LOCAL/NEWS

05/29/2009

Kay Bailey Hutchison won't enter fray over conservatives' tagging of high court nominee as 'racist'

MELANIE BURFORD/DMN File

In a speech Friday at Dallas Baptist University, the senator pledged to give Judge Sonia Sotomayor a fresh look.
Blog: Politics
Get national, state and local politics news

05/28/2009

PAC power puts Gary Slagel back on top as Richardson mayor
Gary Slagel had been Richardson's mayor for years and years, until suddenly he wasn't.

05/27/2009

Dallas officials keep wary eye on hotel foes
City officials have commissioned an experienced team to protect the convention center hotel – researchers who spend long, stressful days scrubbing bills and monitoring late amendments for any hint of trouble.
Blog: Dallas City Hall
News from the Texas Legislature

Dallas judge Jim Foster testifies that FBI questioned him about county commissioner John Wiley Price
Dallas County Judge Jim Foster has testified under oath that the FBI questioned him about Commissioner John Wiley Price “on many occasions” beginning last fall.

Hearing today on disputed Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD board seat
School and appraisal district officials say Richard Fleming, who narrowly defeated longtime trustee John Tepper for the Place 4 seat, lives about 140 feet outside the district.

Dallas cuts tiny fraction of what's needed to close $190M budget deficit

DMN File

City Manager Mary Suhm targeted the signing bonuses as the city tries to cut a $190 million budget deficit.
Council defers senior tax exemption
Meter fees, parking fines going up
Get local politics news

Holy Land Foundation organizers to learn fate today
Five former Holy Land Foundation organizers will finally learn their fates today as a federal judge is expected to hand down their sentences in the largest terrorism financing case in American history.

05/26/2009

Grapevine, Arlington lawmakers battle to become the Christmas capital of Texas
AUSTIN – The Legislature can fight over anything, including Christmas.

05/24/2009

Notables share pearls of wisdom, experience in commencement speeches to colleges' Class of '09
Whether they graduated on time or took a few extra semesters, all college students have the same final assignment – listening to their graduation speakers. Commencement speeches mostly are heavy on advice and thoughts about the future. But certain lines can stand out from the rest.

05/23/2009

Dallas City Hall bribery trial defendants have less than a month to plea-bargain
Less than a month from the start of the Dallas City Hall public corruption trial, former council member Don Hill and his co-defendants have a choice to make: battle or bargain.

Dallas residents have no good option in council runoff between Carolyn Davis, Ron Price
Pity the voters of District 7. A Dallas City Council runoff election looms on June 13, and they have a tough choice to make.

Balch Springs City Council incumbent files lawsuit
Donna Taulbee's numbers came up short in an election and a recount. The Balch Springs City Council incumbent did not take the oath of office when other winners were sworn in this week.

05/22/2009

City Hall blog: Dallas property tax values set to decline
County budget director Ryan Brown calculates that once all appeals are settled, the county will see a drop in its tax base ranging from 4.39 percent to 7.17 percent.
Protests hold steady as valuations drop
Link: How to protest your appraisal
Link: Dallas Central Appraisal District

Dallas Central Appraisal District to release preliminary tax roll
Appraisers have warned the county’s taxing entities — cities, school districts, county government and others — that the news will be grim. The values of 92 percent of residential properties and 88 percent of commercial properties either are flat or down this year.

Leppert testifies before Congress in support of bond legislation
Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert urged Congress on Thursday to quickly pass legislation to revive the municipal bond market, which would help boost construction projects such as the convention center hotel the city wants to build.

05/21/2009

Quick Take: Dallas County DA Watkins' tough stance on budget unlikely to pay off
Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins is a national star, the subject of numerous newspaper articles, broadcast interviews and scholarly lectures.

Stock sales yielded hundreds of thousands for Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert in '08
Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in 2008 – and perhaps more – from the sale of stock and mutual fund shares, according to a mandatory personal financial disclosure report he filed with Dallas City Hall.

05/20/2009

Dallas city council members defend programs targeted for cuts

While acknowledging the gravity of Dallas' financial woes, many City Council members balked Wednesday at specific budget cuts that City Manager Mary Suhm says are necessary to close a massive deficit.
Blog: City hall
Follow local politics

Dallas County DA ordered to trim budget will seek 10% increase
Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins defiantly told his staff Tuesday that he would not give in to the county's request to slash the office budget by 10 percent because of an expected $60 million shortfall.

City Hall blog: Council to be briefed on city budget's $100M gap
The briefing is not the first opportunity the entire council has had to discuss ways of closing an anticipated gap in revenues versus planned expenditures.

05/19/2009

Proposed Dallas County budget cuts hit DA's, sheriff's offices hard
The Dallas County budget office has some ideas on how to close a $60 million shortfall. And the results could be painful to department heads and elected officials.

City Hall blog: Council inauguration ceremony scaled back due Dallas budget crisis
In recent years, hundreds of dignitaries and invited guests enjoyed breakfast, gifts and other niceties on the Dallas taxpayers' dime during posh City Council inaugural ceremonies even some participating council members considered excessive.

Dallas County budget proposal to include $60 million in cuts
Dallas County is handling its budget crisis a little differently this year.

05/18/2009

Critics question Richardson's business deal with golf pro
Ronny Glanton, the head pro at Sherrill Park Golf Course, made $335,000 in 2006-07. In response to critics, city officials provided financial information about Sherrill Park Golf Course and Ronny Glanton, who is contracted to run the facility.

05/17/2009

Pete Sessions' Obama barbs are mere fodder for foes
WASHINGTON – The president, elected by the people and sworn to protect their interests, is intentionally trying to kill American jobs and wipe out stock market wealth – all to grab power and hasten the downfall of free market capitalism.

Possible defense contract for Fort Worth company shows how lawmakers can tailor earmarks to one contractor
WASHINGTON – Resurrected from the military boneyard, dozens of refurbished Marine helicopters are helping fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. The aging CH-53Ds are up to the task, but they lack a high-tech display system available to pilots in newer choppers.

Blow: Dallas County Republican chairman sees plenty of life in the party
Just before leaving the office, I read a news story about U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions' latest absurdity. The Dallas Republican said Barack Obama is depressing jobs and stocks just to harm the free enterprise system – "if not kill it."

05/16/2009

Expensive Dallas City Council campaign was worth the cost, candidate Brint Ryan says
Brint Ryan stood outside a Walnut Hill Lane polling station on the first day of Dallas' early-voting period, the City Council candidate exasperated after reading an opposition ad effectively deeming him a tax cheat.

Ragland: Truth on hotel deal not easy to nail down
Looks like Dallas city officials may very well have stretched the truth.

05/15/2009

Hotel letter raises questions on Dallas City Hall's actions before vote
Before last Saturday's vote on the controversial Dallas convention hotel, top city officials insisted that they did not have significant updated information about the hotel's financial feasibility, despite being challenged by opponents who claimed such an update was indeed in City Hall's hands.

Woman found not guilty by reason of insanity in Plano stabbing
A young woman who stripped naked two years ago, dived in front of a car in downtown Plano, then stabbed a woman who got out to help her was found not guilty of aggravated assault Thursday by reason of insanity.

Garland family sues police over son's death
A Garland family has filed a lawsuit against the Garland Police Department seeking damages in the shooting death of their suicidal 17-year-old son in March.

05/14/2009

Richardson City Council member thought to be first Muslim elected leader in North Texas
Much about Amir Omar, one of Richardson's newest City Council members, is a contradiction. That includes his role as politician with a message focused on conservative fiscal policy and attracting young professionals to town.

Dallas pilot program to help ex-cons with housing, jobs to prevent return to crime
Dallas officials plan to announce a pilot program today that will help at least 250 convicts who have been released from prison to find jobs and homes and get further counseling as they readjust to society.

Dallas council candidates hope to boost voter turnout in runoff races
For four Dallas City Council candidates, Saturday's election wasn't the end of the road, but an entry into the bonus round of a June 13 runoff.

Dallas council approves daytime curfew for youth
The Dallas City Council voted Wednesday to enact a daytime curfew that prohibits children 16 and younger from walking city streets between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on school days.

05/13/2009

City Hall blog: Dallas council to vote on juvenile curfew today
A contentious vote on a daytime curfew for juveniles will take place early this afternoon after the council gets back from its lunch break. Public discussion on the item will be limited to 10 minutes total each for proponents and opponents of the proposed curfew.

20-year-old Pleasant Grove man sought in mother's death
Dallas police say a Pleasant Grove man is responsible for the death of his mother, whose decomposing body was found in their home on Mother's Day.

Rockwall County man's prison sentence in teen's 'cheese' heroin death brings relief
Dawn Elliott grudgingly agreed in February with a plea deal that would have meant probation for the man who gave her daughter the "cheese" heroin that killed her.

05/12/2009

Dallas County weighs hiring of civilian to help run jails
Commissioner Maurine Dickey suggested creating the position to relieve Commissioner John Wiley Price, but the other commissioners said they want to leave that job to a consulting firm.

05/13/2009

Sen. John Cornyn rejects Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions' Obama accusation
The Texan who leads the Senate Republican campaign effort rejected Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions’ allegation that President Barack Obama is intentionally sabotaging the U.S. economy.

05/12/2009

Analysis: Leppert passes big test as opponents' millions in spending can't stop hotel
Even unprecedented millions of dollars can't buy you an election – not when you're up against Dallas' political and business elite.

Leppert, council members cautiously accept Crow's olive branch
Mayor Tom Leppert and key Dallas City Council members on Monday cautiously accepted a conciliatory letter from real estate mogul Harlan Crow, whose campaign against a planned convention-center hotel had for months alternately painted hotel backers as arrogant, unaccountable and outright liars.

05/11/2009

Voter ID bill clears Texas House committee

A requirement that voters show photo identification narrowly won a House committee’s approval Monday, but the chairman of the panel said the measure probably can’t pass the full House in its present form.
Bills would hide government workers' birthdates
Politics blog: Texas Legislature
Follow the 2009 Texas Legislature

Rep. Pete Sessions accuses Obama of deliberately driving stock market down
The Dallas Republican also says the president wants unemployment high -- and that he's against free enterprise.

National Archives near halfway point in review of Bush library plans
WASHINGTON – Federal archivists are close to the halfway mark in their review of plans for George W. Bush's presidential library and policy center in Dallas.

05/10/2009

Obstacles remain after Dallas convention hotel victory
Horrendous economic conditions threaten to delay construction, and City Council members must determine some method of closing a yawning 2009-10 budget deficit.
Chat replay: Recapping Dallas elections
Crow extends Leppert an olive branch
Blog: Dallas City Hall

After Dallas convention hotel battle, Harlan Crow extends olive branch to Mayor Tom Leppert
Real estate mogul Harlan Crow, who all but exclusively bankrolled a failed multimillion-dollar effort to block a publicly owned Dallas convention hotel, wants Mayor Tom Leppert to put a contentious political campaign behind them in hopes of working together.

Dallas convention hotel supporters prevail in tight race

SONYA N. HEBERT/DMN

Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert (right) talks to reporters Saturday night at the Vote No Dallas! election watching party at Gilley's.

Proposition 1 would've blocked city ownership of convention hotels.
Analysis: Leppert passes big test
Dallas City Council avoids a shakeup
Map: Dallas County results by precinct
Photos: Election Day
Editorial: Dallas votes for its future
Blog: City Hall

Suburban voters opt to stick with familiar faces
Voters were in no mood for change Saturday as mayors from Fort Worth to Garland coasted to easy victories.

Blow: Hotel vote is a victory for Dallas
Well, well, well. Dallas is still Dallas after all.

Dallas City Council avoids a shakeup as voters re-elect incumbents
A no-holds-barred, million-dollar run for the Dallas City Council was too little to defeat an experienced hand at City Hall with a long list of endorsements from Dallas' political establishment.

Voters approve most suburban school bond proposals; Wylie ISD's fails
Suburban voters appeared to be approving most area school districts' bond proposals, apparently rewarding districts that decided to brave the tough economy and ask voters to support measures for facility construction.

05/09/2009

Ex-city council member becomes Plano's new mayor
Plano voters on Saturday chose a former officeholder and bank executive to be the city's first new mayor in seven years.

Allen, Frisco, McKinney voters elect city government officials
Loughmiller stressed his experience, while builder George Fuller said he would bring business savvy to the council. Loughmiller, 48, served on the council from 2002 to 2008.

05/10/2009

Gary Slagel's Richardson City Council election win sets stage for possible return as mayor
City Council candidates backed by the Richardson Coalition – a group that has strongly supported council member Gary Slagel, the city's former mayor – all won seats in Saturday's election.

05/09/2009

Rowlett voters approve smoking restrictions
Rowlett voters overwhelmingly approved new restrictions on smoking Saturday, defeating petitioners who had forced the special election.

Mesquite Mayor John Monaco wins re-election
Mesquite political veteran John Monaco soundly defeated newcomer Jeremy Ritchie in the Mesquite mayor's race Saturday.

05/10/2009

DALLAS CITY COUNCIL
A no-holds-barred, million-dollar run for the Dallas City Council was too little to defeat an experienced hand at City Hall with a long list of endorsements from Dallas' political establishment.

At a glance: Dallas City Council races

Voters in suburban Dallas-area contests opt to stick with familiar faces
Voters were in no mood for change Saturday as mayors from Fort Worth to Garland coasted to easy victories.

05/09/2009

Murder-suicide suspected in death of 10-year-old and his dad
Clues are scant in the deaths of a 37-year-old Sachse father who is believed to have fatally shot his 10-year-old son then turned the weapon on himself.

Dallas hotel issue, council campaigns ramp up on eve of election
North Texans vote Saturday with the fates of numerous political offices and propositions at stake – particularly in Dallas – with candidates making final and sometimes frantic pushes to curry support.

05/10/2009

Mesquite Mayor John Monaco wins re-election
Mesquite political veteran John Monaco soundly defeated newcomer Jeremy Ritchie in the Mesquite mayor's race Saturday.

Dallas convention hotel supporters prevail in tight race
A publicly owned Dallas Convention Center hotel is primed for construction as city voters narrowly rejected a ballot initiative designed to block the $500 million facility.

05/09/2009

Making the right choice on Dallas' convention center hotel proposition
If you OPPOSE the idea of the city of Dallas owning a convention center hotel, vote

05/08/2009

Dallas, North Texas voters head to the polls today
The fates of political offices and propositions are at stake – particularly in Dallas, where residents will decide on a city-owned convention center hotel.
Get updates: City Hall blog
Polling places: Where to vote
Learn more about races, issues
Communities news
Voter guide: Find races by ZIP code
DMN Editorial Board recommendations

Half of Dallas' bills could die as legislative session winds down
Dallas lawmakers say there's still time for their top priorities: financing North Texas transportation projects, funding a University of North Texas law school and protecting Dallas' reservoir rights. But with legislative deadlines looming, they'll have to act fast.

White House official resigns over NYC flyover
The White House official who authorized a $328,835 photo-op of Air Force One soaring above New York City resigned Friday just weeks after the flyover sparked panicked workers to rush into the streets and flashbacks to Sept. 11.

Polling locations for May 9 election
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 9 at the following locations:

City Hall blog: Apartment managers sue Pauline Medrano, claiming inspections are political revenge
The people who run the complex say they never had a problem with code inspectors -- until they hung campaign signs for Medrano's election opponent.

Medrano is accused of harassing rival's backers
Harvey's Racquet Club apartments near Dallas Love Field had received no city code violation complaints this year – at least not until managers hung a pair of jumbo-sized Billy MacLeod for City Council campaign signs on the complex's fence in April.

05/07/2009

State gives Dallas County more time to fix jail safety flaws
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards could have ordered inmates removed, but said it will instead return for a re-inspection.

Indian-born candidate banking on Asian-American votes in Plano school board race
Rama Lavu, an Indian-born candidate for Plano school board, has traded the traditional path used to win such elections – candidate forums and endorsements from the city's political elite – for a strategy nearly entirely dependent on the voter turnout of the city's growing Asian-American population.

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD hopeful was told at poll that he lived outside district
A candidate for the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school board learned during early voting last week that his home was assigned to the Lewisville school district, even though he's supported his alma mater's district for as long as he can remember.

05/06/2009

Dallas City Council race between Ann Margolin and Brint Ryan turns contentious
Listen to Ann Margolin and Brint Ryan talk about taxation (freeze it), crime (fight it), or a publicly owned Dallas Convention Center hotel (forget it), and in most material ways, they're the same District 13 Dallas City Council candidate.

Chat replay: May 9 municipal elections
DMN staff writers Rudolph Bush and Dave Levinthal fielded readers' questions about races and issues on Saturday's ballot, particularly the Dallas convention center hotel referendum.
Blog: Dallas City Hall
Voter Guide: Compare candidates side-by-side
Election recap: Learn more about races, issues
Get local politics news

Anti-convention center hotel group accuses Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert of violating polling place law
Citizens Against the Taxpayer-Owned Hotel, the group behind Dallas' anti-hotel Proposition 1, on Tuesday accused Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert of violating state campaign laws that prohibit campaigning within 100 feet of a polling station.

Military police impostor suspect who went on calls with Dallas officers arrested in California
A man who Dallas police say conned officers into believing he was a military police officer as he helped them answer calls was arrested Tuesday morning at his mother's Los Angeles County home as he tried to slip out the back door.

Ad Watch: Dallas convention hotel referendum
Looking at the latest anti-hotel ad by the group that seeks to prohibit Dallas City Hall from owning a convention hotel.

05/05/2009

Dallas council candidates Ryan, Margolin settle attacks over taxes

Ann Margolin (left) and Brint Ryan have been waging a bitter campaign for the District 13 seat on the Dallas City Council.

Brint Ryan is dropping his slander, libel and defamation lawsuit against District 13 opponent Ann Margolin in exchange for Margolin agreeing to no longer discuss Ryan's tax record.
Polling places: Early voting closes May 5
Voter Guide: Compare candidates
Learn more about candidates, issues
Complete local politics coverage

Dallas County hopes consultant will help jail pass inspection
Commissioners voted this morning to begin negotiations with Carl R. Griffith & Associates of Port Arthur for a jail consulting contract. County officials don’t know yet the contract's cost.

Dallas City Council candidates in District 9 and District 10 balance development, local character
Even tightly knit neighborhoods like Lakewood and Lake Highlands are bound to have their neighborly quarrels.

Lipscomb's presence felt in Dallas City Council District 8 race
The long swath of far southern Dallas that composes City Council District 8 has long been Al Lipscomb's political domain.

05/04/2009

Despite weak start, early voting in Dallas County is about on pace
Convention Center hotel controversy is driving up interest. But overall, municipal elections "just aren't sexy."

Dallas council candidates Ryan, Margolin settle attacks over taxes
Dallas City Council candidate Brint Ryan is dropping his slander, libel and defamation lawsuit against District 13 opponent Ann Margolin in exchange for Margolin agreeing to no longer discuss Ryan's tax record.

05/03/2009

Mayor's races heating up in Fort Worth, Austin, El Paso, San Antonio
Mayors will be elected Saturday in four of the state's largest cities, including Austin, where former state comptroller and gubernatorial candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn is in a tough fight to win back her old job. In Fort Worth, Mayor Mike Moncrief is facing his first serious opposition since his election to the post in 2003.
Blog: Trail Blazers

05/02/2009

Mexico Journal: As news of illness spread, life moved behind masks
MEXICO CITY – A week ago, it didn't seem like such a big deal. The government said that a bunch of people, mostly in the smog-filled capital and its suburbs, had a bad case of the flu ( el gripe ) and some had died from it.

Two sides meet after judge nixes Ryan's request for restraining order against Margolin in Dallas City Council race
Dallas City Council candidate Brint Ryan failed Friday to persuade a state district judge to issue a temporary restraining order against District 13 opponent Ann Margolin, whom he accuses of publicizing lies about his personal income tax history and whom he is suing for slander, libel and defamation.

05/01/2009

Harlan Crow provides lion's share of funds for anti-hotel push while Brint Ryan's tab leads all Dallas City Council races
Self-funded Brint Ryan has become Dallas' first million-dollar Dallas City Council candidate, but real estate mogul Harlan Crow finds himself peerless among political financiers.

Crow's cash looms large in campaign against convention center hotel
It wasn't long after he made clear his opposition to a publicly owned convention center hotel that Dallas City Council candidate John Yourse found himself on the receiving end of campaign contributions from Harlan Crow and his disciples.

Council veteran takes on political outsider in McKinney mayor's race
The McKinney mayor's race pits a City Hall veteran against a political neophyte.

Supporters say Dallas Convention Center hotel would boost business for competitors
A political rally backing a proposed Dallas Convention Center hotel drew more than 300 people Thursday, including a cross-section of hotel managers, chamber of commerce presidents, union officials and business owners.

04/30/2009

Courtroom becomes part of Dallas City Council race between Ann Margolin and Brint Ryan
The most expensive district-level race in Dallas City Council history is fast becoming one of the nastiest, as District 13 candidate Brint Ryan followed through Thursday on threats to sue his opponent, Ann Margolin, for defaming him and misrepresenting him to district voters.

City Hall blog: Brint Ryan sues District 13 rival Ann Margolin for libel, slander
Even as Ryan prepares to sue her for defamation for earlier attacks on his credibilty as a tax professional, Margolin's latest mailer out today offers up a satirical and blistering comic strip called "Taxpert."

Transportation blog: Woodall Rodgers Park is a go, Dallas mayor announced
At last, the dirt will start flying. Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert will have details this afternoon.

05/01/2009

City Hall blog: Harlan Crow spends $2M in April fighting city-owned Dallas convention hotel
Real estate mogul Crow and his family are backing an effort to convince Dallas voters to support Proposition 1, which if approved May 9, would block construction of a publicly owned hotel.

04/30/2009

Richardson Place 2 hopefuls offer range of perspectives
In Richardson, Rhea Allison's decision to not seek re-election to the City Council has resulted in a four-way race to replace him.

Compromise would allow two nonphoto IDs to replace one photo ID for voting
AUSTIN – The voter identification bill that's likely to reach the House floor would allow Texans to cast ballots if they can show two forms of nonphoto ID, despite pressure from many Republicans to require picture IDs for all voters.

Early voting locations
Early voting for local elections continues through Tuesday. Here's a list of some early voting locations in Collin and Rockwall counties:

7 challenge Carolyn Davis for District 7 Dallas City Council seat
It's hard to overstate the advantage an incumbent has in a Dallas City Council election, but for council member Carolyn Davis, two years at City Hall seem to have had the opposite effect.

04/29/2009

City Hall blog: Ann Margolin refuses to apologize to Brint Ryan; he says he'll sue
District 13 council candidate Ann Margolin's campaign will ignore calls by opponent Brint Ryan to apologize and retract statements her campaign made about his income tax record.

City Hall blog: Mud flies in first TV ad from pro-Dallas convention hotel group Enough is Enough
Having released a radio advertisement Tuesday, pro-Dallas Convention Center hotel group Enough is Enough will begin broadcasting a rather humorous television ad today, which involves a number of people being hit with mud.

Dallas City Council District 3 incumbent Neumann battles challenger Thomas
Crime is notably down, property values are up and neighborhood activism is burgeoning in Oak Cliff, Mountain Creek and West Dallas.

04/28/2009

Dallas City Council District 13 foes level allegations over taxes
Dallas City Council candidate Ann Margolin is accusing her District 13 opponent, tax company CEO Brint Ryan, of not paying federal income taxes – a charge Ryan calls "ridiculous."

Anonymous, racially charged ads mar Dallas City Council District 7 race
A series of anonymous, racially charged fliers, containing ostensibly fake and grammatically incorrect quotations attributed to prominent South Dallas residents, are prompting a hail of accusations and denials from notable Dallas City Council District 7 candidates.

04/27/2009

Dallas-Fort Worth elections on May 9 focusing more on political ideologies
At a recent voter's forum for Plano City Council candidates, challenger Greg Myer vowed to rein in city spending and uphold what he called "traditional values."

Council seat, mayor's post on Lewisville ballot
Lewisville residents will elect a new mayor and City Council member. Dealing with illegal immigration and economic development are top goals for the five candidates vying for the two seats.

Longtime officials opposed in races for Richardson City Council, Places 3 and 4
Gary Slagel and John Murphy have spent four decades combined on the Richardson City Council.

04/26/2009

Dallas Convention Center hotel debate in its final stretch
Advocates and opponents launched a final effort to convince residents of the merits – or lack thereof – of a city-owned hotel.
Early voting begins today: Find a location
Voter guide: Compare candidates side-by-side
Read more about the races

Dallas-Fort Worth school bond elections carry lower price tags this time around
Plenty of area school districts are asking voters to approve bond issues next month, but the proposals carry noticeably lower price tags than in recent years.

Local elections focusing more on political ideologies
At a recent voter's forum for Plano City Council candidates, challenger Greg Myer vowed to rein in city spending and uphold what he called "traditional values."

Dallas charter votes: When saying 'yes' really means 'no'
If you say "yes" to Dallas to building a publicly owned Dallas Convention Center hotel, vote "no" on Proposition 1. If you say "no" to City Hall building it, vote "yes." Such is the counterintuitive rule-of-thumb for considering the contentious proposition. And hotel opponents and advocates alike acknowledge that voters may experience some confusion as early voting in Dallas begins Monday.
Voter guide
Blog: Dallas City Hall

Lawyer makes case against immigrant myths
While politicians may debate the merits of immigration reform, many economists and researchers have already made up their minds: Immigrants contribute far more to the U.S. economy than they take.

04/24/2009

Dallas mayor to fly to Taiwan to lobby for direct service to D/FW Airport
Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert will travel to Taiwan for a one-day visit, during which he plans to lobby officials from Taiwanese airline EVA Air for direct or nonstop service to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

AD WATCH: Dallas convention hotel referendum
Checking the second TV ad by a political organization supporting construction of a Dallas Convention Center hotel:

04/23/2009

Geren vows to kill bill that would create University of North Texas law school
If Fort Worth Rep. Charlie Geren has his way, downtown Dallas won't be getting a new law school anytime soon.

Man says Dallas candidate hired him to remove rival's signs
A convicted felon caught this week trying to remove a Tennell Atkins campaign sign from a vacant gas station told a DISD police officer that he was hired by District 8 challenger LeVar "L.D." Thomas to pull down the councilman's signs.

City Hall disputes allegation it withheld new data on development of convention center hotel
A spokeswoman for a group opposed to building the proposed Dallas Convention Center hotel accused City Hall on Wednesday of withholding new data about the feasibility of the development in a battered economy.

Judges to hear Texas Democrats' e-voting suit against Dallas County
A three-judge panel will determine whether Dallas County's electronic voting system violates federal law.

04/21/2009

City Hall blog: Airport board member Culbreath calls black backers of convention hotel 'thugs' and 'buffoons'
Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert supported Betty Culbreath's nomination to the D/FW Airport Board. That didn't keep her from lashing out at black leaders who side with the mayor on the city-owned Convention Center hotel.

Dallas police recruits fired for working as courtesy officers
Two Dallas police academy recruits were fired last week after police officials found out that they were working as courtesy officers at the apartment complex where they lived in violation of the department's rules.

04/19/2009

Dallas slashes millions from budget; more possible
The city of Dallas has slashed tens of millions of dollars from its budget to keep pace with dramatic declines in revenues that are even worse than city leaders feared.

04/18/2009

Boon or bust? Check in on key issues in Dallas convention hotel debate
Both sides trying to win the May 9 vote on a $500 million city-owned hotel attached to the convention center have made their cases in definitive terms, but many questions can't be answered firmly yet.
City Hall blog: Hotel news and notes
Voter Guide: May 9 city elections
Dallas slashes millions from budget

Olivera: Hutchison reaching out to Texas' Hispanic voters
When U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison meets with Hispanic constituents next week in Dallas, she may be looking beyond just lining up votes for what looks like a run for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2010.

White detective names head of Dallas Black Police Association in discrimination complaint
The president of the Dallas Black Police Association has been named in a federal racial discrimination complaint filed by a detective who alleges that he wasn't chosen for a spot on a narcotics squad because he is white.

04/17/2009

Judge orders former President George W. Bush to testify in SMU lawsuit
But even as the judge wrote his position ordering the testimony, Bush's attorneys were preparing an appeal that would trigger an immediate stay so that an appellate court would reconsider the matter.

Gun sales difficult to track, officials say
The U.S. faces a major obstacle as it tries to meet a demand from Mexico to curb the flow of arms to drug cartels. The federal system for tracking gun sales, crafted over the years to avoid infringements on Second Amendment rights, makes it difficult to spot suspicious trends quickly and to identify people buying for smugglers, law enforcement officials say.

Dallas-Fort Worth cases highlight weapons trafficking problem
Weapons seized in local cases show North Texas isn't immune from the gun trafficking that's feeding Mexico's drug cartels.

Six look to define election for Oak Cliff council seat
The contest to replace Dr. Elba Garcia may turn on questions of race. Among them: How should the heavily Hispanic district be represented as it gentrifies?
Convention hotel backers mount offensive
Voter's guide
Blog: Dallas City Hall

04/16/2009

Supporters of Dallas Convention Center hotel mount an offensive
After taking weeks of beatings in television ads, mailers and marketing calls, proponents of the Dallas Convention Center hotel came out swinging Thursday with two gatherings aimed at rallying voters.

Dallas City Council candidate Ann Margolin distances herself from tax support
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Dallas County's Parkland Memorial Hospital confronted a host of financial burdens, from bond debt to a swelling patient population.

Dallas police release video of carjacking suspect's arrest
Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle on Wednesday released an officer's dashboard camera video of the chase and arrest of a man suspected of several recent carjackings targeting women along Mockingbird Lane.

AD WATCH: Dallas City Council District 13
DETAILS: Candidate Brint Ryan is airing the first ad in the race. It's a 30-second spot that began airing Wednesday on KDFW-TV (Channel 4), KXAS-TV (Channel 5), WFAA-TV (Channel 8) and KTVT-TV (Channel 11), according to his campaign. Cost details were not released.

04/15/2009

Jenny the elephant stars in new billboard campaign
Concerned Citizens for Jenny, a group that wants the Dallas Zoo's 32-year-old elephant sent to a sanctuary, has posted six billboards in the area.

Is Dallas convention center hotel vote a referendum on Leppert?
The May 9 proposition on whether Dallas should build a convention center hotel is turning into a referendum on Mayor Tom Leppert .

House members weigh stiffer criminal penalties for unlicensed, uninsured drivers who kill, injure
AUSTIN – Uninsured and unlicensed drivers who kill or critically injure crash victims would face far tougher criminal penalties under a bill lawmakers considered Tuesday.

Bushes meet with advisers at SMU to discuss policy institute
George and Laura Bush met with former White House advisers Tuesday for a private strategy session on how the former president's policy institute should be organized and presented.

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