[JTN] Suit alleges city officials acted beyond their legal authority by underfunding the Dallas Police Department.
Dallas city officials have been sued for refusing to comply with Proposition U, a public safety measure Dallas voters approved in the November 2024 election. It mandates increased funding for police and other public safety priorities after a movement was launched in 2021, including by the Austin City Council, to defund police.
That year, Gov. Greg Abbott and the state legislature prioritized several “Back the Blue” bills, which are now law. One law requires municipalities to lose state funding if they defund their police. At the local level, voter-led ballot initiatives sought to add local requirements and penalties for city councils that defunded police. In Austin, one failed after outside money poured in, voters supporting increased funding for police argued, The Center Square reported.
In Dallas, one voter-led initiative passed, which city leaders have failed to implement, Attorney General Ken Paxton argues.
The lawsuit was filed in Dallas County and names the city, its city manager and chief financial officer as defendants. It
The city is required by its charter to account for excess revenue when calculating police funding. In the most recent fiscal year, excess revenue was approximately $220 million, the lawsuit alleges, but the city said it was $61 million. This was due to “an improper calculation that excluded large categories of city revenue without citing any state or federal law restricting their use,” according to the lawsuit. As a result, the city’s budget failed to fund voter-mandated public safety priorities and didn’t meet Proposition U requirements, according to the lawsuit. The city has said it does not comment on ongoing litigation.
Dallas officials also didn’t comply with another Proposition U mandate requiring the city to hire an independent third-party firm to conduct an annual police compensation survey, the lawsuit alleges. Public information requests revealed no survey was conducted, in violation of the city’s charter.
“When voters demand more funding for law enforcement, local officials must immediately comply,” Paxton said. “As members of law enforcement across the country increasingly face attacks from the radical Left, it’s crucial that we fully fund the brave men and women in law enforcement defending law and order in our communities.”
The lawsuit asks the court to require the city to comply with its charter and include all revenue not restricted by state or federal law when calculating excess revenue. It also asks the court to require the city to allocate the funds to police pensions, officer pay, and fund hiring more police officers in compliance with Proposition U.
The lawsuit follows one filed by the Texas Public Policy Foundation over ordinances city leaders failed to repeal after a new law went into effect last year, The Center Square reported. In this case, city officials didn’t repeal or amend 133 ordinances identified as illegal.
The ordinances relate to multiple insurance requirements for transportation network company drivers, ambulances, mobile food units, motor vehicle escorts for hire, street seat permits, special events, streetlight pole banners, valet parking services, shared dockless vehicles, transportation for hire, vehicle tow services, and many others.
“Cities don’t get to pick and choose which state laws they follow,” TPPF senior attorney Matthew Chiarizio said in a statement. “For too long, Dallas has piled unnecessary and duplicative regulations on its citizens. The Legislature has rightly preempted those rules, and this lawsuit is about protecting Texans’ freedom to live and work without being smothered by layers of needless local regulation.”
[NY Post] The fix is in?
The head of California’s High-Speed Rail Authority was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of domestic battery against his spouse.
Ian Choudri, CEO of the state’s agency overseeing the multibillion-dollar boondoggle, was picked up by police in Folsom, northeast of California’s capital Sacramento, on Feb. 4 on suspicion of battery against a spouse.
Cops were called to the 57-year-old’s Folsom home by an outside party, the Los Angeles Times reported.
He was set to appear in court two days after his arrest, but the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office never filed charges in the case, Choudri’s lawyer told The Times, adding that "no further action will be taken."
"The High-Speed Rail Authority is aware of the matter and is reviewing it," a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement. "We have no other comment at this time."
Choudri has been leading the costly and heavily criticized project to bring high-speed rail to California. It has faced repeated delays and funding issues, with more than $15 billion spent and little progress made.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/18/2026 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1786 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#1
China EXECUTES public officials who steal money like he and everyone associated with him does. Xi would be stacking bodies and hundreds of people would have new eyes and kidneys by now.
#2
What does Xi care? For the purpose of a functioning economy China has a serious excess of population, most of it male, some of it old. They stacked and burned unknown myriads of bodies during Covid — we saw the smoke plumes at the time. So why would Xi be concerned that he now has an excuse to permanently rid himself of wannabe competitors? That’s what totalitarian dictatorships do.
[Breitbart] Posturing for the rubes as they surrender to the Islamo-Communist wing of the Democratic Party.
Democratic politicians have found themselves indirectly defending Islam’s 7th-century hatred of man’s best friend, dogs.
Several Democrats have instinctively accused Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) of racism after he reacted to a New York-based Muslim advocate, Nerdeen Kiswani — who said house pet dogs will not be welcome in a non-secular, Islamic New York. as if there's such a thing as non-secular Islam.
“NYC is coming to Islam,” said a February 12 tweet from Kiswani, referring to the November electoral victory of Zohran Mamdani, the Ugandan-born, Indian-origin, immigrant, populist, and Muslim Mayor of New York. She added:
Dogs definitely have a place in society, just not as indoor pets. Like we [Muslims have] said all along, they are unclean [“najis”].
Kiswani responded to many critics: “Lmao at the Zionists frothing at the mouth at this, thinking they’re doing something. It’s obviously a joke I don’t care if you have a dog, I do care if your dog is shitting everywhere and you’re not cleaning it.”
Fine responded three days later, on February 15: “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”
Many Democrats immediately accused Fine of racism and bigotry.
“We must call this what it is. Disgusting bigotry,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) reacted. “Fine must be censured.”
After thousands of users pointed out that Khanna was clearly missing the context of Fine’s post, he tried again: “Taking an alleged comment by one person and attributing it to everyone who shares that person’s faith is the definition of bigotry,” he stated.
Fine mocked Khanna’s wording of “an alleged comment,” as there was no disputing that Kiswani’s statement was publicly posted. “Perhaps you should have read it before spouting off like an idiot,” the Congressman quipped.
Utterly predictable Democratic, Muslim, and some Republican criticisms at the link, but Rep. Fine is sticking to his guns, and rightfully so.
#3
The fact that the (LSD) leadership is all for supporting and promoting a religion with a 1600+ history of death and murder of the very things that their DNC now promotes for their votes. Should stand as a clear warning to all, that the (LSD) leadership is interested only power, $$$$$ and control, NOT their lives.
#12
Re #10, sounds like me favorite cartoon, Swing You Sinners!, that crystal- clear allegory of the rise and fall of Mohammedanism told through the sad tale, replete with flashbacks and foreshadowings, of one gullible young convert.
[LegalInsurrection] Gas has risen 40 cents in California over the last two weeks, averaging $4.58 a gallon.
California already lacks interstate pipelines, leading to a supply shortage. The loss of refineries further reduced the supply.
Both raised prices.
Instead of keeping oil companies and refineries in California, the state chose an expensive route by bringing gas in from…the Bahamas:
California is now importing gasoline on a 4,000+ mile detour through the Bahamas before it reaches Los Angeles.
Let that sink in.
Because of Sacramento’s self-inflicted refinery closures, refusal to expand in-state capacity, hostility to interstate pipelines, and rigid… pic.twitter.com/UVl7vvYVoi
Posted by: NoMoreBS ||
02/18/2026 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1759 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life,
#1
Stupidity.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/18/2026 5:44 Comments ||
Top||
#2
SO WHAT IF...
China, Iran, or Venezuela rebels use a drone to sink a vehicle fuel hauler in the Panama Canal locks? Or there is a ship ramming the locks, like the near miss a few days ago by the OOCL Utah‘s. The Canal locks would be down for weeks/months for cleanup and repairs.
Then where would Southern CA. get about 55% to 60% of of the Vehicle fuel from, or become a vehicle dump of out of fuel vehicles?
Some of us remember back in 1974 during the Arab Oil embargo watching car lines at stations waiting for fuel to arrive. Or person after person standing in line to fill a 5 Gallon gas can after a rare "1203" Semi-tanker refueled a station.
#4
Given the Voter fraud of 2020 and the Foreign $$$$ that funded a lot of it.
The possibility of a Newsom for President in 2028, is not that far-fetched.
Why would the LSD's be fighting Voter ID otherwise?
BTW: GA. 87 Octane is running $2.19 to $2.79 a Gal.
$3.09 Diesel to $3.49 a gal.
Posted by: chris ||
02/18/2026 7:57 Comments ||
Top||
#6
There is no cheaper method of transporting crude oil than through a pipeline. So, I will ask the question; who owns the tankers? Forget the flagging, who actually owns the ships ?
#7
China, Iran, or Venezuela rebels use a drone to sink a vehicle fuel hauler in the Panama Canal locks?
Aren't things bad enough without you giving 'em ideas like that?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/18/2026 12:19 Comments ||
Top||
#8
who actually owns the ships ?
Tanker noted in above tweet is the Silver Moon, Built in China 2023.
Owned by 'SILVER MOON SHIPPING CO LTD' located in Singapore.
Commercially managed by 'Thames Bay Shipping Pte Ltd', also located in Singapore.
(There are a lot of 'Silver Moon' companies in Singapore)
International Safety Management (ISM) by BERNHARD SCHULTE-IND out of Vladivostok.
Both Singapore Companies founded less than three years ago and have very few employees, so probably not someone I'd normally go to for complicated shipping requirements. Probably just shell companies for the Middle Kingdom, anyway.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
02/18/2026 12:35 Comments ||
Top||
#9
"Shell companies for the middle kingdom" and our friend Gavin.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
