The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - July 15, 2026

Episode Date: July 15, 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 Wednesday, July 15th, 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, as local, state, and federal authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding an illegal immigrant killed by U.S. immigration and customs enforcement agents in Houston last week, a search warrant affidavit indicates the vehicle driven by the victim may have contained illegal drugs. According to the affidavit filed with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, a special agent with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation observed, quote, three plastic bags containing a white crystal-like substance in the middle of the

dash between the driver and passenger side, end quote, of the white Ford cargo van, allegedly driven by Lorenzo Salgado Arajo, who was fatally shot on July 7th. The agent also noted a fourth such bag on the passenger side floorboard of the vehicle, and said that based on his training, he believed the packages, quote, are consistent with how users of drugs package-controlled substances for distribution, manufacturing, and possession. He added that the appearance of the packages is consistent with methamphetamine, a Schedule 2 controlled substance. Next, the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, past the U.S. House of Representatives, on Tuesday and now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration. The bill was approved in the House by a vote

of 308 in favor to 117 against. The majority of the Texas congressional delegation voted in favor of the bill. U.S. representatives Greg Casar, Lloyd Doggett, Veronica Escobar, Sylvia Garcia, Mark Vizi, Chip Roy, and Keith Self voted against it. In the 89th legislative session last year, the Texas legislature passed House Bill 1393, a trigger law that would establish daylight saving time year-round in Texas pending federal authorization. The Uniform Time Act of 1966, which established the spring-forward and fall-back time changes familiar to Americans today, allow states to opt out of the twice-a-year switch, but does not let them adopt daylight saving time on a year-round basis. In other news, Texas' big three gave a glimpse on Wednesday of the state's foremost issues to be addressed in the upcoming 90th legislative

session beginning in January. Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker of the Texas House, Dustin Burroughs outlined policy priorities in a July 15th letter to state agencies, appellate courts, and public institutions of higher education. While the letter primarily directs them to review and trim their finances, it also lists four priorities for the state's next by annual budget. Affordability for Texas consumers and homeowners, spending cuts for state agencies, steady funding for education programs, and property tax reform. Burroughs said in the letter, quote, those spending reductions will provide the baseline for a conservative budget that prioritizes property tax relief and strategic investments to support our state's growth and

keep Texas on solid footing. Also, Iola Independent School District and Anderson Shiro Consolidates, independent school district, both voted to pass a partial tax abatement deal for Space X's TerraFab project in Grimes County. Each phase of the four-phase jobs, energy, technology, and innovation application was approved by a vote of five to two in both Iola ISD and Anderson-Shiro C-ISD on Tuesday. SpaceX is a space exploration company founded by Tech Magnate Elon Musk, who serves as its CEO and chairman. The company is collaborative. with computer company Intel and electric vehicle company Tesla, of which Musk is also the CEO on the TerraFab project. TerraFab is a proposed semiconductor mega facility that intends to produce

chips for AI computing both on Earth and in space. Last but not least, leading members of the Texas legislature made housing affordability a top priority in the last session, and an upcoming interim committee hearing suggests the issue isn't going away. The last. The last The Land Resource Management Committee of the Texas House plans to meet next Monday, July 20th, to discuss a group of housing bills nearly a year after they took effect. Intended to boost the state's housing supply by freeing up the development process, all four bills have encountered opposition from local government officials, prompting state leaders to return to the issue in the 90th legislative session.

All the bills pertain to housing affordability, one of several issues that House Speaker Dustin Burroughs charged the committee with addressing during the interim. 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.