The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - February 21, 2025

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Friday, February 21. 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, in a bipartisan vote, Texas senators have overwhelmingly approved placing an amendment to the state constitution on the ballot in hopes that despite previous failures, this year's House members will finish the job. Senator Joan Huffman's Senate Joint Resolution 5 would give judges and magistrates the discretion to deny bail to defendants charged with first-degree felony sexual offenses, in which a weapon was involved or where serious bodily injury felony sexual offenses, in which a weapon was involved, or where serious bodily injury, violent offenses, or continuous trafficking of persons occurred. Judges or magistrates who deny bail would be required to issue a written order with findings of fact explaining why the defendant must be detained. Huffman noted that previous versions of SJR 5 had passed the Senate in 2021 and 2023, but failed in the House.

Starting point is 00:01:07 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, health care, and video calls. With 21 connected devices per household and soaring data demands, these hubs drive Texas' booming economy, shape its technological future, and keep your data here in the U.S. To learn more, visit centerofyourdigitalworld.org slash Texas. Now returning to your daily Texas news. Next, the Texas Senate's priority taxpayer-funded lobbying ban was filed on Thursday,

Starting point is 00:01:47 starting the clock on the latest attempt by some Republicans to establish such a prohibition. State Senator Mays Middleton's Senate Bill 19 is described as, quote, relating to the use by a political subdivision of public funds for lobbying and certain other activities. Under the proposal, localities may not hire a registered lobbyist either directly or by paying into an association that lobbies on

Starting point is 00:02:12 their behalf, the latter referring to organizations like the Texas Municipal League and the Texas Association of School Boards. Localities pay dues to these associations who then lobby the legislature, among other services. In other news, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick continues to beat the drum of products containing consumable tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, in Texas, and now a bill has been filed that significantly tightens the state's hemp regulations. Senate Bill 3, otherwise known as Banning THC in Texas, was filed late Thursday night by Senator Charles Perry. The bill would make a number of changes to the regulation, production, sale, and distribution of consumable hemp products and hemp-derived cannabinoids. The bill would prohibit the manufacture, sale, and possession of consumable hemp products containing any cannabinoid other than cannabidiol or CBD or cannabigerol or CBG, and essentially ban products containing any other

Starting point is 00:03:13 cannabinoid such as Delta-8-THC and Delta-9-THC. Also, two members of the Tri-County Electric Cooperative Board of Directors were removed at the meeting on February 20th for violations of the cooperative's bylaws. Steve Harris, who is elected to represent District 5, was removed because behavior and actions prohibited by the Director Conduct Section of the Bylaws, leading to multiple progressive suspensions and his dismissal. According to court documents related to a lawsuit by former Tri-County CEO Daryl Shriver, Shriver claimed that members of the Tri-County Electric Board allowed Armstrong to, quote, intervene in bid awards for roofing and air conditioning work in Keller so that he could inject his friends in the business as Tri-County vendors. Kevin Engel, who was appointed to the

Starting point is 00:04:16 Urban District 1 position in 2021, also resigned his seat. Last but not least, on the heels of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being confirmed as the new U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Texas has followed the Make America Healthy Again path with its own legislation to address health and wellness. Senate Bill 25, dubbed the Making Texas Healthy Again Bill on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's list of priority legislation, was filed by Senator Lois Kulkhorst and is designed to promote healthy living by setting standards for physical activity in schools, enhancing nutrition education in higher education, establishing a nutrition advisory framework, and improving food labeling practices. According to the bill, full-day pre-kindergarten,

Starting point is 00:05:02 kindergarten, and grades below 6 must receive at least 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity each school day, while part-day pre-kindergarten should be provided with equivalent opportunities as practicable. For grades 6 through 8, students must participate in 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity for at least six semesters. If daily activity is impractical, an alternative requirement of at least 135 minutes per week or 225 minutes every two weeks in block scheduling may be implemented. Thanks for listening. To support The Texan, please be sure to visit thetexan.news and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - February 21, 2025

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