The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - December 16, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Monday, December 16th, 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. First up, the Tarrant Appraisal District Board of Directors voted 6-3 to not renew its membership in the Texas Association of Appraisal Districts, or TAAD. Board members Alan Blalock, Gloria Pena, and Tarrant County Tax Assessor Collector Wendy Burgess voted against the measure. Board member Eric Morris raised this issue, saying that he learned about TAAD's opposition

Starting point is 00:00:41 to the reappraisal plan passed by the Tarrant Appraisal District in August. During a Texas Senate Local Government Committee hearing on November 7th, Brent South, with the TAAD Legislative Committee, raised concerns with the Senators about, quote, certain counties, end quote, and their direction to chief appraisers about reappraisal plans. He recommended that Texas law be changed to clarify that property must be reappraised annually to ensure that property values reflect market value. South also mentioned concerns about the interactions between reappraisals and the property value study that helps determine state funding for school districts. This is an issue that the Tarrant Appraisal District took into

Starting point is 00:01:20 account when it approved its plan to reappraise properties every two years instead of annually. Next, the Republican Party of Texas will be sending direct mail into the legislative districts of Texas House members who are backing Representative Dustin Burroughs' bid for the speakership, after Burroughs lost the House Republican caucus vote to Representative David Cook. One message from Texas GOP Chairman Abraham George to a representative reads, quote, My desire is for Republicans to unite in accordance with the caucus bylaws and the GOP platform. Before the Republican Party of Texas sends any direct mail into your district, I wanted an opportunity to personally connect about your public position on the speaker's race.

Starting point is 00:02:02 In other news, Elon Musk is further cementing SpaceX as a fixture of Texas, submitting a letter in an effort to incorporate a portion of Cameron County into a new town. Starbase is the planned name of the incorporation near the Rio Grande Valley. Musk's letter was submitted to Judge Eddie Treveon in Cameron County. Musk declared, quote, SpaceX HQ will now officially be in the city of Starbase, Texas. According to the letter, Musk is requesting a special election in Cameron County, quote, to determine whether Starbase, Texas should be incorporated as a city. Last but not least, the Make America Healthy Again movement has sparked a nationwide focus on wellness,

Starting point is 00:02:42 and a new group in Texas is carrying the torch with a new initiative. Make Texans Healthy Again is a new project started by political consultant Travis McCormick. The motivation for the project, McCormick writes, is to, quote, make Texans healthier so they rely less on the system, reducing costs and easing the burden on providers. Make America Healthy Again became a slogan of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. McCormick plans to leverage Make Texans Healthy Again

Starting point is 00:03:14 to promote state-level policies that emphasize personal freedom, preventative care, and holistic wellness. P.S. If you're looking for a good Christmas gift for someone special who's addicted to Texas politics, consider a gift subscription to The Texan. With all the craziness this year and the certainty of more to come in 2025, access to breaking articles and regular newsletters breaking down political happenings in the Lone Star State and beyond is the perfect way to show your appreciation. Thanks for listening. To support The Texan, please be sure to visit thetexan.news and subscribe to get full access to all of our

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The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - December 16, 2024

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