The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - May 28, 2026
Episode Date: May 28, 2026The Texan’s Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Visit The Texan for complete access t...o our in-depth articles, newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to follow us and leave a review!
Transcript
Discussion (0)
Well, howdy folks. Today is Thursday, May 28th, and you're listening to The Texans Daily Rundown.
I'm the Texan Senior Editor Rob Lauchess, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics.
First up, two State Board of Education Democratic primary runoffs were decided Tuesday night,
with one determining the nominee for an open Democratic-leaning seat, and the other selecting a challenger to an incumbent Republican in a strongly GOP-leaning district.
In District 5, former educator Alison Bush secured 61% of the vote after leading a six-candidate race in the March primary,
while former educator Stephanie Limon-Bazan received 39%.
The district has a Texas partisan index rating of D-62% and represents Central Texas,
including Travis, Hayes, Bastrop, and Caldwell counties, with major cities such as Austin and San Marcos.
Bush will face Republican nominee Micah Ariane,
in the November general election. In District 7, former teacher Tiffany Perkins narrowly beat Deborah Drake
Ambroys, 51% to 49% respectively, in their Democratic runoff. The district has a TPI rating of
R62% and represents Southeast Texas in the Upper Gulf Coast, including Jefferson and Orange counties,
as well as major cities such as Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange. Perkins will face Republican
incumbent SBOE member Julie Pickron in the November general election. In other news,
Angelo State University in West Texas is the first in the state to partner with the Federal
Aviation Administration to offer a collegiate-level air traffic controller program.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the implementation of the enhanced air traffic
collegiate training initiative, or ECTI, at Angelo State on Thursday, May 28th. Students who
pass the ECTI program at Angelo State can apply to become a controller on a fast track by skipping
the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City and jumping straight to on-site facility training, per the Department
of Transportation press release. Angelo State program graduates would be trained for the air traffic
control tower program. Duffy said, quote, thanks to President Trump, we are unlocking new ways to
achieve the American dream. He continued, quote, I'm thrilled our collegiate level air
traffic controller training program is expanding to one of our nation's largest states,
so we can reach more students, fast-track careers in aviation, and deliver the world-class air traffic
control system the American people deserve. Angelo State is the 12th University to be certified
with an ECTI program. It is part of Duffy's initiative to increase the number of air traffic
controllers in the country. Last but not least, a former correctional officer with the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice pleaded guilty for his involvement in the assault of an inmate in his
custody, in retaliation for the latter spitting on him. Samuel Thomas admitted that while working in
Rusk as a correctional officer, he held the door of inmate MS open and allowed other inmates
to enter and subsequently strike and injure MS, causing him bodily injury. Thomas stated that
he participated in this incident because MS had allegedly spit on him two days prior. He
officially pleaded guilty on one count of violating federal statute concerning conspiracy against rights,
targeted at conspiracies involving more than one individual in which conspirators work together to violate the constitutional rights of another person,
in this case, a civil rights violation against MS. Thomas is facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.
U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dillon of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division said in a press release, quote,
Today's conviction reinforces the Justice Department's commitment to protect victims from state officials who abuse their power.
Thanks for listening. To support the Texan, please be sure to visit the texan.news to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.