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Texas Talks

Texas Talks
Texas
Property Taxes
Texas Legislature
Water
Education
Educational Savings Account
Texas House Of Representatives
Unions
Local Government Debt
Austin
Recycling
Bottle Bill
NIL (name, Image, and Likeness)
School Choice
Texas Hemp Industry
Grunt Style Foundation
Rural Health Care
Yondr
Interchange Fees
Ultra-Processed Foods

Texas Talks with Brad Swail is a weekly podcast that features wide-ranging discussions with the people, organizations, and businesses that shape public policy in Texas. Texas Talks aims to provide listeners with a deeper understanding of the policy debates and reasons and insight into the personalities that shape public policy in Texas.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes113Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
GovernmentSociety & Culture

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Artwork for Texas Talks

Latest Episodes

As part of the Future of Texas series in partnership with Texas 2036, this episode explores a critical question: how does Texas ensure its economic growth translates into real opportunity, mobility, and purpose for its people?

In this episode of Tex... more

Brad Swail welcomes Charles Blain—Houston Chronicle contributor, Manhattan Institute City Journal writer, Fox 26 panelist, author of the forthcoming The Brotherhood of Facts (Johns Hopkins Press, spring 2027), and founder of Local Insights.

Charles ... more

Brad Swail sits down with Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath and Mary Lynn Pruneda (Texas 2036 Director of Education & Workforce Policy) for a forward-looking conversation on the future of Texas public education. They discuss post-COVID recover... more

After the 2026 primaries delivered a fresh wave of “new blood” in the Legislature, will property taxes finally get crushed… or will the same old insider games continue?

In this hard-hitting episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Jera... more

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Recent Guests

John Horchuk
Senior Vice President for Policy and Advocacy at Texas 2036
Texas 2036
Episode: Educating Tomorrow’s Texas: From Classrooms to Careers w/Mike Morath & Mary Lynn Pruneda (Future of Texas)
Jeramy Kitchen
President of Texas Policy Research
Texas Policy Research
Episode: Property Taxes, the Texas Liberty Compact, and the Fight for Real Reform w/Jeramy Kitchen
Joe Lonsdale
8VC general partner, Cicero Institute founder, Palantir Technologies co-founder
8VC; Cicero Institute; Palantir Technologies
Episode: Innovation Nation: Texas’ Next Economic Boom (Future of Texas)
John Hryhorchuk
Senior vice president for policy and advocacy at Texas 2036
Texas 2036
Episode: Innovation Nation: Texas’ Next Economic Boom (Future of Texas)
Megan Mauro
Interim president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business
Texas Association of Business
Episode: The Texas Miracle, Data Centers, and the Future of Business in Texas w/Megan Mauro
Kelly Hancock
Acting Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Texas Comptroller's Office
Episode: Texas Economy, Education Freedom Accounts, and State Spending Transparency w/Kelly Hancock
Mandy Drogin
Senior Fellow of Government Reform and Oversight Coalition at the Texas Public Policy Foundation
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Episode: Mandy Drogin on School Choice, ESAs & the Future of Texas Education
Margaret Byfield
Executive Director, American Stewards of Liberty
American Stewards of Liberty
Episode: Ep. 101 - Margaret Byfield (Energy Policy)
Jaime Olin
Litigation attorney; interim executive director of the Texas Humane Legislation Network
Texas Humane Legislation Network (THLN)
Episode: Ep. 100 - Jaime Olin (Animal Policy Advocate)

Host

Brad Swail
Host of the Texas Talks podcast

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#237
United States/Government
Apple Podcasts
#116
South Korea/Government
Apple Podcasts
#141
Ukraine/Government
Apple Podcasts
#157
Saudi Arabia/Government

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ep. 84 - Mike Morath (TX Education Commissioner)
Q: Could you summarize the Teacher Incentive Allotment and its impact on teacher retention?
The allotment provides substantial merit-based pay, typically $3,000 to $36,000 per year per teacher, tied to performance; its design aims to keep excellent teachers in the classroom by rewarding high performers and encouraging professional growth, which has been shown to improve retention.
Ep. 84 - Mike Morath (TX Education Commissioner)
Q: What is Bluebonnet and how widely is it implemented across districts?
Bluebonnet is a state-approved reading and math curriculum designed to align with Texas standards; it has moved from pilots to full implementation in many districts, with districts varying in how broadly they adopt it, but the intent is to standardize high-quality instruction.
Ep. 84 - Mike Morath (TX Education Commissioner)
Q: You mentioned the A–F system and how it balances achievement and growth; can you explain how this translates into real classroom outcomes?
The system weighs both how much students grow during a year and what they end up knowing, so even schools that start behind can still achieve a strong overall rating if they show meaningful progress and reach key performance benchmarks.
Hemp in Texas — Veterans, PTSD, and the Fight for Alternative Healing
Q: Why do you advocate for hemp-derived products for veterans?
Because these products offer a more accessible, less sedating option that can reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and help prevent crisis moments without the heavy dependency and cognitive blunting often associated with some antidepressants, while also empowering veterans to seek individualized healing paths.
Ep. 86 - Tanner Jones (CEO)
Q: What is legal cartography and why is it needed now?
Legal cartography maps the law across different corpuses (statutes, regulations, and case law) so people can understand and navigate regulatory spaces efficiently, reducing the cost and time required to achieve compliance.

Audience Metrics

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Gender Skew
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Age Range
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Frequently Asked Questions About Texas Talks

What is Texas Talks about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Texas Talks offers weekly conversations with policymakers, business leaders, and analysts shaping public policy in Texas. Episodes routinely explore economic incentives, tax policy, health policy, education tech, workforce issues, and regulatory dynamics, often anchored by data-driven critique or pragmatic reform ideas. A distinctive thread across episodes is presenting policy debates with a nonpartisan frame, highlighting how incentives, costs, and governance structures drive real-world outcomes for communities and businesses. Listeners likely include policy practitioners, public affairs professionals, and executives seeking accessible, issue-focused Texas policy discussions that surface practical implications for markets and regulation.

Where can I find podcast stats for Texas Talks?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Texas Talks. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Texas Talks and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Texas Talks get?

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What are the audience demographics for Texas Talks?

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How many subscribers and views does Texas Talks have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Texas Talks has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Texas Talks?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Texas Talks:

1. Texas Bullpen Podcast
2. Y'all-itics
3. Texas Standard
4. Freakonomics Radio
5. Texas Take

How many episodes of Texas Talks are there?

Texas Talks launched 2 years ago and published 113 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Texas Talks?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Texas Talks?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Texas Talks from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Texas Talks?

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What guests have appeared on Texas Talks?

Recent guests on Texas Talks include:

1. John Horchuk
2. Jeramy Kitchen
3. Joe Lonsdale
4. John Hryhorchuk
5. Megan Mauro
6. Kelly Hancock
7. Mandy Drogin
8. Margaret Byfield

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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