Headlines / Quote of the Week
Fri., Sept. 6, 2024
Barton Leak: Barton Springs Pool will be closed for at least the next several weeks due to major leaks that have created a safety hazard for swimmers, city officials announced Tuesday. City workers have implemented a temporary fix that cuts down on water loss, but they’re working on a permanent solution.
Really Gotta Open Those Meetings: The city will remove more than a dozen charter amendments from the November ballot after a court ruling last week, the Statesman reported. Citing a “blatant violation” of the Texas Open Meetings Act, District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ruled Thursday that the city was out of line when it placed 13 city charter amendments on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. The lawsuit was filed against the Austin City Council by the Save Our Springs Alliance, which has won before in similar situations.
A Pretty Penny on Police Settlements: KUT’s Andrew Weber reports that the city has now paid out more than $22 million across 19 settlements related to 2020 racial justice protests. The latest installment was a $2.1 million payment to two injured demonstrators. Police shot protesters with “less-lethal” ammunition. Many were severely injured, requiring surgery or sustaining lasting brain trauma.
Yeah, No Thanks Abbott: In the classic manner that Austin avoids the oppression of Texas law, City Council has adopted a resolution to condemn and deprioritize enforcement of the draconian state immigration law Senate Bill 4, KUT reported. SB 4 empowers law enforcement to arrest people they suspect of being in the country without proper documentation, like a racial profiling hall pass. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill in March, but it’s been challenged in court ever since.
Local Residential Gas Prices Shooting Up: KUT reports City Council members were literally pleading last Thursday in their first major public discussion about fighting a residential rate hike proposed by the Texas Gas Service. The for-profit utility says it “would increase the average residential bill by less than 15%,” bringing in roughly $25.8 million in new revenue each year. A local consumer advocate says that’s not right, though. “It’s like the numbers for the gas company were just cherry-picked out of the air. My calculations show a 31% rate increase.”
Can We Avoid Fossil Fuels For Once?: Maybe you know about Texas’ several laws preventing ethical investments by state agencies. State retirement funds can’t boycott gun manufacturers or gasoline for ethical reasons, for example. This week, a liberal business group sued Texas officials in a major challenge to the 2021 law that basically forces state entities to invest in the oil industry, The New York Times reported. The plaintiffs, American Sustainable Business Council, filed the suit in Austin and argue that the law violates the First Amendment because it prohibits business with certain companies on the basis of their “actual or perceived” political views.
What a Governor’s Mansion Is Worth: Fun fact – the historic home of former Texas governor John B. Connally Jr. is on the market for about $9 million, Dallas Morning News reported. The Fifties house in Houston’s River Oaks neighborhood is almost 8,500 square feet and it’s on a half-acre.
Historic Home Gets an ADU: Speaking of expensive houses, a proposal to build a large second home, or accessory dwelling unit, in the Robertson/Stuart & Mair Historic District (roughly between the French Legation and the Texas State Cemetery) had neighbors up in arms last week. Ultimately, City Council approved the build on the same lot as the historic home. Those hoping to prevent the build believed the application of the HOME Ordinance in local historic districts is problematic, although the HOME Ordinance does not take precedence over the design standards of historic districts, the Austin Monitor reported.
Cutting Voters: We’re quickly approaching the Nov. 5 election, and Texas officials have removed a million people from the voter rolls. They say they’re creating a safer and more secure election. About 40% of removals make some sense (the voters are dead, or noncitizens, or unable to vote due to a felony conviction). But of the remaining 60%, a large number simply forgot to update their address, KUT reported.
More Elections Stuff: Texas officials are pushing counties to switch from private providers to a state-managed voter registration system. According to the elections division director for the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, 33 counties across the state – including most of the large ones – currently use private vendors to manage their voter roll data rather than Texas’ state system.
Health District Financial Moves Could Improve: A long-awaited audit of local public hospital district Central Health didn’t find major deficiencies but did have recommendations for Central Health’s financial oversight practices, and Central Health asked Travis County to delay a public hearing over it so they’d have time to form a response, KUT reports.
Minors on Social Media: Last week, federal District Judge Robert Pitman blocked part of a new social media law which prevents Texas children from accessing certain content online. He found unconstitutional the requirement that social media companies filter out certain content, but he left parts of the law in place, including a requirement for parents to have controls over minor children’s accounts, The Texas Tribune reported.
Food Insecurity Solutions: Austin and Travis County’s first Food Plan nears its finish line, the Austin Monitor reported. The county has been working on this regional plan to address rampant food insecurity since 2022, and it lays out how we can preserve farmland, support food workers, decrease food waste, and address the climate impacts of the food system.
Allred Not All Right With Dems: Colin Allred’s campaign strategy has other Texas Democrats concerned, The Texas Tribune reports. While Beto O’Rourke in his run visited towns everywhere across Texas, took strong liberal stances, and had an overall electrifying effect, Allred has been more subdued with smaller events in large cities and “moderate” stances. His ads even describe him as “tough” on the border. At the same time, Allred has raised more money than O’Rourke, and O’Rourke lost. So who knows!
Quote of the Week
“'A Republic of high status males is best for decision making.’ ... Interesting observation.”
– Elon Musk, quoting a tweet about how only “alpha males” can be trusted to make good decisions
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