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January 12, 2025
NEWS DIGEST
by Brandon Waltens
Good morning,
We are officially just two days away from the start of the legislative session in Austin.
At 12 p.m. noon on Tuesday, House members and Senators will be sworn in.
In the House, their first vote will be for Speaker of the House. Right now, the race has the Republican nominee David Cook pitted against Dustin Burrows, whose support currently consists of Democrats and a minority of Republicans.
Before it all kicks off, join Michael Quinn Sullivan and me at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning for the premiere of The Advance, a live show where every week we will preview what's ahead—from important votes, to committee hearings, and everything in between.
Speaking of new shows, we are premiering another new offering this morning: Real Texans, where each week we will have a conversation with some of the leading voices in Texas.
In this premiere episode, Michael Quinn Sullivan sits down with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. In a wide-ranging conversation they discuss the Lt. Governor's background, the looming fight over school choice in the upcoming legislative session, whether Texas should continue to push the issue on border security given President-Elect Trump will soon take office, impeachment reform, and—yes—the ongoing controversy in the selection of the speaker of the Texas House.
Catch the conversation now below!
Featured
The Republican Party of Texas has issued a sharp rebuttal to State Rep. Cody Harris, who filed a sworn complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission accusing Texas GOP Chairman Abraham George of violating ethics laws by urging him to vote for the Republican nominee for speaker of the House.
Harris is among a minority of Republicans who refuse to support the Republican nominee for speaker of the House.
The complaint, filed on January 8, 2025, claims that George attempted to intimidate Republican members of the Texas House into supporting State Rep. David Cook, who won the Republican nomination in December.
State
Texas Sues TikTok for Peddling Explicit Content to Minors
The lawsuit also accuses TikTok of knowingly designing its platform to exploit children’s vulnerabilities.
Lawmakers Look to Protect Texas Kids From Social Media
A joint committee of state House and Senate members heard ideas for keeping kids safe from explicit content, data mining, and excessive screen time.
Ken Paxton Calls for Republican Unity Ahead of Legislative Session
Paxton credited grassroots activism, the election of President Donald Trump, and a new wave of principled conservatives with reinvigorating the fight for Republican unity.
Local
Harris County’s LGBT Commission Plans to Host ‘Banned Book’ Fair
The commission plans to use the fair as a means of pushing the LGBT agenda.
Keller ISD Considers Controversial Plan to Divide District
Parents and school board members are divided in their reactions to newly revealed discussions about splitting Keller ISD into two separate districts.
Katy ISD Teacher Faces Investigation After Allegedly Assaulting 9-Year-Old Autistic Student
Katy ISD confirmed the teacher is no longer employed by the district.
Federal
Texas Congressman Introduces REMAIN In Mexico Act
The new legislation aims to codify one of President-elect Donald Trump’s most successful immigration policies into federal law.
BlackRock Joins Major Banks Leaving UN Climate Initiatives After AG Paxton Pressure
State Street is now the last of the country’s largest asset managers to remain in the Net-Zero Asset Managers initiative.
Girls Win: Biden’s Radical Title IX Rewrite Struck Down Nationwide
Female athlete-turned-activist Riley Gaines called the ruling a “huge win for girls and women everywhere!”
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