The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - September 12, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Thursday, September 12th, 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, Alexis Nungary, the mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungari, who was sexually assaulted and strangled to death in Houston earlier this year, testified at a House committee on the judiciary hearing 21-year-old Johan Jose Martinez and 26-year-old Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, had entered the country illegally near El Paso just months before her murder on June 17, 2024. Each had been released into the U.S. by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials with GPS monitors that were later deactivated. Alexis Nunguri said, I believe the Biden-Harris administration's open border policies are responsible for the death of my 12-year-old daughter. April Aguirre, whose niece Arlene Alvarez was shot to death in Houston in 2022, spoke on behalf of the family of Maria Gonzalez. In other news, a Republican candidate for a county court position prevailed in her appeal to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals after it ruled

Starting point is 00:01:37 that the state ethics agency is vested with the power to refer election offenses for criminal prosecution. In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled that the Texas Ethics Commission has exclusive jurisdiction over campaign and election law violations listed in Chapter 571 of the Texas Government Code. The alleged violations must first be presented to the TEC and its administrative remedies be exhausted before a prosecutor may criminally charge a defendant. In this case, a political opponent of Robbie Gale Charette, a Republican candidate for a county court at law position in Washington County, accused her of violating campaign laws. The matter was reported to the Washington County District Attorney,

Starting point is 00:02:22 who then recused himself. A special prosecutor from Austin County was appointed, and a grand jury indicted Charette on four misdemeanor charges related to campaign communications and campaign finances. Last but not least, citizens who initiated several amendments to the Dallas City Charter have won the right to have their propositions included on the ballot in November, while contradictory amendments proposed by the city will be removed. Dallas Hero proposed and secured sufficient signatures to certify each of the three charter amendments for ballot inclusion. The first is to increase the number and base salary of Dallas police officers. The second would have the city manager's salary be based

Starting point is 00:03:06 upon performance on quality of life issues, with automatic termination for failure to perform. And the third would allow residents of Dallas to sue the city to force compliance with its ordinances, its charter, and state law. On August 14th, the Dallas City Council voted to include these charter amendments as part of the ordinance ordering the election. When a qualified petition is filed, cities can either adopt them outright or send them to the ballot for a vote. However, the City Council also adopted three additional amendments, Propositions K, M, and N, that critics said confused the issue and seemed to render the Dallas Hero amendments moot. The first gives the city council the final decision on spending city funds, the second makes the city council the final authority on hiring and determining the salary

Starting point is 00:03:57 for the city manager, and the last amendment prohibits the city from waiving its immunity to lawsuits. 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 - September 12, 2024

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