The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - September 18, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Wednesday, September 18th, 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, after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Travis County officials for hiring a progressive civic organization to target unregistered voters for a mass voter registration mailing campaign, the county is pushing back and wants the lawsuit removed to federal court. At issue is the county's decision to hire Civic Government Solutions to identify people for sending voter registration forms. The company's CEO, Jeremy Smith, has said his companies primarily support progressive Democratic candidates out of personal preference and has inferred that Republicans are generally against voting rights.

Starting point is 00:00:56 The Office of the Attorney General alleges that state law does not allow counties to engage in such programs and argues that the unsolicited registration forms from the county could give those who are not eligible to vote the false impression that they may now be qualified to do so. The lawsuit noted that the OAG is presently investigating some 6,500 non-citizens suspected of being illegally registered to vote. Next, Paxton penned a letter to Secretary of State Jane Nelson requesting that she obtain access to a federal citizenship database to cross-reference with the state's voter roll. Paxton wrote, quote, As you know, the federal government continues to

Starting point is 00:01:38 be the most significant challenge we face in securing Texas elections. Texas has acutely felt the pain of nearly four years of the Biden-Harris administration's disastrous open border policies, which have led to a flood of illegal immigration both in Texas and nationwide. He continued, impossible for states to verify the citizenship of voter registration applicants. Although it is a crime for a non-citizen to register to vote, federal law restricts states from requiring proof of citizenship, and state agencies like those we lead have limited means to verify voter citizenship in many cases. The appeal provided a draft letter from Nelson to the federal government to trigger access to the database. The draft letter would include a list of registered voters whose legal status the OAG says it cannot currently ascertain.

Starting point is 00:02:33 In other news, while local leaders spar over which policies reduce crime, proposed $2.66 billion budget includes a 13% tax hike, cuts for the district attorney's office, and maneuvers that could spell the end of a division dedicated to the prosecution of homicides, possibly circumventing a state prohibition on reducing funds for police. County budget director Daniel Ramos has proposed increasing the public defender's office budget by $11.7 million, while cutting the Harris County District Attorney's Office budget by nearly $150,000 in fiscal year 2025. Sources within the county claim that the district attorney did not submit an eligible budget, but a district attorney's office spokesperson told the Texan that the office had submitted a budget request, quote, on time as we do every year. Harris County has covered 97 positions within the district attorney's office with federal funds derived from the American

Starting point is 00:03:37 Rescue Plan Act. Since ARPA funding is temporary, this year the office requested that the commissioner's court make 29 of those positions permanent, with $3.8 million to be drawn from the county's general funds. Last but not least, a group of Republican and Democratic state lawmakers are urging clemency for Robert Roberson, who is scheduled for execution on October 17th. In 2002, Roberson rushed his unresponsive daughter Nikki to the hospital, claiming she had fallen out of bed. But doctors suspected child abuse, leading to his subsequent charge for her murder after she died. He was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in 2003, with the prosecution relying heavily on the shaken

Starting point is 00:04:23 baby syndrome hypothesis, arguing that Nikki's injuries were consistent with violent shaking. Now, Roberson is scheduled for execution on October 17, 2024, after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied his appeal to stay the execution without reviewing the merits of his claims. His attorneys are now seeking clemency from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Governor Greg Abbott, as the case has drawn attention due to concerns about the use of outdated and, quote, debunked scientific theories. The Innocence Project has published

Starting point is 00:04:57 support letters for Roberson, including letters and signatories from 34 scientists and doctors, 84 Texas legislators, 8 parental rights advocates, autism advocacy organizations, faith groups, and 70 attorneys. 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 18, 2024

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