The Brief: Students May Learn How To Act When Stopped by Police

The Big Conversation

Following various high-profile — and often fatal — encounters between police officers and civilians, legislators are exploring having Texas schools teach students how to act when stopped by law enforcement.

The proposal would include updates to the state driver handbook and education curriculum that advises drivers on what to do when stopped by an officer. The directions are as follows: Move to the side of the road, turn off the car, stay inside, follow the officer's instructions, tell passengers not to exit unless told to do so and safely and properly get back onto the road when cleared to by the officer.

According to Texas Municipal Police Association Executive Director Keith Lawrence, escalations between officers and the civilians they serve occur when there’s a misunderstanding between the two parties. Many, including Clay Robison from the Texas State Teachers Association, say the proposed idea is “encouraging.” Robison adds that while many of fatal police shootings involve African-American men, “anybody could be stopped by police on any occasion, and it's always a good idea to know what to do."

As the Tribune’s Johnathan Silver reports, distrust in the state increased following the 2015 death of Sandra Bland, a black woman who was arrested at a traffic stop in Texas then found dead in a Waller County Jail cell a few days later.

Trib Must Reads

East Texas Children Lose Therapy Services in Budget Cut Fallout, by Edgar Walter — Lawmakers wanted the state to pay less for children's therapy services without cutting off access to care, but that balance is proving impossible in some cases.

Supreme Court Won't Rehear Immigration Case, by Julián Aguilar — The Obama administration suffered another setback on Monday in its effort to change the country's immigration laws.

The Day Ahead

•    Tribune CEO Evan Smith talks with state Reps. Four Price and John Smithee, both of Amarillo. The lunch hour event takes place at the Bud Joyner Auditorium, located at the Amarillo College Downtown Campus; it is free and open to the public and will be livestreamed for those who cannot make it in person.

•    The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice will hear testimony on law enforcement efforts to engage community leaders and make recommendations to reduce the number of injuries and deaths to or by law enforcement officers during a morning hearing.

 •    The U.S. vice presidential debate will take place between major-party nominees Tim Kaine and Mike Pence at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, at 8 p.m. CDT. It will be televised on all major networks and C-SPAN. 

Elsewhere

(Links below lead to outside websites; content might be behind paywall)

Man admits he flung profane, violent threats at AG Ken Paxton, Houston Chronicle 

Texas astronaut prepared to cast vote from outer space, The Dallas Morning News

Future for oil and gas workers gets darker, Houston Chronicle 

Cabela’s Agrees to Buyout by Bass Pro in $5.5 Billion Deal, Bloomberg

Attorney General Lynch announces grants for new officers, The Associated Press 

Feds order Texas to comply with special ed laws, Houston Chronicle 

Two more women join Title IX lawsuit against Baylor, say school ignored rape claims, Waco Tribune-Herald

15 million Texans expected to be registered to cast ballots, Austin American-Statesman

Quote to Note

"At the very least, it's a very poor choice of words. PTSD is basically a rewiring of the brain as the result of trauma or prolonged trauma. That is not a reflection of a person's strength, character, stamina — any of that."

— David Maulsby, the executive director of the Texas-based PTSD Foundation of America, to The Associated Press Monday after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump suggested that veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder aren't as "strong" as those who don't

News From Home

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Trib Events for the Calendar

•   The Texas Response To Zika on Oct. 18 at BCBSTX Headquarters in Richardson

•   A Conversation with U.S. Rep Michael McCaul on Oct. 25 at The Austin Club 

•   A Conversation with U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke on Nov. 4 at The Austin Club 

•   A Conversation with state Reps. Andrew Murr and Jason Isaac on Nov. 14 at Schreiner University in Kerrville