The top local stories this morning from KERA News:
A challenge of an abortion-related restriction in Texas returns to court on Monday in Austin. The law requires burial or cremation of fetal remains instead of incinerating and depositing in a landfill.
The Austin American-Statesman reports the state hasn't enforced the law, but pre-trial filings show abortion providers will argue the law puts clinics in danger of being forced to close because there's only one known business willing to pick up, prepare and properly dispose of fetal remains.
They say losing that vendor could make it impossible to comply with the law’s demands. Lawyers for the state will argue the law promotes respect for human life and the dignified treatment of fetal remains.
A federal judge in early 2017 temporarily blocked Texas from enforcing a similar fetal burial rule. The state appealed, but the case became moot a few months later when the Legislature replaced the regulation with a similar state law and a new round of legal challenges.
Other stories this morning:
- Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams doesn't think having term limits for public officials would be good for business. The mayor told WFAA's Inside Texas Politics not having term limits is appealing to businesses. A group of residents recently submitted signatures on a petition to limit city council members and the mayor to three two-year terms. If enough signatures are verified, the issue would be on the November ballot.
- A 38-year-old man authorities describe as a former leader of the Zetas drug cartel in Mexico is scheduled for a federal court trial starting Monday in Waco on charges of conspiracy to traffic drugs inland through South Texas, conspiracy to possess firearms and laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds. Juan Francisco Treviño Chavez Jr. is charged with seven counts.
- You don’t have to totally avoid junk foods to maintain long-term health. Melissa Mendez, a registered dietitian with Parkland Hospital, tells KERA’s Sam Baker it’s more a case of learning the right ways to manage junk food.
You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.
