Law firm opposing Keller school board election rules offers ‘path' to avoid lawsuit
In a letter to Keller school board president Charles Randklev and trustees, Brewer Storefront, the pro bono community advocacy arm of Brewer, Attorneys and Counselors, issued what it dubbed a path forward for the district to avoid a lawsuit over its proposed district split.
The Dallas-based firm believes Keller's at-large electoral rules and off-cycle election schedule violate part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by denying voters of color an equal voice. The letter, which was shared with the Star-Telegram, outlined Brewer's suggestions for rectifying what it views as voter suppression tactics:
The Keller school board must abandon immediate plans to split the district in half.
The board must pursue a more inclusive voting system. Ostensibly, this means moving from an at-large electoral system to a cumulative system in which voters have multiple votes that can be divided across all open seats or consolidated in support of particular candidates.
The district must move board elections to November during the general voting period. Currently, Keller school district elections are held in May. Some argue the low turnout at off-cycle elections can result in representatives who are not aligned politically with most of their constituents.
Finally, the board must inform voters, 'especially minority voters,' in both English and Spanish about election dates, candidates and procedures.
Board members did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
A Russian missile and drone attack across Ukraine kills 4 in the capital
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Friday killed at least four people and injured 20 others, city mayor Vitali Klitschko said. It was part of a wider overnight assault that became the latest in a series of large-scale attacks targeting regions across Ukraine. Klitschko said search and rescue operations were underway at several locations. Multiple explosions were heard for hours in the capital, Kyiv, where falling debris sparked fires across several districts as air defense systems attempted to intercept incoming targets, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration. 'Our air defense crews are doing everything possible. But we must protect one another — stay safe,' Tkachenko wrote on Telegram, urging people to seek shelter. Fourteen-year-old Kyiv resident Vitalina Vasylchenko sheltered in a parking garage with her 6-year-old sister and their mother after an explosion blew one of their windows off its hinges. 'I heard a buzzing sound, then my dad ran to me and covered me with his hand, then there was a very loud explosion,' she said. 'My whole life flashed before my eyes, I already thought that was it. I started having a panic attack… I'm shocked that I'm alive.' Ukraine's human rights chief, Dmytro Lubinets, called for a strong international response to Russia's latest overnight attack, saying the assault violated basic human rights. 'Russia is acting like a terrorist, systematically targeting civilian infrastructure,' Lubinets wrote on Telegram. 'The world must respond clearly and take concrete steps, including condemning the aggressor's actions.' Authorities reported damage in several districts in Kyiv, and rescue workers were responding at multiple locations. Ukraine's Interior Ministry said three emergency workers were killed in Kyiv while responding to the aftermath of Russian strikes. 'They were working under fire to help people,' the ministry said in a statement. In Solomyanskyi district, a fire broke out on the 11th floor of a 16-story residential building. Emergency services evacuated three people from the apartment, and rescue operations were ongoing. Another fire broke out in a metal warehouse. Tkachenko said the metro tracks between two stations in Kyiv were damaged in the attack, but no fire or injuries occurred. More than 2,000 households in Kyiv's eastern bank remained without electricity Friday following the overnight Russian attack, the Kyiv City Administration said. The attack targeted at least six regions across Ukraine, leaving a trail of civilian injuries, damaged infrastructure and disrupted utilities. The number of people injured in a Russian attack on the western city of Ternopil early Friday rose to 10, including five emergency workers, regional governor Viacheslav Nehoda said. The strike damaged industrial and infrastructure facilities, left parts of the city without electricity, and disrupted water supplies. Three people were injured in Ukraine's central Poltava region following a Russian attack there that damaged administrative buildings, warehouses and a cafe, regional head Volodymyr Kohut said. Fires caused by the strike have been extinguished, and debris also fell on a private home. Russian forces also struck the Khmelnytskyi region overnight, damaging a private residential building, outbuildings, a fence, and several vehicles, regional governor Serhii Tiuryn said. Meanwhile, air defense forces shot down three Russian missiles over the western Lviv region overnight, the regional head Maksym Kozytskyi said. In northern Chernihiv region, a Shahed drone exploded near an apartment building, shattering windows and doors, according to regional military administration chief Dmytro Bryzhynskyi. He added that explosions from ballistic missiles were also recorded on the outskirts of the city. The nighttime attack came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia 'fight for a while' before pulling them apart and pursuing peace, in comments that were a remarkable detour from Trump's often-stated appeals to stop the three-year war. Trump spoke as he met with Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who appealed to him as the 'key person in the world' who could halt the bloodshed by pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia's Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 174 Ukrainian drones over 13 regions early Friday. It added that three Ukrainian Neptune missiles were also shot down over the Black Sea.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Suffers Major Legal Setback In Harvard Fight
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Donald Trump has suffered a major legal setback in his dispute with Harvard University. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued a two-page temporary restraining order ruling that the Trump administration cannot bar international students at the university from entering the U.S. The Boston-based judge ruled that Trump's directive barring foreign nationals from studying at Harvard for six months would cause "immediate and irreparable injury" before the courts could fully review the policy. The ruling followed Trump's move to block foreign students and researchers enrolled at Harvard from entering the U.S., citing national security concerns. Alongside the entry ban, Trump authorized Secretary of State Marco Rubio to begin revoking the visas of international students already studying at the university. Donald Trump speaking in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday. Donald Trump speaking in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday. This is a breaking story. More to follow.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
4 killed in Kyiv after a Russian missile and drone attack across Ukraine, mayor says
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The mayor of Kyiv says 4 people were killed and 20 injured after a Russian attack on the capital. Vitali Klitschko said search and rescue operations were underway at several locations. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine was under an ongoing Russian ballistic missile and drone attack early Friday that wounded at least three people, officials said. Multiple explosions were heard in the capital, Kyiv, where falling debris sparked fires across several districts as air defense systems attempted to intercept incoming targets, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration. Three people were wounded, local officials said. They urged residents to seek shelter. 'Our air defense crews are doing everything possible. But we must protect one another — stay safe,' Tkachenko wrote on Telegram. Authorities reported damage in several districts, and rescue workers were responding at multiple locations. In Solomyanskyi district, a fire broke out on the 11th floor of a 16-story residential building. Emergency services evacuated three people from the apartment, and rescue operations were ongoing. Another fire broke out in a metal warehouse. Tkachenko said the metro tracks between two stations in Kyiv were damaged in the attack, but no fire or injuries occurred. In northern Chernihiv region, a Shahed drone exploded near an apartment building, shattering windows and doors, according to regional military administration chief Dmytro Bryzhynskyi. He added that explosions from ballistic missiles were also recorded on the outskirts of the city. The nighttime attack came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia 'fight for a while' before pulling them apart and pursuing peace, in comments that were a remarkable detour from Trump's often-stated appeals to stop the three-year war. Trump spoke as he met with Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who appealed to him as the 'key person in the world' who could halt the bloodshed by pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin.
