The top local stories this morning from KERA News: Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush paid out nearly $1 million in taxpayer money to dozens of people his office fired. The Houston Chronicle reports it was in exchange for the employees promising not to sue Bush or the agency.
A Chronicle analysis found 40 people were kept on the payroll for as long as five months after termination. State employees don’t get severance pay when they’re fired or take a new job.
Officials for the General Land Office didn’t respond to The Chronicle’s requests for comment.
Recent reports show other agency officials have used similar tactics. Members of the state Senate Finance Committee last week promised to tighten up emergency leave rules for state employees.
Other stories this morning:
- The clock’s ticking to save one of the oldest homes in Plano before its planned demolition in September. The city council plans to take up the issue at tonight’s council meeting.
- The CDC says epilepsy affects almost 3 million people in the U.S. alone, but a lot of myths persist about the disorder. We break down fact and fiction in this edition of Vital Signs.
You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.
