The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - January 30, 2025

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Thursday, January 30th, 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, prosecutors at the Texas Office of the Attorney General have filed motions to dismiss felony charges pending against two of Harris County Judge Lena Hidalgo's former staffers in relation to an $11 million COVID-19 vaccine outreach contract awarded to a highly connected Democratic strategist in 2021. According to documents filed in Harris County on Wednesday, OAG Prosecutor Brittany Cooper-Verdeja authorized dismissal of charges of misuse of official information and tampering with a government

Starting point is 00:00:51 record pending against Hidalgo's former aide Aaron Dunn and former policy director Wallace Nader. Dunn's attorney Derek Hollingsworth celebrated the turn of events Wednesday and told Fox 26 that the entire investigation had been a political vendetta. Charges remain pending against Hidalgo's former chief of staff, Alex Triantopoulos, who is scheduled to appear in court in February. Hollingsworth said he believes Triantopoulos' charges will be dropped soon as well. Next, State Representative Brent Money filed a bill that would treat an elective abortion as murder under state law. The, quote, abolition of abortion legislation is a proposal to eliminate an exception in state penal code for women who obtain an abortion, providing equal protection under criminal law to unborn children.

Starting point is 00:01:38 Money's Prenatal Equal Protection Bill, or House Bill 2197, states, The provisions of this chapter apply equally to an offense committed against any victim, regardless of whether the victim is an unborn child or an individual who was born alive. The proposal contains exceptions for procedures done to save the life of a mother or a spontaneous miscarriage. Money says he has more than a dozen co-authors for the bill. In other news, President Donald Trump wasted no time after taking the oath of office to declare that he would be making big changes, one of which is to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Trump issued an executive order to formalize the name change, writing that he is directing the Secretary of the Interior to

Starting point is 00:02:25 make the change within 30 days of the order. The large oval-shaped oceanic basin on the southeastern coast stretches along extensive parts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. State Representative Briscoe Cain has already filed legislation to change the name to the Gulf of America. Cain wrote, For too long we have referred to the body of water bordering our great state as the Gulf of Mexico, when in reality it belongs to America. Texas must lead the charge in affirming our national identity and rejecting the globalist mindset that seeks to diminish our greatness. Also, attorneys for a newly elected member of Texas'

Starting point is 00:03:05 highest criminal court, Judge Lee Finley and his wife, appeared in a Dallas-area state appellate court as defendants appealing a district court eviction order after defaulting on their home mortgage payments. What isn't in dispute is that the Finleys owe a six-figure balance on their home mortgage they stopped making payment toward in 2016. What they do dispute is whether the mortgage lenders may enforce a lien against the House in order to collect the debt. Finley was elected to the Court of Criminal Appeals in November after backing from Attorney General Ken Paxton and President Donald Trump resulted in the unprecedented ouster of three incumbent judges in the GOP primary, including Finley's

Starting point is 00:03:45 opponent, former Judge Michelle Slaughter. The Finleys have been involved in the legal dispute over their home mortgage for years and faced an eviction order that was stayed during the election after they appealed a six-figure judgment for the balance of the loan plus court costs and attorney's fees. Last but not least, Dallas City Councilmember Carolyn King Arnold, who has represented District 4 since 2018, says she is working to remain on the ballot for re-election in May. The impediment comes because of a city charter amendment approved by 69% of voting Dallas residents in November. Proposition E prohibits city council members from running again after serving four two-year terms. The mayor would be ineligible to run again after serving two four-year terms.

Starting point is 00:04:32 Before the approval of Proposition E, city council members could run again after a term had elapsed. 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 30, 2025

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