The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - September 24, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Tuesday, September 24th, 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, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed an appeal with the 15th Court of Appeals seeking to prevent the city of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas from enforcing a firearms ban on government-owned property, which he argues violates Texas law. Earlier this month, a Dallas judge denied the Texas Attorney General's request for a temporary injunction against the State Fair of Texas' new rule banning firearms at its 2024 event. The state argued the ban violates Second Amendment rights and the 2021 State Constitutional Carry Law, claiming the fair cannot prohibit firearms on public grounds. Now, Paxton argues that the City of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas are violating state law by prohibiting licensed handgun carriers from entering the fair, despite the state's constitutional protections

Starting point is 00:01:10 for law-abiding citizens. The appeal is requesting an expedited ruling or administrative stay to prevent enforcement of this ban before the state fair begins on September 27, 2024, citing the urgency of protecting constitutional rights. State fair officials announced that all firearms are banned from the fairgrounds, including concealed carry. This decision was made following a shooting at last year's event. Stay tuned for more news updates after this short message. Are you tired of missing critical updates in legislative hearings? Frustrated by the overwhelming flood of new bills and the challenge of staying informed as they change? Introducing USLedge, the revolutionary artificial intelligence solution designed to transform how you track and analyze government meetings and legislation. USLedge allows you to search, pause, rewind, and review transcripts of public meetings live.

Starting point is 00:02:03 That's right, live. Anytime, anywhere. USLedge uses cutting-edge AI technology to monitor and analyze thousands of bills in real time, providing you with personalized summaries and instant notifications. Check us out at USLedge.ai. That's U-S-L-E-G-E dot A-I. Now returning to your daily Texas news. Governor Greg Abbott has endorsed House District 62 Republican candidate Shelly Luther, calling her, quote, an unapologetic conservative fighter who will defend the values that make Texas the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

Starting point is 00:02:39 Luther, who faced a $7,000 fine and a week in jail for violating a Dallas County order for her to close her salon in compliance with COVID-19 measures, was also a critic of how Abbott managed the state's pandemic response. In December 2020, Abbott endorsed then-Texas Representative Drew Springer against Luther in a special election to fill the state Senate seat left by now-Congressman Pat Fallon upon his election to the U.S. House of Representatives. In other news, Senator Ted Cruz hit Representative Colin Allred for his no vote on a recently passed resolution that seeks to halt what its supporters, like Cruz, view as overreach by the Environmental Protection Agency. In particular, the resolution aims to reverse recent EPA regulation, mandating that

Starting point is 00:03:26 over half of all new vehicles sold by 2032 must be electric. House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans advocated for the resolution with the stated intent to, quote, stop the Biden-Harris administration from imposing unaffordable electric vehicle mandates that will jeopardize our auto industry and hand China the keys to our energy future. Cruz, who is locked in a heated Senate race with Allred, immediately came out with an advertisement calling his opponent Climate Collin and hitting Allred for his no vote on the resolution. The two are currently set to appear for a debate on October 15th in Dallas, where their views on the oil and gas industry is sure to be a sticking point of conversation. Also, Senator Bernie Sanders is coming to Texas to hold rallies with Congressman Greg Kassar with a focus on, quote,

Starting point is 00:04:18 organizing and energizing working class voters around an aggressive, progressive agenda. The events will be on September 30th in San Antonio, October 1st in San Marcos, and October 2nd in Austin. Last but not least, residents of Whitesboro, a city of just over 4,000 people in Grayson County near the border with Oklahoma, are facing a 30% property tax rate increase. Last year, Whitesboro's tax rate was $39.9 per $100 in valuation. The proposed tax rate for fiscal year 2025 is $51.97. According to the proposed property tax notice filed by the City of Whitesboro, the tax levy on the average homestead in the city will increase by $337.40, or 45% annually. Along with a tax rate increase, the average homestead has increased in value from 2023 to 2024 by over $20,000.

Starting point is 00:05:18 In 2019, the total property appraised value for the city of Whitesboro was $294 million. Five years later, it has increased to $558 million, an increase of 88% in property values within the city. According to the budget letter by city administrator Julie Arrington, the focus of the budget was to, quote, develop a spending plan that is attentive to tax rate management. Budget priorities center on six areas, delivery of services, infrastructure development, planning and development, economic development, human resources, and financial responsibility. Thanks for listening. To support The subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - September 24, 2024

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