By Staff Reports
Dallas, TX – Mesquite Officer Arrested In FBI Sting
The head of the Mesquite Police Narcotics unit is under arrest, charged with stealing money during a vehicle search.
42 year old Sgt. John McAllister was arrested Thursday after an FBI sting.
Investigators say they got a tip in December that McAllister was stealing cash he found during the execution of search warrants. This week, agents set up a "sting" with marked bills and video cameras.
In a video, Sgt. McAllister is seen stashing a bundle of cash in his pants as he searched the car of a suspect who was actually an undercover officer.
Federal agents say he later spent part of the two thousand dollars in marked bills at Town East Mall.
If convicted, he could get ten years in prison.
Comptroller Says Budget Cuts Won't Fill Shortfall
The Texas comptroller says lawmakers cannot "cut" their way out of budget shortfalls. Susan Combs told the House Appropriations Committee that the state's current two-year budget has a four billion dollar shortfall. The next budget is 27 billion dollars short.
Combs says cuts and deferred payments won't be nearly enough to fill a four billion dollar gap, much less "next" budget's shortfall. She also says lawmakers could tap the Rainy Day Fund.
The Governor opposes using the multi-billion dollar Rainy Day fund. But House Budget Chairman Jim Pitts says the votes are there to do it.
Gambling Bill Introduced With Eye Toward Budget
Gambling is emerging as a possible budget-balancing act in Austin.
Senator Juan Hinojosa has filed legislation that would legalize video lottery games, a form of slot machine.The bill would allow the video lottery terminals in race tracks and Indian reservations.
Hinojsa says Texans spend millions on gambling in other states, so why not keep some of that money at home. He also says the legalized video lottery games would create 77 thousand new jobs in 40 different industry sectors.
Similar measures have consistently failed in previous legislative sessions.