The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - January 15, 2025

Episode Date: January 15, 2025

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Howdy folks, today is Wednesday, January 15. And you're listening to the Texans daily rundown. I'm the Texans assistant editor Rob Lausches. And here is the rundiques, it's broken because its membership is deeply fractured with largely irreconcilable worldviews, the most divided the lower chamber has been in a long time. Whoever won Tuesday's speaker contest was going to have to pick up the pieces and rebuild from the rubble, and that now falls to Speaker Dustin Burroughs. There is a lot to complete before Siney die. Burroughs highlighted property taxes, education reform and funding, water infrastructure, and quashing crime and terror. And even though this is day two of the 89th legislature, the 140-day session goes fast. In his acceptance speech and afterward, Burroughs struck an amicable tone. Quote, while the majority will guide our

course, the House's strength lies in its diversity, and my leadership will be dedicated to ensuring every voice is heard and every district represented this session. Majority there is doing a lot of legwork. Is it the 88-member GOP majority in the chamber, or the 85-member bipartisan majority that elevated him to the chair? That winning coalition made up of 36 Republicans and 49 Democrats will be a millstone around his administration's neck for the rest of the session. Next, two Texans chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to fill cabinet positions are scheduled for their Senate confirmation hearings this week. Trump tapped

former Texas Congressman and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to be the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in November. Ratcliffe had his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, January 15th at 10 a.m. Former member of the Texas Legislature Scott Turner is another Texan nominated to serve in the upcoming Trump administration as the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner will have his confirmation hearing take place on Thursday, January 16th at 10 a.m. In other news, with Republicans now controlling both chambers of Congress and the impending inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, two members of

the Texas delegation have refiled legislation that would require federal authorities to detain more foreign nationals who cross the border illegally and more closely monitor those released into the country. The brutal sexual assault and murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungere in Houston last summer made national news after the two men charged in the case were found to be Venezuelan nationals who had likely crossed the border illegally near El Paso just months earlier. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials released the two into the country equipped with GPS monitors that were no longer active at the time of Jocelyn's murder. Last August, Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Troy

Nels filed the Justice for Jocelyn Act, noting that there were about 3,000 detention beds available when the two men were released in the spring of 2024. Also, State Senator Tan Parker filed a bill on the second day of the 89th Texas Legislature that establishes a state Homeland Security Division within the Texas Department of Public Safety. Senate Bill 780 explains that DPS is, quote, an agency of the state to enforce the laws protecting the public safety and provide for the prevention and detection of crime, end quote, made up of agencies such as HSD and the Texas Highway Patrol. SB 780 would allow the HSD to appoint a chief to provide, quote, the strategic and operational planning for border security operations, end quote, in Texas and collaborate with federal and state agencies

involved in border security. Last but not least, the issue of inmate deaths at the Tarrant County Jail was again discussed at the Commissioner's Court on Tuesday, January 14th. Commissioner Elisa Simmons asked that the court be given a briefing by Sheriff Bill Wayborn about two recent inmate deaths. Mason Yancey, age 31, died on December 27th after suffering a medical emergency. According to Wayborn, he was arrested by Grapevine Police for possession of ketamine, a controlled substance, and was moved to the Tarrant County Jail on December 24th. Wayborn told the commissioners that Yancey was seen nine times during his time at the

jail. He was being attended to by two nurses when he collapsed. Life-saving measures were attempted by jail staff, JPS staff, and the Fort Worth Fire Department, but Yancey was pronounced dead, Wayborn explained. 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.