By BJ Austin, KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX – Big city mayors from across Texas met today at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington to create a game plan for the next session of the Texas Legislature.
Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck says a big concern is the state's 18 billion dollar budget deficit.
Cluck: We have a tough road coming up with the Legislature next year. They might use us to help solve the budget crisis in Austin, and we think that's unfair.
Mayor Cluck and the others oppose any erosion of current authority of Texas cities to raise and keep revenue, and unfunded mandates - programs required by the state, but not funded.
Cornyn backs off birthright citizenship debate
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is backing off his earlier support of Congress reviewing birthright citizenship.
The Texas Republican said Friday that taking another look at the 14th Amendment amid the national debate over immigration "is going after a symptom rather than the cause in the first place."
Cornyn previously backed calls for a review. He now says the issue would be moot if the federal government would provide stronger border security. Cornyn spoke at a port of entry in Hidalgo along the U.S.-Mexico border.
He appeared with the Texas Border Coalition, which opposes calls to deny citizenship to children of illegal immigrants born in the U.S.
Mansfield-area woman, boy, hurt when dogs attack
Johnson County authorities say a woman saved her 3-year-old nephew by lying on him as pit bulls attacked them outside her house near Mansfield.
Sheriff Bob Alford says the boy was severely hurt in Thursday's attack and was transported to a Fort Worth hospital. The woman was also taken to a hospital. Investigators on Friday declined to release names of the victims or further details on their injuries.
Authorities say the woman and the boy managed to get into her house before rescue personnel arrived. Alford says arriving deputies also were attacked by the dogs, who lived at the woman's residence, and killed one of the animals.
Mansfield is about 15 miles southeast of Fort Worth.