The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - August 28, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy, folks. Today is Wednesday, August 28. And you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans assistant editor Rob Lausches. And here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been granted a temporary stay blocking a Biden administration policy that Paxton alleges would allow illegal immigrants to, quote, parole in place and receive otherwise unpermitted benefits. The administrative stay, which will prevent the policy from being enacted for 14 days as the case proceeds in court, was ordered by United States District Judge John Campbell Parker on Monday, August 26. This followed a lawsuit filed on August 23 by Paxton and a coalition of 15 other states, along with conservative legal organization America First Legal. The filing alleges that the Biden administration is violating the U.S. Constitution in a new agency rule adopted on August 19th. That rule establishes a process for certain non-citizen spouses and non-citizen stepchildren of U.S. citizens to get around federal prohibitions against certain immigration benefits being obtained until after leaving the country and returning in a legal manner,

Starting point is 00:01:28 according to the Department of Homeland Security's press release. Next, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has launched a new political action committee to help Republicans maintain and grow their majority in the Texas Senate, treasured by his son, Ryan Patrick. The Texas Senate Leadership Fund, modeled after similar organizations at the federal level, will raise and spend money on behalf of GOP candidates in the upper chamber. Likely the number one target for this new PAC is Senate District 27, currently held by State Senator Morgan Lamantia. She faces a rematch against Republican Adam Hinojosa, who she narrowly defeated in 2022. SD 27 is rated D52% by the Texans' Texas Partisan Index, a very narrow leaning for the Democrat in a district trending towards Republicans.

Starting point is 00:02:15 It's the best possible pickup opportunity for Senate Republicans looking to add cushion between their 19-member count and the supermajority line, and under the radar prize for either party in this general election. Patrick said of the group, quote, There are other PACs where donors may support the work done by various House and Senate caucuses and even to support the mission of House leadership. But until now, there hasn't been a place to support the work on the Texas Senate leadership in fulfilling its goals. In other news, hasn't been a place to support the work on the Texas Senate leadership in fulfilling its goals.

Starting point is 00:02:50 In other news, in the latest controversy facing KEMA Police Chief Holland Jones, a former officer filed suit last week alleging that Jones placed false and defamatory information in a personnel file and shared it with the state of Texas, and also personally intervened to prevent the officer from obtaining employment with another law enforcement agency. While the city has blocked the release of an investigation into Jones himself, former officer Billy Landers claims the chief and other officials have inappropriately kept an internal investigation open for two years. According to the lawsuit, on September 3, 2022, an individual fleeing the scene of a disturbance call collided with Landers' police vehicle. Landers says the suspect smelled of alcohol, had no insurance, and had a suspended license and several outstanding warrants. During the investigation, the suspect's daughter arrived and was, quote, belligerent, yelling, and cursing, and was twice restrained by assisting

Starting point is 00:03:45 officers. Days later, both the suspect's wife and another officer filed unsigned and unsworn complaints against Landers, with the officer claiming Landers had escalated the confrontation by, quote, advising the family members that continued interference could result in their arrest. Last but not least, Governor Greg Abbott announced more than 1 million ineligible voters had been purged from the state's voter rolls this week since the state's marquee election reform law was passed in 2021. The office's breakdown of the total purged included 6,500 suspected non-citizens, 6,000 voters with a felony conviction, 457,000 dead individuals, and more. Senate Bill 1 was passed in 2021 by the Texas legislature after two quorum breaks

Starting point is 00:04:35 by House Democrats who hoped to block its passage. Abbott's release noted a few other laws passed in that time frame, including the ability to withhold election funding from counties that failed to purge their rolls, and another that increased penalties for knowingly counting invalid votes. Abbott discussed this announcement and the issue of voter fraud overall in an interview with the Texans' Brad Johnson. A transcript is available to read at thetexan.news. Thanks for listening. To support The Texan, please be sure to visit thetexan.news. Thanks for listening. To support The Texan, please be sure to visit thetexan.news and subscribe to get full access

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The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - August 28, 2024

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