The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - March 26, 2026

Starting point is 00:00:04 Howdy folks, today is Thursday, March 26th, 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, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burroughs released his interim committee charges on Thursday, establishing three new committees and addressing a plethora of issues touching upon government accountability, Texas infrastructure needs, and hot-button social issues. Interim charges lay the groundwork for what lawmakers in the Texas House and Senate will focus on leading up to the next legislative session, establishing a means for researching specific issues in preparation for crafting future legislation. Charges listed throughout the 53-page catalog include examining health care liability and gender modification,

Starting point is 00:00:57 the water usage of data centers across the state, the operation of Texas public record systems, the possibility of adding some New Mexico counties to Texas, various government accountability measures, and several measures aimed at supporting Texas workforce. Three new select committees were announced by boroughs, the select committee on governmental oversight, the select committee on health care affordability, and the select committee on general aviation. He stated that these in particular were created, quote, to address issues central to government accountability, health care access, and rural economic development. The House Select Committee on

Starting point is 00:01:38 Governmental Oversight will have over a dozen members, with State Representative Cody Vasut serving as the chair and State Representative Armanda Wally as co-chair. In other news, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced the Texas Senate Committee assignments this week, with the exit of five members of the Senate and four chairs. Patrick also named interim Senate committee members who will serve through the 90th legislative session. Patrick announced the creation of the Senate's Select Committee on Religious Liberty, which will be made up of Chair Phil King, vice-chair Angela Paxton, and state senators Caesar Blanco, Brent Hagenbu, Adam Hinojosa, Brian Hughes, and Charles Perry. King chaired the Committee on Economic Development in 2025,

Starting point is 00:02:24 which will now be chaired by Angela Paxton. King will also chair the Committee on Homeland and Border Security, per the new assignments. The 26 assignments show no category for the Committee on Jurisprudence. About the creation of the Select Committee on Religious Liberty, Patrick stated that during his time serving as chairman of President Donald Trump's Religious Liberty Commission in Washington, D.C., he, quote, learned that many Americans and Texans alike do not fully understand their God-Givis. and religious liberty rights secured under the First Amendment. Last but not least, a citizen journalist from Laredo, who has been fighting a legal case about

Starting point is 00:03:04 her First Amendment rights since 2017, was denied and appealed by the United States Supreme Court. This case deals with the increasingly scrutinized issue of qualified immunity as it applies to public officials when they commit civil rights violations. Priscilla Villarreal, a self-described plucky citizen journalist in Laredo, was arrested in 2017 after she asked a police officer to confirm details of a fatal car accident and suicide. The officer voluntarily confirmed the facts, Villareal claimed, and then she published them to her readers. She claimed that local government officials in Laredo retaliated against her for reporting that was critical of them. According to Villareal's court findings, local officials harassed her and intended to stifle her reporting.

Starting point is 00:03:52 Villareel's case was dismissed at the trial court level and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit cited with the police officers that she sued, saying the officials were entitled to the protection of qualified immunity. Villarreal appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court first in April 2024. 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. I'm

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - March 26, 2026

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