The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - July 30, 2026

Starting point is 00:00:04 Well, howdy folks? Today is Thursday, July 30th, 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, the Texas Department of State Health Services is reinstating definitions of THC and marijuana extract from its 2021 revised schedule of controlled substances, effective Friday, July 31. In the most recent publication of the Texas Register on July 10th, the DHS issued a notice in which the agency said that it is reinstating the 2021 definitions after the Texas Supreme Court's decision to remove an injunction that had prevented the DSHS from doing so. The previous 2020 rule exempted any type of THC, including Delta 8, Delta 9, Delta 10, and THCP as long as it was hemp derived. The reinstructed. The reinstated 2021 definitions narrow that exemption to up to 0.3% Delta 9 THC and hemp, with similar wording applied to marijuana extract, which now only exempts cannabis products, quote, containing up to 0.3% delta9 THC on a dry weight basis other than separated resin,

Starting point is 00:01:24 whether crude or purified, obtained from the plant. Next, Governor Greg Abbott pitched a plan for property tax reform. and general cost of living relief at a campaign stop on Wednesday, unveiling new proposals to make health insurance more affordable. Joined by a group of small business owners at a Fort Worth restaurant, Abbott defended his property tax overhaul plan, touted the small business benefits of laws passed in the 89th legislature last year, and announced support for legislation in the upcoming 90th legislature intended to lower insurance costs by ending state benefit mandates. The insurance proposals mark Abbott's latest move in a race increasingly focused on affordability.

Starting point is 00:02:07 Abbott suggested legislation that would end state mandates for certain health insurance benefits, saying, quote, it will allow Texans to get health insurance that covers all of the essentials without paying for expensive additional mandates imposed by the state. In other news, the Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, met for a nearly 16-hour hearing on July 29th to discuss the state of the Texas grid and the potential implementation of new 765-kilovolt transmission lines. The proposed $33 billion project would span the width of the state and aim to deliver East Texas energy to what officials indicate

Starting point is 00:02:46 is a growing grid reliability problem in West Texas. Panelists in support of the build cited that the 765-kilovolt lines would cover less right-of-way ground, ground utilized by the expanse of the transmission tower, and ultimately disrupt less Texas land than their 345-kilovolt companions, according to Public Utility Commission Chairman Jack Gleason. Panelists said that due to a lack of reliable 24-hour energy in West Texas, the area that operates a majority of the state's oil and gas production, a solution needed to be administered by, the PUC and Aircott. Gleason argued that the 765-kilovolt lines were the optimal technical solution to the problem. However, several lawmakers pushed back on the proposal, as did many witnesses providing public

Starting point is 00:03:37 testimony during the many hours of the hearing. Last but not least, a court established for the removal of foreign nationals believed to be terrorists as hearing a case for the first time since its establishment three decades ago, regarding a Texas resident who allegedly supported her family's plans for an ISIS-aligned terrorist attack on Election Day, 2024. The U.S. Alien Terrorist Removal Court, established in 1996, heard Fort Worth resident Nazira Haji Zada's case on Thursday morning for her alleged role in aiding her son and son-in-law in the terrorist attack, with the goal of obtaining an order for her deportation back to Afghanistan. The court was created by Congress and ultimately signed into existence by President Bill Clinton,

Starting point is 00:04:24 specifically to handle removal cases dealing with non-citizens whose cases involved classified information and thus couldn't be handled in standard judicial court. No case has been brought before the special court since its establishment. Zada's son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Taweti, were arrested on October 7, 24 when they were caught purchasing materials, including firearms, for the mass shooting attack from an incognito U.S. FBI agent. 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.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - July 30, 2026

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