and fiscal responsibility

• Why property taxes remain a key issue for Texas businesses

• The role of local, state, and federal policy in supporting economic growth

The episode also dives into emerging issues shaping the future of business in Texas — including the rise of AI, data centers, and the growing demand for energy and water resources.

Martin emphasizes the importance of “taking care of the basics” — infrastructure, water, energy, and workforce — as the foundation for long-term economic success.

Looking ahead, the focus is on maintaining Texas’ competitive edge while ensuring growth remains sustainable and beneficial for both businesses and residents.

The takeaway: Austin’s success story is far from over — but staying ahead will require smart policy, continued investment, and a clear vision for the future.

00:00 — Intro + Jeremy Martin joins

08:15 — Austin’s economy and growth drivers

13:08 — Infrastructure challenges and major projects

14:03 — Housing affordability and market trends

16:01 — Role of the Austin Chamber of Commerce

18:20 — Business advocacy and policy priorities

20:58 — Taxes, spending, and Proposition Q

23:21 — Water, energy, and long-term planning

24:19 — Data centers, AI, and resource demands

27:18 — Texas competitiveness and regional growth

29:24 — Property taxes and business impact

31:01 — Federal advocacy and D.C. priorities

33:35 — Airport expansion and global connectivity

36:05 — AI’s impact on business and policy

41:31 — Closing thoughts

Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks

As part of the Future of Texas series in partnership with Texas 2036, this episode tackles one of the most urgent and personal challenges facing Texans today: the rising cost of healthcare.

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 Avik Roy, Co-Founder and Chairman of FREOPP, and Charles Miller, Director of Health and Economic Mobility Policy at Texas 2036, for a deep dive into why healthcare costs keep rising — and what Texas can actually do about it.

The conversation begins with a stark reality: healthcare affordability has become a top concern for voters, even surpassing issues like property taxes. With employer-sponsored family coverage approaching $27,000 per year and out-of-pocket costs averaging around $10,000 annually for Texas families, the financial strain is reshaping both household budgets and business decisions.

A major theme is how the current system distorts incentives. Rather than functioning as a true free market, U.S. healthcare operates as a heavily subsidized system where consumers often lack visibility into prices — and have little control over spending decisions.

The discussion covers:

• Why healthcare costs are rising faster than wages and inflation

• How employer-based insurance distorts consumer incentives

• The role of federal tax policy in shaping today’s system

• Why “free market vs government” is a false choice

• The importance of competition, transparency, and aligned incentives

• How monopoly power among hospitals and providers drives prices higher

• Why past reforms — like surprise billing laws — sometimes backfire

• The impact of vertical and horizontal consolidation in healthcare

• How anti-competitive contracting limits consumer choice

• Why Texas has made progress on transparency — but more is needed

The episode also explores solutions that could reshape the Texas healthcare landscape. These include expanding price transparency, tackling provider monopolies, enabling more consumer-driven insurance models, and supporting innovative alternatives like direct payment systems and healthcare sharing models.

Roy and Miller highlight promising developments already underway in Texas, including efforts to improve data transparency through all-payer claims databases and reforms targeting anti-competitive practices in provider contracts.

Looking ahead, the goal isn’t perfection — it’s progress. Both guests emphasize that simply slowing the growth of healthcare costs to match inflation would represent a major win for Texas families and businesses.

The takeaway is clear: the tools to fix healthcare affordability exist — but meaningful reform will require aligning incentives, increasing competition, and taking on entrenched interests within the system.

00:00 — Intro + Future of Texas series overview

00:30 — Why healthcare affordability matters now

01:13 — Cost of employer-sponsored coverage explained

02:00 — National vs Texas-specific cost challenges

03:12 — Texas vs California healthcare cost comparison

04:21 — Why affordability is now a top voter issue

05:21 — 53% cost increase over the past decade

06:41 — Why Texas policy drives higher costs

07:28 — Surprise billing reform and unintended consequences

08:24 — Incentives that drive price inflation

09:53 — Free market vs government: a false debate

10:14 — Why U.S. healthcare isn’t truly a free market

11:17 — Employer-based insurance and tax distortions

12:23 — Why consumers don’t behave like shoppers

13:23 — What a “healthy market” actually requires

14:17 — Transparency, competition, and incentives explained

15:25 — How subsidies can increase costs

16:09 — Insurance incentives and rising premiums

17:19 — Lack of price transparency in real-world care

17:58 — Switzerland as a model system

19:10 — Competition vs monopoly power in healthcare

20:29 — Real-world example: pricing distortions

21:42 — Hospital consolidation and market power

23:04 — Hospital Competition Act explained

25:02 — Why regulators struggle to fix consolidation

27:08 — Federal vs local enforcement gaps

29:33 — What Texas has done right so far

30:13 — Transparency reforms and data systems

31:05 — Anti-competitive contracting reforms

32:33 — Vertical integration and its risks

34:07 — What Texas still needs to fix

35:14 — Consumer-driven insurance models (ICHRA)

36:01 — Alternatives to traditional insurance

37:26 — Cash pricing and cost savings

38:04 — State employee health plans as a reform lever

40:31 — What success looks like by 2036

42:10 — Slowing cost growth as the first win

43:18 — Final thoughts + closing

Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks

What’s really happening in Texas waterways — and why is so much trash ending up there?

In this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Robby Robinson, Field Operations Manager at the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, and Mike Garver, Chairman of Texans for Clean Water and a founding member of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, for a firsthand look at the growing challenge of waterway pollution in Texas.

Recorded in Houston after a live tour of Buffalo Bayou, the conversation explores what the team saw on the water — and why the problem is far bigger than most people realize.

A major focus of the discussion is how trash actually reaches waterways. Contrary to common assumptions, most of it isn’t dumped directly into rivers or bayous — it comes from everyday litter on streets, which is carried through storm drains and funnels into the broader water system.

The discussion covers:

• How Buffalo Bayou has transformed since the 1980s

• Where waterway trash actually comes from

• How Houston’s storm drain system feeds directly into the bayou

• The scale of the problem — draining over 200 square miles

• The “bayou vac” system and how cleanup operations work

• Why cleanup efforts only capture a fraction of total waste

• How plastic pollution travels from cities to the ocean

• The rise of microplastics and long-term environmental impact

• Why Texas imports recyclable materials from other states

• The economic demand for recycled plastic, glass, and aluminum

• The limits of cleanup vs preventing pollution at the source

• The case for a bottle deposit refund system in Texas

• How other states (like Oregon) achieve high recycling rates

• Policy barriers and the need for state-level legislation

• Landfill capacity concerns and long-term waste challenges

Robinson and Garver emphasize a key point: cleanup alone is not the solution. Even with daily operations, only a small percentage of total waste is removed — meaning most of it ultimately flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

Instead, they argue the answer lies upstream — preventing waste from entering the system in the first place, particularly through proven policies like deposit-refund recycling programs.

The episode highlights a broader takeaway: keeping Texas waterways clean isn’t just an environmental issue — it’s a matter of infrastructure, public behavior, and policy alignment.

00:00 — Intro + Buffalo Bayou tour recap

00:35 — What is the Buffalo Bayou Partnership?

01:37 — What the bayou looked like in the 1980s

02:58 — From “no man’s land” to public space

03:44 — Where all the trash comes from

05:04 — Storm drains and urban runoff explained

05:30 — Scale of the problem: 200+ square miles

06:08 — Inside the “bayou vac” cleanup system

07:03 — How much trash gets collected weekly

08:10 — What happens when trash reaches the ocean

08:50 — Microplastics and environmental impact

10:23 — Why some trash sinks and some floats

11:17 — How unique is Houston’s cleanup operation?

11:31 — Funding: public, private, and local support

12:38 — Cleanup efforts across Texas waterways

13:34 — Trash flowing downstream from across the state

14:17 — Policy discussion: bottle deposit systems

15:26 — Why Texas imports recyclable materials

16:29 — How deposit systems work in other states

17:39 — “Legislating ourselves out of a job”

18:11 — Why prevention beats cleanup

19:01 — Growth, consumption, and rising waste

20:06 — Industry pushback and policy challenges

21:18 — Economic and landfill impacts

22:53 — Landfill capacity concerns in Texas

23:39 — Why the problem is getting worse

32:12 — Final thoughts + call to action

34:02 — Where to learn more (Texans for Clean Water)

Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks