The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - June 29, 2026

Episode Date: June 29, 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 Monday, June 29th, 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 Supreme Court of Texas has issued an injunction against a Harris County initiative that provides taxpayer-funded legal defense to illegal immigrants facing deportation. While not ruling on the merits of the case, justices on the state's highest civil court expressed skepticism that, that the program is allowed under the Texas Constitution. County judge Lena Hidalgo requested the creation of the Immigrant Legal Services Fund in 2020, saying the U.S. immigration system was,

quote, deeply broken and complicated. That year, commissioners approved $2 million to ILS and had spent at least $8 million overall when in October 2025, they approved another $1.3 million. The new allocation prompted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to file suit on grounds that the program violates a state constitutional prohibition on giving gifts or conferring private benefits to individuals and groups that do not serve a legitimate public end. In December 2025, a district court judge ruled that Paxton's lawsuit could proceed, but declined to issue an injunction. Last Friday, the Supreme Court of Texas granted the injunction, writing that, quote, we conclude that there exists serious doubt about the constitutionality of the Harris County program at issue. Next, 27 state attorneys

general have joined Texas in defending its App Store Accountability Act before the Supreme Court of the United States, requesting that the law remain in effect while litigation proceeds. Senate Bill 2420, authored by state Senator Angela Paxton and sponsored by State Representative Caroline Fairly in the Texas House last year, requires operators to verify the age of consumers and mandates parental consent for App Store purchases and downloads for those under the age of 18. Over two dozen attorneys general filed an amicus brief on June 23rd in support of Texas, after two groups brought the case to SCOTUS to request that it bar the state from enforcing the App Store Accountability Act. The plaintiffs, students engaged in advancing Texas,

and the Computer and Communications Industry Association, had filed suit against the state over the law in October 2025, three months before SB 2420 was set to go into effect in January 2026. They allege that the statute infringes on the right to free speech, stating that it, quote, violates the First Amendment on its face. In other news, the Grimes County Commissioner's Court approved a 35-year tax abatement agreement with Elon Musk's SpaceX over a proposed massive semiconductor plan in the county called Terrafab. The abatement will be accomplished through a payment in lieu of taxes, or pilot program, in which SpaceX will provide Grimes County with $20 million a year for the duration of 35 years. After 10 years, the tax abatement period will be up for reassessment. If the initial phase of TerraFAB is completed, the project's

estimated capital investment would reach $55 billion. If all four phases of the project go through, the potential full investment totals out to $119 billion. At 5,000,000,000,000,000. At 5,000,000,000,000, $55 billion, the investment from the initial phases of the project alone would exceed the entire U.S. Chips Act, which designated $52.7 billion in federal grants in 2021 toward domestic semiconductor research and development. Last but not least, grassroots activists in Texas are expressing concern about so-called kill-switch technology for automobiles that was mandated in 2021 under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed under the Biden administration. Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation was to prescribe federal motor vehicle safety standards

for advanced drunk impaired driving prevention technology, referred to as the Kill Switch, no later than three years after the enactment of the IIA. It also provided for a time extension. The Kill Switch is supposed to passively monitor the driver's performance or blood alcohol concentration and prevent or limit motor vehicle operation if impairment is detected. Nearly 200 activists, led by Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom, founder and director Terry Hall, and grassroots America We the People, executive director Joanne Fleming, sent a letter to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz in May, asking him to use his position to repeal the kill switch mandate. They also held up signs at the Republican Party of Texas State Convention earlier this month,

asking Cruz to, quote, stop the kill switch. 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.