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Top Stories: Lt. Gov. Patrick To Preview Special Session; Asian Film Festival Of Dallas

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The top local stories this morning from KERA News:

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will hold a press conference this morning on the upcoming special legislative session.

In just a few days, lawmakers will return to Austin to tackle 20 items on Gov. Greg Abbott's agenda.

Among them is a proposed $1,000 pay increase for Texas teachers. Other education-related items on the governor's special session agenda include giving administrators more flexibility in hiring and keeping teachers, school finance reform and private school vouchers for special needs students.

Abbott says lawmakers can address teacher raises and those other priorities only after they extend operations of the Texas Medical Board and other state agencies that are set to expire.

Other stories this morning:

  • Almost 40 percent of homes sold in North Texas last year did not go to owners. Instead, they went to house flippers, investors, developers, and builders.
  • If billionaire Warren Buffett’s bid on Dallas-based Oncor is approved, it would be one of the many investments Berkshire Hathaway has in Texas.
  • The Asian Film Festival of Dallas begins its week-long run tonight. 70 films are on the schedule - that's the most the festival's ever had.

You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM. 

Former KERA staffer Krystina Martinez was an assistant producer. She produced local content for Morning Edition and KERANews.org. She also produced The Friday Conversation, a weekly series of conversations with North Texas newsmakers. Krystina was also the backup newscaster for the Texas Standard.