In this week’s episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, about her and her colleagues’ decision to flee the state, the potential financial and criminal penalties and her opposition to the state’s proposed new congressional map.

The proposal aims to make working conditions safer for teachers but critics worry it could push the state’s most vulnerable students out of the classroom.

Much of the House battlefield is centered in districts with struggling schools, where Democrats hope public education will resonate at the ballot box.

The House blocked school vouchers during this year’s regular lawmaking session, but a report released Friday shows some members might be willing to approve a scaled-back version of the program that doesn’t compete with public schools for funds.

State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, has proposed an amendment to the state constitution to raise legislator pay and tie it to teachers’ pay, saying it would give lawmakers a living wage and allow a broader range of Texans to serve.

Senators in the finance committee asked questions Monday about the pros and cons of basing the amount of money that schools get per student on enrollment instead of attendance. Districts say the change could mean millions in additional funding.

Martinez Fischer replaces Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, who has led the caucus since 2017 and did not seek reelection.

State Reps. Gina Hinojosa, Donna Howard and Eddie Rodriguez talked about everything from redistricting to “critical race theory” with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith.

The fast-growing region likely will see a considerable number of new state and federal lawmakers after the 2022 election. And in many cases, they will be representing districts whose boundaries have significantly shifted.

Texas Democrats have been in the nation’s capital for more than two weeks, seeking the support of as many high-profile politicians as they can.

Both Republicans in Austin and Democrats in D.C. have engaged in the political drama over the past two weeks, with the two camps battling it out on cable news interviews and social media over the quorum bust and who is to blame for it.

But after hours on the phone with more than a dozen health care providers in Houston, she said she was unsuccessful. The Texas Department of State Health Services did not respond to a request for comment. Phase 1A of the rollout prioritizes health care workers, while Phase 1B prioritizes people 65 and older and those who are at least 16 with a qualifying health condition. In it, he urged those with vaccine doses not to wait until everyone in the 1A group had been vaccinated before moving on to the 1B group. Greg Abbott on Tuesday accused providers of not moving quickly enough to administer vaccine doses.

More than 2.2 million Texans have filed unemployment claims as the economy is being battered by limited statewide commerce during the pandemic and a downturn in the states massive energy industry. On Thursday morning, the TWC is expected to release the number of people who filed unemployment claims last week. Esther Griffins unemployment claim was approved shortly after she filed in early April. Griffins employer reopened, but she couldnt return to work because she didnt have the money needed to send her youngest child to day care since she went weeks without a paycheck or unemployment benefits. Without unemployment benefits, they might have to defer payments for April, May and June to the end of their 30-year mortgage.