Gov. Abbott Isn’t Happy with Dallas County Over Immigration. On Tuesday, Dallas County Commissioners approved a resolution for Dallas to be a welcoming community to immigrants (see Holland’s post yesterday). Now, Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to “bring the hammer down on Dallas County” if any action is taken on the resolution. The commissioners don’t seem too worried though, as the resolution isn’t legally binding, and Sheriff Lupe Valdez cooperates with federal immigration rules at Dallas County Jail. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said that “It’s just politics. People in the Legislature want to show who’s the toughest on immigration and these so-called sanctuary cities.”
The May Bond Election is Officially Dead. Yesterday City Council members officially shut the door on the bond election happening in May. It will likely be in November when voters can have their say on issues, especially streets. Philip Kingston, Scott Griggs, and Mark Clayton were against delaying the election partly because amendments to the Texas Constitution might also be on the November ballot, making the bond trickier to pass.
Organizer of Garland Terrorist Attack Gets 30 Years in Prison. Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem, who helped plot the attack on a cartoon contest of the prophet Muhammad in Garland in May 2015, was sentenced yesterday to 30 years. He had provided guns to two men who opened fire at the Curtis Culwell Center.
Dallas Zoo Welcomes Threatened Tortoises. Fifteen Home’s hinge-back tortoises that were smuggled into the U.S. and confiscated in Miami are now being cared for at the Dallas Zoo. There were originally 35 tortoises, but because of poor health, only 15 are at the zoo. But these 15 will be entered in the Species Survival Plan; there are only 61 of this kind of tortoise in U.S. zoos. The Dallas Zoo tortoises are now healthier and free of parasites. Way to go, little guys.
