Southwest mechanics' contract, Klyde Warren expansion, GOP jabs O'Rourke: Your Monday morning roundup

The proposed five-year accord would give mechanics $160 million in retroactive pay, an immediate 20 percent raise effective April 1, and 3 percent annual increases each August, according to a joint statement from the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association and Southwest.  [Morning roundup]( 03/18/2019 By Wayne Carter Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌞 Weather: Mostly sunny with a high of 67 degrees. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [her]( A Southwest Airlines plane takes off from Dallas Love Field. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News) BUSINESS [Southwest Airlines' new mechanics contract would give immediate 20 percent pay hike]( Southwest Airlines and the union for its mechanics reached an agreement in principle for a new contract late Saturday, amid an exchange of lawsuits and more than six years after beginning negotiations. The proposed five-year accord would give mechanics [$160 million in retroactive pay, an immediate 20 percent raise effective April 1, and 3 percent annual increases each August]( according to a joint statement from the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association and Southwest. The terms are an improvement from a proposal union members rejected in September, but since increased in part because of the added time they had worked without a new contract. The two sides must put the agreement into contract language before it is sent to members for a vote. The accord was reached in the first talks since Southwest sued the union, claiming mechanics were engaging in a work slowdown by grounding planes for repairs not related to flight safety. Commentary: President Donald Trump’s words and policies are affecting legal immigration, too, [and the consequences are evident at U.S. universities]( writes Mitchell Schnurman. Retail: Are malls back? [New York attempts to prove it]( with Neiman Marcus as the draw. ADVERTISEMENT OPINION [We support Klyde Warren Park's expansion but have one serious concern]( From The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board: We understand why certain elements of the plan proposed by Sheila and Jody Grant — the park’s greatest champions and truly its parents — are raising some concern. The Grants want a portion of the $76 million deck park expansion to be devoted to a building that would provide a much-needed revenue source to sustain the park in the years to come. There is no question that the park needs a better long-term revenue source to pay for its maintenance costs. And it seems clear to us that the building will help generate revenue. It’s also fair to give the Grants the benefit of the doubt when they say the current plan is what is both needed and possible. But we have to stop here and say that [we do have a major concern about this project.]( Commentary: Medal of Honor recipient Hiroshi "Hersey" Miyamura [is the embodiment of the hero next door.]( Opinion: Basing your beliefs on one Bible verse or news headline [is like peering at the world through a knothole.]( POLITICS [GOP pastes leprechaun hat on Beto O'Rourke DWI mug shot in St. Patrick's Day 'drink responsibly' message]( In a St. Patrick's Day taunt, the Republican Party invoked the stereotype of drunken Irishmen on Sunday to remind voters about Beto O'Rourke's DWI arrest 20 years ago — [posting a photo of his mug shot with a green leprechaun hat superimposed.]( "On this St. Paddy's Day, a special message from noted Irishman Robert Francis O'Rourke. Please drink responsibly," said the tweet from the official GOP account. Within an hour, more than 8,000 comments had been posted on the tweet, the overwhelming majority of them chiding the party. O'Rourke, a former three-term congressman from El Paso, campaigned Sunday in Madison and Milwaukee, Wis. He jumped into the Democratic nomination contest on Thursday morning and spent the first three days stumping in Iowa. "We cannot meet this challenge with more partisanship, more pettiness, more meanness, more personal and partisan attacks," he told reporters in Wisconsin when asked about the GOP missive. Texas Legislature: Want lower property taxes? [Here's how your bill could change under Texas lawmakers' proposals.]( ADVERTISEMENT EDITORS' PICKS - Sexual assault: A man [raped a woman in a portable toilet in Lake Highlands]( Dallas police say. - Arts: The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra's newly named principal guest conductor [got great playing Saturday night, but little magic.]( - Personal finance: [Should a cat be your next financial adviser?]( Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger (center) leaves the Frank Crowley Courts Building in downtown Dallas with her attorney Robert Rogers after her second court appearance on Jan. 29, 2019. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News) FINALLY... [Here's why Amber Guyger shows up for court even when nothing happens in Botham Jean murder case]( Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger has a court date Monday, but [it's unclear whether she, her attorneys and the prosecutor will even see the judge.]( Guyger is charged with murder in the Sept. 6 shooting death of Botham Jean in his own apartment. She was off duty but still in uniform when she shot Jean once in the chest. Guyger is obligated to [appear at the courthouse]( but it's likely that nothing will happen in the courtroom. That doesn't mean nothing is happening in the case. It just doesn't happen in public. [An announcement setting is scheduled for Monday.]( This isn't a formal hearing before state District Judge Tammy Kemp. But Kemp could still decide she wants to see Guyger, her attorneys Robert Rogers and Toby Shook, and Dallas County prosecutor Jason Hermus in her courtroom. 👋 That's all for this morning! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. Share the love! If you like this newsletter, please forward this email to a friend and [check out our other newsletters here](. Do you have feedback? Send your thoughts, questions, praise and corrections to [newsletters@dallasnews.com](mailto:newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com?subject=). 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