Here you’ll find all the February policy news you need to know. TREC’s policy advisor and lobbyist, Macey Davis, The Davis Advocates, compiled the below list:

Regional News 

‘Let’s stick with what’s made America great,’ says Dallas Fed chief at economic summit
February 24, 2017, The Dallas Morning News
U.S. economic growth is headed for a decline if the nation’s leaders don’t agree on an immigration policy that continues to allow foreign workers into the country, Robert Kaplan, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said Thursday. 

DART pulled into Dallas Police and Fire Pension debate as some target transit agency’s budget
February 23, 2017, The Dallas Morning News by Tristan Hallman
Dallas police and firefighters are now looking to Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s budget to help get their failing pension system back on track. 

HUD combing through City Hall’s files to see how Dallas spent millions of federal dollars
February 23, 2017, The Dallas Morning News by Robert Wilonsky
Federal housing officials have spent most of the week at Dallas City Hall searching for documents that the city’s own auditor has said do not exist 

Seeing double: Phillip Huffines could seek to join twin Don in Texas Senate
February 22, 2017, The Dallas Morning News by Gromer Jeffers
Depending on how you feel about Sen. Don Huffines, next year’s state elections could double your pleasure, or double your pain.

As his corruption trial begins, John Wiley Price’s absence ‘very obvious’ at Dallas County
February 21, 2017, The Dallas Morning News by Naomi Martin
The black leather chair was noticeably empty Tuesday.  For a long time, it’s been the perch from which Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price spices up otherwise dry government meetings. 

Led by D-FW, Texas housing set records in 2016
February 21, 2017, The Dallas Morning News by Steve Brown
Texas home sales hit record levels last year for both prices and the number of properties purchased.

Potential Dallas police and fire pension fix emerging in Texas Legislature
February 20, 2017, The Dallas Morning News by Tristan Hallman
Texas House Pensions Committee Chairman Dan Flynn has the makings of a plan he thinks can save the failing Dallas Police and Fire Pension System without cutting back on benefits members have already earned.

Steady growth has local Republicans sounding the alarm over ‘possible Californization’ of Collin County
February 17, 2017, The Dallas Morning News by Valerie Wigglesworth
Conservatives are still king in Collin County — for now — but a steady influx of new residents from traditionally Democratic states has local Republicans sounding the alarm about a “possible Californization” of the area. 

Incumbents have tough fights ahead as Dallas City Council campaign season officially begins
February 17, 2017, The Dallas Morning News by Tristan Hallman
Come June, the Dallas City Council could have a whole new look that might feature some familiar faces. Or not.

Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne will not seek third term
February 16, 2017, The Dallas Morning News by Gromer Jeffers
Controversial Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne said Thursday that she would not seek a third term. Her announcement comes one day before the filing deadline for May elections.

State News

Abbott grants handful of agencies relief from statewide hiring freeze
February 25, 2017, The Dallas Morning News
Gov. Greg Abbott has granted at least five state agencies a reprieve from a statewide hiring freeze he enacted last month, easing concerns that some of the most vulnerable Texans could go without services in the coming months. 

Texas’ rural roots and urban future are on a high-speed collision course over a bullet train
February 23, 2017, The Texas Tribune by Jill Cowan and Brandon Formby
John Stoneham’s knees don’t work like they used to, and it’s gotten tougher to count the cows roaming his 1,000 acres of land in southeast Texas. 

Global investors warn Texas against ‘bathroom bill’ passage
February 21, 2017, The Houston Chronicle by Ileana Najarro
Global investors with more than $11 trillion in assets sent a letter to Texas’ top elected leaders on Tuesday urging them to reject a proposal restricting which bathrooms transgendered people can use.

Former Houston business leader named new TAB chief
February 21, 2017, The Houston Chronicle by Mike Ward
The former president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership was named Tuesday to head the state’s largest business lobby group.

The battle for 2018 starts now — and in Tarrant County
February 18, 2017, The Star Telegram by Anna Tinsley
Make no mistake, the target is 2018.  Both Republicans and Democrats say the political climate has become so intense that they must look ahead — now — to the mid-term elections two years away.

Here’s how the “bathroom bills” in North Carolina and Texas measure up
February 18, 2017, The Texas Tribune by Alex Samuels
Since Texas Republicans unveiled their so-called “bathroom bill” in early January, supporters have described the bill as similar to a law passed by North Carolina yet different in important ways.

Adam Silver says NBA will monitor state legislation in determining All-Star game locales
February 18, 2017, The Houston Chronicle by Jonathan Feigen
While lauding the work of New Orleans to take on the NBA All-Star game after the league pulled its events from Charlotte because of House Bill 2, which limited anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people in the state, NBA commissioner Adam Silver did not sound eager to take those steps again.

Mayors fear impact of transgender bathroom bill
February 17, 2017, The Austin American Statesman by Chuck Lindell
Arguing that Texas cities are essential to the state’s continued prosperity, a group of mayors on Friday urged the Legislature to avoid enacting laws that could harm their success, including proposals to crack down on transgender-friendly bathroom policies.                                                                                                                 

Greg Abbott blasts NFL for wading into “bathroom bill” debate
February 14, 2017, The Texas Tribune by Patrick Svitek
Gov. Greg Abbott is blasting the NFL for raising the prospect that Texas’ so-called “bathroom bill” could impact future events in the state — wading into a debate he has so far mostly steered clear of. 

Abbott’s pre-K push not reflected in early House, Senate budgets
February 13, 2017, The Houston Chronicle by Andrea Zelinski
Under the pink Capitol dome with hundreds of eyes upon him, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an ultimatum to lawmakers mulling over how much to invest in the next two years on high-quality early education.

Thank you to The Davis Advocates for providing the above list.