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Casinos and online sports betting? Rep. Vikki Goodwin says put it to the people | Texas: The Issue is

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 12:50:07 -0500

When Vikki Goodwin announced she was running for lieutenant governor, she was dismissed as a long shot.

Now, the Austin Democrat is trying to turn the tables.

Goodwin sat down with the Texas Trio's Rudy Koski to talk about her vision for the position and putting casinos and sports betting on the ballot.

Goodwin's stance could essentially put those issues on the ballot in next year's general election face off with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Casino resorts and online sports betting

Goodwin: Well, I think that we should allow personal freedom, personal responsibility in the state of Texas. And I have been hearing that some people do want casinos to come to Texas. You know, I have friends who leave the state to go to Las Vegas, to Louisiana, et cetera. And they say, why can't we have it here in Texas? It seems like a recent survey showed that over 50% of Texans do gamble already. And so, why don't we allow them to vote to have a say?

Koski: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has pretty much set it in stone. No casino gambling, doesn't even like the lottery. Does this provide separation for you?

Goodwin: Well, I think the separation is that oftentimes the lieutenant governor thinks he knows best for Texans. And yet I think that we should let Texans have a say on many issues, not just casino gambling, but THC, school vouchers.

Koski: Isn't that kind of like punting the can to the voters though on the big issues? That's what you're hired to do is make those big choices though.

Goodwin: Right, but what we've seen is that in the Senate and sometimes even in the House, the members are not, they're falling in line. They're following the leader, what he wants, as opposed to listening to their constituents, in my opinion.

Koski: The last time that this issue came up and was pitched, we had destination resort casinos and only a select cities being involved. Do you like that idea or do you want something more broad?

Goodwin: I would like something more broad. I don't think that we should pick when we're deciding if we're going to allow casinos where they're gonna go and who's going to run them. I think that we should have more of a deliberative conversation about how that happens.

Koski: Is this a way for you to kind of reach out to the moderate, to the independent voters to say, you have a place with me?

Goodwin: I mean, certainly I want to reach out to moderate and independent-minded voters, but I think people of all stripes are interested in casino gambling.

Regulation of THC and marijuana

Koski: You mentioned other issues that you'd like to see go to maybe a public vote, and that being issues dealing with hemp products with THC and marijuana. Where do you stand with what the governor did with his executive order?

Goodwin: I believe in separation of powers, he's in the executive office. This should be handled legislatively, in my opinion.

Koski: How far should the legislature go with this issue? Does it go total legalization with marijuana in your mind?

Goodwin: Well, like I said, I think we need to have regulation around it. Legalization with some regulation.

Other issues

Koski: What are the other issues Vicki Goodwin wants to get out there to say, here's the separation, here's the apple, here is the orange.

Goodwin: Well, school vouchers would be one really big issue.

Koski: Are you worried some of the social issues could hurt you or is this a way for you to say I can still reach out to the moderates?

Goodwin: Look, social issues are important because I care about all people, but I don't think that should overshadow some of the bigger issues of, like I said, public education and healthcare access and water and housing affordability. It doesn't matter what your belief system is. You care about the basics of having a good job, being able to pay for things, affordability, that impacts everybody.

Leading a Republican majority chamber

Koski: If you're able to win this job, how do you manage a chamber that most likely will stay Republican-controlled?

Goodwin: It will have a very different temperature in the Senate. It will be more deliberative, more democratic. I will listen to senators and their opinions, and we will have debate. Right now, I feel like the attitude of the Lieutenant Governor is it's his way or the highway.

Are Texas Democrats setting up for a contentious U.S. Senate primary? | Texas: The Issue is:

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 13:46:20 -0500

Texas Democrats appear to be setting up for a contentious primary season, particulary when it comes to who will represent the party in the U.S. Senate race.

It's a battle that could determine if Democrats will make a move toward the middle or will continue on its hard left progressive path.

FOX 7's Rudy Koski sat down with recently announced Senate candidate and state Rep. James Talarico about his decision to enter the race.

Talarico enters Senate primary race

James Talarico: I firmly believe that all 30 million Texans deserve a U.S. Senator who's going to represent their interests and not the interests of billionaire mega donors.

FOX 7's Rudy Koski: Why do you think you're the guy that can clean it up?

Talarico: This has been the fight I've been engaged in at the state capitol for four terms now, and I'm ready to take that fight to our nation's capitol.

On entering race instead of supporting Colin Allred

Koski: Why not support Colin Allred? He's already got name recognition out there. What's wrong with him? And why not just back him?

Talarico: Well, I like Colin Allred a whole lot, and I was probably his most active surrogate in the last election. I'm not running against Colin or any other candidate. I am putting forward my track record, my experience, my skills, my values, my vision to the people of this state.

Koski: You are running against Colin Allred. What do you tell his supporters? Why come to your tent?

Talarico: So I'm gonna be barnstorming this entire state, showing the kind of campaigner that I am. I originally got elected to the state house by flipping a Trump district that no one thought was winnable. They thought it was a lost cause, but I ran an aggressive, unconventional campaign that brought people together.

Is Talarico too far left for moderate voters?

Koski: Terry Virts, who's running against you for the nomination, posted on social media that your voting record disqualifies you, you're too far left, you can't bring in the moderate voters. How do you respond to that? [00:02:05][12.3]

Talarico: Well, again, I'm not interested in tearing down fellow Democrats, but my record speaks for itself.

Koski: What do you say to the voters who think that you're too extreme on issues like marijuana, like gender issues in regard to sex change procedures, bathroom bills, things like that? What do you say to those voters?

Talarico: Well, I think if they actually look at my record, they're gonna see a lot they agree with, even on some of these controversial topics. I'm not someone who likes to grandstand. I'm someone who likes to ignore the nuances of these issues. I'm somebody who digs into the details and tries to solve problems. We can either play politics or we can solve problems and I always try to choose the latter, even when it comes to some more controversial topics.

On the issues

Koski: Are you going to make this campaign more about Washington, D.C. And Trump, or do you think that rank and file Texans want to hear bread and butter issues, you know, tabletop issues, things like that?

Talarico: Yeah, the whole reason I'm in politics is to make my neighbor's lives easier on a whole host of issues that we've already touched on, healthcare, education, housing, the cost of living. That's why I'm this. I'm not interested in talking about Donald Trump or any other politician.

Koski: You fought against the school choice plans, the voucher plan, whatever we want to call it. Why not pick a different state race? Why not go for Comptroller, where you could be the gatekeeper for this new school choice plan? Why not small instead of trying to do a Hail Mary?

Talarico: I like being bold and brave. I think that's the Texas way. And so this fight is national and it's why I wanna take what I've learned here in Texas at the state capital. And I wanna take that on behalf of Texans to our nation's capital in Washington, D.C.

On potentially working with Ted Cruz in the Senate

Koski: If you do become the new Texas junior senator, how do you work with the current Texas junior senator, Ted Cruz?

Talarico: Ted Cruz and I disagree on a whole host of issues. We have deep disagreements on many fronts, but there's also areas where we agree. And I look forward to working with him if I'm elected to this position. I don't think Texans want their leaders to act like professional wrestlers. They want their leader to seriously find common ground and work out policies that can make their lives better.

Revamping work permit programs | Texas: The Issue is:

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 14:30:13 -0500

A seat at the table.

That's the name of a new campaign launched by the American Business Immigration Coalition.

The group is calling for the Trump administration to expand the work permit program for immigrants, believing it will stabilize a labor shortage in the food services industry from the farm to the tabletop.

FOX 7's Rudy Koski sat down with Texas Restaurant Association President and CEO Dr. Emily Williams Knight to talk about why the time is right for an expansion of the program.

Immigration as part of the workforce

Dr. Emily Williams Knight: There is no doubt that while we were very fortunate to come out of the pandemic in a fairly strong position really compared to so much of the country, I call it almost death by a thousand cuts. And one of those big elements is immigration as a huge part of our workforce.

FOX 7's Rudy Koski: Is this about making immediate change or is this about inserting yourself into the broader immigration debate?

Knight: Yeah, such a good question. I think it's both. I think that one of the things that President Trump ran on was securing the border, but he also ran on making a strong economy, and we believe you can have both. And so, now that we have a strong and secure border, it is time to focus on how to have a stronger economy.

Koski: Detractors will say that this is a backdoor attempt at amnesty. Is that what this is?

Knight: It is absolutely not. We're not even using the words amnesty or citizenship. What we were trying to do was shine a light on the role that these folks play in our businesses.

And for us, it's obviously in restaurants that they're cooking and preparing food. They're established themselves. Many of them are very long-term employees. They contribute a tremendous amount. They're doing the right things.

And so, no, we're not asking for citizenship or amnesty. We're asking for this specific population to get the work permits. So they can actually come every day, work, pay their taxes, and contribute to their communities.

The current guest worker program

Koski: We have a guest worker permitting process. Is it just broken?

Knight: I don't know if it's broken or not, because much of it doesn't apply to our industry. And so if you think about the H-1B, that's really technical, so you have a very specific technical skill like engineering or computer science. Then we have the H2A, that is a seasonal visa just for agriculture. And the H1B is a one-time that could be used for our industry, but we're talking about in some cases 20% of our workforce.

Koski: Does the coalition want to expand these work permits to undocumented people who are here now or will keep it with people who are doing the process legitimately?

Knight: Yeah, we would like to find a deferred action work permit for those that are here. Set the standard, right? Paying taxes, no criminal record, aka having committed a crime, is in one of these very covered industries like dairy farms, agriculture, preparing food in restaurants, and give those folks an ability to remain on a work permit as we sort out a much bigger action that Congress has to take, which is what we need is immigration reform.

Improving the system

Koski: It seems that having a work permit, that it actually would provide a step towards citizenship. But I think more importantly, and correct me if I'm wrong, it takes people out of the shadows and it prevents these people from being taken advantage of. Because there are business owners who are bad actors who will either shortchange or not pay these individuals. Will this stop that?

Knight: I think right now for those bad actors or those that are violating wage laws or harming individuals, there's a lot of processes in place to go after those people. But your second point is so important, and I do believe that by having a formal work process, you will help people come out of the shadows.

Koski: How many more permits do we need?

Knight: Don't want to set a cap. Honestly, what we're very hopeful of, and I think what people ask me, Emily, why are you so hopeful right now? You know, under the last administration, they had a trifecta: House, Senate, and the executive branch. We made no progress on immigration reform. We now have a president who has openly come out and said, hey, I might want to think about this population of workers.

And so what we are trying to say is, President Trump, we hear you, we can be a part of this and allow us to work together and bring our ideas to keep your border secure. But let's also give a chance to those people that may have been in our country for 10, 20, 30 years, in our case, working in our kitchens. Most Americans, I think, if you lay out those options, might be a little less black and white than they appear today.

House Speaker Dustin Burrows on lowering taxes, school choice, Texas Lottery | Texas: The Issue is

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 15:43:57 -0600

Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) was elected House speaker when the 89th Texas Legislature gathered for the first time in January.

Burrows won the speakership with support from both sides of the aisle, something that upset some in his own party.

As the session gets rolling, Burrows will be tasked to navigate the House through some tough issues and possible contentious debates.

He sat down with FOX 7's Rudy Koski for Texas: This Issue Is to discuss those challenges.

Property Tax Plan

The state Senate has already passed Senate Bill 4, which would increase the homestead exemption to $140,000 and lower or eliminate the property tax bills of Texans.

A House bill would extend some of those property tax benefits to businesses as well.

Rep. Dustin Burrows: "It is the economic engine of Texas and a particularly small business. So our tax relief package really helps them. And you talk about every dollar they save in property taxes, money that they're going to have to reinvest in their company, to grow it, to hire more employees. And I think we can get a heck of a return on our investment."

Rudy Koski: And you have a companion bill that's running that will also help in regard to inventory?

Burrows: "The exemption in there for businesses, small businesses, that's who's really the beneficiary of it. It is fantastic. It puts us second in the entire country and Texas goes big or, you know, that's what we do.

School Choice

The Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 2 earlier this month. That bill would establish savings accounts for families to use public money for private education.

House Bill 3 is similar to Senate Bill 2 in that both bills would require a $1 billion investment from the state to establish the accounts.

Under both bills, families chosen for the program would be allowed to use the funds on private school tuition, textbooks, transportation and other education expenses.

The bills start to move away from each other when it comes to who is considered for the accounts and how much each student would receive.

While Senate Bill 2 would add a flat $10,000 to a student's savings account, the House version sets the number at "85 percent of the estimated statewide average amount of state and local funding per student in average daily attendance for the applicable school year."

The other difference is in how the programs choose who gets a spot if more applications are received.

Koski: The other big piece of legislation is the school choice legislation, the ESAs. The House is doing it a little bit different from the Senate. Why go a different direction? Why not just rubber stamp the Senate plan and call it a day?

Burrows: Well, look, the chambers were not designed to rubber stamp each other's pieces of legislation. The House committee chair on public education has filed his version of the bill. It's a great bill. It provides a lot of parental choice. We're really excited about that. It's going to move through the committee process, where every member on the public education committee and the public is going to have an opportunity to comment on it and look for ways to improve it.

Koski: You're focusing more on families with kids who have disabilities. And then you start getting into these other sections. Is that why you think you have the better plan?

Burrows: Exactly the House bill sets aside what I think is more resources available to those families that have those needs, and I think is going to really help them.

Teacher Pay

Earlier this week, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 26, aimed at improving teacher pay and retention.

The bill would grant independent school districts with 5,000 or fewer students a teacher pay raise starting at $5,000.

Teachers with five or more years of experience would get $10,000.

In larger districts, the pay raise would start at $2,500 and increase to $5,500 for teachers with experience.

Koski: "Teacher pay is always the big one. As we get back into regards to wheels coming off, wheels coming off last session with teacher pay. What do you envision being the plan? Do you like the Senate plan?"

Burrows: "So, I like House Bill 2. I think it's a comprehensive, great school finance plan. It invests over $9 billion in public education and provides for teacher pay. Teacher incentive allotments, all sorts of wonderful things."

Texas Lottery

Lawmakers and officials have been calling for an investigation into the lottery after an $83.5 million ticket was sold in Austin through an app called Jackpocket which has the same owner as the store where the ticket was sold.

The Texas Senate passed a bill banning all online and in-app purchases of Texas Lottery tickets.

Now the bill is heading to the House.

Koski: "The hot topic under the Capitol dome for the past two weeks. The lottery. Where do you stand on this issue?"

Burrows: "Look, I have concerns. I'm glad that the governor and lieutenant governor have raised them. I know there's an investigation going on. I look forward to the results of the investigation."

Winning House Speaker

Burrows became House Speaker by defeating Rep. David Cook (R-Mansfield).

Democrats sided with Burrows to push him over the top, riling some Republic

Koski: "Getting the job, the speaker, was not exactly easy. And since then, there's been a lot of pushback from some members of the Republican Party that you're working too closely with Democrats. Can you mend those fences? Do you want to mend those fences?"

Burrows: "Look, my door is open to everybody who wants to make Texas better. And I think that all of the Republicans and you've seen this, you know, over time, the Republicans who maybe on day one weren't 100% supportive. I think they're starting to become very supportive."

Koski: "Should you be working with Democrats? Do you regret giving them committee chairs? Subcommittee chairs?"

Burrows: "Well, they don't have committee chairs. They do not have committee chairs. It's the first time in Texas history we actually have the most number of Republican chairs in the history of Texas. The focus is taking the 120 members. They want to be here and actually get to work in making sure that they are productive for their communities and represent their people."

Burrows also touched on what he wants the legacy of this session to be, the bill he's most involved with and growing a beard.

You can watch Texas: The Issue Is every Sunday night on TV and anytime on FOX LOCAL.

Texas bill would require proof of citizenship to register to vote | Texas: The Issue Is

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 17:03:12 -0600

A new poll shows a majority of Texans were satisfied with how the 2024 elections were run.

However, the poll also found that there's strong support for some election reform ideas being considered by state lawmakers, like requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.

Sen. Bryan Hughes filed SB 309 that would require proof of citizenship to vote.

SB 309

Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola): The law requires that only U.S. citizens can vote in U.S. elections. However, to register to vote, you're not required to show proof of citizenship. The feds have not let the states do that. There's a federal bill moving that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote. But we're not waiting for Washington. Our bill says to register to vote in Texas, you need to show proof of U.S. citizenship. It's pretty basic. Most people agree that only U.S. citizens have the right to vote in U.S. elections. But remarkably, there's opposition to requiring proof of citizenship to register. That's what this bill is about.

Rudy Koski, FOX 7 Austin: On the voter registration cards right now, there's a box that says, I am a U.S. citizen. You're supposed to check that. Why isn't that enough?

Hughes: The difference is showing proof. Let me see a birth certificate, a passport, as you know, to get a driver's license in Texas for years now. You've been required to show proof of citizenship. A birth certificate, a driver, a passport, something like that. We need that same requirement for voter registration. Every year we clean the voter rolls and we find non-citizens who are registered to vote in Texas. And that doesn't make sense.

Koski: The Trump administration is trying to change how birthright citizenship is interpreted. Are you worried that that case could affect your bill?

Hughes: We definitely have to watch both of them. That right to vote is a precious privilege of U.S. citizens. And so determining who's entitled to U.S. citizenship will have a lot to do with who has a right to vote. So they're both important. We have to watch a vote.

Koski: How soon could this come up?

Hughes: So the bill is filed and referred to the Senate Committee on State Affairs where election matters go. We plan to have a hearing on this bill within the next couple of weeks, so it should be moving quickly.

You can watch Texas: The Issue Is every Sunday night on TV and anytime on FOX LOCAL.