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“If something of importance is known in Texas, Matt knows it. With a decline in the number of credible news organizations, the Must Read Texas morning email is indispensable for anyone that wants to continue to be informed.” – Former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX)
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TOP NEWS   
“84 victims identified in sex trafficking bust that shut down 9 Houston bars,” Fox 26 Houston's Abigail Dye — “The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) released new information concerning several raids that resulted in 90-day suspensions for nine Houston-area bars.
Officials say they have made a total of four arrests on various charges related to Human Trafficking, Prostitution, Promotion of Prostitution and Aggravated Promotion of Prostitution in the case.
They say in total, 84 potential victims were identified and interviewed. TABC and Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance personnel continue to examine potential witnesses and identify other victims.
The 90-day suspension is temporary, spokesperson Chris Porter saying in an email, "The 90-day emergency suspensions come under TABC’s authority from Alcoholic Beverage Code Sec. 11.614, which authorizes the agency to suspend the liquor license of a business if it’s determined that allowing operations to continue would impact the public safety or well-being of the community. As the investigation continues, it’s possible that additional actions could be taken."
Operations like these are considered brothels, which are extremely common in Houston, according to David Reid, CTO & CMO of RedM, a non-profit organization that supports victims of sex trafficking.
He says at these brothels, or cantinas, the front of house can look like a normal bar or club and that the sale of sex happens behind closed doors.
"There’s a closed-off area, and so it’s kind of managed up front and the deeds are done in the back," he said. "It’s not as obvious, everything is designed to be hidden."
He says a good portion of trafficking is done online now as well, making ordering a human as simple as ordering a package or pizza.
"Around 2020, there was a move even stronger to the internet – and about 80% of cases at this point, you’re finding that the work is going on through the internet."
Another hub for brothels in Houston is massage parlors. Reid says his RedM sources information from a platform called DarkWatch [ [link removed] ], a software that scrubs internet data to determine where human trafficking is happening.
"There’s about 675 [massage parlors] in the city places that were operating as brothels," he said.
According to Reid, the human trafficking business is a $245 billion industry. That’s more than the value of the entire NFL, according to Forbes." Fox 26 Houston [ [link removed] ]
“Houston helicopter crash: Cesar Lerma believed to be one of 4 killed,” Houston Chronicle's Caroline Wilburn — “The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences has released preliminary information about the four people killed in a fiery helicopter crash [ [link removed] ] Sunday in Houston's Second Ward.
No names were released. The cause of death for three of the crash's victims is listed as "multiple blunt force injuries and thermal burn injuries," while a person identified as the pilot died from "multiple blunt force injuries," according to the incomplete case status reports for each.
The time of death for the four victims is listed as 8:46 p.m. on Sunday.
One victim of Sunday's crash is believed to be Cesar Lerma, according to a Facebook post by one of his friends, Garrett Kauffman. The medical examiner's office has not yet confirmed any victims' identities.
Lerma was aboard the helicopter with his ex-wife and youngest of three sons, according to Kauffman's post.
Lerma was reportedly the owner of  Pro Carpentry in Pearland and Kauffman described him as "a master of his craft."
An ongoing investigation into the crash is being conducted by Houston first responders, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The tower the helicopter crashed into is owned by SBA Communications, a real estate investment trust. The company is cooperating with authorities on a full investigation, company spokesperson Lynne Hopkins said in a statement Monday.
"This is a tragic incident, and we ask everyone to please keep the deceased and their families in their thoughts and prayers,” Hopkins said." Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)
2024   
“Cruz, Allred in virtual dead heat in Texas Senate race,” The Hill's Jared Gans — “Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) and Rep. Colin Allred (D) are in a virtual dead heat in the state’s Senate race, according to a poll released Wednesday.
The Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey found Cruz just ahead of Allred by 1 percentage point, 48 percent to 47 percent, with 5 percent undecided. This is even tighter than Emerson’s previous poll of the race from September, when Cruz led by 4 points [ [link removed] ], 49 percent to 45 percent.
The candidates are roughly even with each other in their net favorability rating, calculated from subtracting the percentage that views them unfavorably from the percentage that view them favorably, with Cruz having a rating of -1 point and Allred having a rating of +2 points.
Allred continued his improvement with name recognition with only 10 percent saying they aren’t familiar with him, down from 18 percent early last month. Cruz still has the advantage in name recognition, with almost no one saying they aren’t familiar with him.
Part of Allred’s competitiveness in the poll comes from a slight lead among independents, 47 percent to 42 percent. Meanwhile, former President Trump leads Vice President Harris among these voters by 2 points.
Trump expanded his overall lead over Harris in the state from 5 points in the last poll to 7 points now.
Texas has been one of two states that Democrats have expressed hope for in a Senate map that otherwise gives Republicans many more possible pickup opportunities.
The race has appeared to tighten compared to earlier this year, though this poll shows a closer race than some of the other most recent ones have shown. Cruz leads Allred by [ [link removed] ] about 3.5 points in the polling average from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ.
Harris is set to campaign in Texas [ [link removed] ] with Allred on Friday, when she will also be joined by women who have been affected by abortion bans in states such as Texas.
The Emerson poll was conducted Oct. 18-21 among 815 likely voters. Its margin of error was 3.4 percentage points." The Hill [ [link removed] ]
“Over 1.7M Texans have already voted, nearing 10% of registered voters by Day 2 of early voting,” Austin American-Statesman's Brandi D. Addision — “Texans are turning out at the polls in record numbers, with participation surging statewide as the 2024 presidential election [ [link removed] ] is shaping up to be one of the most pivotal in recent history.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, is running against former President Donald Trump, with Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as their respective running mates.
In addition to the high-stakes presidential race, Texas is also focused on a key Senate contest between Democratic candidate Colin Allred from Dallas and Republican incumbent Ted Cruz.
Several major propositions are also on the ballot, including Amarillo's Prop A [ [link removed] ] to become a Sanctuary City for the Unborn, Dallas' proposal to decriminalize cannabis [ [link removed] ], and multiple school bond measures in districts like Frisco and Allen ISDs.
At least 1.7 million Texans had already voted by the second day of early voting, representing nearly 10% of registered voters, according to the latest data from the Texas Secretary of State [ [link removed] ]. Roughly 173,000 cast their ballots by mail.
The data does not fully reflect actual turnout, as some counties, including Tarrant—the state's third-largest—have yet to update their information. On Monday, Tarrant County set a new record with 58,247 votes on the first day of early voting, but numbers for the second day are still pending.
Additionally, some counties, such as Bell County—the state's 15th-largest, with over 240,000 registered voters—have no data listed on the Texas secretary of state's website.
Given these gaps, actual turnout is higher than current reports indicate.
Overall, Texas has 18.62 million registered voters." AAS [ [link removed] ] ($)
BUSINESS NEWS   
“Tech firm relocates U.S. headquarters from California to North Texas,” Dallas Morning News' Brian Womack — “A global tech company is moving its U.S. headquarters to Dallas-Fort Worth.
Simplilearn, which provides training for digital skills, has relocated its U.S. hub from San Francisco to Plano near the Dallas North Tollway and 121. The shift comes [ [link removed] ] after Krishna Kumar, founder and CEO, moved to Texas several quarters ago, the company said in a statement.
“Our move to Texas marks a pivotal moment in our journey, driven by our commitment to being at the forefront of a thriving tech ecosystem and tapping into a diverse talent pool,” Kumar said in a statement. “Establishing our headquarters here positions us to better empower professionals with the skills needed to excel in a digital-first world.”
The move is yet another boost for the Dallas area — which has attracted regional and global headquarters in recent years as the companies seek access to talent, growth and central locales. They include relocations from California and the rest of the country.
Simplilearn, which says it’s based in Plano and Bangalore, India, is part of Blackstone after the private equity firm announced an agreement in 2021 to acquire a controlling stake, according to a statement [ [link removed] ]. Simplilearn received a $250 million investment from Blackstone and has received backing from other investors in its history as well, it said in a separate document [ [link removed] ].
The new headquarters is located at 5851 Legacy Circle on the sixth floor.
Simplilearn, which has about 1,200 employees, provides training to individuals and businesses globally with 1,500-plus live online classes — with help for over 8 million users. The sessions can assist college students, early career professionals and managers. Topics range from AI and machine learning to cybersecurity and software development." DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
“Dallas pharmacy owner sentenced in $41 million health care fraud,” Dallas Morning News' Sarah Bahari — “A Dallas pharmacy owner was sentenced to prison this week in a scheme to defraud health insurance companies [ [link removed] ] by ordering millions of dollars in fake prescriptions.
Ivor Jallah, 37, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay also ordered Jallah to pay more than $41 million in restitution.
Jallah and his business partner, Shannon Turley, 46, admitted to ripping off insurance companies with phony prescriptions for headache sprays and pain and scar creams beginning in 2017, according to federal court documents. Turley is scheduled for sentencing in November.
The pair, who lived in Collin County, owned at least nine pharmacies in North Texas and the Houston area, including Preferred RX, EZ Pharmacy, Avenue H Pharmacy, and Wallis Pharmacy. Court documents say the pair paid “marketers” to solicit information for insured patients, some of whom were aware of the scheme and received fees and others who were oblivious.
They used used the money to purchase real estate and luxury vehicles, including a 2017 Bentley Bentayga, a 2016 Mercedes Benz and a lakefront lot in Kaufman County.
“By billing for prescription medication patients never needed nor received, these defendants brazenly lined their pockets at the expense of each and every client who paid into health insurance,” U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton said in a written statement. “Healthcare is already a significant expense for many Americans. We cannot and will not allow pharmacy operators to abuse the system in this way.”
As part of the scheme, pharmacy employees added patient information onto pre-populated prescriptions pads. In some cases, they paid physicians to fraudulently stamp prescription forms when they had not seen patients. In others, they used physicians’ stamps without their knowledge.
Initially, the pharmacies shipped out a fraction of the medications they billed to insurance, but at some point Jallah stopped shipping any medication billed to insurance, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a news release.
When insurance companies conducted audits to determine whether prescription claims were legitimate, Jallah and Turley fabricated drug purchase invoices to support the claims they submitted to insurance, the release says." DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
Bulent Temel guest column: “Success of TXSE means remaining free of local identity,” San Antonio Express-News' Bulent Temet — “The announcement about a stock exchange market to be established in Dallas [ [link removed] ] is a promising development that will likely produce significant benefits for the Lone Star State.
As an electronic exchange similar to the Nasdaq Stock Market, the Texas Stock Exchange, TXSE, will start trading in 2026. It aspires to provide a more laissez-faire environment to its listed companies and investors than the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, which have long been criticized as overregulating, under-delivering and overcharging.
TXSE will accelerate Texas’ rapid rise as a $2.4 trillion economy, already the eighth-largest in the world [ [link removed] ] and the fourth-fastest growing in the U.S. [ [link removed] ] An astonishing 7,200 firms relocated to Texas between 2010 and 2019, partly due to the state’s regulation-wary political culture, lack of corporate and personal income taxes, and high quality of living.
Texas is tied as the second-ranked state for most Fortune 500 companies (52) [ [link removed] ] and private equity-sponsored businesses (1,661) [ [link removed] ]. Having a stock exchange market that is less stringent will allow more companies to go public and improve their capitalization and growth prospects. Their investments also will boost job creation.
This economic stimulation will positively spill over to San Antonio as area businesses satisfy part of the new consumption demand in the state. It will also help the Alamo City attract increasing amounts of long-term investment from other parts of the U.S. and abroad due to three features of the city’s economy:
• San Antonio’s economy is evenly diversified [ [link removed] ]. Stability-promoting sectors such as the military, health care and tourism complement similarly sized growth-promoting sectors such as manufacturing, aerospace, bioscience, cybersecurity and green energies.
• San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States [ [link removed] ]. Nearly 19,000 people join San Antonio’s consumer market every year, making it even more attractive to businesses.
• San Antonio’s consumers spend their money [ [link removed] ]. San Antonio has the highest average debt-to-income ratio in Texas, which has the sixth-highest spending rate in the union.
For these benefits to be maximized, however, TXSE has to remain free of any local identity. If it ends up being perceived as a regional project that caters mostly to the businesses and investors in a particular area, it will not escape that association.
While such a public image would attract some businesses that identify with that regional culture, it would turn off many others that would be concerned about the possibility of alienating their consumers, investors, suppliers and local officials.
TXSE and its listed companies will maximize their profits if TXSE appeals to all cultures and worldviews rather than only a distinct one.
Bulent Temel is an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Economics at the University of Texas at San Antonio and an award-winning former financier. The views expressed here are his own." SAEN [ [link removed] ] ($)
STATE GOVERNMENT   
Editorial: “Robert Roberson hearing raises profound questions about guilt,” via Dallas Morning News — “Had Robert Roberson III been executed by the state of Texas last Thursday night as scheduled, it would have been a shameful failure of our criminal justice system.
Out of appeals, Roberson would have been put to death even as his conviction on outdated “shaken baby syndrome” science in the death of his 2-year-old daughter was shrouded in tremendous doubt.
Instead, a bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers, some of whom actually support the death penalty, boldly prevented that from happening. Their last-minute legal maneuver [ [link removed] ] to issue a subpoena requiring Roberson to testify before the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence hearing Monday morning [ [link removed] ] effectively stayed the execution, at least for now.
The unprecedented move, led by Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, and Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, to effectively go around the state’s judicial branch does raise valid questions about a potential violation of the state’s constitutionally enshrined separation of powers among the legislative, judicial and executive branches.
Those concerns may well be headed for a full airing in court, as the Texas Supreme Court noted while agreeing to uphold the House subpoena [ [link removed] ].
But if ever there was a case to test the limits of those separations, it’s this one. The fact is, it should have never come to all of this.
The House committee hearing has brought into full public view, on live-streamed video, a distressing set of facts surrounding Roberson’s case and the way the criminal justice system has dug into his conviction. The committee is studying whether the state’s “junk science” law, that provides a pathway for new trials for those convicted on the basis of discredited science, has worked as intended in Roberson’s case.
In 2003, an Anderson County jury convicted Roberson in the death of his daughter largely on a doctor’s diagnosis that she had suffered from “shaken baby syndrome.” Back then, doctors believed the syndrome was the only explanation for three different types of internal head injuries in small children, absent a serious accident. But today, doctors realize that these same symptoms can be caused by other things, as well.
Roberson’s attorneys contend that the jury never heard evidence of some of those causes, and that the district attorney rushed to convict. Even Roberson’s defense attorney said at trial that this was a textbook “shaken baby” case, though his client maintained his innocence and rejected plea bargain deals.
Roberson’s attorneys today have brought to light the fact that the child, Nikki, had been chronically ill most of her life, and most especially in the week before her death. They say doctors who have reviewed her records, as well as slides of her lung tissue, have concluded that Nikki likely died from undiagnosed pneumonia, made worse by drugs prescribed to her by doctors in the days before her death. Other blunt force injuries to the child’s head noted by the medical examiner could be explained by the sick child’s fall off a bed as well as efforts made by her doctors in the hospital to save her life, her attorneys contend.
Terre Compton, one of the jurors who convicted Roberson, told the House committee Monday that had she known all of that, she would not have voted to convict Roberson. She also repeatedly testified that prosecutors at the time made it clear that this was solely a “shaken baby” case. So insistent were they, she recalled, that in driving home their case they violently shook, in front of jurors, either a stuffed bear or doll to demonstrate how Roberson killed his daughter.
Compton’s testimony is significant because the district attorney today, as well as the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, has said that Roberson is not eligible for a new trial because his conviction was not solely based on the “shaken baby” diagnosis but also evidence that Nikki sustained other injuries. But evidence of other signs of abuse has now been seriously called into question and may be explained by other things. Compton told the committee she now thinks Roberson is innocent.
Of course, Compton is one of only many involved in the case who now have serious doubts. They include the former lead detective, who says the state got it all wrong; more than 80 bipartisan lawmakers who have petitioned the criminal appeals court to reconsider the case; Phil McGraw and author John Grisham, both of whom told the committee that they fully investigated the case and believe Roberson did not get a fair trial; even U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who took the unusual step last week of publicly saying that Roberson has made a “serious showing of actual innocence.”
Can all those people be wrong? Or did the state get it wrong? Did the criminal appeals court, which ruled just 5-4 earlier this month to uphold the execution, consider the full facts? We note that the appeals court, on its own power and authority, could reconsider and grant Roberson a new trial based on the state’s junk science law. Just one vote would need to change. We urge it to do so.
We also note that Anderson County District Attorney Allyson Mitchell, who was not in office at the time of Roberson’s conviction, could also reconsider the case in light of Compton’s testimony and other details revealed at the House committee hearing. We urge her to do so, as well.
And finally we urge our governor, a lawyer himself, to look carefully at the facts in this case and to ask himself, given all we know now, given all of the doubt that has been raised, whether our state can in good conscience put this man to death.
This editorial board is not a trier of fact, but in light of so much overwhelming evidence and the extraordinary acts of a group of bipartisan legislators in recent days, Roberson deserves a new day in court." DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
“Chevron plans major headquarters renovations in downtown Houston,” Texas Tribune's Kayla Guo — “Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Biden administration on Tuesday, accusing the federal government of failing to help Texas check the citizenship status of some of the state’s registered voters — even as Paxton conceded that noncitizen voting is illegal and extremely rare.
In the lawsuit, Paxton argued that the federal government is required to assist states in verifying the citizenship status of registered voters, and he accused the U.S. Department of Homeland Security of failing to do so.
The lawsuit escalates Paxton’s hunt for noncitizen voters [ [link removed] ] just two weeks before the election and a day after early voting began in Texas. He has pressed Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson to request that the federal government hand over data the state could use to cross-check its voter rolls.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Oct. 10 pointed Nelson [ [link removed] ] to a program it maintains [ [link removed] ] that states may use to verify individuals’ naturalized or acquired citizenship status. Immigration officials have gone back and forth with officials in several states over the data it can provide.
“The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program is the most secure and efficient way to reliably verify an individual’s citizenship or immigration status, including for verification regarding voter registration and/or voter list maintenance,” the agency’s director, Ur M. Jaddou, wrote to Nelson, adding that the agency “currently cannot offer an alternative process to any state.”
The lawsuit [ [link removed] ], meanwhile, argued that the program is “not an adequate tool, on its own, for a state seeking to verify the citizenship status of an individual on the voter rolls.”
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment." Texas Tribune [ [link removed] ]
LOCAL GOVERNMENT   
“Hollins calls for ethics probe into Whitmire's State of the City,” Houston Chronicle's Abby Church — “Controller Chris Hollins penned a letter Tuesday to the Office of the Inspector General and City Council Ethics Committee calling on Mayor John Whitmire’s State of the City address [ [link removed] ] to be included in “pay to play” ethics probe [ [link removed] ] requested against him.
Whitmire asked for the investigation into Hollins after he solicited sponsorships for Tuesday’s City of Houston Investor Conference — Hollins’ first as controller.
In a Thursday news conference, Whitmire said banks called and told him the sponsorships gave the appearance of a “pay to play” system. Hollins fired back later in the day and called Whitmire a “walking conflict of interest,” saying the State of the City address featured plenty of sponsors with city contracts.
Whitmire wrote in a statement Tuesday that the investigation requested is "in response to (Hollins) soliciting $100,000 from vendors for a private meeting with him." The mayor added that he did not solicit sponsorships for State of the City and that the "controller's attempt to divert attention from the appearance of the pay to play is under investigation."
"It is the practice of the mayor's office not to comment on active investigations," Whitmire wrote. "I did my job by bringing this to light."
The letter obtained by the Chronicle states that the controller's office used the same fundraising model the mayor used for the State of the City event. According to the letter, those similarities included:
> Both events being marketed to city vendors
> Both events selling sponsorships
> Both featuring VIP receptions for those who gave large monetary contributions
> Both using their respective official's names and likenesses in marketing the events
> Both providing respective visibility of both offices
The only difference in the events, Hollins wrote in his letter, was who controlled the proceeds. The mayor controls the money for the State of the City, he said, while funds from the Investor Conference went to BankOn Houston and an independent body.
“Bias has no place in public service,” Hollins wrote in a Tuesday statement. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Let me be clear: I do not consider the marketing practices of either event to be unlawful. But I do believe the same set of rules should apply equally to both the mayor’s and controller’s fundraising activities.”
He continued: “By applying equal scrutiny to both our offices, we can ensure fairness, transparency and adherence to ethical standards across all levels of City government. This approach will not only address current concerns, but also set a precedent for accountability in future fundraising activities by City officials.”
The conference, in its ninth year, asked for sponsorships for the first time, Whitmire said. Those sponsorships ranged from $10,000 to $100,000 and each offered varying benefits." Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)
“Advocacy group seeks court order to delay Thursday council vote on Austin police contract,” Austin American-Statesman's Ella McCarthy — “The Austin City Council's much-anticipated vote on a new police union contract could be delayed following an eleventh-hour legal maneuver.
The advocacy group Equity Action on Tuesday filed an amended petition in state district court that could force the city to remove the proposed five-year contract from Thursday's city council meeting agenda.
As of publication, a judge had not ruled on the petition or held a hearing on the matter. The city of Austin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Equity Action, which advocates for progressive public safety policies, first sued the city [ [link removed] ] last December over alleged violations of the Austin Police Oversight Act, a police accountability measure the group crafted and successfully placed on an election ballot earlier that year. Voters overwhelmingly approved it.
In that suit, the group argued that the city had failed to “enforce the essential provisions" of the act, which restored the responsibilities of police accountability and transparency to the Office of Police Oversight. The civilian office had previously lost this authority in court arbitration in 2021.
A judge earlier this year ruled [ [link removed] ] in favor of Equity Action on allegations specifically related to the so-called "g-file," a confidential personnel file held by the Police Department for each officer that includes unsubstantiated complaints lodged against them. Other aspects of the lawsuit are still being litigated.
Equity Action filed Tuesday's petition in the same case.
In the petition, the group alleges that certain language in the tentative contract [ [link removed] ] agreed upon by the Austin Police Association and the city "is inconsistent with [Austin Police Oversight Act] in multiple respects."
Equity Acton says a few tweaks to the contract language would address the group's concerns.
“The changes we have requested are simple and would make the words on the page of the agreement match the words in the mouths of the city staff and, more recently, APA leadership,” Chris Harris, board president of Equity Action, said in a news release.
Throughout the bargaining process, which started in March and ended in September, city negotiators said the city attorney, now Deborah Thomas in an interim capacity, would not support a contract that did not feel complied with the act.
Thomas, who is the final arbiter of major city policies, recently issue a memo that said she believes that it does comply.
Michael Bullock, president of the police association, recently told the city council that he agrees with the city's interpretation of the language relating to the g-file.
"I am undeterred." Bullock told the Statesman Wednesday. "I am confident that this contract is beneficial for our city, for the police department. It removes the barriers to oversight."" AAS [ [link removed] ] ($)
#TXLEGE   
“Delta-8 hemp and Texas medical marijuana industries to face off in the upcoming legislative session,” Texas Tribune's' Stephen Simpson — “Jack Stinnett got life-changing news in 2020 when he learned the lump that appeared on the side of his neck was tongue and mouth cancer. He and his wife Karen quickly enrolled him at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he underwent five and a half rounds of chemotherapy and 33 treatments of radiation.
During this time, Stinnett, a Marble Falls resident, went from a reasonably healthy 60-year-old who rode his bicycle more than 60 miles daily to losing more than 100 pounds after losing his appetite and sense of taste.
Then, Stinnett qualified for a medical marijuana prescription for the nerve pain he received from the cancer treatments and found the relief he needed.
“It helped with my appetite and sleep. This Compassionate Care Act, in my opinion, helps like no other,” he said. “We just need politicians to get out of the way.”
Stories like this point to the successes of Texas’ Compassionate Use Program, but it is facing its worst existential crisis since its inception in 2015. Strict rules on who is eligible, what products can be sold, and where they can be stored have limited the program's impact, while unregulated hemp products like delta-8 and the more potent delta-9 continue to rise in demand due to ease of access.
A potential showdown is brewing between the medical cannabis market and the hemp industry in Texas as both are looking to lawmakers to determine the future.
States like Colorado and California, where both medical and recreational marijuana are legal, are putting tighter restrictions on hemp products as a way to rein in access and force more health and safety accountability on the industry.
After his 2019 agricultural hemp legislation helped open up Texas's hemp industry, state Sen. Charles Perry is now attempting to close it again, as legal weed-style products were never his intention. He suggested an outright ban on the consumable hemp market last week during a State Affairs Committee hearing.
“'If you can't regulate it, control it, and enforce it, you just don't allow it to happen," Perry said.
Perry and other lawmakers have been particularly interested in regulating consumable THC products that can come in drink form. This makes it much more difficult for parents, teachers, law enforcement, and others to tell the difference between a regular drink and one that has been infused with THC.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick gave senators a list of legislative directives [ [link removed] ] for the next session, and a prime target is a ban on delta-8 products. He suggested to lawmakers that the state examine the sales of intoxicating hemp products in Texas, make recommendations to regulate the sale of these products, and propose legislation to stop retailers who market these products to children.
The Texas Department of State Health Services also filed a case [ [link removed] ] before the state’s Supreme Court in August to classify delta-8 [ [link removed] ] as an illegal substance. While the case is pending, delta-8 is still legal to buy and sell.
The Texas hemp industry has argued in court that delta-8’s high is minimal, and if delta-8 and delta-9 products are banned, it would do irreparable harm to the industry and the state’s economy.
“Any bans or excessive legislation of hemp-derived cannabinoids, as suggested by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and others, will negatively impact an industry that has an $8 billion economic impact, pays $1.6 billion in annual wages, and supports more than 50,000 workers,” said Lukas Gilkey, CEO and co-founder of Hometown Hero, the company who filed a suit against the state and is defending the hemp industry in the state’s Supreme Court." Texas Tribune [ [link removed] ]
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE    
 > TX TRIB: "Texas Supreme Court justice’s oversight of the trust of a Houston millionaire with dementia raises ethics concerns" TX TRIB [ [link removed] ]
 > TX TRIB: "Facing election scrutiny, Texas prepares for Nov. 5 with paper ballots and strengthened security" TX TRIB [ [link removed] ]
 > AP: "AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Texas on Election Day" AP [ [link removed] ]
 > HOU CHRON: "Federal agents drill for contaminants at housing complex built near toxic ash" HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
 > HOU CHRON: "Ted Cruz ramps up spending as he tries to keep pace with Colin Allred" HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
 > TX TRIB: "Kamala Harris to rally in Houston days before Election Day" TX TRIB [ [link removed] ]
 > EP TIMES: "Details emerge about Paxton's role in Roberson legal wrangling" EP TIMES [ [link removed] ]
 > TPR: "To win in Texas, U.S. Senate candidate Colin Allred aims to appeal to both Democrats and moderates" TPR [ [link removed] ]
 > TPR: "To win in Texas, U.S. Senate candidate Colin Allred aims to appeal to Democrats and moderates" TPR [ [link removed] ]
 > FWST: "‘We need to do something immediately’: FWISD interim chief sounds alarm on academics" FWST [ [link removed] ]
 > AAS: "Details emerge about Paxton's role in Roberson legal wrangling" AAS [ [link removed] ]
 > COMMUNITY IMPACT: "Comal County issues disaster declaration as drought persists" COMMUNITY IMPACT [ [link removed] ]
 > SAEN: "Tool lets Texas students see which colleges will accept them before they apply" SAEN [ [link removed] ]
 > SAEN: "Man helped smuggle 1.4 million fentanyl pills in South Texas hidden in limes" SAEN [ [link removed] ]
 > TPR: "This week's early vote turnout in San Antonio and Bexar County builds on first-day record numbers" TPR [ [link removed] ]
 > THE TEXAN: "School Janitor Accused of Using Student Photos to Create AI-Generated Pornography" THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
 > TX MONTHLY: "Instead of Fixing the Foster Care System, Texas Is Trying to Game the Courts" TX MONTHLY [ [link removed] ]
 > DMN: "UT Southwestern Med School to pay $900K over claims that Black applicants were denied jobs" DMN [ [link removed] ]
 > DMN: "Robert Roberson, denied chance to testify at Capitol, relies on others to plead his case" DMN [ [link removed] ]
 > DMN: "Early voters in Texas cast ballots as immigration, abortion, economy loom large" DMN [ [link removed] ]
EXTRA POINTS   
Last night's Texas sports scores:
  > NHL: Buffalo 4, Dallas 2
  > NCAAF: Sam Houston St. 10, Florida Int'l 7
  > NCAAF: Louisiana Tech 14, UTEP 10
Tonight's Texas sports schedule:
  > 7pm: NBA: Charlotte at Houston
DALLAS COWBOYS: "'Surprised Cowboys owner Jerry Jones returns to weekly radio show" DMN ($)
DALLAS MAVERICKS: Cowlishaw: "Why the Mavericks need good fortune to back up favorable NBA title odds" DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
TEXAS / TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL: "2025 NFL Mock Draft: 3 Longhorns, 2 Aggies land in first round" AAS [ [link removed] ] ($)
TEXAS RANGERS: "As pricey World Series begins, can Rangers keep up and trim payroll?" DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)

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