The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - June 3, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Monday, June 3rd, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans Assistant Editor Rob Lausches, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Quote, I am currently undergoing treatment to battle this disease that impacts tens of thousands of Americans every year, Jackson Lee shared on Sunday night. Quote, my doctors have confirmed my diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Jackson Lee, who has served in Congress since 1995, is the author of a number of legislative pieces, including the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which established a federal holiday on June 19th commemorating the end of

Starting point is 00:00:51 slavery in Texas after the Civil War. Last year, Jackson Lee ran for mayor of Houston, but lost the race against then-Texas Senator John Whitmire. However, in March, she easily secured the Democratic primary nomination for her return to Congress, taking over 60% of the vote. Jackson Lee, who is 74 years old, is currently serving her 14th term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She is the founder of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, as well as the Congressional Children's Caucus. Next up, the Texas Supreme Court is considering the review of a case with implications for parental rights in Texas. Christine Lenore Sterry has filed a petition for review with the court because she says her parental rights were effectively terminated without due process

Starting point is 00:01:38 and in violation of her constitutional rights. The Family Freedom Project, an affiliate of the Texas Homeschool Coalition, filed an amicus curiae brief encouraging the court to consider the case. The Family Freedom Project wrote in a press release, quote, The rights of all Texas parents are at risk in a recent case where a court issued a lifetime ban

Starting point is 00:02:00 on a mother's relationship with her children without following due process. In other news, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Army have announced a new artillery manufacturing facility has opened in Mesquite, Texas. The Universal Artillery Projectile Lines Facility will, quote, increase the Army's ability to produce 155-millimeter munitions, according to a DOD press release. The facility will be operated by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. Secretary of the Army Christine E. Wormuth said

Starting point is 00:02:33 the Army has a goal to produce 100,000 155-millimeter shells per month by the end of next year. Quote, this plant is an important example of how we are modernizing our World War II era organic industrial base, Wormuth stated. Funding for the facility stems from the 2022 and 2023 congressional supplementary funding for the DOD, including a package of contracts that are worth more than $575 million. Also, Dallas Independent School District approved an unbalanced budget for the next school year that keeps the same tax rate and cuts some costs, but avoids school closures and raises teacher salaries slightly. Projected enrollment for 2024 through 2025 is 137,529 students. That is almost 1,900 fewer students than 2023 through 2024, when the district had 139,426 students enrolled. In all, Dallas ISD expects revenues to be down 7.4%, which amounts to over $135 million. The budget is $152 million out of balance. The district has been struggling with its budget for some time now, previously considering different measures to address the issue.

Starting point is 00:03:52 Last but not least, a massage therapy center in Houston has been ordered to close after it was suspected of human trafficking activity. The Houston Massage Establishment has been given a quote, six-month emergency closure order by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation after numerous law enforcement encounters. The emergency order was made possible by State Representative Ben Bumgarner's House Bill 3579, legislation that allows for the closure of massage locations if either TDLR or law enforcement suspect the establishment of human trafficking. Passed by the 88th Texas Legislature in June 2023 as a Republican effort, HB 3579 went into effect in September 2023. This is the first emergency closure of a massage establishment as a result of the law. According to a report by TDLR, an inspection presented several indicators of human trafficking, while the exact evidence was not shared. The owner of

Starting point is 00:04:52 the establishment has reportedly displayed similar conduct indicative of such illegal activity in previous encounters with the law. 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.

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The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - June 3, 2024

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