The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - January 14, 2025

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Tuesday, January 14th, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans reporter Cameron Abrams, and here's the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, State Representative Dustin Burroughs won the Texas House Speakership after two rounds of voting on Tuesday, the first day of the 89th legislative session. Burroughs said, quote, I want to be very direct on one overriding concept. This is the people's house. This is greater than any one person and any one faction. This is a sacrifice, and I accept that sacrifice readily. If you voted against me, my door will be open for you. The final vote broke down with 85 in favor of Burroughs, 55 in favor of State Rep. David Cook, and 9 registering as present not voting.

Starting point is 00:00:57 Burroughs was then sworn into office by Secretary of State Jane Nelson. Burroughs' effective governing coalition is 36 Republicans and 49 Democrats, and is the first time a speaker was elected in the official vote with a minority of his own party behind him in recent memory. In the first round of voting, Burroughs was five votes shy of the 76 needed to win, with Cook pulling in 56 votes and state rep Anna Maria Ramos receiving 23 votes. Ramos was then eliminated and the top two moved on to a runoff. Over in the Senate, the gavel has dropped on the start of the 89th Texas legislature in the upper chamber, with proceedings kicking off and new state senators being sworn in to begin the

Starting point is 00:01:45 policymaking process. Governor Greg Abbott made an appearance in the Texas Senate chamber to speak to members and Texans in the gallery. Abbott told everyone that he hopes the 89th session will be, quote, the only session this year. The green carpet featured a variety of high-profile Texas officials that came to watch the Senate proceedings, including Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller, Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath, and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has outlined a number of priorities that he intends to tackle, including cutting property taxes, increasing teacher salaries, and quote, making smart one-time investments to ensure our budget is sustainable moving forward and that our state is prepared for the future. Texas has

Starting point is 00:02:31 31 state senators, many of which will be returning for another term in office. Three new freshmen were sworn in on the floor during the first day of the session, Senators Molly Cook, Adam Hinojosa, and Brent Hagenbue. Senator Brandon Creighton was unanimously selected as the new president pro tem of the Senate after Senator Tan Parker gave a speech nominating him. In other news, the Supreme Court of Texas heard oral arguments this week in the case of Texas Attorney General Kim Paxton and the state of Texas versus Catholic charity Annunciation House, which the state has accused of facilitating illegal immigration. Annunciation House, which is located along the U.S.-Mexico border, describes itself as a, quote, volunteer organization that offers hospitality to migrants, immigrants, and refugees in El Paso, Texas.

Starting point is 00:03:26 Paxton originally filed the lawsuit in February 2024, alleging that the non-governmental organization has been, quote, facilitating the unlawful entry of illegal aliens into Texas. Paxton sought to halt its operation in Texas and liquidate its assets after the NGO failed to present certain specified records requested by the Office of the Attorney General. The issue in front of the Supreme Court of Texas on Monday concerned the administrative subpoena powers of the Office of the Attorney General. With oral arguments concluded and the case submitted, a judgment on what constitutes

Starting point is 00:04:05 religious activity will likely provide significant clarification on the boundaries of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act under the law. Last but not least, the newly elected district attorney of the state's most populous county had a rough start in the new year when several days into his first term he learned that his license to practice law in the state of Texas had been suspended. Democrat Sean Teer won his 2024 election with just shy of 51% of the vote on November 5th, but on December 31st, 2024, the state bar of Texas suspended his law license due to a failure to complete annual minimum continuing legal education requirements. Tehr was sworn in on January 1 and did not become aware of the administrative suspension

Starting point is 00:04:55 until local attorney Mark McCraig noted the issue on January 5, 2025. A spokesperson for the Harris County District Attorney's Office called the issue a quote, paperwork snafu, over a failure to pay administrative fees and said the issue was quickly resolved. Active attorneys in Texas must complete at least 15 hours of accredited MCLE by their own birthday each year. Failure to complete the hours within a grace period can result in financial penalties. 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 - January 14, 2025

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