The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - January 26, 2026

Starting point is 00:00:04 Howdy, folks, today is Monday, January 26th, and you're listening to The Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans managing editor Rob Lauchess, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, the Muslim Legal Fund of America filed a motion on January 22nd for a preliminary injunction against Governor Greg Abbott's proclamation, quote, which unlawfully designates care and its affiliates as a foreign terrorist and criminal organization. In November, Abbott designated the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CARE, along with the Muslim Brotherhood, as foreign terrorist organizations. It has prompted significant controversy within the state, with Abbott calling for investigations into the supposed

Starting point is 00:00:51 implementation of Sharia law through the Dallas Islamic Tribunal, alongside Attorney General Ken Ken Paxton's call for investigations into the East Plano Islamic Center's residential development, the Meadow, formerly known as Epic City, for procedural violations and fraud. Abbott's proclamation states that, quote, the Council on American Islamic Relations is an Islamist organization that, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, was founded as a front group for Hamas and its support network in the United States. Next, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a legal opinion

Starting point is 00:01:28 confirming the Texas comptroller of public accounts full authority to block taxpayer funds from going to schools tied to terrorist groups or foreign adversaries, according to a January 24th press release. On December 12th, Hancock requested an opinion from Paxton asking if schools with such ties are legally disqualified from participating in the state's education savings account program known as Texas Education Freedom Accounts. The Texas Private School Accreditation Commission approves accrediting agencies for private schools. Hancock voiced concerned that the approved agency Cognia approved private schools,

Starting point is 00:02:07 quote, that have hosted publicly advertised events organized by the Council on American Islamic Relations. In other news, Governor Greg Abbott confirmed during a Monday morning radio spot that his office is collecting data on H-1B visas in Texas, particularly in the state's public schools, and also commented on the recent fatal shooting of a man in Minneapolis, Minnesota by a federal immigration agent, emphasizing Texas cooperation with law enforcement. Internal communications published by Quorum report on Saturday indicated that Abbott was examining H-1B visas and the state's school system via emails sent to letters of the Texas A&M University system, who were instructed to compile a list of employees on H-1B visas and report back by Monday. While speaking as a guest on the Mark Davis show, Abbott confirmed that he was looking into,

Starting point is 00:03:00 the extent to which Texas taxpayer dollars are being used to pay for any of these people, referencing H-1B visa holders, quote, whether it be candidly in our public schools in the state of Texas, in our universities and colleges in the state of Texas. Also, U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Casmeric has upheld a previous ruling in favor of West Texas A&M University's decision to ban drag shows on campus and has effectively canceled the appeal hearing that was set to take.

Starting point is 00:03:30 place this Friday. The case has been in the works for the past three years, coming on to the scene in March 2023 when representatives of an LGBT student group, Spectrum WT, raised a case against President Walter Wendler and Vice President Christopher Thomas of West Texas A&M University. They also named the Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System and the members of the Systems Board of Regents as defendants. The lawsuit was filed by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. In September 2023, Casmeric ruled that drag shows are not protected as expressive conduct under the First Amendment. Last but not least, the sanctuary cities for the Unborn Initiative is off to a quick start this year, with three local governments passing ordinances already in January.

Starting point is 00:04:19 The cities of Matador and Lachney both passed ordinances along with Borden County. 76 cities and 15 counties have passed measures with six provisions to prohibit abortion within its jurisdiction, abortions on its residents no matter where the abortion takes place, abortion trafficking through the jurisdiction, mailing of chemical abortion drugs into the municipality or county, the operation of criminal organizations within the town or county, and the transportation and disposal of aborted fetal remains into or through the municipality. Mark Lee Dixon, founder of the sanctuary cities for the Unborn Initiative, told the Texan that he expects to see even more political subdivisions move forward with these kind of ordinances in 2026. 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.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - January 26, 2026

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