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From pot to police, Dallas faces a real charter danger

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From pot to police, Dallas faces a real charter danger


The Dallas City Council’s first pass at proposing charter amendments was a swing and a miss.

From an unnecessary “preamble” that reads as a parody of progressive priorities to big raises and longer terms for council members, residents should be wondering what their City Council is up to.

We hope the July break put some council members in a better mind to actually focus on charter amendments that help the city run more efficiently while delivering excellent service.

Today, the council gets a second chance to do just that. And as much as we would like to encourage them to focus their energy there, we are worried that a more serious problem has taken precedence.

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There are four proposed amendments to the charter that came not from the City Council but from petitions passed around by two interest groups. All of these amendments, if passed and placed in the charter, would represent serious dangers to our city. The council must focus its political efforts now on ensuring these proposals fail.

The first amendment would “legalize” possession of up to 4 ounces of marijuana. If you don’t know how much marijuana 4 ounces is, it means you’re in business. Police Chief Eddie García has strongly warned that passing this referendum would be bad public policy that would make Dallas less safe.

But the pro-legalization group Ground Game Texas is trying to use Dallas’ charter amendment process to score some political points. “Legalize” is a loaded term here. State law trumps city ordinance, and possession is illegal in Texas. But even as a symbol, such an amendment could prove problematic for police trying to do their jobs.

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As worrisome as that is, there are three amendments put forward by the group Dallas HERO that might be worse. These could actually do major damage to the city’s budget and its representative government.

The amendments are complex but would (a) require Dallas to hire 1,000 more police officers by charter, (b) set up the city manager to either double her salary or be fired based on a public survey, and (c) permit residents to sue the city based on failure to comply with its own charter.

If any of those sound reasonable to you, dig into the details.

Dallas already budgets to hire more than 200 cops each year. The problem is actually filling the jobs. There just aren’t enough recruits. And even if there were, there is no way the city could add 1,000 officers immediately without shuttering parks and libraries and letting potholes bloom.

A public survey to either overly reward or outright fire the city manager would be a disaster — so subject to political manipulation that it would leave the city facing ugly annual campaigns over how to fill out the survey.

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Finally, the idea that any resident could sue the city for any perceived failure to comply with the charter would lead to massive legal costs for no purpose at all.

None of these amendments should be part of our city charter. They are each so legally dubious that we hope they wouldn’t survive a challenge.

But even the outside possibility that they might become part of the charter should focus the mind of City Council members and civic leaders against them.

We need a lot of political energy aimed at explaining to voters why these proposals would be a train wreck for the city.

Given that, the council needs to narrow its own focus on proposed charter amendments to the absolutely essential. Because come November, voters need to be fully informed about things that could really hurt Dallas.

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We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com



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Dallas, TX

2026 Dallas Cowboys schedule officially announced

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2026 Dallas Cowboys schedule officially announced


Behold the 2026 Dallas Cowboys schedule.

We knew coming into Thursday that the Cowboys would be on the road to take on the New York Giants in the season opener on Sunday Night Football, that Dallas is “hosting” the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil in Week 3, and that the Philadelphia Eagles would be in town for Thanksgiving Day. Now we know it all.

Among the first things that jump to mind is that bye week is late. Dallas isn’t on bye until Week 14, the Sunday of that week is December 13th for full perspective.

The Cowboys also only play twice in their own building, thanks to the Brazil game, before November. Sometimes those weird quirks show up in schedules and this is certainly one of them.

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It is interesting to see that the NFL gave Dallas the longest amount of rest possible after their Thanksgiving tilt. It hasn’t been uncommon for the league to have the Cowboys play on consecutive Thursdays, but perhaps that is a thing of the past.



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Dallas Approves $180,500 for New Botham Jean Boulevard Street Signs

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Dallas Approves 0,500 for New Botham Jean Boulevard Street Signs


A portion of South Lamar Street was officially renamed Botham Jean Boulevard in 2021.

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On Wednesday, the Dallas City Council approved funding that will replace highway exit signs and road signs marking Lamar Street with new signage honoring Botham Jean, the 26-year-old Dallas accountant who was fatally shot in his own apartment by an off-duty Dallas police officer in 2018. 

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The $180,500 in funding for 13 signs to be installed by the Texas Department of Transportation is the final step in the street renaming that was unanimously approved by the council in 2021. The new signs will be placed at exits along Interstate 45, State Highway 310 and U.S. Highway 175. 

Already, Botham Jean Boulevard signs run along the road in the Cedars, where Jean lived before he was killed. 

“This street on which he chose to live and the street on which he died can serve as a lasting memory of the upstanding resident who loved Dallas so much,” his mother, Allison Jean, told the council in 2021.  

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Jean was shot by Amber Guyger, a Dallas police officer, after she entered his apartment believing it was her own. A Dallas jury found Guyger guilty of murder in 2019 and sentenced her to 10 years in prison. She has also been ordered to pay the Jean family nearly $100 million in a civil trial, which accused her of using excessive force. 

The Jean family is seeking restitution from the city of Dallas because they argue that Dallas, as Guyger’s former employer, had a duty to defend Guyger and pay out claims brought against her. The Jean family filed suit against the city in April of this year.

On Wednesday, city council member Adam Bazaldua stated that the continued remembrance of Jean’s name is a reminder that “no one is above the law.” 

“This has never simply been about changing street signs; it has always been about commemorating a life that was taken too soon,” said Bazaldua. “When driving down Botham Jean Boulevard, we are reminded of the thousands of lives lost across the country each year to senseless gun violence.” 

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Bazaldua said that once city leaders were made aware that some signs from the initial 2021 street name change had not materialized, the horseshoe took steps to correct the oversight “somewhat promptly.” But he acknowledged that Wednesday’s funding came on the heels of community advocacy urging the project’s completion. 

Community leader Yafeuh Balogun said his organization, Community Movement Builders, began asking the city for the updated signs in September 2025. Addressing the council ahead of Wednesday’s vote, Balogun encouraged the horseshoe to vote in favor of the funds because it “would make no sense” to not follow through with the street renaming approved years ago. 

 “I think this is very powerful simply because driving here today, I still saw the Lamar Street Signs,” Balogun said. “I remember how powerful it was back in 2021 when the city council voted to rename Lamar Street to Botham Jean. I’d like to keep that legacy going.” 



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World Cup volunteers receive uniforms, new tickets released

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World Cup volunteers receive uniforms, new tickets released


We’re less than a month out from the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and North Texans volunteering in the event have received their uniforms. FOX 4’s Peyton Yager has more on that and the new hospitality tickets released today.



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