The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - May 27, 2025

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Tuesday, May 27th 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, legislation allotting $300 million in tax incentives per biennium for the film industry in Texas is one step closer to being signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott. After passing the Texas House on Monday, following Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick's initiative, and prodding from A-list celebrities. The Texas Moving Image Industry Program, which will be granted an additional $200 million

Starting point is 00:00:44 under Senate Bill 22 by Senator Joan Huffman, was brought to the House floor on Sunday night by Representative Todd Hunter with little debate prior to its passage, similar to the legislation's hearings in both Senate and House committees. Hunter told members that the bill before them was not the money bill, but that the funds for the program reside within the state budget that members have already voted for, although it isn't finally passed. Next, legislation prohibiting nondisclosure agreements in cases of child sexual abuse has passed both chambers in the Texas legislature and is headed to Governor Greg Abbott's desk.

Starting point is 00:01:21 Representative Jeff Leach carried House Bill 748, rendering NDAs void and unenforceable when involving minor victims of sexual abuse, a method frequently used by prominent organizations to avoid public scandal in cases involving their employees accused of assaulting children, successfully through the lower chamber by the second week of April. HB 748, or Trey's law, was unanimously passed when brought up for a vote on the House floor on April 3rd after Leach rallied members with a speech stating they'd either stand with the victims today or with their abusers. It was then placed on the Senate intent calendar, but was replaced by Senator Angela Paxton's identical Senate Bill 835.

Starting point is 00:02:05 In other news, the 2025 legislature will land the plane on a historic water session allotting $2.5 billion in unitemized infrastructure spending, with a 50-50 split between new supply and fixing existing infrastructure in the 20-year annually dedicated funding. From the very beginning, state leaders hailed this as the water session, emphasizing the need to jumpstart the construction of long-stagnant new supply in a state staring down a population and economic boom. The two prongs of the deal are a one-time $2.5 billion appropriation to the Texas Water Development Board to use at its discretion,

Starting point is 00:02:45 and a $1 billion commitment each of the next 20 years to the Texas Water Fund. An amendment to the enabling legislation on Monday doubled that timeframe. Also, the Texas House gave bipartisan approval to legislation already approved in the Senate that will increase pay for judges for the first time in a decade, while adding new transparency, efficiency, and accountability requirements and changing the composition of a state judicial oversight board. Representative Jeff Leach said while laying out Senate Bill 293 during a Memorial Day session in the Texas House, quote, members, this is a big bill and

Starting point is 00:03:23 it's one that your judges deserved and worked hard for and waited too long for. Introduced by Senator Joan Huffman, SB 293 increases the base pay for district court judges from $140,000 to $175,000. The 25% increase falls short of the 30% requested by Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock, but exceeds the 15% approved by the Senate in March. Last but not least, legislation establishing daylight saving time year-round in Texas given federal authorization, which would end the biannual clock changes, is on its way to Governor

Starting point is 00:04:02 Greg Abbott's desk after passing the Texas Senate. The upper chamber voted out House Bill 1393 by Representative Will Metcalf on Thursday with 27 votes in favor and 4 against. Nearly a month after it successfully passed the House of Representatives by 133 ayes to 13 nays, Senator Paul Bettencourt laid out HB 1393 on the Senate floor, stating, quote, it's time for Texas time. 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,

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The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - May 27, 2025

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