The State of Texas: Prosecutor won't reopen Sandra Bland case, despite new video

What Texas is talking about today No Images? [Click here]( [University of Houston: Learn More!]( [Texas Monthly]( May 9, 2019 QUOTE OF THE DAY "Open up the case. Period. We know they have an extremely, extremely good cover-up system. " —Sandra Bland’s sister Shante Needham following the release of [previously unseen footage Bland filmed during her traffic stop in 2015.](The video, released by Dallas TV station WFAA, showed the heated encounter between Bland and the white state trooper that pulled her over. Following its release, Bland’s family has demanded that her case be reopened, because they believe it contradicts claims made by the officer, though it’s unlikely that an investigation will occur. THE LATEST [Why the Sales Tax Swap Died a Slow and Painful Death ]( CHRISTOPHER HOOKS Here died Greg Abbott’s burden-shifting plan, orphaned and alone. [Read more.]( QUIZ 1. Texas designer ___________ was the creative mastermind behind [Lady Gaga's Met Gala dresses.]( 2. In a debate about which musicians to include on the "Mount Rushmore of Texas music," this [Lubbock native whose band inspired The Beatles]( was a popular suggestion: ___________. 3. In 1962, Houston welcomed [the country's inaugural group of astronauts]( in true Texas fashion with ___________ pounds of beef and pork ribs, 1,500 chickens, and 150 pounds of beans. 4. A native of [this Texas city]( helped stop the San Diego synagogue shooting late last month: ___________. 5. There are [466,000 miles of oil and gas pipelines across Texas,]( but the ___________ pipeline, which would be routed through the largely untouched Hill Country, is raising concerns from landowners. Look here every Thursday for our weekly news quiz—and check back on Friday for the answers! OUR TOP STORIES [San Antonio–Based Poet Naomi Shihab Nye Named Young People’s Poet Laureate]( The Palestinian-American author is the first Arab-American to receive the Poetry Foundation award. [Read more.]( [Rhett Miller: “I Was Terrified I Wouldn’t Be Creative Without Booze” ]( On this week’s National Podcast of Texas, the Old 97’s frontman discusses his new book of poetry for children, the creative benefits of sobriety, and the song he’s dying to have Willie Nelson sing. [Listen here.]( [On Texas Time: Ty Haney, Founder and CEO of Outdoor Voices ]( The 30-year-old businesswoman talks motivation, her daily routine, and why it’s important for her fitnesswear to be inclusive. [Read more.]( THE STATE OF TEXAS Sandra Bland case won’t be reopened A special prosecutor on the Sandra Bland case has [no plans to reopen the criminal or civil cases surrounding her death](following the release of a never-before-seen video of her 2015 arrest. The only footage released prior to this were recorded by a bystander and by the state trooper’s dash cam. The video reignited the debate over whether the state trooper involved feared for his safety, as he originally claimed. In the short video, [he takes out a taser and yells at Bland, “I will light you up.”]( In 2016, Bland’s family reached a $1.9 million wrongful death settlement, but a criminal charge against state trooper Brian Encinia was dropped after he agreed to not work in law enforcement again. Now the family’s former attorney is arguing that the new footage undermines his case and should have been seen by a jury. RIP to Abbott’s sales tax swap Property tax relief has dominated this legislative session, but a proposal that would provide property tax relief by raising the state sales tax is now dead in the water. The high-profile proposal—which had the support of Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen—[would have tied Texas with California as the state with the highest sales tax, and disproportionately affected the state’s low-income families.]( Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle took issue with the bill, as it would really only benefit families with incomes higher than $100,000—above average for most Texas districts. With a final word from Representative Dan Huberty, the proposal was postponed until 2021, shelving the issue until the next session. Holy fungus, Batman! A bat-killing fungus has spread across the state to 21 Texas counties and [could spell danger for the 33 bat species that call the state home.](The fungus causes “white nose syndrome,” which awakens bats from hibernation and causes them to burn through their fat stores prematurely. The number of Texas counties affected has doubled since it was first detected in 2017, and the disease has previously decimated bat populations on the East Coast. Because the state’s famous population of Mexican free-tailed bats don’t hibernate, scientists say they’ll likely be unscathed by the fungus, but they do fear the migrating bats could spread it further south. THE CULTURE [Grupo Fantasma on Their Latest Album and Being Pigeonholed As “Latin Music” ]( KATY VINE The Grammy-winning jazz-funk-rockers are back with American Music: Vol. VII, their first album in five years. [Read more.]( [Good Newscast: Listen Now!]( [G]([ood Newscast]( Have you had a chance to listen to Good Newscast yet? It's a podcast about stories that will bring a smile to your face, brought to you by the Texas Optimism Project and Frost Bank. Hosts Arely, Owen, and Andrew are on a mission to find optimism in the world through the power of perspective. [Read more]( MORE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [The Mount Rushmore of Texas Music Beats All Comers ]( DAN SOLOMON [Brandon Maxwell on ‘Project Runway,’ Texas Women, and First Ladies ]( LAUREN SMITH FORD [Barbie, Boas, and Bubblegum Pink: Texas Celebs Camp It Up at the Met Gala ]( CAT CARDENAS [Subscribe to Texas Monthly and save!]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Texas Monthly PO Box 1569 Austin, TX 78767 Texas Monthly has sent you this alert because you signed up to receive it either online at texasmonthly.com, at the website of one of our business partners, or when you filled out a reader response card. You may opt-out from Texas Monthly newsletters at any time. Please see our Privacy Policy. If you would like to manage which Texas Monthly Editorial newsletters you are receiving, click Preferences, below. To unsubscribe from our Editorial newsletters, click Unsubscribe. [Like]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](