The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - September 29, 2026

Episode Date: September 29, 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 Tuesday, September 29th, 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, Ozzi Ochoa, this year's Democratic candidate running against Republican state representative Janie Lopez, joined the Texans reporter Meredith Dyer to discuss his campaign and the South Texas district. Ochoa also discussed issues such as education, property taxes, rural health care, and more. Visit the texan.News or wherever you get podcasts to listen now. Next, U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett issued a slate of endorsements in various Texas races ahead of the midterm election, confirming her earlier indication that she would not be

endorsing her former U.S. Senate primary opponent, state representative James Tala Rico, but would instead aid the Democratic Party by boosting other candidates. Crocket has endorsed in two Texas congressional contests, 14 Texas House races, one Texas Senate race, and a handful of county races via the fueling individual rights everywhere, or firepack, which she founded. Crockett has not voiced such support for Tala Rico at the top of the ballot, consistent with her prior statements that she would instead endorse down-ballot

to bolster said races black voter turnout. Crockett previously alleged that the Democratic U.S. Senate primary was a racist race and has repeatedly shared that her plan for aiding the Democrats this cycle does not lie alongside an explicit endorsement of Tala RICO. She also noted that black voter turnout, which will be necessary for Tala RICO to succeed in November, will be positively impacted by her doing her, quote, best to uplift them and increase the voter participation. In other news, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Tala Talariko criticized each other over the federal gas tax amid persistently high prices at the pump. Talariko called for an end to the war with Iran and a suspension of the federal gas tax, adding that, quote,

corrupt politicians are profiting off a corrupt war and Texans are literally paying the price. In the interim, he reiterated his call to suspend the federal gas and diesel taxes, which currently stand at about 18 cents per gallon and 24 cents per gallon respectively. In a press release, Paxton responded to Tala Rico's challenge, saying he not only supports suspending the gas tax, but believes the suspension should be permanent. He wrote, quote, Repealing those taxes would put money straight back into driver's pockets every time they fill up, and Washington should fund roads by cutting waste, not by taxing Texans at the pump. President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of suspending the gas tax several weeks ago, but so far no concrete action has been taken. a suspension or repeal of the gas tax would need to pass the U.S. House and Senate before being signed by the president. Last but not least, home builders and developers can take cities to court for illegal code enforcement, but even a successful lawsuit can be a Pyrrhic victory, according to

industry members and state representative Gary Gates. Litigation pit cities armed with sovereign immunity and taxpayer funds against corporations operating on a narrow timeline. As a result, the Texas legislature might expand on the wave of housing reform bills it passed in 2025 by chipping away at sovereign immunity for local government. According to Gates, who owns and operates apartments and whose principal legislation often focuses on housing and public finance. Lawyers often advise home builders to stop work once they initiate a lawsuit with a municipality, according to J.D. Hale, vice president of government affairs for the Texas Association of Builders. As a result, home builders are in incentivized to grin and bear the city's demands. Even if they feel optimistic about their chances in court, Hale told the Texan. He said, quote,

If a builder or developer enters into a lawsuit with a city or a county, the project freezes. They cannot do anything with that project at all until the lawsuit is resolved. And for us, time is money. End quote. Hale made the same claim to the Texas Senate Local Government Committee earlier this month during a meeting on several new state laws meant to make housing more of. affordable. 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.