The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - October 1, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Tuesday, October 1st, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans Assistant Editor Rob Lausches, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, thousands of dock workers at major ports along the east and gulf coasts have gone on strike, causing major shakeups in the manufacturing supply chain. The International Longshoremen's Association initiated a widespread strike on Tuesday over a dispute centered on wage increases and protections against automation, with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, or USMX, and the ILA failing to reach an agreement despite last-minute negotiations. Quote, We are now demanding a $5 an hour increase in wages for each of the six years of a new

Starting point is 00:00:51 ILA-USMX master contract, end quote, said ILA President Harold Daggett, for a total of $30, a pay increase of 77% over six years. KHOU reported that USMX had offered a pay increase of 50% over six years. Daggett continued, quote, plus we want absolute airtight language that there will be no automation or semi-automation and we are demanding all container royalty monies go to the ILA. Next, Fort Bend County Judge KP George has been indicted on misdemeanor charges related to faked racist messages on social media, but could face felony charges over an alleged attempt to hide evidence. A grand jury indicted George last Thursday in relation to a scheme in collaboration with Taral Patel, his former chief of staff and now Democratic candidate for county commissioner.

Starting point is 00:01:45 Patel was indicted on four felony and four misdemeanor charges after investigators tied him to fake social media and email accounts used to make offensive posts and circulate falsified polls. Earlier this month, the Texas Rangers executed a search warrant for George's Samsung cell phone and reported seeing him attempt to manipulate the device at the scene on September 17th. Afterwards, a special Texas Department of Public Safety officer found that there had been at least 15 unsuccessful passcode attempts, just short of the 20 attempts that would trigger an automatic factory reset. In other news, somewhere between the lines of an accounting ledger and its vacant council

Starting point is 00:02:25 seats, the city of Marion is falling apart at the seams. Ousted mayors, city secretaries, and grade school feuds have left the city mired in debt and financial uncertainty, a town that has two police officers and whose main responsibility is trash pickup and water services. Resignation and public feuding over the city's financials and day-to-day operations have left the 1,000-person town sandwiched between San Antonio and Sagin hamstrung without a budget and adopted tax rate, and in general, dysfunction. Visit thetexan.news to read senior reporter Brad Johnson's full breakdown of the situation in Marion, Texas. Also, the residents of the small North Texas town of Whitesboro will not face a 30% increase in their property tax rate after all. During a specially called meeting on Friday, September 27th, the Whitesboro City Council members voted 4-0 to approve the no new revenue tax rate for fiscal year 2025.

Starting point is 00:03:24 Council member Sue Welch was absent from the meeting. Rebecca Meals, a Whitesboro resident, told the Texan that Friday's meeting was heated at times, but that in the end she was glad the council adopted the no new revenue rate. Meals said, quote, This is a huge win for the citizens of Whitesboro who came out to speak out and demand that the city council not raise the tax rate. Mayor David Blacklock, who doesn't have a vote on the council, told the Texan that the vote was, quote, very bad for the city but was driven by hard times that people are experiencing in our city, as well as all over the nation. Last but not least, the 2025 National

Starting point is 00:04:02 Defense Authorization Act has become a contentious issue due to the inclusion of several provisions focused on LGBT members of the U.S. armed forces. And now, 162 Democratic U.S. House members have penned a letter to both the House and Senate Armed Service Committee chairs to oppose the provisions. The House version of the NDAA was passed back in June, which included amendments to prohibit material that promotes, quote, radical gender ideology, the funding of gender transition procedures, and a, quote, drag show, drag queen story hour, or similar event. The Congressional Equality Caucus then issued a letter to condemn the amendments. The Senate version of the NDAA

Starting point is 00:04:42 also includes a restriction on the performance of sex change surgeries covered by TRICARE, the health care program for the U.S. military. Every House Democrat from Texas signed their name to the letter except Representatives Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez. 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.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - October 1, 2024

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