The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - October 17, 2025

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy, folks, today is Friday, October 17th, and you're listening to The Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans assistant editor Rob Lauchess, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, days after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his office was seeking a court order to halt a scheme by Indiana activist Malcolm Tanner to import new voters into rural-loving county in an effort to overthrow its local government, state district judge Alan Nicholas signed a temporary restraining order that puts the controversial project on ice, at least for now. Tanner, who goes by the title of Doctor and has filed paperwork to run for President of the United States, popped up in the rural but oil-rich West Texas community in recent months. A public records website indicates he was arrested in Montgomery County, Indiana on battery charges

Starting point is 00:00:58 last year. His social media posts promising free homes to his followers on roughly 10 acres of desolate loving county land went viral and caught widespread attention. After multiple lawmakers called for state and federal investigations into the project, Paxton was first to announce his office was taking action on the matter. He said in a statement announcing the court order on Thursday, quote, the show is over. In other news, amid the federal government's second week of shutdown, the U.S. Senate passed this year's version of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDA, chock full of provisions directly impacting Texas military bases. The fiscal year 2026, NDAA, which passed the upper chamber on October 9th, includes amendments such as a pay raise for troops,

Starting point is 00:01:47 improving communication between departments involved in securing the southern border, various directives to the Department of Defense, and stabilizing America's position against the Chinese Communist Party, while also allocating over $600 million toward Texas-specific military projects and preservation efforts. U.S. Senator Ted Cruz authored and co-authored several amendments in the NDAA as chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, one of which is the B-1 Protection Act, which he highlighted in a conversation with the Texan on Tuesday. Within the NDAA, $120 million was designated for the Dias Air Force Base, $115.5 million of which is specifically for B-21 facilities and infrastructure.

Starting point is 00:02:35 Perimeter gate improvements will receive $4.5 million, as highlighted by U.S. Senator John Cornyn in a press release on Friday. Last but not least, the Harris County Commissioner's Court voted four to one Thursday to add $1.3 million to taxpayer-funded services for illegal immigrants facing deportation. County judge Lena Hidalgo requested the creation of the Immigrant Legal Services Fund in 2020, saying the U.S. immigration system was, quote, deeply broken and complicated, end quote. That year, commissioners approved $2 million to the ILS and have spent at least $8 million on services over the past five years. The newly appropriated funds will go to several groups providing services, including

Starting point is 00:03:21 Baker Ripley, the Galveston Houston Immigrant Representation Project, Justice for All Immigrants, Kind Incorporated, refugee and immigrant Center for Education and Legal Service, and the county's Housing and Community Development Department. Commissioner Tom Ramsey, who cast the loan vote against appropriating the funds, questioned the legality of the agenda item grouping the grants, but commissioners did not discuss the issue otherwise. Thanks for listening. To support the Texan, please be sure to visit the texan. News and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - October 17, 2025

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