Texas Lottery investigation, latest in legislative session: TWITP

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01-03-2025

The Brief
The Texas Lottery investigation and the latest discussions in the legislative session were hot topics in This Week in Texas Politics
FOX 7 Austin's chief political reporter Rudy Koski and our panel of analysts have a look at some of the top stories this week.
AUSTIN, Texas - This Week in Texas Politcs we saw several top issues that could turn into big fights, and a few topics that seemed to come out of left field.
FOX 7 Austin's chief political reporter Rudy Koski and our panel of analysts have a look at some of the top stories this week.
Local perspective
RUDY KOSKI: It was an extremely busy week This Week in Texas Politics. Let's get our headlines now from our panel. And we begin first with Patrick. Svitek with the Washington Post. Patrick, what's your headline?
PATRICK SVITEK: Well, here in Washington, it was another suspenseful and dramatic week for President Trump's legislative agenda. That's my headline.
RUDY KOSKI: Brad Johnson with the Texan. Brad, what's your headline?
BRAD JOHNSON: Meet the new legislature's whipping boy and the Texas Lottery Commission.
Local perspective
RUDY KOSKI: Well, a lottery reform bill did move out of the Texas Senate and to the House this week. But did the lotto avoid getting defunded or is it just game over for the lotto? Brad, what do you think?
BRAD JOHNSON: I don't think this is going away. I don't think the lottery commission is going to be sunsetted, but we might see some substantial changes in the Sunset Bill that they are currently under right now. They need to get renewed by the legislature in order to keep going. And if they don't, well, you know, that's, that's it.
PATRICK SVITEK: But something that has stood out to me, just watching it from a distance is how this does not bode well, you know, just I think, atmospherically, for the efforts to expand gambling in Texas.
Local perspective
RUDY KOSKI: Support in the House, we got that confirmed now for school choice. But the question is, is a which plan? Brad, the House has got a plan. The Senate's got a plan. They're not the same. Is that trouble?
BRAD JOHNSON: Well, I actually don't think this is the top candidate for calling a special session. I think that's bail reform, whether that can get across the line in the House. But on this issue specifically, I think we get something. They're going to have to figure out. There's no bridging that gap. They go with one or the go with the other. Maybe there's some other, other creative way to do this. But yeah, it's not across the line yet. There's a lot of negotiating to happen. This thing is definitely going to conference committee.
RUDY KOSKI: On Capitol Hill and D.C. The House passed its big budget reform bill. Some members of the Texas congressional delegation are catching a little heat on how they voted. Patrick, who stays on that hot seat?
PATRICK SVITEK: One of the most controversial parts of it was its instructions for federal spending cuts to a House committee that oversees Medicaid. Some vulnerable Republicans who voted for this said that they weren't voting for it to support cuts to Medicaid. And so when you talk about vulnerable Republicans in Texas, you're thinking about someone like Congresswoman Monica de la Cruz and South Texas and then some vulnerable Democrats who opposed this, were attacked for Republicans for being in favor of raising taxes.
RUDY KOSKI: We saw the return of drag show bans another DEI ban discussion and a package of parental right's Bills at the Texas Capitol. You know, guys, do all these Bills or just some of these Bills make it to the governor? What do you think, Brad?
BRAD JOHNSON: Yeah, you probably see most of them make it to the governor. But the question has always is, what do they look like when they finally make it to his desk?
RUDY KOSKI: And the biggest devil of a detail is defining what DEI is. Patrick, do you think that at some point in time, someone's really got to just sit down and say, this is what DEI is and get away from this broad definition?
PATRICK SVITEK: You know, I agree, there's certainly a definition that could be up for debate there. You've seen some institutions and Republicans have tried to call them out on this. You've seen some institutions realize how politically vulnerable they've become from just using those words they've tried to reclassify or re describe some of those positions just to get away from that language. And that's upset some Republicans even more.
RUDY KOSKI: Political Running Back Ken Paxton suited up and is taking on the NCAA this week. He wants a court to order the organization to revise its transgender rule and immediately start screening the sex of student athletes. Brad, who wins this fight?
BRAD JOHNSON: Well, I think ultimately right now, the Republicans and Paxton probably do. But I heard there's I heard rumblings of some controversy between the White House and the Attorney General or other random activists like Riley Gaines on this issue.
PATRICK SVITEK: But there are, you know, steps you can take, like this latest lawsuit by Paxton that could make it look like you're trying to, you know, steal some of the glory from the White House or try to push their policies a little further in terms of interpretation.
RUDY KOSKI: Certainly, a lot of political grenades being tossed and one of the most recent grenades landed here in Austin. HB2 74 was filed this week that would create Austin, DC. But Patrick, didn't we learn a lesson with Washington, D.C., that that's not exactly a good idea.
PATRICK SVITEK: Yeah, I mean, obviously, Republicans, state leaders and lawmakers in Texas have dreamed forever about having more control over Austin. As Rick Perry called it, I think, the blueberry and the tomato soup or something like that. But this idea of having a district controlled by the state still seems a little unrealistic to me.
Local perspective
RUDY KOSKI: All right, you can catch this discussion, our full discussion on FOX 7 YouTube and Fox Local. But let's wrap it up now with our final word for the week. And we'll begin with Brad Johnson.
BRAD JOHNSON: Budget.
PATRICK SVITEK: I'll say Medicaid, as an extension of that budget fight, because that was the most politically hot issue this week in D.C.
RUDY KOSKI: And that is This Week in Texas Politics.
The Source
Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Rudy Koski