The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - June 6, 2025

Episode Date: June 6, 2025

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Howdy folks, today is Friday June 6th and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans reporter Cameron Abrams and here's the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, legislation establishing civil liability for the creation and distribution of non-consensual, artificial intelligence-generated intimate visual material is awaiting Governor Greg Abbott's signature, two weeks after similar legislation was signed into law at the federal level. Senate Bill 441, authored by State Senator Chuy Hinojosa and carried by State Rep. Suleiman

Laulani in the lower chamber, seeks to establish civil liability for companies or individuals who create or distribute digitally altered artificial intimate photos of both adults and minors. Lalani said that SB 441 quote, complements builds upon and conforms to the recently enacted federal take it down, signed by President Donald Trump, referencing the bill authored by Senators Ted Cruz and Amy Klobuchar, criminalizing the non-consensual dissemination of intimate imagery.

It was signed into law by Trump on May 19th, after passing the federal Senate unanimously. Cruz's bill was inspired by a Texas teenager, Elliston Barry, who was a victim of the publication of non-consensual, intimate imagery of herself. Only 14 years old at the time, Barry suffered a classmate secretly creating AI-generated pornography of her from innocent Instagram photos and sending it to her entire school. Around 24,000 kids buried confirmed. If Abbott signs SB 441 into law,

it will go into effect September 1st, 2025. Next, a pastor in Waco who has been limited by the city and where he can evangelize is working to get assurances that he'll be free to share his faith at events held in public parks. Pastor Ronnie Holmes of Church of the Open Door in Waco and some of his church members were seeking to share their faith last October at the Out on the Brazos Festival hosted by the Waco Pride Network that quote, celebrates the greater Waco LGBTQ plus community and its allies. The event was held at the city-owned and maintained Brazos Park East, was open to the public and did not require a ticket to attend. After about an hour, Holmes was approached by three officers from the Waco Police Department

and allegedly told the Waco Pride Network had secured a permit for their event and could dictate the kind of activities allowed there. The police officers moved the group to a restricted, quote, speech zone in the park, a 10 foot by 20 foot zone marked off by cones about 50 yards away from the core event area. On November 12th, 2024, homes and other pastors met with city officials, including two city attorneys, to discuss the incident. First Liberty, a national public interest law firm, quote, dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans, sent a letter to the city of Waco demanding that it provide written assurances that the city, quote, will no longer enforce its policy

to banish religious speech to a speech zone within Brazos East Park. When asked for comment, Waco City Attorney Kristen Hamilton-Karam responded, quote, The city has received the reference letter and our legal team is reviewing and researching the concerns raised. Also, Texas law enforcement arrested 44 individuals in a West Texas operation as a result of Attorney General Kim Paxton's Fugitive Apprehension Unit, which aims to capture individuals identified as quote parole violators with violent felony convictions, violent criminal history and gang affiliations. Of the 44 arrested, reportedly in the vicinity of Lubbock and Abilene, a dozen of the individuals had what the Office of the Attorney General described as, quote, immigration issues and

were reported to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, quote, getting these dangerous criminals off our streets will make our state safer, Paxton said in a press release on Friday morning. One of the individuals arrested had a sex offense warrant prior to the operation. Last but not least, as President Trump and Elon Musk traded blows publicly after Musk criticized the one big, beautiful bill backed by the president

and his administration, a couple of members of the Texas delegation made their allegiances known. Congressman Troy Nels said Musk had, quote, lost his mind, adding, enough is enough. The White House also subsequently released a video of Senator John Cornyn endorsing the Trump back proposal. Thanks for listening. To support The Texan, please be sure to visit thetexan.news

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