The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - March 11, 2026

Episode Date: March 11, 2026

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Howdy, folks, today is Wednesday, March 11th, and you're listening to The Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans managing editor Rob Lauchess, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, ExxonMobil announced that its board of directors unanimously agreed to redomisile the corporation's legal home from New Jersey to Texas. Chairman and CEO Darren Woods said about the decision, quote, Texas has made a noticeable effort to embrace the business country. community. In doing so, it has created a policy and regulatory environment that can allow the company to maximize shareholder value. Its attraction to the state, according to ExxonMobil, is due in part to its de facto status as the company's home, with 30% of the company's global

employee base and 75% of its domestic employee base located in Texas. The company is already headquartered in spring. Texas' legal and regulatory environment was also referenced as a strategic reason for the relocation, along with the presence of the Texas Business Court, which ExxonMobil praised as, quote, designed to resolve complex disputes efficiently. Governor Greg Abbott thanked the corporation and commented, quote, freed from the stranglehold of over-regulation, Texas is where global brand leaders thrive and jobs for hardworking Texans grow. ExxonMobil stated that the redomiciling would not change shareholder rights. Next, a new American oil refinery, the first one to open in nearly 50 years, will be constructed in the South Texas city of Brownsville.

According to a post on Truth Social by President Donald Trump and Indian Company, Reliance Industries, will be investing in the new oil refinery that is being constructed by America First refining. In his post, Trump emphasized the importance of the new refinery to America's national security. In light of the ongoing conflict in Iran, oil prices have risen, likely because of Iran's ability. to disrupt oil shipping from the Middle East. The new refinery is expected to break ground in April 26 and will process American oil sourced from the Permian Basin in West Texas. The refinery has been in the works since at least 2024, when a press release by Element Fuels, of which America First refining is a project, announced that it had, quote, completed site preparation and pre-construction

on a new hydrogen-powered refinery and combined cycle power plant within the port of Browns, That press release noted that the plant was expected to be operational in 27. In other news, Texas airports, particularly those in Houston, are facing lengthy lines amid the busy travel season and staffing shortages as a result of the ongoing partial government shutdown, leaving Transportation Security Administration workers without pay. The William P. Hobby Airport in Houston advised passengers to arrive four to five hours early for their flights on Sunday and noted that wait-to-five. times for TSA screening could exceed 180 minutes. The lack of staffing became evident due to the

high volume of travelers flocking to the airports for spring break travel. In response to the excessive wait times, the Houston Airport System issued a request for assistance from the TSA National Deployment Office. The NDO's role is to aid airports experiencing severe staffing shortages, emergencies, or special circumstances resulting from peak travel times. The partial government shutdown, resulting in the shuddering of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security began on February 13th. Last but not least, the Texas Education Agency announced that Dr. Karen Molinar will not continue as the superintendent of the Fort Worth Independent School District. Fort Worth ISD has been under a state takeover since October. T.E.A. Commissioner Mike Marath cited chronic academic underperformance

and an increase in multiple year academically unacceptable campuses as the reasons for the intervention. The TEA announced it would replace the superintendent and board of trustees with a board of managers selected by Marath. Molinar stepped in as interim superintendent in 2024, following the resignation of Superintendent Angelica Ramsey amid criticism over poor academic performance from public officials, including Fort Worth Mayor Maddie Parker. Molinor was officially named superintendent in March. Last October, Marath said he was impressed with Molinar's, quote, bold actions after she launched several major improvement initiatives, which included cutting jobs to redirect funding toward literacy, a plan to close 16 schools by 2029, adding 25 instructional days to failing campuses, and implementing

turnaround plans for seven campuses with unacceptable ratings. Thanks for listening. To support the Texan, please be sure to visit the texan. News and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts. Thank you.