The top local stories this morning from KERA News:
After 16 hours of testimony, a controversial bill aimed at so-called “sanctuary cities” has made it out of committee and will go to the full State Senate next week.
The Senate State Affairs committee voted 7-to-2 early this morning for Senate Bill 4. It would punish local government entities and college campuses that don't hand over immigrants already in custody for possible deportation.
Proponents say it’s about the rule of law and guaranteeing the safety of Texans. Opponents say local jurisdictions don't have the resources to handle what's a federal responsibility. They also say immigrant communities wouldn't cooperate with law enforcement for fear of deportation.
Fort Worth officer Daniel Segura told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram he had been hearing from scared residents, so he tried to calm some of those fears in a Spanish-language video he posted this week on Facebook. That, in turn, brought separate statements from Mayor Betsy Price and the Police Department. They said Segura wasn’t speaking for them or the city and that Fort Worth is “not a sanctuary city.”
Other stories this morning:
- Houston’s preparing for a mass pilgrimage for Sunday’s Super Bowl game. 100,000 football fans a day are expected for pre-game events downtown. Meanwhile, airport officials are preparing for a mad rush the day after the Super Bowl.
- In our Friday Conversation, we’ll hear from a surgeon who’s fixed up some past Super Bowl winners. Dr. James Andrews rebuilt the shoulder of former Cowboys player Troy Aikman. He’s also worked on other pro sports stars like Tiger Woods and Yu Darvish.
You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.
