Daily Rundown - March 31, 2026

Howdy folks, today is Tuesday March 31st and you're listening to the Texans Daily

rundown.

I'm the Texans managing editor Rob Lauchess and here is the rundown of today's news

in Texas politics.

First up, the Texas Department of State Health Services announced new rules regarding consumable

hemp products and published an official program rule text which will go into effect on Tuesday

March 31st.

Consequently, certain consumable hemp products will be affected in Texas, including popular

smokeable products like THCA flower and pre-rolled joints.

The new rules aren't unfamiliar in scope.

The 2018 Farm Bill, which carved out hemp from the definition of marijuana in the controlled

substances act, defines hemp as any part of the cannabis plant or its derivatives containing

no more than 0.3% Delta 9 THC on a dry weight basis.

Manufacturers, in response to the ban, created a compound called THCA, which has been criticized

for complying with the letter of the law while maneuvering between the bill's requirements.

THCA can be converted to Delta 9 THC by heating it.

The new rules in Texas detail legal hemp content and set the legal threshold for THC content

at a maximum of 0.3%, including THCA.

This results in certain hemp products like THCA flower, becoming effectively non-compliant

with the new rules.

Next, weeks after Harris County Judge Lena Hidalgo clashed with officials at the Houston

livestock show in rodeo, Harris County commissioners rejected a resolution condemning Hidalgo's

behavior and opted to honor the rodeo instead during Tuesday's business meeting.

The original resolution introduced by Commissioner Tom Ramsey took issue with Hidalgo for an incident

earlier this month when she attempted to enter a VIP area for which she did not have tickets

to watch a sold out Megan Moroni concert at the rodeo.

Ramsey's resolution stated that Hidalgo's quote, entitled behavior and misuse of her

official position have embarrassed this commissioner's court and the people of Harris County time

and time again and called her comments quote grounds for resignation and a bipartisan call

for her apology commissioner Rodney Ellis said he considered adding language condemning

president Donald Trump for his previous comments and behaviors, but instead motioned for the court

to only accept the portion of Ramsey's resolution honoring the rodeo.

In other news, over 30 high school students from Umbal Independent School District took

a field trip to Houston's Centro Islamico, which is run by the organization Islam in Spanish.

According to the Kingwood High School Muslim Students Association Instagram page, the field

trip took place during the school day on February 17th with students leaving after their

second period class and not returning until 3.45 pm with lunch at Halal Food Trucks,

a midday prayer, a tour and presentation from Islam in Spanish.

On the Islam in Spanish website under our partners, the organization lists the White House

Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Islamic Medical Association of North America,

Rice University and the East Plano Islamic Center, the organization that initiated the

development of the Islamic residential community, the Meadow, formerly known as Epic City.

Also, a Texas man has pleaded guilty to his participation in an expansive child sexual

abuse network after being named in a federal indictment while already serving out a sentence

for child rape. 26-year-old Caleb Christopher Merritt from Spring pleaded guilty to account regarding

his involvement from 2019 to 2022 in Colt, which operates digitally to seduce children into creating

sexual content, specifically child sexual abuse material and sadistic material. The organization's

methods include exposing minors, particularly to young girls, to ideologies such as neo-nazism,

nihilism, pedophilia, and anarchy, the U.S. Department of Justice alleged, then manipulating the

children through various methods to produce child sexual abuse material. Last but not least,

on March 31st, the day that has been designated to honor Latino labor leader Cesar Chavez,

the city of Fort Worth voted to approve a resolution to rescind the recognition of a portion

of State Highway 183 in his honor, the measure passed unanimously. Fort Worth's rescinding of

the Chavez recognition comes after the New York Times published an in-depth investigative article

on March 18th, revealing allegations by several women that Chavez had sexually abused them for

years when they were girls and he was in his forties. Fort Worth City Council member Carlos Flores

moved passage on the resolution, which states that the honorary designation is not only ceremonial,

but also reflects the city's values. Thanks for listening. To support the Texan, please be sure

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