City News Roundup

Dallas news wrap-up includes early voting and sketchy doings at Dallas ISD

Houston Harris County voters voting booth

Early voting begins on February 18.

Photo courtesy of ABC13

Dallas city and politics news highlights include a Dallas ISD scandal, and a transportation survey citizens can take. Also a reminder that there's an election coming up and early voting starts next week.

Here's what happened in Dallas news this week:

Dallas ISD auditor resigns
‪An auditor who made public possibly millions of dollars being wasted by Dallas ISD has resigned. Chief Internal Auditor Steve Martin uncovered more than $330,000 in overspending and dicey contract practices, and then discovered that his performance was being reviewed, which could have led to his getting fired. "As a federal investigator for 24 years, I understand when a case against a defendant is airtight, defense attorneys investigate the investigator," Martin said. "I feel this is happening now."

The audit found a potential $1.27 million in fraud, but rather than addressing it, DISD is calling for an outside auditor to audit the audit.

Martin said he believed the DISD administration is trying to cover up their violations. In an email to Nancy Rodriguez, who is running for Dallas school board trustee, Martin said that the total loss to the District could be over $67 million.

Dallas ISD is asking taxpayers for a bond of up to $3.7 billion, which would be the largest bond request in history. Voters can vote on that and more on Election Day which is March 3, 2020.

Connect Dallas survey
Dallas is undertaking its first strategic plan to develop a proper transportation system - one that supports housing, economic, equity, and sustainability goals, and that considers all forms of transportation including biking, walking, transit, automobiles, freight, bike-share, Lyft, Uber, and e-scooters.

Over the next year, the Dallas Department of Transportation will lay out a 5-year plan that includes modernizing city policies to align with today's mobility options, and identifying projects that provide the greatest opportunity for community benefit.

They've created a jazzy high-tech online survey where you can add your 2 cents on what issues are most important.

American Muslims give thanks
Dallas-Fort Worth Muslims will join a national movement to express gratitude to America. February 15 marks the 100-year anniversary of the formation of the oldest Muslim organization and movement in the U.S.

In North Texas, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has two chapters: Dallas and Fort Worth. Dallas Muslims will hold a canned food drive at Baitul Ikram Mosque in Allen, to collect and donate 10,000 meals to North Texas Food Bank; Fort Worth Muslims will volunteer at Mission Arlington.

Early voting
March 3 is SuperTuesday, when Texans will be able to vote for in the Presidential election, as well as a number of other offices and propositions. Early voting begins on February 18 and takes place at this list of locations.

More than a dozen candidates are running for U.S. Senator against John Cornyn. There are six House of Representative seats up for election; 14 seats for Texas House of Representatives; numerous judge and justice slots; and precinct chairs. Propositions include climate, housing, and public education.

A sample ballot for the Democratic party is here.

A sample ballot for the Republican party is here.

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Texas shocks as America's No. 3 least safe state in 2026 report

Photo by Hiroshi Kimura on Unsplash

Texas ranks as the 48th "safest" state — out of 50.

While no state is invulnerable, some do more to protect their residents than others. And a new study has declared Texas one of the five least safe states in America.

WalletHub's "Safest States in America (2026)" report examined all 50 states for their emergency preparedness and for residents' personal and residential, financial, workplace, and road safety. Factors that weighed into the rankings include specific crime rates per capita, the share of the population that is uninsured, road quality ratings, workplace injury statistics, and more.

Texas ranked at the bottom of the list as the 48th "safest" state — or the third least safe state. It's joined by several other Southern states, like Mississippi (No. 50), Louisiana (No. 49), Florida (No. 47), and Arkansas (No. 46).

According to WalletHub, Texas specifically ranks third to last in the nationwide "emergency preparedness" category, which was determined based on the prevalence of climate disasters causing $1 billion or more in damages from 1980-2024, and the loss amount resulting from those disasters.

The Lone Star State also ranked 40th (or 10th worst) across three safety categories: personal and residential safety, financial safety, and road safety. The report additionally found that Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents nationally.

Texas' "workplace safety" was the state's highest-ranking category, landing 30th nationally.

Additional rankings that determined Texas' overall safety include:

No. 30 – Assaults per capita
No. 32 – Fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 full-time workers
No. 32 – Sex offenders per capita
No. 35 – Murders and non-negligent manslaughters per capita
No. 36 – Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel
No. 41 – Loss amounts from climate disasters per capita

According to the report, the five safest states in America are all located in the Northeast. Vermont leads as the country's safest state in 2026, followed by Massachusetts (No. 2), Maine (No. 3), New Hampshire (No. 4), and Connecticut (No. 5).

Though every state has varying levels of safety, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo asserted that the safest places in the U.S. categorically invest in protecting their residents. Top-ranking states have low crime rates and diligently maintain their road infrastructure, and other states that prioritize their residents' safety have "strong economies and job markets that prevent people from falling into dangerous financial situations."

"[The safest states in America] have high levels of occupational safety and disaster preparedness, too," Lupo said. "In addition, states are made safer by efforts that individual residents take, such as forming a neighborhood watch or working in firefighting and EMT jobs at high rates."

safety texas wallethub reports