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Top Stories: Senate Committee Advances Two Major Bills; What It's Like To Run ICE

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The top local stories this morning from KERA News:

Two major bills will soon head to the full state Senate.

The state affairs committee yesterday advanced a bill that would end most union payroll deductions for state public employees. The other measure is one of the emergency items the Governor declared for this session - a resolution supporting a convention of states to amend the U.S. Constitution.

Greg Abbott wants to hold a convention to restrain the federal budget, check federal government power and enact term limits for U.S. officials.

The Senate could vote on the resolution as early as next week. 

Other stories this morning:

  • The North Texas Food Bank has launched a campaign to raise $55 million to fight hunger. The group served 70 million meals last year, and wants to push that number to 92 million a year by 2025.
  • Hundreds of students walked out of their classrooms as part of "Day Without Immigrants" demonstrations across Texas yesterday. They were protesting President Trump’s policies on immigration.
  • Immigration roundups across the country last week has brought renewed attention to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. Sarah Saldaña, who ran the agency under the Obama administration, talks about what it was like to be in charge of ICE in our Friday Conversation.

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.