The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - September 21, 2026

Episode Date: September 21, 2026

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? Visit The Texan for complete access to our in-depth articles, newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to follow us and leave a review!

Well, howdy, folks. Today is Monday, September 21st, and you're listening to The Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texan senior editor Rob Lauchess, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, with only one month to go until early voting opens on October 19th, three new September polls show state representative James Tala Rico consistently ahead of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race. In a new recon MR poll of 614 likely voters, Paxton drew 43% support to Tala Rico's 49%, the latter being up from 47% in July. ReconMR senior research analyst Lindsay Hendren highlighted that 97% of Democrats say they support Tala Rico, while only 87% of Republicans say they support Paxton.

A Mason-Dixon polling and strategy survey that interviewed 600,000, 125 registered Texas voters reported a three-point lead for Tala Rico, with him carrying 46% compared to 43% for Paxton. The Republican polled higher in East and West Texas, while the Democrat pulled higher in his home area of central Texas and in South Texas. The two candidates were tied in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which is Paxton's home region. Next, several Austin Democrats in the Texas House now running for statewide office financially supported a push to raise Austin property taxes in 2024. Proposition A for Austin ISD, which was put before voters during the 2024 election, raised property taxes to increase teacher and staff pay. A specific purpose political action committee supporting the 2024 measure, the committee for

Austin's children, received financial support from many Austin area Democrats, some of whom are now seeking statewide office. These included State Representative Gina Hinojosa, who is running for governor, State Representative Vicki Goodwin, who is running for lieutenant governor, and Talarico, who donated through the big and bright pack he founded in 2024. In other news, the Ways and Means Committee of the Texas House met on September 15th to discuss the Texas legislature's past efforts at property tax relief and to consider new legislation. While the legislature can't pass laws until it convenes in January, testimony on Tuesday revealed the challenge of reducing rather than merely shifting the tax burden. Independent school districts make up the biggest share of the average

Texas property tax bill and much of the money goes to maintenance and operations, or M&O, the regular functions of the district. Top Republicans, including Governor Greg Abbott, have called for years for the legislature to eliminate school district M&O taxes, if not end school district property taxes altogether. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Marath told the committee that total elimination would cost the state about $29 billion per year, about 8.6% of the state's current budget of $338 billion. Also, two hearings held last week by the Texas House and Senate, respectively, discussed children's safety online in preparation for the upcoming session with a primary focus on social media and gaming platforms.

Many witnesses who testified before the Senate State Affairs Committee last Monday also appeared before the House State Affairs Committee on Tuesday, including Dr. Daniel Flint, a pediatric psychologist at Texas Children's Hospital. As he has in prior testimonies before both chambers, Flint drew on his various first-hand experiences with clients at Texas Children's. Reiterating a phrase that would later be referenced repeatedly by lawmakers and witnesses alike, Flint asserted that, quote, you cannot out-parent an algorithm. State Senator Charles Schwartner directed a portion of comments at Flint in addition to the attendees, referencing the role of parental agency in protecting children from potential dangers online. Last but not least, the American Bar Association, a National Voluntary Association of Legal Professionals, voted earlier this

month to repeal a diversity rule for accredited law schools. ABA accreditation, standard 206, previously titled Diversity and Inclusion, required accredited law schools to in part, quote, demonstrate by concrete action a commitment to diversity and inclusion by having a faculty and staff that are diverse with respect to gender, race, and ethnicity. Most states require bar exam candidates to graduate from an ABA accredited law school, including Texas, which has delegated accreditation to the ABA since 1983. On January 6, 26th, the Texas Supreme Court issued a final administrative order changing that requirement. Now, to take the bar exam in Texas, an applicant must graduate from a law school approved by the Supreme Court. Texas became the

first state to make this change. Thanks for listening. To support the Texan, please be sure to visit the Texan. News to get full access to all of our articles, news, newsletters, and podcasts.