The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - September 22, 2026

Starting point is 00:00:04 Well, howdy, folks. Today is Tuesday, September 22nd, 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, State Representative Vicki Goodwin, the Democrat who is challenging Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick this November, joined the Texans reporter Meredith Dyer to discuss some of the leading issues in Texas like health care, education, and THC. as well as the differences between the Texas House and Senate and how she would handle crossing the Capitol Rotunda. Visit the Texan. News or wherever you get podcasts to listen now. In other news, agents with U.S. immigration and customs enforcement shot and injured an illegal alien in Austin on Sunday, leading to protests and condemnation from local elected officials,

Starting point is 00:00:58 although few details are available about the circumstances leading up to the altercation. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not named the man who was shot, but in a statement identified him as a Venezuelan national who had entered the country illegally under President Joe Biden's administration and had a final order of removal. DHS said, quote, The illegal alien's condition is stable and he is in federal custody pending removal. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, ICE agents contacted state troopers around 12.50 p.m. Sunday for assistance in pursuing a blue Toyota Corolla, but the ICE agent had already shot the driver by the time the troopers arrived. Once on the scene, the DPS troopers immediately began assisting

Starting point is 00:01:44 partner law enforcement agencies in providing medical treatment to the driver of the corolla. Although city police were not involved, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the shooting followed a traffic stop and a small foot pursuit. Austin City Council member Mike Siegel, who went to the scene, told reporters that an ice vehicle rammed a dark blue Toyota Corolla and that an officer then got out and fired at least five times. Immigration attorney Kate Lincoln Goldfinch, who claims to represent the family, identified the victim as 28-year-old Wilbur Rafael Garcis Perez. Goldfinch also claimed that Perez entered the country lawfully through a probation program seeking asylum and that he held a valid work permit.

Starting point is 00:02:27 Last but not least, a federal judge put the lawsuit between the Republican Party of Texas and the Texas Secretary of State over the state's open primaries on hold, suggesting that the upcoming legislative session in January may resolve the issue. Judge Matthew Joseph Casmeric of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas Amarillo Division issued a stay in the case on Friday, providing a temporary pause in the case that divided former SOS Jane Nelson, the RPT, the Office of the Attorney General, and newly appointed SOS Robert Howden. Casmeric was appointed by President Donald Trump during the latter's first term and confirmed in 2019. The RPT filed suit against Nelson in the fall of 2025, arguing that Texas' open primary

Starting point is 00:03:15 election system violates the First Amendment rights of the party. As Texas law currently stands, the only restriction on crossover voting is a prohibition on one party's primary voters, jumping to another party's runoff election in the same cycle, allowing voters to cast ballot, in the Democratic primary one year and the Republican primary the next, and vice versa. Casmeric had requested clarifying information from Howden this summer, after he was appointed to replace Nelson upon her retirement, regarding his approach to the lawsuit. Howden responded with an approach nearly identical to his predecessors, confirming that the Texas legislature must be the first to act on closing party primaries.

Starting point is 00:03:58 Casmeric's order on Friday, pausing the suit, requires an update to be filed promptly if the legislature passes and Governor Greg Abbott signs into law, legislation affecting the open primary system, or if it takes no action on the topic. In any event, Casmeric wrote, a status report must be filed by June 4th, 2027. His stay ends at the conclusion of the 90th legislative session, which he said, quote, should afford the party's sufficient time to make a state. any necessary adjustments prior to the next primary election. Thanks for listening. To support the Texan, please be sure to visit the texan. News to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - September 22, 2026

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