The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - May 24, 2024

Episode Date: May 24, 2024

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Howdy folks, today is Friday, May 24th, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown, coming at you from our booth at the Republican Party of Texas Convention in San Antonio. I'm the Texans Assistant Editor Rob Lausches, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First off, in the GOP runoff election for Texas Congressional District 35, Michael Rodriguez will face off with Stephen Wright. In March, Rodriguez picked up 27.1% of the vote,

while Wright garnered 24.6%. The district is a Democratic stronghold, according to the Texans' Texas Partisan Index. It is currently rated D72%, meaning the incumbent representative Greg Kassar will likely take the general. In his 2022 run for Congress, Kassar coasted to a win in the general election, picking up over 72% of the vote. He had national names promoting his run, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. During his short tenure, Kassar has become a polarizing figure for his progressive policy proposals. He has filed a bill to federalize the Texas power grid, promoted federal green energy and climate change grants,

and opposed the TikTok divestment bill. Next up, quote, Dallas City and Dallas County have effectively ended homelessness among veterans, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson declared at an event held at City Hall on May 22nd. The designation by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development does not mean that no veterans will ever be found homeless on the streets of Dallas. The federal designation means that Dallas is, quote, equipped to identify any veterans who fall into homelessness and help them quickly move back home, according to a press release by Housing Forward.

In order to qualify, a city must meet certain criteria and benchmarks, including identifying all veterans experiencing homelessness and immediately providing shelter to any veteran who wants it. It must also have the capacity to swiftly move veterans into permanent housing. Collin County received the same designation as Dallas. Less than 20 percent of communities nationally received the distinction. Both were validated after a, quote, rigorous 10-month data submission and validation process with federal agencies, which found that 2,265 homeless veterans have been housed in Dallas and Collin counties since 2019. In other news, on Tuesday, May 28th, voters residing in Texas'

31st congressional district will choose between Democrats Stuart Whitlow and Brian Walbridge to face off against incumbent Republican Congressman John Carter and libertarian Caleb Farrell in November. The district includes a large portion of central Texas, encompassing regions from northern Austin to the cities of Temple and Gatesville. The district has an estimated population of 841,841 residents. According to the Texans Texas Partisan Index, the 31st congressional district has a rating of R63%, a percentage the district has maintained since 2018, meaning the area is more prone to vote red in the upcoming election. After the Democratic primary in March, Walbridge and Whitlow advanced to the May 28th Democratic primary runoff election as opponents.

Both candidates seek to take Carter's seat in November, which the incumbent has held since 2003. Last but not least, the rhetoric at many pro-Palestine protests on Texas university campuses and across the country has centered on, quote, divestment from Israel. Protesters continually demand that university presidents cut financial ties with organizations that support Israel or with weapons manufacturers. Despite what is being portrayed by some protesters as universities assisting in Israel's counter-offensive against Hamas, the money invested by the Texas universities is only a fraction of their total holdings. The billions of dollars in the Texas university system includes thousands of different companies, including some shares in weapons manufacturers and Israeli companies. Governor Greg Abbott has

been stridently opposed to these calls from protesters, commenting, quote, this will never happen. According to the Austin American Statesman, University of Texas System Chairman Kevin Eltief also said, quote, divestment is not an option. During the 88th legislative session, Texas passed Senate Bill 1517, which prohibits Texas public colleges and universities from implementing academic boycotts of Israel and other nations if the boycotts prohibit people from studying or conducting research. 155 years ago to the day, dozens of people went on trial in Marion County for politically motivated murder in what became known as the infamous Stockade case, an aftershock of the

U.S. Civil War that had turned the South upside down. Visit thetexan.news to learn more about what happened in 1869, today in Texas history. Thanks for listening. Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, and we'll be back with another daily rundown ahead of the runoff elections on Tuesday. 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.