The top local stories this morning from KERA News: A state lawmaker from Dallas wants a Confederate plaque near his capitol office removed immediately.
The Dallas Morning News reports the plaque denies the South seceded from the Union over slavery during the Civil War.
House Democrat Eric Johnson yesterday asked the Texas State Preservation Board to remove the plaque. The board oversees Capitol grounds.
Johnson also called on Governor Greg Abbott, along with the Lt. Governor and the House Speaker to discuss other Confederate monuments and statues at the state Capitol.
A statement from Abbott yesterday said removing them “won't erase our nation's past, and it doesn't advance our nation's future.” Abbott also condemned racist violence that followed last weekend's white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The unrest in Charlottesville has reignited the debate on removing Confederate monuments.
Other stories this morning:
- The United States, Mexico and Canada have begun renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The agreement, which took effect in 1994, lowered trade barriers between the three countries. Texas has seen a big benefit - the state exports beef, cotton, corn and sweeteners to Mexico and Canada.
- Our Big Screen team discusses the Spike Lee film, “Do the Right Thing.”
You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.
