From religious gatherings to raffles at rodeos, voters in Texas approved eight amendments to the Texas Constitution last night. What does the outcome say, if anything, about the state of the Texas electorate heading into an important 2022 election season? That's a tough one. This morning, I was on the line with Richard Pineda , the UTEP communications and politics professor who often joins us to tease out the messages in election outcomes. His take? That after a legislative session in which Republicans were successful in passing an overwhelmingly conservative agenda, a majority of Texas voters are behind them. After all, these amendments were first approved by the Lege this year, and passed on to the voters for approval or rejection. Granted, most of these amendments were not especially controversial. But in the case of Proposition 3 , which prohibits state officials from banning religious gatherings – even during, say, a pandemic – Texas voters said 'yes' by roughly a 2 to 1 margin. Perhaps more ominous for Texas Democrats, he says, is what happened in the gubernatorial races in Virginia where a Democratic incumbent lost his seat, and in New Jersey which remains, to the surprise of many, too close to call as of this writing. History tells us that midterm elections tend not to favor the party of the president in power, but as Pineda and others have noted, the outlook for Democrats is not particularly good almost exactly one year away from those midterms. But political seasons are measured by moments, not months – and much can change between now and next November. Our own Jill Ament's story included in this week's newsletter shows how Texas Democrats may indeed alter the political landscape in a big way by reaching out to rural voters. It's a very interesting story, and we encourage you to check it out along with the rest of this week's picks from recent coverage, below. Until next week, we'll see you on the radio!

- David Brown

Work safe, Texas. Texas Work Comp Insurance

SCOTUS moving quickly on Texas abortion law, with its enforcement main sticking point

A Dallas Morning News reporter says the justices are most concerned that the law could set a precedent for putting enforcement of laws in the hands of the general public.

Through push for historical marker, 1930 Sherman riot starts to gain recognition

Members of a white mob lynched the body of a Black man, and burned the city’s Black business district. Some locals hadn’t even heard of the lynching until recently.

Are Texas Democrats starting to take rural voters seriously?

Texas' red, rural wall has helped Republicans dominate statewide elections for decades. Rural Democrats hope to change that.

When psychics ruled the airwaves, thanks to the Texas-Mexico border and the magic of radio

A new book tells how powerful radio stations along the border helped these former vaudeville actors reach larger audiences.

As Austin sees a rash of antisemitic violence, Jewish leaders call for unity (KUT)
Woodlands city incorporation fails at the ballot box (Houston Public Media)
GOP flips Texas House District 118 in irregular runoff race (Texas Public Radio)
Austin voters strongly reject Prop A, which would have required hiring hundreds more police (KUT Austin)

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@gloriegabriella

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