Katie Serrano
Katie Serrano is the DFW Political Correspondent for COURIER Texas. She has lived in Texas for 20 years and received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from the University of Arkansas in Editorial Journalism and News Narrative Writing.
She is passionate about making local journalism accessible and engaging young audiences. Since joining COURIER Texas, she has covered education in North Texas, housing affordability, women’s issues, local politics, and more. She previously worked in editing, content management, newsletter production, social media marketing and data reporting.
Texas lawmakers targeted school and public libraries this legislative session. Here’s what happened
| June 3, 2025
book ban | books | DFW | EDUCATION | libraries | library | school | state legislature | talarico | TEXAS
Right-wing Texas lawmakers targeted books in public schools and access to public libraries during the legislative session.
Texas Consumers Will Bear the Brunt of Trump Tariffs, Survey Says
| May 28, 2025
The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas surveyed Texas business owners, measuring how the Trump administration’s chaotic back-and-forth tariffs — a tax on imported goods — has impacted their business.
Some 60% of respondents said that tariffs have negatively impacted their business, while 55% plan on passing the cost of tariffs onto their customers.
What to know about June 7 runoff elections in North Texas
| May 28, 2025
DALLAS | dallas county | DFW | DFW Lead Story | FORT WORTH | local election | runoff | Tarrant County | voting
Several municipal races from the May 3 election are headed to runoffs, including city council members in Dallas and Tarrant county, and the mayor in Garland.
Denton repeals weed decriminalization mandate after legal battle with Ken Paxton
| May 27, 2025
cannabis | DALLAS | denton | DFW | DFW Lead Story | ken paxton | marijuana | North Texas | paxton | weed
The Denton city council voted 4-3 on May 20 to repeal Proposition B, which prevents arrests and citations for up to four ounces of weed possession.
Texas Graded Its Public Schools. How Did Yours Fare?
| May 20, 2025
Texas public school ratings — which grade how well districts and campuses educate their students and prepare them for the future — were made public for the first time in two years.
Results across the state have dropped after the Texas Education Agency implemented stricter scoring standards, and one North Texas school district is at risk of being taken over by the state after five consecutive years of receiving an F ranking.
Voter turnout in Dallas’ May elections stinks. Here’s what lawmakers want to do about it
| May 8, 2025
Several state senators and representatives, including three from Dallas, have filed bills that move local elections to November — a time when more people head to the ballot box to vote in state and federal races.