The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - March 21, 2025

Episode Date: March 21, 2025

Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/Learn more about the Data Center Coalition at: https://www.centerofyourdigitalworld.org/texasLearn more about the American Property Casualty Insurance Association at: https://www.securingourfuture.com/Texas/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? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

Howdy folks, today is Friday, March 21st and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans Assistant Editor Rob Lauschus and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, President Donald Trump has fulfilled a long-standing Republican priority to begin dismantling the U. the US Department of Education. Trump stated during the signing of his executive order on Thursday afternoon, quote, the department's useful functions such as Pell Grants, Title One funding, resources for children with disabilities and special needs to be fully preserved, and they are going to be so. He continued, quote, but beyond

these core necessities my administration will take all lawful steps to shut down the department and shut it down as quickly as possible. It's doing us no good.'" Appearing in Washington, DC for the signing were Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Next, the state of Texas spent $5.1 million in total on the impeachment investigation and trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton in 2023, according to a report released by the state auditor's office. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced at the beginning of March that Speaker Dustin Burroughs had turned over financial statements related to the impeachment from two years ago under his predecessor, Speaker Dade Phelan. Patrick, who served as the September 2023 trials judge, has been calling for the audit ever since Paxton was acquitted by the Senate. A discretionary edit typically requires a vote of the Legislative Audit Committee, made up of the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker, two Senators, and two House members. That was not done in this case because the Speaker simply handed over the documents to

expedite the process. The audit lists the expenditures as being over $4.4 million by the House, over $400,000 by the Senate, and over $200,000 by the Office of the Attorney General. Stay tuned for more news updates after this short message. Data centers fuel 364,000 Texas jobs, generate $3.5 billion in state and local taxes, and power essential services like banking, healthcare, and video calls.

With 21 connected devices per household and soaring data demands, these hubs drive Texas's booming economy, shape its technological future, and keep your data here in the U.S. To learn more, visit centerofyourdigitalworld.org. Now returning to your daily Texas news. In other news, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz descended into the Texas legislature this week to, quote, cheer the house on as the debate concerning school choice heats up in the state.

This is not the first time that Cruz has urged the Texas house to support school choice. In February, Cruz penned a letter to house speaker, Dustin Burroughs, to encourage support for education savings accounts. Cruz announced that he is launching a $250,000 ad buy to support pro-school choice freshmen Texas House members. Also, the Texas Senate passed legislation intended to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying late Wednesday night, but tacked on an amendment that exempts groups like the Texas

Association of School Boards. State Senator Mays Middleton's Senate Bill 19 passed along party lines last night in a marathon floor proceeding. The bill prohibits local governments from hiring registered lobbyists under the Texas Ethics Commission and allows citizens to sue those localities if they violate the ban. It applies only to political subdivisions and not constitutional offices like county sheriffs. The item has long been sought after by ideological conservatives and the Texas GOP, which currently has it on the party's list of legislative priorities. But in each of the last few sessions, the bill has perished in the House, and for different reasons.

In 2019, supporters came close to passage on the House floor, but an amendment exempted all counties in the state except the most populous ones. That prompted the bill's sponsor, Middleton, then a state representative, to postpone his own legislation into the grave. Stay tuned for more news updates after this short message. Texas insurance companies want to help keep premiums affordable. That's why the American Property Casualty Insurance Association supports a competitive marketplace for reforms of legal system abuse and better preparedness for the next major storm. For more information, visit securingourfuture.com slash Texas.

Now returning to your daily Texas news. Last but not least, the Texas House Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs took testimony this week on a program that permits 100% tax exemptions to apartments that purportedly set aside some units for low to moderate income families, but without necessarily reducing rents and without input from taxing entities who lose revenues. Representative Gary Gates said, quote, Gates's House Bill 21 proposes to address housing finance corporations, which may authorize tax exemptions for multifamily residences for up to 99 years, with minimal commitment to set aside a

portion of the property for residents earning less than the local median income. Under the current law, housing finance corporations may authorize the exemptions even in jurisdictions that may be hundreds of miles away from the authorizing entity, a practice Gates and committee members dubbed traveling HFCs. 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.