The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - June 19, 2025

Episode Date: June 19, 2025

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Howdy folks, today is Thursday, June 19th, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans Assistant Editor Rob Lauschus, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, the 2026 race for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts added a third candidate when State Senator Kelly Hancock announced a bid for the office after being hired as the agency's chief clerk. Hancock announced with a campaign video detailing his background in business and elected office. fiscal officer overseeing the budget consumption tax collections and remittances, state investments, and other miscellaneous programs over which the legislature gives it oversight. One such program it'll be tasked with executing is the new education savings

account program passed during the 89th legislative session. The position will soon open as Comptroller Glenn Hagar is leaving to helm the Texas A&M University System in July. Next, Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George announced he is flipping parties from Democratic to Republican as he faces a plethora of felony money laundering related charges and misdemeanor charges for faked racist messages online. George, who's up for reelection in 2026,

stated in his announcement on Wednesday morning that the Democratic Party, quote, has become one of corruption, radical political ideology, and positions that do not reflect my values or those of Fort Bend County residents. A grand jury indicted George in April on money laundering charges based on evidence found in his campaign finance reports from six years ago. According to the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office, George is alleged to have transferred campaign money to himself in amounts of between $30,000 and $150,000 between January 12th and April 22nd, 2019.

In other news, the state of Texas joined a lawsuit against genetic testing company 23andMe alongside 27 other states and the District of Columbia seeking to prevent the sale of customers' sensitive data without consent coming after the company filed for bankruptcy. The California-based biotechnology company collected DNA through saliva samples from customers and in turn provided an analysis on individuals, ancestry, genetic traits, and other related data. It was in business for nearly 20 years before filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy in Missouri in late March.

The filing of chapter 11 bankruptcy initiates the beginning of 23andMe's sale to another company, allowing it to auction itself off to its new owner, which would include rights to its collected DNA data. Also, the city of Austin is facing a potential lawsuit from the state of Texas after Attorney General Ken Paxton warned city officials that their contract with Wexbank violates state law prohibiting public entities from doing business with companies that discriminate against the firearms industry, which prohibits any state entity, including political subdivisions like municipalities, from contracting with financial institutions who debank firearms industry related companies. According to the letter Paxton informed city

leaders his office learned of a contract between the city of Austin and Wex Bank. Paxton added that Wex Bank was denying credit card processing services to Defense Solutions Group, which he said supplies the military and law enforcement agencies with high-end equipment. Because the bank is denying services to a gun-related company, Paxton says the city must terminate its multi-million dollar contract for fleet fuel card services. Last but not least, ahead of Tesla launching robo-taxis in Austin, Democratic members of the Texas legislature are asking for a delay so that new state laws can take effect.

State Senators Sara Eckhart and Junith Zafferini and Representatives Maria Luisa Flores, Vicki Goodwin, Gina Hinajosa, Donna Howard, and Aaron Zwiener are requesting, quote, detailed information demonstrating that Tesla will be compliant, end quote, with the new laws if it chooses to launch before the law becomes effective. The letter cites legislation that was passed during the 89th legislative session this year

that will make revisions to a bill passed in 2017, which made it legal to operate autonomous vehicles in Texas. The changes in the new legislation include requiring AV operators to be authorized by the Department of Motor Vehicles, be equipped with a recording device, be capable of achieving a minimal risk condition if the AV is inoperable, and operate and comply with state and federal motor vehicle safety regulations. 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.