How should Texas prepare its colleges, workforce, tax system, and infrastructure for the state's continued growth?
On Episode 126 of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with State Rep. Vince Perez, who represents House District 77 in El Paso, to discuss some of the major policy questions facing Texas ahead of the next legislative session. Perez describes his district at the center of the El Paso–Ciudad Juárez region and explains how its location along the U.S.-Mexico border shapes its economy and workforce.
A major focus is higher education. Perez discusses recent interim hearings, Texas' performance-based community college funding system, funding shortfalls facing those institutions, workforce development, and how artificial intelligence could transform the jobs awaiting today's college students.
The conversation covers:
Perez also lays out his concerns about the enormous electricity and water requirements associated with new data centers, questioning whether the jobs and economic benefits they generate will justify the incentives and infrastructure demands placed on local communities.
00:00 — Introducing Rep. Vince Perez & House District 77
02:20 — Texas Higher Education & Community College Funding
05:11 — Why Community Colleges Are Facing Shortfalls
09:26 — Can Texas Make Colleges Whole?
11:09 — Higher Education & the Future of Warfare
13:18 — AI, Healthcare & Texas' Future Workforce
15:52 — Academic Freedom in Texas Universities
20:39 — The Fight Over Texas Property Taxes
25:32 — West Texas' Massive Data Center Boom
27:53 — Water, Electricity & the Cost of Data Centers
29:15 — Closing Thoughts