Five stories that have North Texas talking: Texas officials figuring out what public voter data to send Trump; discover the art of fireworks displays from a local designer; remembering July 7; and more.
Texas is going to comply with the Trump administration’s request for a wide range of data on individual voters in all 50 states, and that has some Texans concerned.
Statewide officials are seeking to reassure Texas voters that their private information will not be sent to the federal government. Gov. Greg Abbott over the weekend tweeted a story from The Hill that said more than half of states are refusing to provide voter data requested by the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.
Texas is keeping private your private information: Most states refuse to provide voter data to election panel. https://t.co/IeCzF6mye9
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 1, 2017
As KUT’s Nathan Bernier reports, “the commission was created in part to investigate President Trump’s unfounded claim that 3 million to 5 million people voted illegally in the November election." But, according to NPR, the commission has no authority to force states to comply with the request.
Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos said his agency would treat the situation like any other public information request, and would only hand over information that’s considered public under Texas law, the Texas Tribune reports. Government attorneys are deciding now what that would be and how much should be redacted. [KUT, The Texas Tribune, NPR]
- One year ago, a peaceful protest in downtown Dallas was winding down when a gunman opened fire. Here’s a list of several community events to remember July 7. [KERA News]
- Oklahoma’s 2016 Teacher of the Year is moving to Texas for better pay. Shawn Sheehan is one of thousands of Oklahoma teachers over the years who’ve relocated. [NPR]
- North Texan Randy Beckham has been lighting the night sky for 38 years. This Fourth of July is his last in the industry. Learn more about the art behind his craft. [Art&Seek]
- Interbang Books had its soft opening on Saturday. Dallas’ new independent bookstore is located at the corner of Preston Road and Royal Lane. [KERA News]
The High Five is KERA’s daily roundup of stories from Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state.Explore our archives here. And sign up for our weekly email for the North Texas news you need to know.
