The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - May 26, 2025

Episode Date: May 26, 2025

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Howdy folks, today is Monday, May 26th 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, members of the Texas House granted preliminary legislative approval Sunday evening to a bill proposing substantial alterations to how the Texas Lottery Commission is run, after controversy engulfed the agency in recent months. Senate Bill 3070, authored by Senator Bob Hall, seeks to abolish the Texas Lottery Commission

and move its operations and management under the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The initial draft, which was unanimously passed out of the Senate, would also create a limited scope sunset review of the state lottery and would abolish the lottery by August 31st, 2027, if the sunset review declines to continue its existence. Representative Charlie Garan presented the bill on Sunday and also proposed a floor substitute that contained substantial changes. Next, a bill to increase cooperation between Texas sheriffs and federal authorities in

order to better enforce immigration law was given approval by state House members this week. Senate Bill 8, co-authored in the upper chamber by Senators Charles Schwartner and Joan Huffman and carried in the House by Representative David Spiller, is a priority piece of legislation that generated considerable debate when it was brought before House members on Saturday. SB 8, along with an executive order from President Donald Trump, authorizes federal, state, and local officials through Section 287-G of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to, quote,

"...perform the functions of immigration officers in relation to the investigation, apprehension, or detention of aliens in the United States under the direction and supervision of the Secretary of Homeland Security." In other news, bills allowing a formal time of prayer in schools and requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms passed the Texas Legislature and are now headed to Governor Greg Abbott's desk after failed attempts by lawmakers in previous legislative sessions. Senate Bill 10 by Senator Phil King and SB 11 by Senator Mays Middleton were brought to the floor on Wednesday afternoon, spurring heated debate on both religious and philosophical themes

throughout the following week. Sb 10 would require the display of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms in a conspicuous space, written in a font that is legible to individuals with average vision anywhere in the classroom and measuring at least 16 inches in width and 20 inches in height. Also, a floor fight over the future of food in Texas consumed the lower chamber on Sunday as lawmakers dug into a flurry of amendments to Senate Bill 25. Senator Lois Kokorst's Making Texas Healthy Again bill faced mounting opposition and debate

over the course of the evening as members offered various changes to the legislation. The bill, which broadly aims to require food products to include new state-mandated nutritional labeling, became the center of an intense discussion with lawmakers arguing over issues ranging from consumer information to the legislation's potential impact on the agricultural and food industries. In addition, 64 illegal immigrants were voluntarily flown back to their home countries from Houston through President Donald Trump's newly established Project Homecoming conducted by the Department of Homeland Security.

The flights are one of DHS's first actions taken to fulfill Trump's proclamation of Project Homecoming on May 9th, which offers an ultimatum to illegal aliens. Quote, leave voluntarily with federal support and financial assistance, or face strict enforcement and penalties. It also repurposed the former Customs and Border Protection 1 app, used under President Joe Biden's administration to assist in scheduling immigration-related appointments. It was almost immediately shut down after Trump's inauguration and has now been reformed to the CBP Home app, helping illegal aliens to self-deport through locating government-funded

routes out of the country. Last but not least, Fort Richardson was established in Jack County, Texas as a frontier fort to protect settlers, but the U.S. Army abandoned it in 1878 after it was no longer needed and it fell into disrepair. Sixty-four years later, the Texas National Guard needed a place to house soldiers who were being mobilized to fight in World War II. But this wasn't just any battalion. It was the 2nd Battalion 131st Field Artillery 36th Division, the lost battalion that inspired the film The Bridge on the River Kwai. Visit thetexan.news to read reporter Kim Roberts' Memorial Day story on this piece of Texas

military history. 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.