School closures and voucher politics

Gina Hinojosa, a Texas state representative and Democratic candidate for governor, joins the Chuck ToddCast to discuss how the school choice debate has created unexpected opportunities for Democrats in traditionally red states. Hinojosa, who entered politics through school board advocacy to save her son's school, argues that corruption—not ideology—is the biggest driver of Texas politics. She accuses Governor Greg Abbott of holding school funding hostage to push through a voucher program, forcing closures across the state while Texas ranks in the bottom three nationally for education funding. Hinojosa contends that vouchers lack transparency and accountability, and notes that even Trump-voting Texas women have joined the fight against them. She criticizes charter schools for cherry-picking students while taking public resources, and highlights how special education funding has been systematically cut, leaving expensive and crucial services unmet.

Beyond education, Hinojosa paints a broader picture of dysfunction in Texas, claiming Abbott has awarded $1 billion in no-bid contracts to donors—what she calls the "Greg Abbott corruption tax"—and pointing to failures in the state's deregulated electric grid, border policy, and treatment of vulnerable communities. She argues that Texas operates as a three-party state, with two Republican wings and Democrats, and describes how Abbott used millions to primary moderate "Bush Republicans," successfully defeating nine incumbents who wouldn't toe the line. While acknowledging challenges like the border security issue that flipped the Rio Grande Valley toward Trump and ICE enforcement she describes as "terrorizing communities," Hinojosa sees opportunities in growing business community frustration over tariffs and deportations. She emphasizes that despite Texas's economic power and population growth—which will add 4-5 congressional districts—ordinary Texans aren't benefiting, with small business owners earning less than the national average and electric bills skyrocketing due to data center demand and grid mismanagement.

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Gina Hinojosa joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:00 School choice issue has opened the door for Dems in red states

02:30 Gina’s background in education & school board politics

04:00 Ran for school board to save her son’s school

04:30 Greg Abbott is reallocating money, forcing school closures

05:15 Corruption is biggest driver of politics in Texas

06:00 Consultants & vendors use part time legislators to make money

06:45 Schools closing all over Texas due to budget cuts & vouchers

08:00 Abbott held school funding hostage trying to pass voucher program

08:30 Texas is bottom 3 in the country for school funding

10:00 Texas women who voted Trump joined fight against vouchers

11:15 Vouchers have no transparency or accountability

12:30 The school funding model hasn’t changed since industrial age

13:45 Do you support Texas’s “recapture” funding model?

15:00 The recaptured money is being wasted 

16:30 Student testing and NAEP scores are decreasing overall

17:45 Teachers deserve to be treated and paid like professional

18:30 Special needs students can attend private school funded by state

19:30 Special education is very expensive & requests go unmet

20:45 State cut corners to avoid paying for special ed students

22:15 Charter schools take public resources but not all kids

23:15 Charter schools deny admission to kids with disciplinary records

24:45 Education paid for by Texas property taxes which have skyrocketed

25:15 Texans pay the “Greg Abbott corruption tax”

26:00 Abbott has given $1 billion dollars in no-bid contracts to donors

27:45 The corruption issue is ripe but the electorate is cynical on both sides

29:15 Abbott’s corruption is the #1 talking point in the Republican primary

30:30 Gas companies let Texans freeze until prices spiked high enough

32:30 Border security issue led to Rio Grande valley voting for Trump

34:00 Biden was able to fix border issues, just took too long to do it

34:30 Deportations flipped political sentiment in Rio Grande valley 

36:00 ICE is terrorizing communities

36:45 Masked law enforcement should be illegal

37:45 Texas is a three party state: Two GOP wings & Democrats

38:30 How can you grow the Democratic party in Texas?

39:45 The “Bush Republicans” in TX can’t vote their districts or conscience

40:15 Abbott used millions to primary Bush Republicans & 9 lost their race

41:30 Is the GOP nationalizing the race your biggest challenge?

42:30 Texas will gain 4-5 congressional districts due to growth

44:45 The business community in TX is mad at tariffs & deportations

45:30 People of Texas aren’t benefiting from their economic power

47:15 Small business owners make less than average nationally

47:45 Texas’s electric grid is a ticking time bomb

48:15 Deregulation & corruption have exacerbated issues with grid

49:00 Electric bills skyrocketing due to data centers

50:30 Thoughts on nuclear to address energy problems?

52:00 Favorite food on the campaign trail?

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