The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - September 25, 2026

Starting point is 00:00:04 Well, howdy, folks. Today is Friday, September 25th, 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 John Rosenthal, this year's Democratic candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission, joined the Texans reporter Isaiah Mitchell to discuss his campaign for statewide office. Rosenthal touched on the Permian Basin Reliability Plum. subsidies for renewable energy, data centers, his Republican opponent Beau French, and more. Visit the texan. News, YouTube, or wherever you get podcasts to listen now. Next, following the death of longtime state representative Garnet Coleman on Wednesday,

Starting point is 00:00:52 both his Republican and Democratic colleagues are remembering his over three decades in the Texas House. Coleman, who was elected to the Houston area House District 147 seed in 1991 as a 29-year-old and served until 2022, passed away from natural causes at age 65, according to a statement given to the Texan by his family. He announced his retirement in 2021, citing health issues as one of the primary factors. State Representative Jolanda Jones now serves in his seat. His family stated in the press release, quote, across more than three decades in the Texas House, he worked to expand access to health care, strengthen mental health services, advance criminal justice reform, and invest in the communities

Starting point is 00:01:39 and institutions he served. His family and former colleagues particularly emphasized his legislative focus on medical-related issues, as seen in his authorship of the children's Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program in Texas in 1999, and his role during four legislative sessions, as the chief writer of the Health and Human Services portion of the state budget. In other news, all of Texas prison facilities must install air conditioning by 2029, as the current conditions are cruel and unusual per a ruling this week after three years of related litigation on about four months ahead of the 90th legislative session. The order, issued by U.S. District Judge Robert Pittman of the Western District of Texas on Tuesday, found that the current state of

Starting point is 00:02:26 correctional facilities in Texas is in violation of the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishments. Pitman was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2014. Thus, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice must develop and execute a plan to air-condition all of its facilities by the last month of 2009, a project that the TDCJ estimates will cost $1.5 billion, although court documents state, quote, That sum is a small fraction of the resources the state has projected as available. Last but not least, the Texas Senate Committee on Natural Resources met this week to discuss legislative solutions to oil field theft in the state. According to data provided by the Texas Alliance of

Starting point is 00:03:13 Energy Producers during the hearing on Monday, oil field theft in Texas could have a $4.3 billion annual economic impact. Several cases of oil field theft have made headlines recently, including a case involving Texas and Oklahoma that resulted in a series of search and arrest warrants across several counties in both states. Oilfield theft is not limited to just crude oil. It also includes equipment and vehicle theft. Oilfield theft crimes and specifically crude oil theft tend to be committed as part of complex organized criminal networks due to the level of sophistication required to steal the oil. Senate Bill 494, passed in the 89th legislature, created the state task force on petroleum theft under the Texas Railroad Commission. Other significant legislation

Starting point is 00:04:01 passed last session includes SB 1806, which increased criminal punishment related to oilfield theft, and House Bill 48, which created a theft prevention unit within the Texas Department of Public Safety. 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 25, 2026

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