Politics & Government

If passed, a permanent eviction ordinance in Dallas could give tenants up to 20 days to settle late rent with their landlord and stay in their home.

While one recent report suggests that the City of Dallas is putting too much of its money into arresting, prosecuting and jailing its citizens, and not enough on providing what it calls Systems of Community Care, a different, new report says that Dallas is doing well in another area of…

Local author and researcher Edward Sebesta says people with ties to anti-LGBTQ institutions are routinely chosen to give invocation speeches before City Council meetings. It’s unclear who exactly is choosing these speakers, but some say the picks come from the mayor’s office. At least one council member is concerned about the lack of separation between church and state with invocation speeches.

Republican lawmakers in Texas are coming after trans rights this upcoming legislative session, and they’re starting with gender-affirming care for minors and drag shows they want to be labeled as sexual-oriented businesses.

In 2019, then Dallas Fire-Rescue paramedic Brad Cox kicked a mentally ill man named Kyle Vess several times while he was on the ground. A new Dallas Police Department investigation sheds new light on details about the altercation as Vess’ family sues Cox in federal court.

A new report shows that Dallas and Fort Worth are among several large U.S. cities dedicating a disproportionate amount of money to criminal justice and legal systems instead of programs designed to enrich its population and possibly prevent more arrests and incarceration. The Criminalization v. Care Report 2022, authored by…

There were plenty of close contests on the midterm ballot in November, but Proposition A in Dallas wasn’t one of them. Dallas voters overwhelmingly approved the $1.5 billion plan to build a new and expanded Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and to pay for a major refurbishment of the historic…

West Dallas community members are not happy with the owners of a long-standing asphalt shingle manufacturing factory that says it doesn’t plan shut down operations until 2029. Members of the community say they want it gone five years sooner.

On Sunday, Nov. 20, under an afternoon sky streaked with clouds, hundreds of marchers made their way down Lower Greenville Avenue. Large, colorful signs displayed “Women Life Freedom,” #FreeIran, #JusticeForIran and “Stand With Iranian Women.” On the same day, half a world away in the Iranian capital of Tehran, marches…

Rep. Gene Wu, a Democrat in Houston, filed a bill that could spell trouble for Texas poker rooms. But that trouble just depends on what county they’re in.

Several laws on the books in Texas criminalize homosexuality. State Sen. Nathan Johnson from Dallas wants to change that with several bills filed early in the upcoming legislative session.

A surprising voice has entered the debate surrounding legal sports gambling in Texas. Former Gov. Rick Perry released a video on behalf of the Sports Betting Alliance in which he lists what he says are the benefits of mobile sports gambling. “Texas is built on the core principle of individual freedom,”…

In June, short-term rental company Airbnb announced a ban on so-called “party houses.” The Silicon Valley titan stated that the trial ban it placed on bookings for “open-invite” events and other crowd-attracting scenarios at properties hosted on its site in 2020 proved effective enough to turn into a permanent ban…

Texas state Rep. Jared Patterson of Frisco announced last week that he has filed a bill that aims to establish Austin as “the District of Austin,” thereby retiring the roles of Austin’s mayor and city council. The conservative lawmaker, who also is in favor of banning the use of social…

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis has responded to a lawsuit filed in October by six current and former employees claiming he sexually harassed them by treating “many female employees as objects that, without their consent, must gratify his sexual impulses and personal vanity.” In an interview with NBC 5,…

On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for an investigation into last week’s elections in Harris County, citing “widespread problems,” a move Democrats and rights groups have decried as a partisan attack. In a news release, the governor claimed Harris County voters faced “confusion and delays” thanks to “missing keys,…

If you were hoping Texas Gov. Greg Abbott would scale back his controversial border clampdown after winning reelection last Tuesday, you’re out of luck. In a press release Friday, the Republican, who defeated challenger Beto O’Rourke to win a third term in office, boasted that Texas had sent more than…

As people continue to struggle paying rent, Dallas is considering permanent protections against eviction.

When voters around the United States casted their ballots in midterm elections Tuesday, Texas Republicans walked away with a handy victory. Across the country, the election was widely viewed as a referendum on President Joe Biden’s first two years in the Oval Office. In Texas, voters picked the state’s top…

On Wednesday, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson will issue a proclamation declaring Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week for Nov. 12-20. Since 1975, communities and organizations around the country have used National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week to bring awareness to the twin problems affecting so many areas in the U.S. “It…

If you need a ride to the polls on Election Day to vote in the midterms, former South Park writer Toby Morton may be able to help you out. If not, there are other options to get a free or discounted ride so you can place your vote.

Eccentricity is as Texan as a deep-fried Oreo, but this midterm election season has offered a staggering number of ridiculous moments. With voters around the country heading to the ballot box on Tuesday, the Observer looks back on a few of the most absurd moments in the 2022 election season…