The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - June 4, 2024

Episode Date: June 4, 2024

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Howdy folks, today is Tuesday, June 4th, 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. Amid growing concern over illegal immigrants entering the United States, President Joe Biden has issued an executive order aiming to secure the border. According to the announcement Tuesday afternoon, Biden's order looks to, quote, bar migrants who cross our southern border unlawfully from receiving asylum. Quote, these actions will be in effect when high levels of encounters at the southern border exceed our ability to deliver timely consequences, as is the case today, Biden stated. They will make it easier for immigration officers to remove those without

a lawful basis to remain and reduce the burden on our border patrol agents. Accompanying the announcement is a further explanation about the Biden administration's actions, which it explained are not permanent. Quote, they will be discontinued when the number of migrants who cross the border between ports of entry is low enough for America's system to safely and effectively manage border operations. Next up, Governor Greg Abbott pardoned U.S. Army Sergeant Daniel Perry in May for the murder of Garrett Foster, but now Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza is planning to take action against Abbott's order. According to KVUE, Garza is set to announce that his office will follow

other states that have called for a U.S. Department of Justice civil rights investigation into the pardon. A letter from New York Attorney General Letitia James and 13 other attorneys general states, though Mr. Perry has been pardoned in Texas, the law does not shield him from federal prosecution for killing Mr. Foster to prevent him from exercising his constitutional right to peacefully protest. Garza called Abbott's pardon of Perry, quote, a mockery of our legal system, adding, they should be ashamed of themselves. Perry was convicted of murdering Foster, an Air Force veteran and Black Lives Matter protester, in 2023. The bloody, bruising 2024 primary is now in the rearview mirror, and the chips have landed.

Here's a review of the themes from the primary and factors to watch going forward. Governor Greg Abbott was on a mission in this primary, a mission to flip enough seats in the Texas House to gain a pro-school choice majority, and just on its face, he was wildly successful. Post-runoff, that majority is now at least 78 votes, and that's not counting the two open seats in which his endorsed candidate lost, House Districts 29 and 30, but which the presumptive representative may vote for that proposal anyway. It's broadly understood in the legislature that some school choice plan will pass, provided Republicans don't lose a bunch of seats in November.

That's not likely due to redistricting, though there are a couple vulnerable GOP-held seats, one in the Rio Grande Valley and one in Bexar County. Abbott received a $6 million donation from billionaire Jeff Yass, not so subtly itemized for his school choice crusade. According to Open Secrets, the total shepherded by Abbott reached $8.8 million. Last but not least, District Court Judge Beau Miller lambasted attorneys for the city of Pasadena at an April hearing over an alleged breach of settlement, but city council members appear to not have been briefed on the pending lawsuit or related legal strategies undertaken by the city attorney or outside legal counsel, Bill Helfand. In the suit filed by small business owner Azeol Oz Sepulveda, claiming the city is breaching terms of an agreement approved by the city council in 2022,

Pasadena's legal defense team asked Miller to toss the case, claiming the city has government immunity. The attorneys vowed to appeal if Miller refused, a process that could stall the case for months or even years. Although Miller suggested he should order the parties to confer and attempt to reach an agreement, Helfand told the judge he had been instructed by the council to file an appeal that halts all discovery or examination of evidence. But Pasadena has no record of a city council discussion of Sepulveda's case since approving the 2022 settlement agreement. Pasadena's city council has met twice since the April 29th hearing,

but litigation was not listed either on the public agenda or for discussion in closed executive session. 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. Wow. I think I actually just did that without a mistake. Here's hoping.