The Modeliest of Model Legislation

Aimee Arrambide of Fund Texas Choice and Public Leadership Institute with co-host Sonia Van Meter of Stanford Campaigns. We talked about Aimee's work crafting and editing model reproductive justice legislation.

Legislative Update with Teddy Wilson

Teddy Wilson of Rewire News joined me and Sonia Van Meter of Stanford Campaigns for a Texas 85th Legislative Session update. There's never enough time to talk about all of the bills that will affect reproductive justice.

Jessica Mason Pieklo and Robin Marty Lay It Out in Crow After Roe

Jessica Mason Pieklo co-author of Crow After Roe, written with co-author Robin Marty, joined me to talk about reproductive rights and intersectionality, particularly how individual states' legislatures are serving as testing grounds for laws eroding women's right to bodily autonomy. You can find Jessica and Robin's work all over the internet; both are at Rewire News.

Women's March in Austin Saturday

Tonight's show featured Women's March on Austin organizers Sylvia Holmes, Melissa Fiero, Beth Andre and Simone Laurent.

The Big Pink Bus Brings Mammograms to the People

Isabel Stevens of the Big Pink Bus, Seton's mobile mammography clinic joined me to talk about the services they provide 6 days a week. They perform free mammography all over town for low-income, uninsured women over 40 who qualify. Call 512-324-3375 to make an appointment.

Abortion Conversation Projects Work to Combat Stigma

Terry Salas Merritt, the Board Chair of Abortion Conversations Projects, and Sonia Van Meter joined me to talk stigma and ways to undo it.

Vagina Monologues 2017

Heather Ross, Laura, Erin, Ramona, and Brenda joined me to perform and promote the 2017 production of the Vagina Monologues in Austin benefiting SafePlace. Heather is directing this year! The annual production of the Vagina Monologues is part of the VDay & 1 Billion Rising event celebration that goes on through much of February.

State of Texas Can't Explain Lack of Dignity for Women

Tonight Nancy Cardenas Pena Associate Director at the National Latina Institutes of Reproductive Health, Jan Soifer Travis County District Court Judge-Elect and Attorney at O'Connell Soifer LLP, the local law firm working with Center for Reproductive Rights on the current lawsuit against the State of Texas' fetal funeral regulation joined me and co-host Sonia Van Meter, political operative at Stanford Caskey, to talk about today's hearing to block the enforcement of fetal funeral regulations until a full hearing can be held, intersectionality, fetal funeral provisions, and reproductive justice. 

O'Connell Soifer also served as local counsel for Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt. Jan recently served as Travis County Democratic Party Chair.

Freedom for Placentas for Women, if they Want

This summer State Rep. Ana Hernandez (D-143) one of the sponsors of 2015 HB 1670 regarding placentas, Kit Garcia Herbalist, Chemist and Acupuncturist at Dragonfly Wellness, and Sarah Fusco mother who was denied access to her placenta after delivering her second child in Austin in 2009 joined me to talk about the improved access to placentas after delivery since the passage of 2015's HB 1670.

Abbott & Texas HHSC Push Fetal Funeral Provision on Women

Mary Tuma of the Austin Chronicle and Alexa Garcia-Ditta of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas joined me to talk about the recently approved fetal funeral regulation put in place by Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Greg Abbott, sore loser of Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, Abbott is looking to waste millions more in taxpayer dollars to defend a provision which is a wholly unconstitutional undue burden that does nothing to improve the health or well-being of one person.

LGBT Equality, Stonewall, Pride, & Non-Discrimination FTW

Last week Anna Nguyen of Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) and Priscilla Hale of Allgo Queer People of Color joined me to talk about Stonewall, Pride, and the continued efforts to achieve LGBT equality.

HB2 and SCOTUS: The Reckoning

Sylvia Holmes Associate Director of Student Legal Services at the University of Texas at Austin and Genevieve Cato Development Director at NARAL Pro-Choice Texas joined me to talk about the SCOTUS decision of Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, a victory for women's health.

The Hunting Ground Gets Screened in Austin

Courtney Santana Founder and Executive Director of Survive 2 Thrive Foundation and Amy Ziering Producer of the documentary film The Hunting Ground joined me to talk about sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, survivors, campus sexual assault, and the Austin screening of The Hunting Ground featuring a panel discussion with Amy, Courtney, Alexis Jones of I Am That Girl and Protect Her, Dominique Vining Director of Community Health and Public Health Initiatives at Huston-Tillotson University, Noel Busch-Armendariz, PhD, LMSW, MPA, Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Texas School of Social Work and Rick Gipprich Director of Regional Support for the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA).

COHI Screens The Suffering Grasses

Anna Franceschi Deputy Director of Circle of Health International (COHI) joined me to talk about their screening of the 2012 Iara Lee documentary, The Suffering Grasses. COHI has sent numerous delegations of volunteers to support the Syrian diaspora since the conflict started over 5 years ago.

Dawn Porter Presents TRAPPED

Dawn Porter, director of the documentary TRAPPED joined me to talk about the film, her experience making it, and the transparency with which conservative legislators use the law to the detriment of women's health while claiming it's for women's health.

HB2 SCOTUS Possible Outcomes

Genevieve Scott, Staff Attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Alexa Garcia-Ditta, Health Reporter at the Texas Observer, join me to talk about possible outcomes to Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, the HB2 case awaiting SCOTUS decision.

Rock and Wrap It Up Seeks Equity & Dignity for Women

Syd Mandelbaum founder of Rock And Wrap It Up, an anti-poverty, pro-prosperity think tank joined me to talk about their efforts to collect and distribute feminine hygiene products for teens and women. Only a few states have exempted feminine hygiene products from sales tax. It's pretty insulting especially given that medical devices and drugs are not taxed. SO Viagra, not taxed; pads, taxed. Doesn't make sense.

Stood Up By National Center for Public Policy Research

Had planned to ask some pointed questions, which I shared with NCPPR, and then they didn't answer the phone when I called for the interview. After multiple calls and a voicemail, I gave up on the conversation. The result is this disillusioned, disappointed monologue before you.

Equality Texas Promotes Freedom and Safety in Opposition to States' Efforts to Discriminate

Daniel Williams of Equality Texas joined me to talk about the unenforceable NC transphobic bathroom law, HB2, and Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton's efforts to bring state sponsored discrimination to students and schools in Texas.

Violence On Trial: Christian Fundamentalist Terrorism Given a Pass

Jessica Mason Pieklo Legal Analyst at Rewire joined me to talk about recent hearings involving domestic terrorist Robert Means who killed 3 in Colorado last fall at a Planned Parenthood. He was found not competent to stand trial. We also talked about the death threats on Wichita provider, Dr. Means, that were found to not be death threats. When Christians are the terrorists, media and juries give them a pass. This sets unfortunate precedent in our courts for terroristic acts to come.