The Texas Tribune Festival will bring hundreds of big names to Austin in September. The three day event taking place Sept. 22-24 includes 350 speakers and 120 panels, conversations, and interviews.
From the opening keynote session with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to the closing session with Republican Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney, TribFest 2022 is packed in between with events and topics that impact all Texans.
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There’s a session with Hillary Clinton on her vision for America, one with Karl Rove on what to expect in the next two election cycles, and another with NBC/MSNBC anchor Katy Tur on her volatile childhood as well as her journey to become a network anchor.
Below we’re spotlighting 22 of the panels slated for the 2022 event, many including prominent leaders from the Houston area.
22 Panels Coming to the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival
Friday, Sept. 23, 2022
8:45 a.m. - One-on-One with Glenn Hegar: The Texas comptroller talks about the state’s economy and how the state may spend money in the future.
8:45 a.m. - The Marshall Project Presents: The Death Penalty in a Pro-Life State: This session features republican State. Rep. Jeff Leach of Plano and democratic State. Rep. Joe Moody of El Paso discussing evolving attitudes on capital punishment.
10:30 a.m. - One-on-One with Dan Crenshaw: The Republican congressman from the 2nd district of Texas talks about being a conservative today, his priorities in the U.S. House and his next political battlefield.
10:30 a.m. - The State of Higher Ed: University of Chancellor Renu Khator talks with Texas Commissioner of Higher Education Harrison Keller.
12:15 p.m. - One-on-One with Laura Arnold: The philanthropist and public citizen on how she and her husband improve the world, and Texas, through their giving.
12:30 p.m. - What Happened in Uvalde: Former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman and Republican State Rep. Dustin Burrows from Lubbock discuss the Legislature’s special investigative committee and what it has uncovered about Uvalde.
1:30 p.m. - The ‘Burbs: This session features Nina Bennett of HR&A Advisors and Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George on how the growth of suburbs impacts Texas.
2:30 p.m. - The 25th-Largest State: Sheriff Ed Gonzalez discusses the challenges and complexities of running Harris County.
3:00 p.m. - Political Climate: Finding common ground on extreme weather. This panel features former republican state rep. Sarah Davis and associate professor at Rice University Daniel Cohan. (Media support for this panel is provided by KPRC 2)
4:00 p.m. - Party Crashers: David Jolly, Executive Chair of the Serve America Movement, and Andrew Yang, Co-Chair of the Forward Party, discuss alternatives to the Democratic and Republican parties.
Sept. 24, 2022
8:45 a.m. - After Roe: Former State Senator Wendy Davis and State. Rep Donna Howard (D-Austin) discuss women’s health and women’s rights.
9:00 a.m. - Power Struggle: Is the Texas power grid fixed? Experts weigh in.
10:30 a.m. - One-on-One with Ted Cruz: The U.S. Senator on his beef with the Biden administration and whether or not he plans to run for president again.
10:45 a.m. - Mission Accomplished: How nonprofits are stepping in to solve problems. This session includes renowned tennis player Andy Roddick.
10:45 a.m. - The Truth About Bail: This session focuses on bail reform and the next steps. Speakers include Krishnaveni Gundu, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Texas Jail Project and Nathan Hecht, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas.
11:15 a.m. - The Next Pandemic: Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, discusses whether or not we are prepared for another public health emergency.
11:30 a.m. - The New World Disorder: Former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and U.S. Representative Michael McCaul discuss alliances, adversaries, and anxieties in politics.
12:45 p.m. - Keeping the Peace: Big-city police chiefs like HPD’s Troy Finner focus on their efforts in their communities and on the force.
2:15 p.m. - One-on-One with Lyle Lovett: The musician talks about how Texas shaped his life and career.
3:00 p.m. - With Conviction: Three county district attorneys, including Harris Co. DA Kim Ogg and Fort Bend Co. DA Brian Middleton, explain how they do their jobs in a complicated environment.
4:00 p.m. - Class Warfare: This discussion on the fight over what kids are taught in schools features Houston ISD superintendent Millard House, III. (Media support for this panel is provided by KPRC 2)
4:15 p.m. - Who was George Floyd?: A conversation on how systemic racism shaped Floyd’s life and where we’ve come since his death. The session features Toluse Olorunnipa, the White House bureau chief for the Washington Post.