The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - February 28, 2025

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Friday, February 28th, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans Senior Editor Mackenzie DeLulo, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, while both the Texas Legislature and the federal government have taken steps to curb diversity, equity, and inclusion offices. Some universities in the state have reportedly maintained their efforts through mandatory graduation requirements. During the 88th legislative session in 2023,

Starting point is 00:00:33 Senator Brandon Creighton introduced the bill that banned DEI offices at Texas public universities. Since assuming office, President Donald Trump has also issued a number of executive orders regarding DEI programs. In a letter released today to the Board of Regents at Texas Public Universities, both Creighton and Senator Paul Betancourt state that despite governing boards being in compliance with the law, the reports were not found to be satisfactory. Creighton and Betancourt go on to write that because of these findings, requests for increases

Starting point is 00:01:05 in state funds for all public institutions of higher education this legislative session are now frozen at levels from the previous biennium. The Goldwater Institute, a conservative policy think tank, has produced a report that lists five Texas universities that it says, in some capacity, require students to take courses that instruct them in politically activist DEI concepts and practices. UT Austin, Texas Tech, the University of North Texas, the University of Houston, and UT at El Paso are the five schools listed. 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.

Starting point is 00:01:54 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. Now returning to your Daily Texas News. Second, Harris County taxpayers will cover legal fees for County Judge Lena Hidalgo and several county staffers after prosecutors with the Texas Office of the Attorney General dropped pending felony charges and further investigation into an alleged bid-rigging scheme for an $11 million COVID-19

Starting point is 00:02:32 vaccine outreach contract awarded to a highly connected Democratic strategist. In a 3-to-1 partisan vote, with Hidalgo not voting, Harris County commissioners opted to cover the legal expenses following a private executive session on Thursday. One official agenda item states that the fees are $672,000 for representation of the Harris County judge in connection with certain legal proceedings. The Commissioner's Court also approved a second agenda item for $200,000 for an unnamed employee but documents obtained by the Texan

Starting point is 00:03:06 indicate those charges are for Hidalgo's former aide, Aaron Dunn. In 2022, a grand jury indicted Dunn, along with Hidalgo's former policy advisor and former chief of staff, on felony charges of misuse of official information and tampering with a government record based on affidavits and evidence provided by investigators with the Texas Rangers. Next up, the newly created Senate K-16 Education Committee took up a bevy of bills this week. Each piece of legislation, in some capacity, addressed parental rights, academic transparency, and district accountability. More than six hours of discussion, debate, and testimony were provided to the committee. Read more of Cameron Abrams' rundown at the Texan.News.

Starting point is 00:03:51 Up next, two bills have been filed by the same legislator pertaining to COVID-19. One allowing ivermectin to be sold over the counter, and another banning mRNA vaccines. State Representative Wes Ferdell, who filed both House Bill 3175 and House Bill 3176 on February 21st, said he introduced these pieces of legislation at the request of doctors and health officials. Ivermectin, a medicine first used for veterinary purposes, but later applied to humans for a variety of diseases in 1988,

Starting point is 00:04:22 was strongly advised against by the FDA as a treatment for COVID-19 and remains unavailable at pharmacies for use without prescription. But some doctors saw it work incredibly well in treating the symptoms of COVID-19 during the global pandemic. One of those doctors was Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, a Houston-based doctor who sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA for attempting to block her and other health care professionals from using ivermectin to treat patients with COVID-19. Lastly, the Tri-County Electric Cooperative Board of Directors now only consists of four

Starting point is 00:04:59 members out of the nine positions on the board. Three members have been removed and two have resigned. Tri-County Electric is a non-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative that was established in 1939. It serves over 110,000 customers across 16 North Texas counties. Tri-County will move forward with only four board members until the election in September. Until the spots are filled, five geographic districts will not have representation on the board of directors, one for close to three years. 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 - February 28, 2025

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