LOCAL/NEWS

02/25/2010

Keith Olbermann turns down invitation to Saturday's Dallas Tea Party anniversary rally
At least one invited guest will not be coming to Saturday's Dallas Tea Party anniversary rally.

Hodge tells backers to stop pushing her candidacy for Texas House
State Rep. Terri Hodge asked supporters Wednesday to stop pushing her candidacy in the District 100 race for the Texas House.

02/24/2010

Dallas constable at center of corruption probe seeks removal of county judge
Constable Jaime Cortes' removal petition accuses Judge Jim Foster of incomeptence and "gross misconduct."
Download: See Cortes' petition
Report: Constable Cortes abused power
Blog: Crime

Two challengers try to unseat Kaufman County district attorney accused of DWI

02/23/2010

Texas House race starting to get ugly in Plano
The GOP campaign to represent West Plano in the Texas House of Representatives is emerging as one of the city's most cantankerous races in years. Candidates are trading barbs over everything from resume discrepancies to charges of tax evasion.

In lawsuit, family says officer killed in Clinton motorcade needed more training
The suit also names the city and the maker of the motorcycle helmet he was wearing.
Download: See the lawsuit (PDF)
02/22/2008: Officer dies in motorcade crash
Photos: Crash | Funeral

Texans turning out in big numbers for primaries
AUSTIN – Texans are turning out in big numbers in this year's primaries, buoyed by a high-profile race for governor with candidates crisscrossing the state and spending millions on TV.

02/22/2010

Outside money pours into Texas House race in Irving
The race for Texas House District 105 is drawing a lot of green as Republicans fight to keep Irving red and Democrats try to turn it blue.

02/21/2010

3 Republicans, no Democrats run against Rockwall County judge
Rockwall County voters will choose from four Republican county judge candidates in the March 2 primary.

Democratic challengers fault Jim Foster for backing outside inquiry into constables
The Democratic challengers for Dallas County judge contend that the Commissioners Court's independent investigation into the employment practices of two constables was wrongheaded and a waste of money.

02/20/2010

Dallas County judge seeks constable's civil removal
Dallas County Judge Jim Foster has called on District Attorney Craig Watkins to oust embattled Constable Jaime Cortes from office through a rarely used civil removal process in state law.

02/19/2010

Calls still urge voters to support disgraced Rep. Terri Hodge's defunct campaign
Residents of Texas House District 100 have received automated telephone calls this week urging them to vote for disgraced state Rep. Terri Hodge.

Democratic candidates for Dallas County judge reach out to frequent primary voters via mailers, letters
Democratic candidates for Dallas County judge are targeting frequent primary voters in campaigns that rely on a worker who isn't deterred by rain or snow – the mailman.

02/18/2010

Bishop Larry McGriff, a fixture in southern Dallas church and politics, is dead at 58
“I could call him at four in the morning. He wouldn’t ask why. He’d just show up," said Dallas Ciity Council member Tennell Atkins.

02/17/2010

Clements throws support to Perry despite sponsoring a Hutchison fundraiser
Former Gov. Bill Clements is backing Gov. Rick Perry in the Republican primary, even though he sponsored a fundraiser for Kay Bailey Hutchison last year.

02/16/2010

Politicians cast ballots as early voting for March primaries begins
As usual, politicians were among the first in line as gubernatorial candidate Kay Bailey Hutchison cast her ballot in North Dallas and Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price voted downtown.

02/15/2010

Early voting for March primaries starts today
The early voting period ends on Feb. 26

02/16/2010

Collin official defends using quote by Nazi in campaign
Collin County's top elected official is being criticized by some fellow Republicans for using a quotation from a Nazi official to rebut statements made by a political opponent.

02/14/2010

Candidates for West Plano seat in Texas House digging deep into their own pockets for campaign funds
Contenders for West Plano's seat in the Texas House of Representatives are pouring lots of their own money into the fight.

Republican hopefuls square off in primaries for Dallas County state House seats
Republicans are looking at two Dallas County seats held by freshman Democrats as a way to bolster their majority in the Texas House.

Early-voting polling places
Early voting begins Tuesday in the March 2 primary elections.

Democratic candidates for Irving seat in Texas House highlight credentials of different types
The two Democratic candidates for the Texas House District 105 seat, which covers most of Irving, highlight experience as their strong suits. It's just different kinds of experience that they're stressing.

02/13/2010

Democratic candidates for Dallas County judge offer their views on leadership
To understand the dynamics of the March 2 Democratic primary for Dallas County judge, you need only study the first term of incumbent Jim Foster.

Record 39 Republicans running for office in Collin County
Republican voters in Collin County face more choices than ever in the March 2 party primary. A record 39 candidates are running in 14 contested races. Early voting begins Tuesday.

02/12/2010

Lawsuit claims Irving voting district violates equal protection
Eleven Irving residents on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit against the city, claiming the new single-member City Council District 1 violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.

02/11/2010

Sessions says recent GOP victories aided fundraising for party
WASHINGTON – After a year of lackluster fundraising, House Republicans are bouncing back, Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions said Wednesday, thanks to several mood-lifting wins for the party.

02/10/2010

Dallas City Council renames downtown street for César Chávez, votes to curb parking-boot companies
South Central Expressway, a downtown street that shares a well-known name with a section of U.S. Highway 75, will be renamed for Chávez between Pacific and Grand avenues.

Record field set for Collin County Republican primary on March 2
Republican elected officials in Collin County are facing more competition than ever, and most of it is coming from their own party.

IRS apologizes to '09 Dallas council candidate Brint Ryan for tax lien
During the campaign, which turned bitter on both sides, Ann Margolin questioned whether Ryan, chief executive of the Ryan tax consulting firm, indeed had the financial know-how his campaign touted. Backing up the claim, she pointed to a $482,000 tax lien that the IRS had filed against Ryan.

Crime blog: Jibreel Rashad guilty of conspiring with Don Hill, others in Dallas City Hall case
U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn set Rashad's sentencing for the afternoon of May 7. He faces a maximum of 20 years.

City Hall blog: Dallas council enacts citywide ban on parking lot 'booting'
A regulation that currently applies only to parking lots in Deep Ellum could be applied citywide.

Dallas County judge wants background checks of deputy constables
Jim Foster said if the checks turn up problems, the county would report it to state licensing authorities.
Commissioners veto constable's drug dog
Commissioners ask AG's opinion in DA standoff
More county commissioners news

02/09/2010

Dallas County officials to seek Texas AG ruling on legal representation
Commissioners want a private attorney to defend them against a lawsuit brought by several current and former deputy constables.
Commissioners Court hires its own lawyer
Latest news: County commissioners | Craig Watkins
Get Dallas-Fort Worth crime and courts news
Blog: Crime

02/08/2010

Democrats rally behind Eric Johnson to succeed Rep. Terri Hodge

LOUIS DeLUCA/DMN

Those endorsing Johnson include some former supporters of Hodge, who pleaded guilty last week to a tax fraud charge.
Voter Guide: Compare candidates
DMN Editorial Board recommendations
Early voting sites for March 2 primary

N. Texas voters face array of elections
Yard signs are out. Campaigns are brewing. Election time is here. Come to think of it, election time is here a lot.

BACKGROUND: FREQUENT ELECTIONS

02/06/2010

Irving City Council election ruling remakes May 8 races for 3 seats
A federal judge's order last week that Irving immediately start using a system of single-member districts and at-large seats will affect almost every aspect of City Council elections this year.
Blog: Irving
Irving news and resources

Dallas' Caraway endorses Shami for Texas governor
Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway is backing Farouk Shami, the deep-pocketed underdog Democrat, for governor.

Texas AG may decide dispute with Watkins
On Tuesday, commissioners will vote to request an opinion on who represents them in civil matters – the district attorney or the commissioners.
More on Dallas County commissioners
More on Craig Watkins
Blog: Crime

02/05/2010

Candidate trying to unseat Hall says he's waiting to funnel cash
WASHINGTON – Congressional candidate Jerry Ray Hall boasts of ponying up $500,000 of his own money to defeat longtime incumbent Rep. Ralph Hall in March's Republican primary.

02/04/2010

Former Dallas mayor takes travel break, talks up 'smart trade' in D.C.
WASHINGTON – Sometime before Christmas, Ron Kirk realized he had just circled the globe twice in a month pitching the Obama trade agenda: Singapore, India, China, home for Thanksgiving, back to Singapore, back to China.

02/03/2010

Hodge's guilty plea clears way for challenger Eric Johnson
Because there are no GOP challengers, Dallas lawyer Eric Johnson's elevation to state representative is all but assured.
Plea ends Hodge's political career
Voter Guide: Compare Hodge, Johnson
Editorial: Hodge's departure is qualified good news

Q&A: Fallout from state Rep. Terri Hodge's guilty plea

JIM MAHONEY/DMN

DMN staff writers Jason Trahan and Gromer Jeffers Jr. answer some questions about what Hodge's plea means to the government and to taxpayers, especially those in her district.
Plea ends Hodge's political career
Floyd: Hodge saw writing on the wall
Download: Plea deal | Charges detailed
D'Angelo Lee handcuffed, jailed

Irving blog: Irving Blog: Judge orders single-member elections to begin in May
U.S. District Court Judge Jorge Solis today ordered Irving to begin using a City Council election system that incorporates a mix of single-member districts and at-large seats. The new system, which was the crux of a controversial lawsuit settlement the council agreed to last year, will be used for the May 8 elections.

Guilty plea ends state Rep. Terri Hodge's political career

JIM MAHONEY/DMN

Hodge admitted today to lying on her tax returns in connection with the Dallas City Hall corruption case.
Download: Plea deal | Charges detailed
Blogs: Crime | Politics | City Hall
Hodge's statement
D'Angelo Lee hearing set for today
D'Angelo Lee handcuffed, jailed

Perry calls Hutchison big spender; she says he's too cozy with lobbyists
Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison sparred Tuesday over who can best move Texas forward.

02/02/2010

Dallas County commissioners won't banish constable's drug dog
"We've got bigger things to worry about than a dog," Commissioner John Wiley Price said after casting the deciding vote not to ban it. Price had initially opposed allowing the constable keeping the dog.

Dallas Floodway Extension Project again cut from budget
WASHINGTON – The Dallas Floodway Extension Project, never a favorite of President George W. Bush, can't gain the support of the Obama administration, either.

Obama, Hensarling spar over national debt
WASHINGTON – Last Friday during a riveting, televised question-and-answer session between the president and House Republicans, Dallas Rep. Jeb Hensarling had a testy confrontation with Barack Obama over fiscal policy.

Federal budget briefs: Proposals would cut Hutchison's Texas toll road moratorium, personal-use tax on company cellphones
Hutchison's toll road moratorium faces ax

02/01/2010

JPMorgan Chase donates $3 million to Woodall Rodgers Deck Park
The donation is largest private contribution to the development of the park, and its main lawn will be named the Chase Promenade.

01/31/2010

A runoff will be held for the Plano City Council open seat
Saturday's special election to fill an open seat on the Plano City Council will be decided in a runoff after no candidate received a majority of the votes.

Democratic primary rivals for Texas state House District 100 debate
During a raucous House District 100 debate Saturday, Dallas lawyer Eric Johnson said voters who select incumbent Terri Hodge as the Democratic nominee risk losing their representation for the next legislative session if she's convicted of bribery – but his facts weren't quite right.

01/30/2010

Terri Hodge faces off with primary foe in raucous House debate
State Rep. Terri Hodge, who faces a rare challenge in the March 2 primary, will be tried on federal bribery charges six days after voters go to the polls.

Obama faces House GOP foes head-on at rare meeting
WASHINGTON – With mocking seasoned with a bit of contrition, President Barack Obama spent an extraordinary hour Friday on live TV answering questions from House Republicans in an effort to tone down the rancor.

Rep. Terri Hodge has prominent backers but trails primary opponent in fundraising
In her fight for re-election, state Rep. Terri Hodge is being backed by a network of Texas Democrats whose mission is to protect incumbents, even from members of their own party.

CAMPAIGN MONEY IN HOUSE DISTRICT 100
Tom Dunning $2,500 Notable contributors to Terri Hodge Dallas lawyer DeMetris Sampson and her firm $1,950 Texans for Insurance Reform PAC $5,000 Border Health PAC $5,000 Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee $5,000

01/29/2010

Judge scolds pair about gag order, delays ruling on Hill case
U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn dished out the tongue-lashings Thursday but postponed her ruling on whether former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill and his attorney Ray Jackson were in contempt of court when they sat for an interview days before jury selection in last year's corruption trial.

01/28/2010

Candidates spar over conservative credentials in Collin County judge race
John Muns is trying to unseat Collin County Judge Keith Self in the March 2 Republican primary.

Don Hill back in Dallas court today for corruption case gag order trial
Former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill and his attorney, Ray Jackson, will defend themselves today in federal court against charges that they violated a judge's gag order on the eve of last year's landmark public corruption trial.

For Grand Prairie residents, there's no graceful exit from HOV lane
The family had to travel to East Texas for something and on the way back with four people in the car, someone suggested I use the HOV lane on West Interstate 30 in Dallas.

01/27/2010

2 Irving City Council members continue battle against single-member districts
Irving City Council members Tom Spink and Beth Van Duyne, in a court filing this week, again argued against a proposed single-member City Council election system that a majority of their colleagues support.

01/25/2010

Candidates find short campaign for Plano City Council post a challenge
For voters tired of politics and months-long elections, Plano has just the thing: the four-week campaign.

Crime blog: Jury selection begins anew in Jibreel Rashad's Dallas City Hall corruption trial
The U.S. Supreme Court opinion issued an opinion last week declaring that jury selection should be open, forcing U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn to declare a mistrial after a panel had be set in a sealed selection process.

01/23/2010

'Joe the Plumber' addresses Tea Party rally in Bedford
Joe Wurzelbacher, whose nickname became a buzz phrase in the 2008 presidential campaign, was the main attraction today at a rally organized by the NE Tarrant Tea Party.

01/22/2010

Dallas County DA misused grand jury testimony, profs say
Craig Watkins tried to stop an independent probe into allegations of wrongdoing against constables by using secret testimony in a civil case, an unusual move questioned by some legal scholars.
Blog: Crime
Dallas County Commissioners to hire own lawyer

01/20/2010

Dallas council told to expect another budget shortfall
Early projections show the difference between planned costs and expected revenues for 2010-11 will be at least $49 million and could be as much as $108 million.
Get politics news
Blog: City Hall

Judge tosses suit over Irving ISD's at-large system
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against the Irving school district, ruling Wednesday that the district's at-large system for electing trustees does not violate the Voting Rights Act.

01/19/2010

Dallas council urged to ease ethics rules for taxing district members
Last year, the city of Dallas paved the way for developers and landowners in three specially designated districts to levee taxes and charge fees to raise funds for their projects.

Farmers Branch City Council to revisit alcohol sales ordinance tonight
An ordinance allowing limited sales of alcohol in city parks was approved in November, but the issue reappeared in mid-December for further discussion after several residents launched a petition drive against the ordinance.

01/17/2010

Irving single-member district plan making waves
A U.S. District Court judge has yet to issue the final order creating single-member City Council districts in Irving, but a proposed plan is already creating political waves.

01/16/2010

Rep. Terri Hodge, opponent Eric Johnson clash over education, priorities
State Rep. Terri Hodge said Friday that the protection of personal property rights is a more important issue than working to get kids into college.

01/14/2010

Vice President Joe Biden cancels Friday visit to Dallas to meet with Haitian-Americans, workers
Vice President Joe Biden won’t be coming to Dallas on Friday after all.

Irving blog: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid cancels Irving appearance
Reid's appearance in Irving was expected to have drawn a crowd. Texas Republican leaders had urged their faithful to stand outside the event and voice opposition to proposed health care legislation.

Irving officials told to formally address council members' voting plan complaints
The U.S. District Court judge overseeing Irving's voting rights lawsuit has ordered attorneys for the city and plaintiff Manuel Benavidez to respond to a letter from two dissenting council members.

01/13/2010

Dallas City Hall trial juror says defendant D'Angelo Lee approached her after trial ended
Lee denied doing any thing improper during a hearing Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn.
Blogs: Crime | Dallas City Hall
Get Dallas-Fort Worth crime and courts news
Get more Dallas news

Slater: Recalling key moments from Texas debates past
Sometimes, there are moments in debates — a slip, a mistake, a gaffe — that are remembered long after the election is over.

City Hall blog: Dallas council votes to increase Atmos Energy fee
The increase, from 4 percent to 5 percent, will be passed on to Atmos customers as a 1 percent bump on their gas bills.

Irving City Council to get update today on Texas Stadium implosion
The City Council has already sealed a deal with Kraft Foods for a marketing campaign related to the implosion. The "Cheddar Explosion" will feature an essay contest that will award one lucky kid between the ages of 9 and 12 to push the button on the implosion.

Judge to hear 2 Dallas County commissioners' motion to view constable's seized computer files
Two Dallas County commissioners who supported the seizure of a constable's county computer files as part of an investigation are asking a judge to be allowed to view the files.

Democrats, GOP, Tea Party groups, others plan rallies at Sen. Reid visit in Las Colinas
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's scheduled appearance Friday in Las Colinas could turn North Texas into a public pulpit for some of the nation's most politically divisive issues.

01/12/2010

Perry, Hutchison agree to second gubernatorial debate in Dallas
The hour-long debate between the two major GOP primary candidates will be hosted by Belo Corp. and The Dallas Morning News. It will broadcast on several stations and cable news network TXCN.
Blog: Politics
More politics news

Dallas County commissioners to hire own lawyer
The commissioners say they're frustrated at having to rely on District Attorney Craig Watkins' civil office, when Watkins sometimes takes legal positions contrary to theirs.
Blog: City Hall

01/11/2010

Irving residents upset over mayor's approach to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's visit
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s planned appearance in Las Colinas this week has upset some Irving residents. But their ire has nothing to do with the national dustup Reid faces from his race-related remarks about President Barack Obama.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison addresses concerns, turns focus to gov campaign
She opened her Dallas campaign office Monday by telling supporters that her senate departure would not hurt Texas.
Perry camp attacks voting record
GOP governor candidate stirs Tea Party crowd
Blog: Trail Blazers

01/09/2010

Campaign journal: Texas gubernatorial hopeful Farouk Shami presses on in uphill climb
An underdog in the race for governor, Farouk Shami will go anywhere for votes.

01/08/2010

Irving moves closer to single-member City Council districts
U.S. District Court Judge Jorge Solis had previously ruled that Irving's at-large city council election system violated the federal Voting Rights Act.
Link: Voting Rights Act of 1965
Judge orders single-member districts
Get Irving news and resources

Hall challenger Steve Clark not afraid to spend
WASHINGTON – One of the challengers trying to topple Rockwall Republican Rep. Ralph Hall in the March primary is vowing to match the 86-year-old incumbent dollar for dollar.

01/07/2010

Rockwall County OKs $7 million more for new courthouse
Rockwall County commissioners upped the ante on a new courthouse to $37.2 million.

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