AUSTIN, Texas — Capital Tonight debuted a new segment called ‘Inside Out’ on Thursday. It’s a chance for two former state lawmakers who were once inside the thick of it, to weigh in on the big issues affecting Texans now from an outside perspective. 

Former Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, served in the House from 1997 to 2021 and former State Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, served from 2005 to 2013. Bonnen and Strama will join us each week to dive into a different topic. This week we discussed the civil war that's been building in the Texas GOP since they were in office and how it could affect the upcoming primary. 

They also reflected on why they left the legislature. 

Click the video link above to watch the full segment.