Ep 1155 | Debunking the Biggest School Choice Lies | Guest: Ron Simmons

Summary

Podcast Summary: Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey – Ep 1155 | Debunking the Biggest School Choice Lies | Guest: Ron Simmons

Release Date: March 12, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 1155 of Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey, host Allie Beth Stuckey engages in a profound conversation with her father, Ron Simmons, tackling pressing issues surrounding the economy, government funding, tariffs, and the highly debated topic of school choice. Recorded shortly before the episode's release, the discussion provides listeners with insightful perspectives from a seasoned conservative viewpoint.

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Economic Overview

Stock Market Insights

Ron Simmons, an experienced investor and author, delves into the current state of the stock market, addressing widespread anxieties about potential crashes.

• Understanding Market Indices: Ron explains the primary stock market indices—the Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ, and S&P 500—and their roles in reflecting the broader economic health.

  • "The S&P 500 has been the best performing investment for the last 75 to 80 years." [05:11]

• Market Overreactions: He emphasizes that the stock market often overreacts to both positive and negative news, urging investors to remain calm and avoid rash decisions.

  • "If you try to sell into this market, you're going to get whipsawed." [06:00]

• Long-Term Investment Strategy: Ron advises against short-term investments and highlights the importance of staying invested for long-term gains.

  • "The S&P 500 has been the best performing investments for the last 75 to 80 years. So you just stay calm in that." [07:52]

Tariffs and Trade War

The discussion transitions to international trade tensions, focusing on recent tariff implementations by China and the broader implications for the U.S. economy.

• Impact of Tariffs: Ron clarifies that many of the anticipated tariffs have been paused, minimizing their immediate effect on the economy.

  • "None of those tariffs have actually gone into effect and heard anything yet." [12:10]

• Reciprocal Tariffs: He explains the concept of reciprocal tariffs and how they are intended to protect American industries by making imported goods more expensive.

  • "If you don't tariff us, we're not going to tariff you. But if you tariff us, we're going to tariff you." [15:15]

• Economic Predictions: Despite the ongoing trade tensions, Ron remains optimistic about the stock market's future, predicting growth by year's end.

  • "My prediction is, the stock market will be higher at the end of the year than it is today." [13:21]

Jobs Report and Economic Indicators

The conversation shifts to the latest jobs report, analyzing its impact on market perceptions and broader economic health.

• Jobs Report Analysis: Ron assesses the recent jobs data, interpreting it as insufficient to signal a significant economic downturn.

  • "I don't think that's enough to really make a difference." [17:03]

• Consumer Confidence and Mortgage Rates: Positive economic indicators, such as improved consumer assessments and declining mortgage rates, are highlighted as signs of economic resilience.

  • "I think that's good. We do need the Fed to lower the interest rates." [17:42]

• Stagflation Concerns: Addressing fears of stagflation, Ron dismisses them based on historical trends and the Federal Reserve's ability to manage economic variables.

  • "We haven't had stagflation since the 70s." [18:27]

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Government Funding Update

Allie Beth provides an update on the Continued Resolution (CR) aimed at preventing a government shutdown, setting the stage for deeper analysis with Ron.

• Legislative Passages: The CR has passed the Senate along party lines, with notable dissent from one Democrat and Republican Thomas Massie.

  • "The legislation will fund the government if it passes the Senate through September 30th." [00:01]

• Funding Allocations: The CR boosts defense funding while imposing cuts on non-defense spending, ensuring continued government operations until the fiscal year's end.

  • "It boosts funds for defense programs, imposes cuts to non-defense spending." [00:01]

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Tariffs and Trade Policies

Ron further elaborates on the nuances of recent trade policies, particularly tariffs imposed by China, and their broader economic implications.

• China's Tariffs on US Imports: He discusses China's recent tariffs on U.S. imports like chicken, wheat, and soybeans, framing them within the context of a larger adversarial relationship.

  • "China is a different story because they are actually an enemy in a lot of ways." [13:28]

• Economic Resilience: Ron reassures that domestic production can offset the impact of foreign tariffs, maintaining that the U.S. remains economically robust.

  • "We still produce most of the wheat that countries eat around the world." [13:35]

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Debunking School Choice Myths

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to school choice legislation in Texas, with Ron Simmons providing a comprehensive analysis to counter prevalent misconceptions.

Texas School Choice Legislation

• Senate vs. House Bills: Ron outlines the differences between the Senate's SB2 and the House's HB3 bill, highlighting SB2's prioritization of funding for parents with special needs and low-income families.

  • "SB2 passed the Senate on February 5. The House bill, HB3, was proposed on February 20." [30:50]

• Funding Allocation: Emphasizing that only a fraction of public school funding is redirected, Ron clarifies that the majority remains intact, dispelling fears that public schools are being starved of funds.

  • "The total funding for each student in Texas is about $15,000. If you take the $6,200, $9,000 is left." [35:59]

Addressing Common Misconceptions

• Government Overreach: Ron counters the argument that school choice leads to government intrusion in private education, explaining that participation is entirely voluntary.

  • "If you don't want to take the money, you don't have to." [35:59]

• Impact on Tuition Costs: He addresses concerns about potential tuition hikes in private schools, attributing it to basic supply and demand dynamics rather than inherent flaws in the school choice system.

  • "If there's more demand for private schools now because there's more money available, that the supply is not there yet." [36:53]

National Implications

Ron underscores the significance of Texas passing school choice legislation, projecting its impact on national education policies by enabling nearly half of U.S. students to benefit from enhanced educational opportunities.

• "When this school choice passes, which it will pass in some form, that will mean that almost 50% of all of the students in the United States will have some type of school choice option." [30:50]

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Critique of Representative Thomas Massie

The episode includes a critical examination of Representative Thomas Massie, focusing on his legislative record and political strategies.

• Legislative Achievements: Allie Beth presents data indicating that, as of March 11, 2025, Thomas Massie has not successfully passed any bills he sponsored since his tenure began in November 2012.

  • "As of March 11, 2025, Representative Thomas Massie has not successfully passed any bills he sponsored." [44:35]

• Opposition to COVID Relief: Massie's attempts to block the CARES Act and other COVID-related bills are discussed, showcasing his resistance to bipartisan relief efforts.

  • "Massey attempted to block its approval, which I appreciate, by the way." [45:56]

• Political Strategy and Public Perception: The conversation touches on former President Trump's criticisms of Massie, including threats of primary challenges, and Ron defends Massie's principles while questioning his effectiveness.

  • "He is merely making a point. But really, the way, if you want that, if you want that bill broken down to individual appropriation bills, you just gotta work out a deal." [25:48]

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Personal Updates and Reflections

Ron Simmons' Recovery

Allie Beth shares a personal update on her father's health, revealing that Ron has successfully recovered from a significant surgery four weeks prior to the recording.

• Recovery Progress: Ron expresses gratitude for the support and prayers he received during his recovery, highlighting the importance of empathy developed through personal health challenges.
  • "Experiencing people praying for you really does mean a lot." [03:23]

Legacy and Advocacy

The father-daughter duo reflects on their shared commitment to advocacy, particularly in education and conservative policies, emphasizing the long-term impact of their efforts.

• School Choice Legacy: Ron discusses his history in the Texas Legislature, advocating for school choice, and expresses optimism about its eventual success despite current legislative hurdles.

  • "I've filed the bill in 2015 and 2017 for this. So if we get this through, this will be a big moment of celebration." [44:14]

• Book Promotion: Ron promotes his book, "Life Lessons from the Little Red Wagon," which offers guidance on maintaining composure during uncertain times.

  • "It makes sure that you don't overreact to something." [48:51]

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Conclusion

Episode 1155 of Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey offers a thorough exploration of economic concerns, legislative actions, and the transformative potential of school choice. With Ron Simmons providing expert analysis and personal insights, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding these critical issues from a conservative Christian perspective.

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Notable Quotes:

• Ron Simmons on Stock Market Stability:

  • "The S&P 500 has been the best performing investments for the last 75 to 80 years." [05:11]

• On Tariffs and Reciprocity:

  • "If you don't tariff us, we're not going to tariff you. But if you tariff us, we're going to tariff you." [15:15]

• On School Choice Impact:

  • "When this school choice passes, which it will pass in some form, that will mean that almost 50% of all of the students in the United States will have some type of school choice option." [30:50]

• Critique of Thomas Massie:

  • "As of March 11, 2025, Representative Thomas Massie has not successfully passed any bills he sponsored." [44:35]

• Personal Reflection on Recovery:

  • "Experiencing people praying for you really does mean a lot." [03:23]

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For more detailed discussions and additional insights, listeners are encouraged to tune into Episode 1155 of Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey on the Blaze Podcast Network.

Transcript

[Ali Stuckey]

What's going on with the economy? Is it time to panic? Also, will Republicans come together and be able to pass a continued resolution to keep the government open? And what is the truth about school choice? We've got my dad, Ron Simmons here to break it all down for us on today's episode of Relatable. Hey guys. Welcome to Relatable. Happy Wednesday. Hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far. Okay, before we get into the interview with my dad, which was recorded yesterday, I want to make sure to give an update on something we talked about. The continued resolution which my dad will break down today. Give some background on where the GOP is disagreeing. That ended up passing yesterday afternoon along party lines mostly. There was one Democrat who voted yes on the measure and there was one Republican, Thomas Massie, whom we will discuss today, who voted no. The legislation will fund the government if it passes the Senate through September 30th. So we're avoiding that end of week government shutdown. So that is at the end of the fiscal year September 30th. So it boosts funds for defense programs, imposes cuts to non defense spending. Current funding expires on 11:59pm on Friday. So the government will continue to be funded. We will talk about the good and the bad and the ugly of that in just a minute with my dad. But first, let me tell you about Share the arrows, y'all. I AM so excited. October 11th, Dallas, Texas. This is a women's conference, I think unlike any other women's conference. I mean this is clear, hard hitting, deep theological teaching that will arm you, equip you with truths from the word of God to combat the craziness and the chaos of our culture and to raise your children. Encourage in boldness in the Lord. One of my favorite reviews from last year, I got a message after the conference concluded that said, I walked out of there with zero fear of man and that is my hope. For every attendee, the worship will again be led by Francesca Batticelli, Grammy award winning artist. We have an amazing lineup of speakers that we will be announcing very soon. But go ahead and get your tickets. We are on pace to to sell a lot more tickets than we did last year already, which is just incredible. Which means it is very likely that this stadium will fill up. And once we fill up, that's it. There are no more extra seats. Go ahead, get your tickets now. Bring a friend, bring family members, bring your small group, your women's ministry, your co workers, get your flights, get your hotels, just get all the logistics nailed down and start the countdown to share the Arrows. 2025, Dallas, Texas. October 11th. Go to share the arrow. All right, without further ado, here's my dad. Dad. Welcome back. It's been a while.

[Ron Simmons]

It has been. It's good to be back. I'm glad you and I got both. Got blue on the. Dad.

[Ali Stuckey]

We're matching our blues. Okay. A lot of people have been praying for you. You had surgery a month ago, which is why you haven't been on the couch in a while. Can you give everyone an update on how you're doing?

[Ron Simmons]

Sure. Yeah. It's actually been four weeks right now, today.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Ron Simmons]

So. But things are progressing along as they should be. You know, it's a. It's not a. Wasn't a minor surgery. It was a reasonably major surgery, but doing well. Doing well. And just probably a couple weeks more. So I'm back 100%. Being able to play golf is the way I define 100%, by the way. So I've been missing that. But, you know, I've enjoyed actually having some downtime, being. Being at home. Mom's done a great job. Yes, she has. Although that's not something she probably enjoyed, which I don't blame. But she's done a great job. And appreciate everybody pray for. It really does mean a lot. It's amazing. You know, I haven't had too many physical setbacks in my life, so not, you know, experiencing people praying for you really is important. I've really felt that. So thank you.

[Ali Stuckey]

And it makes you appreciate the times when you aren't stuck in bed, when you can drive, when you can play golf, whenever you feel that kind of pain. Whenever I've given birth afterwards, I'm like, wow, I have so much sympathy now for people who have chronic pain and who are in the hospital a lot, who have to get surgeries a lot. It just gives you another level of compassion, and it makes you really want to pray for the relief of other people. Because you felt it.

[Ron Simmons]

You can empathize a whole lot easier, that's for sure.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yes, absolutely. Well, I'm so glad that you're back. We got a lot to talk about. Let's first talk about the stock market, because it's causing anxiety. Of course. You got people on the left taking advantage of what's going on there, looking at the markets and saying, see, he's causing turmoil. And then you've got other people saying, slow your roll. Things are gonna be fine. So tell us what is going on here, and let's start really, really fundamental when people say, oh, the stock market is crashing, it's not doing well. What are they talking about?

[Ron Simmons]

Well, what they're generally talking about, the stock market is really made up of three, three what we call indexes. And these are just groups of companies that represent a broader industry. Like the Dow Jones Industrial is 30 kind of the core companies in the United states. Things like AT&T, Exxon, those are, would be part of the industrial complex. Okay. Then there's the Nasdaq, okay. Which is a different whole stock market exchange where you can buy and sell stocks, but that's primarily tech stocks. That's more tech heavy. All right? And so when AI stocks go up and down, or Meta goes up and down, or Alphabet goes up and down, that's going to be influenced a lot in that. And then there's the S&P 500, which is the one I follow the Most. S&P 500 is 500, the 500 largest public companies in the United States. And that is a very good barometer of how the economy is, is going at that particular time. Now remember, stock markets overreact to news on the good side and on the bad side. So what happens is, is when these tariffs were announced and then the other countries like Canada, we're going to tariff you back and you know, well, it's kind of like, no, no, I'm going to do this to you. No, I'm going to do that to you. That people get panicked, okay? And it's a psychological thing more than anything. The fundamentals of Exxon or Apple or AT&T or those didn't change from one day to the next. Okay? They don't change like that, the fundamentals. And most investors should just do nothing. That's my recommendation, do nothing. If you try to sell into this market, you're going to get whipsawed and it's not going to work out for you. Whipsawed means what you're trying to do is you're trying to sell because it's gone down and then you won't, then you'll, then it starts going back up and you're going to end up buying, you know, selling low and buying high. And that's a recipe for disaster. You just have to be calm. In fact, what I tell people, look, if any money that you need within the next 12 months, no matter what 12 months you're looking at, it should never be invested in the stock market. If you're going to have to use that money, stock market should be longer term investments. And it's the best return you can get over a long term, over any 10 year period. The S&P 500 has been the best performing investments for the last 75 to 80 years. So you just stay calm in that.

[Ali Stuckey]

So some people may not know who maybe haven't read your book yet or haven't been listening to you since you first started coming on, but you ran a successful, very successful investment firm for a long time. And it's not like you grew up learning about the stock markets or that's not really something that was talked about on your kitchen table. How did you learn about all of this? How did you get to this point of being able to say, okay, I've seen enough to where I know that right now I have to remain calm and not act rashly?

[Ron Simmons]

Yeah, well, the main thing that I, the way I learned that is having to educate myself through reading different books, reading people that were, I would say, when I say, mentors of mine, they weren't personal mentors, but they were mentors of people I read. And these were long term, what I would call free market economists, people like a, a Peter lynch or Milton Friedman, those types of people, which were economists that looked at the big picture of how economies work and then look at history. Then the final thing though was just experience over time. I've seen, you know, when we first started our investment company, this is funny, we first started our investment company probably three weeks after that. We started the market went down almost 20%.

[Ali Stuckey]

This was what year?

[Ron Simmons]

1987. In one day, 1987. Now the bet that gave us the best selling line ever. We didn't have any clients at the time. So when I would start to meet with potential clients, I'd say, you know what, we didn't have any money in the market at that time. Now the reason we didn't is because we didn't have any clients. Right? But I mean, and what, but what I saw in that it bounced back the next year. And this is what happened. You remember 2022, not that long ago, the stock market yesterday or Monday fell more than it's fallen since 2022. And 2022 was a tough year for the market, but 2023 was a great year for the market. And 2024, what happens is people sell thinking, okay, I'm going to just wait it out right here. But they don't know when to get back in. And they wait too late to get back in. And therefore again, they've sold low and they're buying back in high. And you just don't want to do that. The best thing is if you're invested, stay invested. Okay. If you're not invested, I wait to invest when I see the market start turning the corner. Cause it may go down a little bit more. Okay. When it starts turning the corner and you have two or three days in a row where you've got, you know, pretty good solid gains and you want to get and you want to start investing, it's okay to do that. If you're in your 401k plan or whatever, just keep doing what you're doing. That's the main thing. It's going to be okay.

[Ali Stuckey]

Okay, quick pause for our first sponsor for the day, and that is We Heart Nutrition. So Chief Relay Debro and I are getting all of these tests done right now just to make sure that we are in good health. So far, so good. Very grateful for that. And I give a lot of credit to We Heart Nutrition. The supplements that I started taking about a year ago. You'll remember maybe if you've been listening for a little while, that the fall of 2023, I was sick, like, all of the time. It seemed like I just felt so run down, even though I was taking vitamins every day. But I started taking We Heart Nutrition at the beginning of 2024. I really think that was a game changer for my health. I can't say that I've never gotten sick, but I have staved off a lot of illnesses that have hit our household. And I think it's because my supplements now come in the most bioavailable form. So my body is actually absorbing the vitamin C and D and magnesium and iron and all the stuff that I really need. And my husband has also now switched to WE Hard Nutrition. He's a big supplement guy and he swears by this stuff, too. Go to wehardnutrition.com take the 20 second quiz so you can know which vitamin regimen is right for you. Use code ALI for 20% off wehardnutrition.com code ALI so we talked about tariffs last time and what they actually mean. We don't have to rehash all of that. People can go back, listen to or watch that episode that we did, but there are going to be some people saying, see, this is the result, result of a trade war. And because of this, we're going to be worse off than we were before. Is this the result of tariffs? What's going on there?

[Ron Simmons]

Well, none of those tariffs have actually gone into effect and heard anything yet. Right. Because so it's it's, it's psychological things are, people worry about that now, what will happen.

[Ali Stuckey]

I thought the tariffs on Mexico and Canada had gone into.

[Ron Simmons]

Yeah, but see that, he paused some of those. Okay. He paused most of those that make any difference. And remember, 99% of the goods from Mexico and, and the US and Canada between those three, those are tariff free because of the, the MCA, whatever it is that we last time.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ron Simmons]

So it's, it's a small number of them. And again, the amount that we buy from them as a percentage of our economy we talked about this one time is much smaller than the amount they buy from us as a percentage of their economy. So if we were, and we're tariff.

[Ali Stuckey]

Like if we were to try to import maple syrup to Canada, that would be tariffed because they're protecting their industry.

[Ron Simmons]

But we're going to buy, we're going to, what we buy from them is a larger percentage of their economy. So. And what they sell to us is a large percent as well. So what if we tariff what they're doing, it's going to hurt them more than what we're buying.

[Ali Stuckey]

On Monday, China started imposing tariffs on US Imports such as chicken, wheat, soybeans. What is your thought about that?

[Ron Simmons]

Well, you know, I mean, China is a different story because they are actually an enemy in a lot of ways. Right?

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Ron Simmons]

Culturally, government wise, all that type of stuff that, that can have an effect on us. But remember, we also, when we're talking about chickens, they're really talking about eggs more than anything else. Okay. But we do a lot of that ourselves, so I'm not overly concerned about that. We still produce most of the wheat that countries eat around the world. Again, it's going to have a short term effect, but it's not going to be a long term effect. My prediction is, is that the stock market will be higher at the end of the year than it is today.

[Ali Stuckey]

Okay. And even Trump is saying, okay, there's going to be a period of transition here as we're imposing these tariffs. Do you agree with that?

[Ron Simmons]

Oh, yeah, I think it could be how long that'll last. It could last a few months or what have you, but I think there will be. When we say transition, it's, it's because nobody has ever taken this tough of a stance, at least in our lifetime, that we remember we've always been much more globalist than we are today. And all he's trying to do is reset the scale because it's gotten way out of whack. In that the trade deficit during the Biden administration, I read the other day, was over a trillion dollars, meaning that we bought more from other countries by a trillion dollars than they bought from us. All right? And that's not good for our manufacturers, our farmers, and whatever we need to be sell, we need to sell to the world. We're only 300 million people. There's 6 or 7 billion people in the world. Right. So why do we have a trillion dollar trade deficit? It shouldn't be that way.

[Ali Stuckey]

And he's trying to make it, he's trying to better for American industry.

[Ron Simmons]

What he's saying is reciprocal. Look.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Ron Simmons]

If you don't tariff us, we're not going to tariff you. But if you tariff us, we're going to tariff you. This idiot up in Ottawa or whatever that guy's name is, that's going, that's putting the tariffs on the electricity going down to Minnesota, Michigan, whatever about this. He's. We, some of our northern states buy electricity from Canada, but. And he's put a 25% tariff on that. That guy is going to end up losing that whole fight, I promise you that. Yeah, right. And he's going to lose it because somebody else in the government's gonna call him and say, hey buddy. Cause he's not head of Canada, he's head of this province. Right? Yeah.

[Ali Stuckey]

So the way that this makes it reciprocal and makes it better for American industry, if a product that we're getting from China or Canada or Mexico is tariffed there is that makes the price go up for us. People say a tariff is the tax on the consumer. So to make up for that tariff, they're going to charge more and we're going to pay more.

[Ron Simmons]

That's Canadian maple syrup.

[Ali Stuckey]

And so how that helps American industry is that American products will end up being cheaper than the imported goods because the imported goods have a tariff. And so that is what he is hoping revitalizes a lot of American industry. We'll buy more American products.

[Ron Simmons]

And it's been going around, it's been going on for. Since our country was formed.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah. So people saying that this is a new trade word that's destabilizing the U.S. economy. That's just not honest.

[Ron Simmons]

No, it's been going on for a long, long time. And yes, we did get rid of a lot of them because we again, we were globalists. But is something that's happened many, many times over the years.

[Ali Stuckey]

So the jobs report. I read something this morning saying that the jobs report could also be a reason why the stock market is doing what it is. U.S. employers hired 151,000 workers last month, fell short of the expected 170,000 jobs added. Do you think that has a big effect on the stock market?

[Ron Simmons]

I don't think that's enough to really make a difference. Those usually adjusted to the next next month, 150,000 versus 170,000. Not that much makes a much of a difference.

[Ali Stuckey]

That's what I was.

[Ron Simmons]

Think those numbers could also get worse unless you carve out the government. Now you have to look at non government payroll and I don't know what those numbers were, but the government's going to have some job losses. Right. Because of what's going on up there with Doge, which is a good thing.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah. Okay. There's some good economic news. You can tell me what you think. Consumers assessment of current business conditions has moved higher recently. Mortgage rates also have dropped for seven consecutive weeks.

[Ron Simmons]

Yeah, I think that's good. We do need the Fed to lower the interest rates, the kind of the interest rates that banks can borrow from the government from. That hasn't happened yet. They're holding them steady. But the other thing, you know, Mr. Powell, I think said yesterday is that we're not in threat of a recession at this time. Okay. And that's what the Democrats and the news media are putting up. We're, we're not, we're all of the leading indicators. The stock market is not an indicator of recession. Okay. That's an indicator of psychological predictions, right?

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Ron Simmons]

The recession indicators are like jobs or like unemployment, those types of things. And so we're not, we're not at danger of that at this time.

[Ali Stuckey]

So is there any justification for concern about stagflation?

[Ron Simmons]

You know, we haven't had stagflation since the 70s.

[Ali Stuckey]

And so, and that stagflation is when inflation, so prices continue to go up and growth, it just stays the same.

[Ron Simmons]

Yeah, I don't, I don't see that again, temporarily because of what we're doing with these other countries, maybe, but I don't see that as a long term issue. It hasn't been around. I think the Feds have figured out how to control that after we had that the last time. And they do that by increasing or decreasing money supply, making it easier, harder to borrow.

[Ali Stuckey]

Okay. My biggest question is, and I don't think this has anything to do with the economy, I think it might have to do with bird flu, but I am tired of not being able to find eggs literally at our local grocery store for the Past several weeks, I cannot get eggs. I'm ready for Trump to do something about that. I don't know what it is. Have you noticed that?

[Ron Simmons]

No, I haven't noticed because we bought up ahead of time because we were long term planners.

[Ali Stuckey]

Oh, okay.

[Ron Simmons]

And eggs last a lot. Now, we haven't noticed that myself because I don't go to grocery stores probably as much as you do, but. But I do know that we had to buy eggs for the boys coming in this week. So I did see them.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah, well, you have to, like, you have to hunt for them.

[Ron Simmons]

And we need to get Brooke Rollins on here and have her talk about it because she definitely is dealing with that issue.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yes. Now, I need to look into this, but I read a headline, so I'll have to fact check it, and then maybe I can talk about it on Thursday. But that the Biden administration, because of some kind of overblown fear of bird flu, ended up killing like hundreds of.

[Ron Simmons]

Thousands of the same thing. Yeah. That they killed the chickens. Yeah.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah. So I don't know. I don't know. I'm not a conspiracy theorist. But maybe it was to cause a little bit of distress before Trump took office. I'll look into that.

[Ron Simmons]

You know, we also need to look into the electronic signing of all his executive orders. Yeah, that's something else.

[Ali Stuckey]

I know that's something else. Second sponsor is Good Ranchers. We're eating Good Ranchers almost every night in the Stuckey household. We especially love the ground beef just because it's so versatile. I love making quesadillas or tacos or I love making hamburgers out of them. And it really just tastes so good. And it tastes even better knowing that it comes from a God loving, America loving, Christian family owned company like Good Ranchers and that I'm supporting American Farms and Ranches. Hundreds of thousands of these farms and ranches that have existed for centuries in the United States are shutting down because it's just so hard to compete with the cheaper prices of the imported, lower quality meat that's filling our grocery stores. So if you want to turn that around, if you want to restore this, this industry to its former glory, if you want to put America first, not just in how you vote, but in the money you spend, get all of your meat from Good ranchers like we do. If you go to goodranchers.com you'll see that I have an Ali Beth Stuckey custom box. It's perfect for moms. Just because it's so versatile and really has everything that you need plus when you use my code ally, you get $40 off your order. Good. Ranchers.com ally code alley okay, speaking of Washington and what's going on there, Continuing Resolution HR 1968, the full year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act 2025 was just introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday in order to prevent a federal government shutdown. According to the Associated Press, the bill would trim $13 billion in non defense spending from the levels in the 2024 budget year and increase defense spending by 6 billion DOL billion with an overall top line of nearly $1.7 trillion in discretionary spending. So my sense is that most Republicans are on board with this, but then you've got people, you've got, interestingly, you've got Chip Roy and Thomas Massie who are usually on the same page about things. I like both of them a lot. But Chip Roy is saying, no, I think that this is good. I think we're good to go. Thomas Massie is saying, no, I'm not signing another omnibus bill. Rand Paul says despite Doge's findings of loony left wing USAID programs, the Republican spending bill continues to fund the very foreign aid that Elon Musk proposes to cut. The bill continues spending at the inflated pandemic levels and will add $2 trillion to the debt this year. Count me as a H E double hockey sticks. No, Rand Paul says, okay, your take.

[Ron Simmons]

Well, I think it'll pass. All right. I think it'll pass. There may be some additional adjustments to it. I was going to see if I had a text this morning from my friend that I asked about.

[Ali Stuckey]

Congressional friend.

[Ron Simmons]

Yeah. He said when I talked to him this morning, he said he thought they had the votes to pass it.

[Ali Stuckey]

Okay.

[Ron Simmons]

Now it's hard to believe that all the Democrats are going to vote no on this, especially those that are in swing state districts. But they are usually pretty good at keeping their nose together. And it's hard to believe that all of them, there'll be some compromise between here and the Senate, between the House and the Senate. What it's doing is it's leaving and this is why Chip Roy is voting for it. It's leaving spending levels the same. Okay. No increase in spending overall. And it leaves Doge in place. Right. If you shut it down, then Doge is not going to be able to go in there and do anything during this period of time. Right. Which is maybe what the Democrats want to have happen. And Rubio came out today and said 83% of U.S. aid programs have been terminated. Contract. I'm not sure what Rand Paul said. It may not be doing everything he wants it to. I get that. But we are making progress and the wheels of progress do not turn on a dime. Right. It takes some time. You have to be able. People have to understand. And this is what your friend Thomas Massie does not understand. So, Thomas, I know you listen, oh.

[Ali Stuckey]

Don'T be a hater.

[Ron Simmons]

Listen to Ali's dad. Take a win when you can get a win and go back and get another win later. That's what, that's what you do.

[Ali Stuckey]

His beef, it seems like, is that he doesn't believe just in principle in these omnibus bills. He wants the bills to be separated so the American people and so Congress people actually have time to read what is in them. You know that Nancy Pelosi famous line which said, we have to pass the bill so we can know what's in it? Well, he's fundamentally opposed to that, which. I appreciate that level of transparency. I think his constituents do. I'm not even saying that you're wrong. But, you know, Trump is out there on Truth Social saying, we've got a primary. Thomas Massie, we're going to get him out. And Trump said he's going to see to it that Thomas Massie is removed because I guess, his opposition to this bill, well, he's been primaried, I think, three times by people who claim to be more MAGA than him. And his constituents say no. They love Thomas Massie and what he stands for. And so, I don't know. I, I understand what you're saying, but there seems to be something to the strategy for him and to be one of the only people to stand up.

[Ron Simmons]

And say, sorry, okay, well, what does he, okay, what does he accomplish by having that strategy? Where's his wins? What's his wins?

[Ali Stuckey]

I don't have a list of Thomas Massey.

[Ron Simmons]

He doesn't have any. Okay. I can tell you what the list is. Zero. Okay. Of his wins.

[Ali Stuckey]

Really. He hasn't, he hasn't done anything.

[Ron Simmons]

He doesn't. Well, I think he has done something. He stood up and said what he. Course he had you up to testify on the pro.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yes. And he was the kindest person to.

[Ron Simmons]

Me, very strong on that. But that really wasn't a very high bar as far as kindness in that hearing.

[Ali Stuckey]

A lot of mean people there.

[Ron Simmons]

But, but I don't, you know, he had. And maybe there's some stuff behind the scenes that he's accomplished, but he hasn't accomplished. And he's making a point. All right. He's making a point. But really the way, if you want that, if you want that bill broken down to individual appropriation bills, which I would not be opposed to at all, okay, then you just gotta do. You gotta go meet with a speaker in his office, not on the TV station, not on podcast, and you work out a deal. Okay? And you see, how do you get to the point? Maybe you can't get all of them, but maybe you can break out one of them. Okay, start it. Start, Start small.

[Ali Stuckey]

Thomas Massie. I wish that I had a list of your accomplishments, Congressman, so I could defend you right now. If your team wants to send me a list of the bills you've passed, I will read some of them on air. I am, I'm a Massey fan. I think he's. I don't, I don't know if he's entirely right on this subject or not, but in general, I'm a Massey fan.

[Ron Simmons]

Look at those bills up right now. And I bet she's coming up with a big zero.

[Ali Stuckey]

That is. I doubt it. I bet Bri is a Massey fan, too. I didn't say she wasn't.

[Ron Simmons]

Just saying. I don't think Massey's a Taylor.

[Ali Stuckey]

Okay, so Donald Trump, he's upset about this. He says thank you to the House Freedom Caucus for just delivering a big blow to the radical left Democrats. Oh, by the way, speaking of radical left Democrats, I forgot to mention this. You mentioned the Democrats. Hakeem Jeffries says. He's the minority leader. He says that they will oppose the bill, that Democrats will oppose this bill. I don't know if all Democrats, but he's saying that they're going to. And as I said, Donald Trump goes on to say about Thomas Massie that he's going to be primaried and that. That Thomas Massey reminds him of Liz Cheney. That's kind of crazy.

[Ron Simmons]

Yeah, that's, that's, that's, that's too far on that one.

[Ali Stuckey]

I mean, that's insane.

[Ron Simmons]

But he's saying he's grandstanding. That's why.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah. And you agree with that? It seems. Okay.

[Ron Simmons]

I don't know. That he's a showboat. Like, I would say Jasmine Crockett's a showboat. I think he's principled. Okay. I think he is principled, but I don't think that he is going about getting things done the correct way.

[Ali Stuckey]

You're not a fan of Jasmine Crockett? I had no idea. She's so. She's so serious and intellectual.

[Ron Simmons]

Dad started on her.

[Ali Stuckey]

Well, we already, we already talked about her last time and she's only gotten worse somehow.

[Ron Simmons]

She is.

[Ali Stuckey]

All right, next sponsor is Every Life and Every Life it's America's only pro life diaper company. They're the diapers and the wipes that we use in our home. We love them so much. Don't have to worry about leaks or nasty ingredients, materials that are used in the diapers. They're really effective and really safe and good for the skin of your baby. But they've got an awesome campaign that's going on right now. It's called Praying for more babies in 2025. Really straightforward. We are praying that God would grant married couples, husband and a wife, more children in 2025. My husband Timothy and I are so grateful to be prayer partners in this movement. We are praying for those who desire children. We are praying that God would open up married couples Hearts to children and that more Christian married couples would be having kids because we understand babies are a blessing. It is the best investment that we can make in the future. As we now like to say, when you are planting seeds that will blossom in eternity, you know that you're always doing that when you are having children and when you are raising children and discipling them in the fear of the Lord. So join us in this prayer campaign. Go to everylife.com pray sign up and it's, you know, it's free. There's no obligation. Except you are saying that you are partnering with Every Life to pray for more babies this year. Go to everylife.com pray okay, let's talk about school choice because in Texas, there is school choice legislation that is being debated right now. And there are two competing school choice bills that have been proposed on each side of the Texas Legislature. We've got the Senate version of the bill. SB2 passed the Senate on February 5. The House bill, HB3, was proposed on February 20. That is currently still being debated. Obviously, you were are a big advocate of school choice. That was something you fought for when you were in the Texas Legislature. Interestingly, this has become a national conversation. A lot of people have been asking me, what's the truth about this? There's a lot of information, competing information out there. So first, give us the lowdown on what's going on.

[Ron Simmons]

Well, the reason it's national news is because it's five and a half million public school students in Texas. Right. It's huge. And when this school choice passes, which it will pass in some form, that will mean that almost 50% of all of the students in the United States will have some type of school choice option, which it's amazing. When it was maybe four or five years ago, that number was in the 20% range or less. I mean, it's just amazing. But I'll tell you one thing. This is what, what, what Satan intends for bad, God intends for good. All of this stuff with COVID okay, this is when it all started. You remember when the, when the school started, parents started getting involved in their kids schools when they were, you know, going to school online and all that type of stuff. And it really started in Virginia, if you remember, where the parents fought back. And this is the result of all of that. This is the absolute result of us finding out they were teaching crt, they were teaching all of these other things that they shouldn't be teaching. And sometimes they weren't teaching at all. And so it's been incredible. And that's a. And you know what I think about teachers? I mean, your grandmother, my mother was a teacher. Your mom is a teacher. We have cousins that are teachers, nieces, nephews. So we love teachers. But the whole system is something that's broken. But what's happening in Texas, Ali, and this happens all the time, and that is you have a Senate version and a House version, and the Senate version came out first. And it's done by my friend Brandon Creighton, of course, Lieutenant Governor Patrick's very involved in it. And it essentially says that we're going to put a billion dollars aside for parents to be able to choose whether or not they want, where they want their kids to go to school. And that billion dollars, though, is prioritized. It's prioritized first for parents with kids with special needs and then for parents who fall within a poverty, what we call low income. Okay. And that's a certain percentage of the national poverty level, okay, up to 2 or 300%, I think, maybe more than that. And then if there is any money left over, which there won't be, by the way, anybody can apply for it. All right, so this, this, the rhetoric out there, but it's only for the rich kids, is just simply, it's just a false, it's just totally false. And they're going to allocate about $10,000 per student, a little bit more in the Senate version for disabled students and what have you, and even a couple thousand dollars for homeschoolers that want it. Now some of the people are saying, well, I don't want the government in my business. Okay, well then don't take it. You do not have to take it. You don't have to take it. If I had little kids again, I wanted to send them to a private school and I said, okay, I'm using this, this money that's coming through the state, the school. We don't accept that. There's no, there's no have to do that.

[Ali Stuckey]

But I think the fear is that once a school starts accepting students who are subsidized in this way that okay, the has its foot in the door and that later on they will say, okay, any school that, that takes this government money through these kinds of school choice programs, you have to follow this list of rules. You have to teach this or you can't teach this or you have to have this non discrimination policy or whatever it is. I think it's a fear that in the name of giving kids a choice, you are allowing the government into Christian private schools and even homeschool co ops.

[Ron Simmons]

The only way that the government could ever do that, which remember they can do that on anything, is it would have to pass through the legislature. It cannot be done by fiat. Has to pass through the legislature. This is all in statute. So the people that people need to talk to about that, they need to wake up in the morning and look in the mirror because it's the very people they're voting in. If they don't want that to happen, then make sure that you're voting in people that don't believe in that. All right? Don't. There's nobody to blame but ourselves if that happens because it's the voters that determine that. It's not, it's not some bureaucrat. Right. They can't do that. The statute in both of these bills is very specific and it really, all these bills do from a government standpoint is it makes sure that if I get the money, I don't go spend it on a vacation to Florida. Right. That that money goes to a specific list of things. All right. The only other requirement in there is that if you are a private school then you have to have some, some type of accreditation test. But it doesn't tell you even what to have. And all schools have that already. All right? Now for homeschoolers, I have less sympathy for them because they don't have to take the money. They can keep doing what they're doing. It's not going to get involved in their lives at all. Right? So if you want the $2,000. Got it. If you, if you're worried about it, don't take it, it's okay.

[Ali Stuckey]

All right.

[Ron Simmons]

You don't have to. There's no requirement to do that.

[Ali Stuckey]

Some people have expressed concern that this actually raises the cost of tuition at private schools. I guess the math works as if you're a private school and you're saying, okay, we're only going to take 100 students and now say 25 of those students are subsidized. Well, then the school has lost money. And so they will. To make up for that money that they lost, they will now charge the other 70 students more than they were before.

[Ron Simmons]

Now why are they saying they're so. I don't understand the subsidized part.

[Ali Stuckey]

Well, I, I subsidized through school choice. They're, they're subsidized in the sense that now their parents are given the money to pay for the tuition at the private school.

[Ron Simmons]

But aren't they paying the same price as everybody else?

[Ali Stuckey]

Well, but the, yeah, okay.

[Ron Simmons]

I, I, yeah, I think they're paying the same price as everybody else. The question could be, though, Let me. Maybe the argument is supply and demand.

[Ali Stuckey]

Maybe I misunderstood.

[Ron Simmons]

No, maybe it's supply and demand. In other words, if there's more demand for private schools now because there's more money available, that the supply is not there yet. So therefore. Well, look, if, If I've got 200 people wanting to go to 100 person school, then I can raise the price. Okay. I mean, that's the theory, I think. Yeah, yeah, that hasn't happened.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah, that probably is, that hasn't happened.

[Ron Simmons]

In the other 30 states. All right, now what we hope will happen is that the supply will increase. And usually where there's opportunity there, somebody comes in to meet the demand. Right. Usually where there's demand, somebody usually provides a supply.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah. And I've gotten a lot of messages from a lot of families when I was talking about this on Instagram. They live in Arizona, they live in Iowa. They live in different places. There's always going to be debates and different feelings about school choice. But the families I've talked to who say I would not be able to give my kids the Christian education that they're getting without the education savings account that I have, depending on the state, or the voucher that they have, depending on the state that they live. And I mean, that's an incredible testimony. And it basically comes down to the idea that your fate should not be bound to the zip code in which you were born. Right. And if we really believe in equality of opportunity, if we really believe in so called social justice, this is like, this is a Justice issue. If you want to see it through that lens. Kids who are born into these communities where there's not a lot of hope and not a lot of opportunity, they are given that hope and opportunity through.

[Ron Simmons]

Education, it'll change people's lives. I mean, you know that. I think it's. I think, you know, you and your brothers having Christian education was a big factor.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Ron Simmons]

And I just think it'll change. It'll change people's. The direction in people's lives that we don't even know yet. Just think about half the population being eligible if they choose to, for something like this. You know, one of the other big misrepresentations, let's say be kind, is that this takes money from public schools. All right? And I don't know how everything worked in other states, but I know in Texas that's just an out and out falsehood, is that public schools received. They're going to receive the funding that they receive. $80 billion is spent allocated to public K through 12 public schools in Texas. Okay, $80 billion. Now, it is true that $6200 I think of that is average, okay. Goes towards something they call wada, Weighted average daily attendance. So each school district gets paid this $6,200 on the average attendance that they have. Like if it's 11,000 students, okay, they get $6,200 per one of those. Well, if I take my kids out of school, then that $6,200 goes. That's not in their, you know, WADA anymore. All right, that is true. However, the total funding for each student in Texas is about $15,000. And if you don't believe me, take 80 billion, divide it by 5.5 million, and it comes to right at 15,000. So the $6,200 of that 15,000 is, is technically going away, but 9,000 is left. Right? So when you take that, now, you take that 9,000, that there's not even a student there to use that money. You actually get more money per student overall than you would if that $6200 stayed with you. So you get more money for less students. I mean, I don't understand what the big issue is. Also the billion dollars that we're using in Texas, it's just coming out of the general revenue fund. It doesn't come the. The school's funding. Right. It's not money they would have gotten otherwise. All right? So it's just. It's just so many misrepresentations on this. And that's really what is Disappointing. I've actually did a Facebook video if people want to watch that on my Facebook page, explaining about a 10 minute video that kind of talks about it.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah, Last sponsor for the day and that is Preborn. So you might not know this about these people, but Steph Curry, Justin Bieber, Tim Tebow, so many other celebrities, many that we don't even know. They were all almost aborted. Their mom had a crisis pregnancy and they had a moment where they thought, okay, I can just end this pregnancy, I can abort this baby and I can go on about my life. And they made the more difficult choice in that moment, the right choice to protect their child's life and to save their baby. And obviously these are people that have a very a public platform and a lot of widespread influence. But the truth is every single baby in the womb, whether they will be rich and famous or not matters equally because they are all knit in the image of God. They are all knit together purposely in their mother's womb. And they all have a soul that will live forever. So the work that we do in protecting babies matters not just here, but also in eternity. And that is why Preborn, which is a network of pro life clinics, exists. They offer free resources to moms in need, including free sonograms. When a mom sees that baby on the screen, here's the beating heart, she is so much more likely to choose life for her baby. And the only way that preborn can do this work is through your donation. So if you want to be a part of this life saving work, this gospel work, go to preborn.com alli make whatever tax deductible donation you can, whether that's $5, maybe that's $5,000, whatever you can give that translates into saving a life from abortion. That's preborn.com ally and for those maybe on the conservative side who are afraid that this change would just like change private schools or would change Christian schools, the Christian schools who now might get applicants that couldn't be applicants before, they will not be forced to accept these people. They'll still have the same standards. For example, the school that I went to at least one parent, but preferably both parents, had to be born again. Christians give their testimony, they had to be a member of a church with a pastor recommendation in order to even get your foot in the door to interview. All of those standards will still be in place. It just might accept someone who financially couldn't make it work before, but did share all of the values and desires that you as a Parent have.

[Ron Simmons]

Yep. That's. That's what. That's what it's intended to do. And not all of them will be faith based schools. Some of them will be private STEM schools or something like that. And so I, you know, I just encourage people to go look and see what's happened to Florida faith based schools, if they're concerned about that, as to what the government has done there, which I think they'll be comforted by that.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Ron Simmons]

And, you know, it looks like we have the votes. I filed the bill in 2015 and 2017 for this. So if we get this through, this will be a big. A big moment of celebration.

[Ali Stuckey]

Absolutely. Absolutely. It's things like you said, they don't happen overnight yet.

[Ron Simmons]

Thomas. Thomas. Yes, Massey.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yes. Okay.

[Ron Simmons]

Remember that.

[Ali Stuckey]

Speaking of Thomas Massie, I have some unfortunate news. Fortunate for you, unfortunately. And you know, my dad's motto growing up was start. He said, start with me being right and then back up from there.

[Ron Simmons]

Yeah. It may not always be right, but you do get there quickly.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah. Just start there and then try to figure out the answer. And it appears that you are correct. Okay. As of March 11, 2025, Representative Thomas Massie has not successfully passed any bills he sponsored into during his tenure in Congress, which began November 2012. So that's been a long time. So. And then I was like, okay, well, did he block anything? Anything during the passage of the Cares act, the $2.2 trillion relief package in response to the COVID 19 pandemic, Massey attempted to block its approval, which I appreciate, by the way. It's a valiant effort, but couldn't get enough support. Massey didn't block a Covid specific bill via unanimous consent Post CARES act, but he introduced bills opposing Covid mandates like HR 3860, and that didn't advance past committee. I will say, though, that doesn't mean that all of these efforts are wasted or bad. I do still believe that he is a prophetic voice many times when it comes to Congress and he speaks truth. But when it comes to what he has tangibly accomplished, Ron Simmons is correct. Sorry.

[Ron Simmons]

It could be too, Alex. Like, school choice for me. I mean, that was very disappointed. I can get that done. But it just may be timing. You know, he may be ahead of his time.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah. And it wasn't wrong of you to push it at the time, even though you didn't.

[Ron Simmons]

As a matter of fact, I was mentioned. I got a Google notice this week about a bill that I filed in 2017 regarding the use of locker rooms. And stuff.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Ron Simmons]

And because there's another bill that's filed that's absolutely going to pass this time. Right?

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah. Isn't that crazy?

[Ron Simmons]

The, the thing is, society's view on that has just changed. I just a little bit ahead of the game on that. Even though we knew we were right, maybe Mr. Massey knows he's right on some stuff. Now what I did though is I really worked behind the scenes to try to get stuff done and I would encourage. And maybe he does that. I would encourage him to if he hasn't.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yeah. And just to say, just this legacy really matters of school choice and what you helped accomplish. You pushed the ball down the field and it's gonna get all the way soon. But according to the Daily Signal, because a lot of people say, you know, this actually has a negative on students. But according to the Daily Signal, as of March 2023, there have been nearly 190 studies on the impact of school choice. Researchers have looked at financial effects, parent satisfaction, test score, civic values, school safety, and racial integration in both red and blue states to collect information for these studies. This is according to the Mountain States Policy Center. Remarkably, 84% of these studies, 84% of the 190 studies show a positive effect and only. And 10% show no impact at all. And 6% show a negative results. So when it comes to test scores, when it comes to educational attainment, parent satisfaction, all of those things, most parents are saying that this has had a positive effect on my student and a positive effect on our family. And actually test scores have gone up. Their comprehension has gone up. I mean, I don't think anyone could argue with the fact that our public schools, by and large are failing.

[Ron Simmons]

You're. Well, yes, well, yeah, it's, it's, it is. And it's not a money issue.

[Ali Stuckey]

Issue. No, it's not.

[Ron Simmons]

Some of the places that spend the most money have the worst performance and that's very, very disappointing.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yep, absolutely. So there's a lot more to talk about on the school choice. Go check out my dad's Facebook page. He's got more on that and we can talk about it more as time goes on. There's a lot of propaganda out there.

[Ron Simmons]

There'll be more, you know, when she gets through committee, what happens is it gets through committee. Okay. And then it goes to the floor. It's already past the Senate floor. And then it, the House will pass their version some, it may be amended, and then they'll get into conference committee and merge the two somehow. They'll come to compromise and they'll get voted. Probably won't get voted on until out of the house. Maybe sometime in April.

[Ali Stuckey]

Okay. Gotcha. Well, dad, thanks so much. Thank you for joining us. Yeah.

[Ron Simmons]

Tell everyone about your book, Life Lessons from the Little Red Wagon. You know, it's never more pertinent than it is today because as we go through uncertain economics, economic times and what's going on in D.C. and all that, you need to have a foundation of where you are and what this book really does for us is it just first of all, it makes sure that you don't overreact to something. And also it reminds us, you know, the last few weeks have reminded me of this. I've been. I've been in the wagon. I haven't been put on the handle or can't even push the wheels for.

[Ali Stuckey]

Because of your recovery?

[Ron Simmons]

Because of my recovery, I've been in the wagon. And sometimes that recovery period in the wagon, in certain areas of your life, life can be the most beneficial to you.

[Ali Stuckey]

Yep.

[Ron Simmons]

So.

[Ali Stuckey]

Amen. Well, thanks so much.

[Ron Simmons]

You bet. Thanks for having me.