The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - December 2, 2025

Episode Date: December 2, 2025

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Howdy folks, today is Tuesday, December 2nd, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans assistant editor Rob Lauchess, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, the December 8th filing deadline in Texas is less than a week away, and by this time next week, all the campaign fields will be finalized for the 2026 midterm. Currently, there are 37 open seats up for grabs in federal and state elections across Texas. It's been over a week since U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito issued a temporary stay on a lower court's ruling against Texas' new congressional map, which was drawn with the intent to net Republicans' five new seats next year in Congress. While its passage is more complicated, the actual partisan leanings of the five new districts are not so straightforward, there is still no firm answer as to whether the new map will be the operative one for next year.

If the lower court's ruling is upheld, rendering the map passed in 2021 as the one for next year, political dominoes that have fallen will have to be put back up. For example, do either state representatives John Lujan or Briscoe Kane, both running for different congressional seats, refile for their current Texas house seats? Kane answered in the negative on the Texans podcast last month, He will not be jumping back to the legislature. Visit the Texan. News for the full breakdown of three things to watch for as the state inches closer to the point of no return. Heads up.

For Black Friday, the Texan is giving you our biggest deal of the year, and this offer is available now. For a limited time, get a full year of independent Texas-focused journalism for just $48, half off our annual regular subscription. Stay informed on the stories that matter to Texans from politics to your pocketbook and everything in between without the spin of legacy media. You'll get full access to articles, newsletters, and more. Don't miss out. This offer is available now, but won't last long. Head to the texan.com news to claim your 50% off annual subscription. Now back to the news.

In other news, Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced the final rules and important dates for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts Program, which will officially launch in the 2026-27 school year. The contentious education savings account program was created during the 89th legislative session, with Senate Bill 2 being opposed by every House Democrat and two House Republicans. Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill into law on May 3rd. An ESA program provides funding through a state-managed account that eligible families can apply to use for private school. tuition, homeschooling expenses, tutoring, therapy, or instructional materials. ESAs are different from voucher programs, which give each family a set amount of money directly to use at the school

of their choice. If the demand for the ESAs exceeds the amount allocated, prioritized groups include siblings of children in the TEFA program, children with disabilities, and low-income households. Hancock said in a November 25th press release, quote, education freedom accounts are about opening doors, expanding opportunities, and giving each Texas child the chance to succeed in the environment that fits them best. Last but not least, Dell Technologies, headquartered in Texas, is donating over $6 billion toward new Trump accounts. Private investment accounts established through legislation authored by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz for newborn American children, each seated by a $1,000 investment from the federal government. Dell CEO Michael Dell and his wife Susan announced on Tuesday that they'd be giving $6.25 billion

from their charity fund to 25 million American children through these new investment accounts, planting $250 into each of the $25 million accounts in addition to the initial $1,000 investment. The now-dubbed Trump accounts were an initiative of President Donald Trump's second administration, carried through Congress by Cruz within the federal funding bill, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law this summer. The law will establish a private tax-advantaged investment account complete with the $1,000 seed investment for every new American child. The program has both been lauded for its efforts to promote compounding financial opportunity

and literacy for the next generation and criticized as an example of government overreach. They'll become available on July 4, 26, Trump announced on Tuesday, for all Americans born between January 1st, 2025 and December 31st, 28. Thanks for listening. To support the Texan, please be sure to visit the Texan.News and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.