Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday signed into law the Legislature's prized school funding overhaul â but teachers and school staff standing by to celebrate the news said they still don't know what sized raise they should expect from the new law. The law infuses more money into schools and teacher salaries, while lowering school property tax rates. Abbott said the bill funds will lower school property tax bills by an average of 5% in the first year and 10% the second year. The Legislature, however, did not identify a revenue source to fund the property tax cuts beyond two years.
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[Evening roundup](
06/11/2019
By Wayne Carter
Good Evening!
Here is a look at the top headlines of the day.
🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.](
More money from the state will be going to schools after Gov. Greg Abbott signed a school funding bill passed by lawmakers in the Texas Legislature this year. (2018 File Photo/Staff)
EDUCATION
[Gov. Greg Abbott signs school funding bill, but teachers still waiting on pay raise details](
Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday signed into law the Legislature's prized school funding overhaul â but teachers and school staff standing by to celebrate the news said they still don't know what sized raise they should expect from the new law.
The law infuses more money into schools and teacher salaries, while lowering school property tax rates. Abbott said the bill funds will lower school property tax bills by an average of 5% in the first year and 10% the second year. The Legislature, however, did not identify a revenue source to fund the property tax cuts beyond two years.
A sticking point throughout the process was what kind of salary increase teachers would earn. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick threw a curve ball to the Legislature in January when he demanded that teachers get a $5,000 across-the-board pay raise, one that would cost the state $4 billion per biennium, eating up much of the money available for school improvements.
In the end, teachers will get a pay raise, but it will vary widely from district to district [and hinge on how much new money the school district gets from the revamped funding formula.](
Also: The 'Save Chick-fil-A' bill [was signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott](.
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BUSINESS
[Honeymooners 'covered in ... blood' join billion-dollar lawsuit against Southwest, Boeing after deadly 2018 flight](
A couple headed for their honeymoon aboard Southwest Airlines' flight 1380 in which a woman was sucked out of a window last year has joined a billion-dollar lawsuit against the airline and the plane's manufacturer.
An attorney based in Atlanta has filed an amended lawsuit [that includes Tyler and Alexis Albin, who witnessed the April 2018 incident from several seats away]( according to WSB-TV in Atlanta.
Witness accounts paint a gruesome picture of how the cabin depressurization pulled passenger Jennifer Riordan through the window as her fellow passengers attempted to retrieve her and perform life-saving measures.
The attorney who filed the amended complaint in New York last week, Jonathan W. Johnson, described to WSB-TV the trauma the couple went through, including Tyler Albin's attempt to save Riordan's life.
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Economic snapshot: D-FW's housing market is tops in Texas, [but Houston is catching up.](
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NEWS
[Texas 7 inmate says judge who sent him to death row is a bigot, so he deserves a new trial]( inmate condemned to die for his role in the Texas 7 prison escape says the Dallas judge who put him on death row is a bigot and a racist who should have recused himself from the case, according to a federal court filing appealing the man's conviction.
Randy Halprin filed the appeal saying that former state District Judge Vickers "Vic" Cunningham was prejudiced against him because he is Jewish and routinely used derogatory and offensive language about Jewish people, Catholics, African Americans and Hispanics. Halprin said the courts should grant him a new trial.
Halprin's attorneys wrote in the appeal, called a writ of habeas corpus, that [Cunningham regularly spoke the N-word, condemned "the [expletive] Jews" and used other slurs to describe racial minorities](.
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And: [A]( stalker found in Kendall Jenner's pool]( was deported by ICE agents in Texas.
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(Ben Torres/Special Contributor)
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Loretta Stovall, 84, reads to Nahomy Valdez, 5 (left);Â Ty'Jah Ingram, 4; and Chace Bolding, 4 at the Wanda Meshack Smith Head Start Center near Interstate 20 and U.S. 67 in Dallas. Stovall volunteers at the center under the Foster Grandparent Program, established in 1965 as part of the Senior Corps, a national effort to enlist older Americans in programs that help them while helping their communities. In Dallas, [the program pairs low-income senior volunteers with preschoolers, also typically from low-income families, at dozens of locations.](
Enter to win two tickets and a parking pass to see FC Dallas vs Toronto FC at the Toyota Stadium on June 22, 2019. The game starts at 7:00 p.m.!
[Click here to enter to win](
Best in D-FW: Best Tex-Mex Update:
As of this evening, Ojeda's Restaurant is in the lead! Following closely behind is Mia's Tex-Mex Restaurant, Mi Cocina and Tupinamba Cafe.
Vote before it's too late! Click the link below to make sure your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant makes it to the next round. 🌮
[Click here to cast your vote](
EDITORS' PICKS
- Yippee, y'all: Texas has been named [one of the most fun states in America.](
- Real nightmare: A Dallas couple awakened Saturday night to find [a naked intruder in their bedroom threatening to kill them](.
- Public memorial: The public is invited to the funeral Thursday [for fallen Grand Prairie police Officer Albert "A.J." Castaneda.](
FINALLY...
[Did you choose to live in Fort Worth over Dallas? Tell Curious Texas why](
In 2018, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington region was the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the nation, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau data.
But one North Texas city stands out â and it's not Dallas.
Fort Worth was the fastest-growing among the 50 most populous cities â Seattle fell just shy of the top spot -- with a 2.2% increase. Since 2010, Fort Worth grew by an estimated 20% of its population, while Dallas grew 12.3%.
Across the country, bigger cities experienced a slowdown in growth. Frisco, McKinney, and Rowlett were all smaller North Texas cities in the top 10. Many newcomers are passing up Dallas, for instance, for smaller cities.
Which makes us curious. Fort Worth newcomers, [why did you choose to live there over Dallas?](
👋 That's all for this afternoon! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](.
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