Lawmakers in more than a dozen states have proposed legislation to allow spiritual chaplains in public schools.

The former Democratic state lawmaker announced he was switching party affiliations last year — prompting the recall by community activist Davante Peters.

Johnson, formerly a Democrat, joined the Republican Party last year.

Though the mayor’s position in Dallas is technically nonpartisan, Johnson joins Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker as one of two Republican mayors to lead a major Texas city.

The three big-city mayors faced little opposition in their reelection bids.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker face little opposition in their reelection bids. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson doesn’t have any challengers.

The declaration covers 23 counties across the state and comes after some saw more than 10 inches of rainfall Monday.

Gov. Greg Abbott held a news conference Tuesday morning in Dallas to provide an update on the state’s emergency response to the severe weather and flash flooding across Texas.

Dallas’ police chief says a shooting that injured three women in a hair salon in the city’s Koreatown might have been a hate crime.

Their Texas swing is part of a larger effort by senior administration officials who are fanning out across the country this week to encourage vaccinations ahead of the administration’s self-imposed goal of hitting a 70% countrywide vaccination rate by July 4.

NHL games scheduled for Monday and Tuesday between the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators had already been scrapped. The shuffling of pro events came amid adjustments for several men's and women's college basketball games in Texas because of frigid temperatures and icy conditions for traveling. 12 Texas men's visit to ninth-ranked Oklahoma has been moved back a day to Thursday after originally getting bumped from Tuesday to Wednesday because of the weather. Two other women’s games scheduled for Wednesday had also been called off: Texas at TCU and Texas Tech at Oklahoma. The American Athletic Conference men's game between Tulane and SMU in Dallas scheduled for Wednesday was postponed, with no makeup date announced.

But why downtown Houston empty office buildings lit up like nothing is happening? “... why millions are without power but downtown is lit up like a Christmas tree.......” William Tischina posted on KPRC 2 Facebook page. “Why is downtown lit up when people are told to conserve power… Unacceptable!” said another KPRC 2 viewer. KPRC 2 was able to grab a photo of downtown Houston:Downtown Houston lit up during major power outage due to winter storm on Feb 15, 2021. I love our skyline at night, but we all need to do our parts to conserve energy.

A lone vehicle drives on Victory Ave. in front of American Airlines Center which was to host the Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 15, 2021, in Dallas. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson requested that the teams not play Monday due to a shortage of electricity in the region. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)DALLAS – The Dallas Stars postponed their home game Monday night against the Nashville Predators after a request from city officials not to play because of the impact extreme winter weather had on the area. The NHL didn't announce the postponement until just more than a half-hour before the scheduled start of the game. “I don’t know the status of that grid, but frankly, the Stars game is not critical infrastructure,” Hallman told the DMN.

Greg Abbott is again sending Texas state police into Dallas as the city experiences a spike in shootings. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said the swell of violent crime required an “all-hands-on-deck response.”On Wednesday, Abbott stepped in. Community members complained of DPS troopers over-policing in poorer neighborhoods with mostly residents of color, questioning people about their immigration status and stopping people without valid reasons. In efforts across the country to cut police funding, academics have argued public safety would be better served by investing money into other social programs. “Increased police in communities doesn’t create public safety,” Alan Dettlaff, dean of the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work, told the Tribune in June.

The Texas Army National Guard said Monday that up to 1,000 troops could be dispatched to cities across Texas ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Brandon Jones, a spokesperson for the Guard, said the deployment is not related to the election and troops would not be stationed at polling places. The newspaper reported that Guard members could arrive as soon as this weekend. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has not been contacted by either Abbott or the Guard about the deployment, spokesperson Mary Benton told The Texas Tribune on Tuesday. Separately, the FBI’s field office in Dallas warned that far-right extremists could pose a violent threat in North Texas around the election.

Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas TribuneThe mayors of Texas' most populous cities described painful budget cuts with shortfalls of tens of millions of dollars stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. But they said they're worried that future budgets could be just as difficult to balance for years to come. The temporary closure of businesses and high levels of unemployment due to the pandemic have caused sales tax revenues which make up a significant portion of cities' budgets to plummet. Turner said the city took a hit of about $162 million but was able to avoid furloughing or permanently letting go of its employees. We suspended about $200 million worth of expenses in the middle of the fiscal year that we knew would help with the fund balance moving forward, he said.

The budget calamity looming over local governments is real and it requires extraordinary measures, said a letter signed by 97 Texas mayors and directed to members of Congress. We therefore fear that state and local revenue is going to take time to rebound. But unlike the CARES Act, the proposal hasnt received bipartisan support and has stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate, according to The Washington Post. Overall, COVID-19 expenditures are vastly outpaced by the citys revenue losses, Williams said. The citys population is just under 400,000 not reaching the 500,000 threshold required to receive direct funding from the CARES Act and instead receiving funds funneled from the state.

Jessica Simpson is celebrating her wedding anniversary with a massive gift from her husband! The 39-year-old fashion designer took to Instagram on Sunday to wish Eric Johnson a happy sixth wedding anniversary and show off what he gifted her in honor of the occasion. In the sweet pic, Simpson and Johnson, 40, are all smiles as they hold up the giant, purple crystal butterfly that he gave her. "Eric Johnson, my Husband, I love you. RELATED CONTENT:Jessica Simpson Posts Cheeky Bikini Photo Ahead of 40th BirthdayInside Jessica Simpson's Quarantine Diet and Workout RegimenJessica Simpson Celebrates 10th Anniversary With 'Perfect' Husband Eric Johnson

The Houston City Council increased its police budget Wednesday from $945 million last year to $964 million for the upcoming fiscal year. But in Dallas, 10 of 15 City Council members sent City Manager T.C. The Austin City Council plans to vote Thursday on decreasing the police department's funding, among other reforms. Theres plenty of fat in the city budget other than just the police department," he said. Council members Adam McGough, Cara Mendelsohn, Jennifer Gates and David Blewett did not, according to the city manager's office.

The 10 council members, which did not include Mayor Eric Johnson, sent City Manager T.C. On Thursday, the Austin City Council plans to vote on proposals that would decrease their police department's funding, among other reforms. There's plenty of fat in the city budget other than just the Police Department," he said. Council members Adam McGough, Cara Mendelsohn, Jennifer Gates and David Blewett did not, according to the city manager's office. Do we want to keep libraries and the rec center open longer hours, or buy more paramilitary equipment for police officers? Kleinman said.

Shelby Tauber for The Texas TribuneDallas Mayor Eric Johnson blamed outsiders Tuesday for sparking violence among peaceful protests in Dallas over the past five days in response to the death of George Floyd. She said shes from Pleasant Grove a suburb just 10 miles from the downtown area but the officers claimed she wasnt from Dallas, Lpez Estrada said. No, Im from Dallas, Lpez Estrada said she responded. Lpez Estrada said Abbotts and Johnsons comments felt drafted and that the public officials are focusing on the wrong narrative. They keep talking about the looting, but they dont talk about the protest, Lpez Estrada said.

Dallas Police Chief Reneé Hall said Sunday afternoon that a curfew will go into effect in the city at 7 p.m. and end at 6 a.m. “for the next several days,” according to The Dallas Morning News. We will not tolerate any more damage to our city,” Hall said during a news conference. The curfew will encompass Dallas neighborhoods including Deep Ellum, The Cedars, the central business district, Victory Park and Uptown. Hall told Dallas residents that they would not be able to access these areas during the curfew. Earlier in the day, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson told WFAA-TV he was considering implementing a curfew.

Police officers on horseback are among a crowd gathered to protest protest the deaths of George Floyd and Mike Ramos, in Austin on May 30, 2020. Some protesters damaged properties, took from businesses and vandalized cars, according to the Dallas Morning News, while many other protesters demonstrated peacefully. On Saturday, Mayor Eric Johnson and Police Chief U. Renee Hall said the violence would not be tolerated. But we also unfortunately saw some reckless behavior from a small group of people whose agendas had nothing to do with human rights or civil rights, Johnson said, according to the Dallas Morning News. They chose to destroy things at a time when we should be building each other up, and we just cant allow that.

(CNN) -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the state will begin to reopen Friday from the coronavirus pandemic, but a Texas judge told CNN he hopes residents will not take him up on it. "Just because something can be open doesn't mean it should be open," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins told CNN's Erin Burnett on "Burnett Outfront." "We will open in a way that uses safe standards -- safe standards for businesses, for their employees as well as for their customers. "What we know is that when you look at other science-based plans, movie theaters are not one of the first things that open," Jenkins said.