The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - March 27, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy, folks. Today is Wednesday, March 27th, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans Senior Editor Mackenzie DeLulo, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. Governor Greg Abbott has issued an executive order to address, quote, acts of anti-Semitism in institutions of higher education. Abbott has issued an executive order to address, quote, acts of anti-Semitism in institutions of higher education. Abbott said, Across the country, acts of anti-Semitism have grown in number, size, and danger to the Jewish community since Hamas's deadly attack on October 7th. The order addressed three areas of policy that institutions of higher education in Texas must abide by.

Starting point is 00:00:45 Abbott's order will require a review and update of free speech policies at Texas colleges, requiring them to establish appropriate punishments, including expulsion from the institution. The order also addresses two student groups, the Palestine Solidarity Committee and Students for Justice in Palestine, stating they will be disciplined for violating campus policies. Abbott goes on to state in the executive order that a section of the Texas government code will be required to be included in university free speech policies to guide university personnel and students on what constitutes anti-Semitic speech. Chairs at each Texas public university system will have 90 days to enact and report the revisions made to campus free speech policies as laid out in the executive order.

Starting point is 00:01:31 Late last night, the U.S. Fifth Circuit issued a two-to-one opinion denying Texas's request to allow Senate Bill 4 to be enforced during appeal. The law remains blocked. The parties will argue the merits at the Fifth Circuit on April 3rd. Senate Bill 4 was passed last year and will prohibit any foreign national from illegally entering the United States between the ports of entry and allows state judges to issue deportation orders for anyone charged or convicted of violating the new law. The bill has been entangled in the courts and will continue to languish until the Fifth Circuit determines next steps. Governor Greg Abbott launched the Texas Space Commission at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The governor was joined by Speaker Dade Phelan, Representative

Starting point is 00:02:14 Greg Bonin, Representative Dennis Paul, and aerospace industry leaders. Notably, Speaker Phelan was pushed to a runoff after the March GOP primary against Trump-endorsed challenger David Covey. In a press release, the governor said the commission will work to strengthen Texas' leadership in civil, commercial, and military aerospace activity by promoting innovation in the fields of space exploration and commercial aerospace opportunities, including the integration of space, aeronautics, and aviation industries into the Texas economy. The latest Census Bureau data provides an interesting look into where Americans moving to Texas are coming from. Texas saw an increase in overall immigration between 2021, when 590,000 people moved into Texas, and 2022, when that number rose to 670,000. Also of note is that 494,000 people moved out of Texas in 2022, resulting in

Starting point is 00:03:08 a net increase of almost 175,000 people. California led all states in moving to Texas in 2021 with 107,000 people. In 2022, that number went down slightly to 102,000 people, which still dwarfed all of that of the other states. In all, Californians made up around 15% of all interstate migration to Texas. Florida sent 41,000 people to Texas in 2022, making up around 6% of interstate migration to Texas. New York sent about 31,000 people, or around 4%. A Dallas County District Court judge has a plan to clean up the county's backlog of criminal cases. Judge Amber Givens presides over the 282nd Judicial District Court in Dallas County, a felony criminal court. She has set over 100 trials on the docket for Monday, April 1st.

Starting point is 00:03:59 I've never known this to happen, Dallas County District Attorney John Cruzzo said. Dallas County has been dealing with a backlog for some time. Many courts also got backlogged during the COVID-19 pandemic when courts were closed for some months. Criminal Defense Attorney Mamie Johnson said that setting over 100 cases for trial in one day poses a challenge for prosecutors, who often have a heavy caseload, and defense lawyers, who often work solo. Having an adequate number of potential jurors is also an issue. In sexual assault trials, for example, Johnson said a jury pool of 60 is usually called to impanel a jury of 12. In her experience,

Starting point is 00:04:38 10 to 20 cases set for trial on one day is a heavy load. Thanks for listening. Be sure to visit thetexan.news and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - March 27, 2024

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