The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - July 10, 2026

Episode Date: July 10, 2026

The Texan’s Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Visit The Texan for complete access to our in-depth articles, newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to follow us and leave a review!

Well, howdy folks. Today is Friday, July 10th, and you're listening to The Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texan Senior Editor Rob Lauchess, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, fresh off his Republican primary run for Texas Attorney General, Aaron Wright took the role of U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas this week. Wright said, quote, our office will relentlessly combat violent crime, illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking, corruption, and fraud. We will faithfully uphold the rule of law and protect the public. Things are about to get very bad for criminals in the Southern District of Texas, end quote. Wright's most recent public role was head of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Legal Policy,

a U.S. Senate confirmed presidential appointment that he held from March 2025 through June 2025. Before that, Wrights had served as chief of staff to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz for two years. Rights left the DOJ last June to run for Texas Attorney General, eventually securing the endorsement of outgoing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, under whom Wrights served as Deputy Attorney General from 2020 to 2023. Next, the Texas Senate took up the issue of surrogacy and how it relates to in vitro fertilization, birthright citizenship, and the free markets intersection. with bioethics at a committee hearing on Wednesday. The Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services,

chaired by State Senator Lois Colcourse, conducted the interim hearing to examine the, quote, unethical and foreign interests exploiting the surrogacy and fertility industries in Texas, end quote, as was the interim charge laid out by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick in late March. Interim charges are what state lawmakers are tasked with focusing on leading up to the next legislative session, establishing committees and inviting testimony to research specific issues in preparation for the crafting of future legislation. Koukors shared as the hearing kicked off on Wednesday morning that she had been following this topic out of concern for a while and expressed gratitude that Patrick included it in the chamber's interim charges. She said, quote, today we address a basic question of human existence, that is, what role technology and government play in the creation of life.

In other news, the ongoing legal dispute over who is the chief executive of Fort Bend County led to an abrupt cancellation of the commissioner's court meeting on Thursday, after two Democratic commissioners continued their boycott of the court. Another commissioner was out of state on vacation, leaving the court without the quorum necessary to conduct county business. Earlier this year, a visiting judge presiding over a civil removal case ordered Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George suspended from office. after a jury found George guilty on felony money laundering charges. The civil court judge then appointed the 26 Republican nominee for county judge, Daniel Wong, as the interim county judge. Then in June, after a criminal court judge sentenced George, the civil removal case was non-suited, which Fork-Ben Democrats now argue means Wong's appointment is no longer valid. The events led to a volley of legal actions this week, beginning on Monday when Wong filed a lawsuit against county attorney Bridget Smith Lawson. Later that day, Smith Lawson filed a quo Waranto suit to remove Wang from the county judge's office. Then on Tuesday, Wong withdrew his lawsuit and said he would instead take up the legal dispute under

Smith Lawson's quo Waronto case. The Fort Bend County commissioners are expected to take up planning for next year's budget at their next meeting, but without a quorum, they will be unable to do so. Last but not least, the Texas Bullion Depository has announced the launch of its 2026 commemorative coins, known as Lone Stars. Before announcing his departure from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Office last week, acting comptroller Kelly Hancock unveiled the depository's latest offering, including both gold and silver commemorative coins and modern redback gold bills. The coins and 24-carat gold bills will be available to purchase starting in mid-July from authorized retail dealers. The coins and bills are not legal tender and are only issued for their commemorative,

collectable, and precious metals value, the depository made clear. The Texas Bullion Depository has recently been involved in a lawsuit brought by Texas Precious Metals, a Shiner-based company, that alleged the state infringed on the company's intellectual property rights and exceeded the statutory authority for operating the Bullion Depository by offering its own gold and silver coins. Thanks for listening. To support the Texan, please be sure to visit the texan. News to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.