The Right Idea

Welcome to The Right Idea, the show where we break down the people, policies, and politics shaping Texas! In Episode 89, TPPF's Chief Communications Officer Bryan Phillips and Chief of Research Derek Cohen give a comprehensive recap of the final week of the Texas legislative session.
🔍 This episode covers:
  • đźš« The Texas House's final push to ban DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) in K-12 education
  • đź“š New rules for school libraries: cracking down on sexually explicit content
  • đź“ś Governor Abbott’s bill signing to stop illegal voting in Texas
  • 🏡 The fight for housing affordability and zoning reform
  • ⚖️ The latest on criminal justice and bail reform bills
  • đź•’ The push to adopt permanent Daylight Saving Time in Texas
  • 🔥 Hot takes on barbecue, Pope merch, and Portillo’s (yes, really)
🎙️ Plus: A preview of next week's full session recap and a fun segment on Texas A&M baseball history you won't want to miss.

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2:35 Hot Take - What’s your favorite “Pope merch”?
6:45 DEI out of K-12 Texas Education
10:38 Texas cracks down on sexually explicit content in kids’ sections of public libraries
19:30 Election Integrity - new law stops illegal voting in Texas
28:28 Housing Affordability
35:20 Death Star 2.0
37:50 Bail Reform
43:00 Texas Time!
45:02 Survey Says!
51:25 Lies, Damn Lies & Statistics
52:38 What’re you watching? 

Creators and Guests

Host
Brian Phillips
Brian Phillips is the Chief Communications Officer at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. For over a decade, Brian has helped policymakers and political candidates develop effective messages and communication strategies. Phillips is a veteran of presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial campaigns, and has extensive experience working in the United States Congress and public policy think tanks.
Host
Derek M. Cohen
Derek M. Cohen, Ph.D, is the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Chief Policy & Research Officer and Right on Crime Senior Fellow. Previously the Vice President of Policy and director of Right on Crime, the Foundation’s criminal justice reform initiative, Cohen was instrumental in the passage of the First Step Act, federal legislation that borrowed from successful changes to prisons and sentencing that he had helped pass in conservative states. In addition to leading the Foundation’s work on criminal justice, he is also the lead researcher of firearms policy.

What is The Right Idea?

The Right Idea: The Texas Public Policy Foundation's weekly look at the people, policy, and politics that drive Texas.