The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - October 11, 2024

Episode Date: October 11, 2024

Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The 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? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

Howdy, y'all. Today is Friday, October 11th, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans Media and Marketing Manager, Maslin Jordan, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson issued an advisory on Tuesday that describes, quote, limited-term driver's licenses as an acceptable form of voter ID, though recommending other forms of photo identification if possible. While the Texas Election Code does not specifically designate, quote, limited-term ID cards as permissible form of voter ID, it does describe, quote, a personal identification card issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety, end quote, as an approved form of

identification. As Nelson's advisory acknowledges, DPS distributes, quote, temporary term driver's licenses to non-citizens provided they are an individual with lawful temporary status in the U.S. The Secretary of State's guidance concedes that if an individual is registered to vote and presents a limited term driver's license or ID card, they may receive a ballot after being fully informed by the election judge or clerk that the, quote, eligibility requirements necessary to vote in Texas. The issue cited by the Secretary of State is that while the limited-term ID denotes non-citizen status at one point, it doesn't mean that the individual has not since been naturalized. Transportation code also includes the limited term ID as a valid form of identification, creating a small window

for potentially legitimate use of the document to vote. Next, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments this week regarding a Texas law that would ban drag shows with children in the audience. The lawsuit, Woodlands Pride v. Paxton, originated after Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 12 into law, which bans, quote, sexually oriented performances, end quote, with minors in attendance, including drag, and garnered national attention. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas filed a lawsuit on behalf of a group of blanktifs alleging that SB 12 is, quote, unconstitutional law that violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments and threatens the livelihood and free expression of many Texans, including drag

performers, end quote. Woodland's Pride v. Paxton has gone through extensive legal proceedings. In September of last year, Judge David Hittner in the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, ruled that Texas's ban on drag performances with children under 18 years old in attendance is, quote, unconstitutional, thus blocking its enforcement. The ruling was then appealed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to the Fifth Circuit. In other news, a Texas man sued a group of women in April whom he alleged aided his ex-wife in obtaining a self-managed abortion. But now he has moved to dismiss the case. Marcus Silva alleged that three women were involved in the procurement of abortion pills for his ex-wife, Brittany Silva, who was not a party to the case. The original filing alleged that these three women

quote, conspired with each other to murder baby Silva with abortion pills, and each of them is liable for the resulting death, end quote. State Representative Briscoe Cain and former Texas Solicitor General Jonathan Mitchell are the attorneys representing Silva. Now, Silva has filed a notice to dismiss his claims against all defendants with prejudice, requesting that the court close the case and require all parties to cover their own legal costs. Last but not least, DPS has issued a license to a provider of a controversial surveillance technology for the installation of cameras in private settings, even though the company has twice been found in violation of state licensure requirements. Earlier this year, as first reported by the Texan, DPS sent Flock Safety a cease and desist letter regarding the company's installation of Automatic License Plate Readers, or ALPRs, in private settings such as homeowners associations, businesses, and private homes. Following an investigation prompted by

complaints, the DPS found that the private installation equated to Flock operating as an investigative private security company, which requires a license according to the Texas Occupational Code. Although DPS instructed Flock to halt operations on July 10, 2024, the company continued operating the privately installed ALPRs while completing the licensing process. On Thursday, Flock announced that DPS had granted the license. Like other ALPR providers, Flock cameras capture the license plate number and location of each vehicle that passes by. Police can then compare the data in relation to stolen vehicles, missing persons, or other crimes.

Law enforcement has successfully used the technology to solve cases. 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. Thank you.