TEXAS — If you're familiar with "The Daily Show" or "Last Week Tonight" then you know they take current events — mostly political — and turn them into jokes. What you might not know, is that there's a local show here in Texas doing the same thing, but its sole focus is the state legislature.
It’s called “Over the Lege” and was created by Stephanie Chiarello. She’s been a legislative staffer on and off over the past 14 years. She started the show after years of observing the behavior of Texas lawmakers. She observed the good, the bad and everything in between.
"On one hand they're these remarkable people who get elected and do incredible things, on the other hand they're just people," said Chiarello.
Chiarello thinks more Texans should know what's going on at the State Capitol and hopes humor will capture their attention.
"People are laughing and they're learning without even realizing, and it's really a trick,” said Chiarello.
She admits Republicans are more often the brunt of their jokes but says that's mostly because they're the ones in power. "Democrats can get made fun of and we do. It's harder to make fun of somebody who has absolutely no power but if you're behaving badly, you should be ready to be on the show," she added.
Over the last two sessions they put on a live theater show, but the pandemic forced them to go virtual this year. You can find more content from "Over the Lege" on their Facebook and Twitter pages. They broadcast their podcast live every other Friday night.