The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - April 22, 2025

Episode Date: April 22, 2025

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Howdy folks, today is Tuesday, April 22nd and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans Assistant Editor Rob Lauschus and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, 16 months separated Governor Greg Abbott calling education savings accounts skeptical Republicans into his office to show just how serious he was about passing a bill in the fourth special session of 2023. And his political long game finally paying off last week between the bookends was $12 million, a bloody campaign, and a bevy of forced early retirements. The 86 to 63 vote

to pass the House's version of Senate Bill 2 was years in the making. Abbott first declared his intent to pass a universal school choice program, modeled after those seen in other states like Arizona and Iowa, at the outset of his 2022 re-election campaign. After securing another term, the governor became almost singularly focused on his top policy priority, throwing his weight around first behind the scenes and then on the campaign trail. Next, a bill that would provide equal protection under the law for preborn children by treating elective abortion as murder was, quote,

yanked, end quote, from its scheduled committee hearing the night before for still unconfirmed reasons. House Bill 2197 by State Representative Brent Money, also dubbed Abolition of Abortion Legislation, closes a sole exception in Texas Penal Code that protects women who have an abortion from facing criminal charges otherwise doled out to those found guilty of intentionally ending another human's life. criminal charges otherwise doled out to those found guilty of intentionally ending another human's life. It would also end the sale of abortion pills, which are still legal in the state of Texas. It's been filed a plethora of times in previous legislative sessions, twice by former State

Representative Brian Slayton, Money's predecessor in House District 2, and once by State Representative Tony Tinderholt, but has never made its way to a committee hearing. Nor has it garnered Republican interest to pass the lower chamber, largely due to its controversial proposal to remove the legal exception for women who have abortions. Texas Alliance for Life and Planned Parenthood have both voiced their opposition to the legislation. In other news, the Supreme Court of the United States began its session this week and will take up a number of cases that could have far-reaching effects.

First, SCOTUS heard oral arguments in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, Inc. on Monday. The case stemmed from a challenge to the Affordable Care Act's mandate that insurers cover certain HIV prevention drugs, where Braidwood management filed a lawsuit in opposition to the rule on religious grounds. The case has evolved to concern the question of whether the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force has the constitutional authority to determine covered services, as the plaintiffs argue that because its members are not Senate confirmed, their appointments and thus their recommendations and guidelines are unconstitutional.

Stay tuned for more news updates after this short message. Data centers fuel 364,000 Texas jobs, generate $3.5 billion in state and local taxes, and power essential services like banking, healthcare, and video calls. With 21 connected devices per household and soaring data demands, these hubs drive Texas's booming economy, shape its technological future, and keep your data here in the U.S. To learn more visit centerofyourdigitalworld.org. Now returning to your Daily Texas News. Also, a proposal intended to jumpstart the development of nuclear power in Texas cleared the initial hurdle in the Texas House on Tuesday, opening the way for dealings with the Senate

over the bill's final outlook. House Bill 14 by State Representative Cody Harris would create the Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office within the state government, as well as a new fund under the existing Texas Energy Fund that will provide grants to developers looking to build new generation. The bill will also establish a plan for training a workforce capable of managing the new footprint. The bill passed by a voice vote on Tuesday, indicating a smooth passage through the legislature when the two chambers come to an agreement on the final blueprint. Last but not least, two more local governments in north central Texas passed ordinances intended to protect the lives of unborn children in their areas.

The Shackleford County Commissioner's Court and the Moran City Council are the latest to declare themselves as sanctuaries for the unborn. They mark the 7th county and the 55th city in the state to adopt similar ordinances. On Tuesday, April 15th, both governing bodies adopted measures to outlaw abortion, abortion-inducing drugs, abortion trafficking, and the transportation of fetal remains within the county and city. They are enforced through a private cause of action similar to the Texas Heartbeat Act passed in 2021. Thanks for listening.

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