Austin City Council agreed to pay Brad Levi Ayala $2.95 million for injuries suffered after being shot by an APD officer on May 30, 2020. Ayala, who was 16 at the time, suffered brain trauma as a result of the shooting. Nicholas Gebhart, a nine-year veteran with the department, has been indicted for the shooting. […]
Andrew Weber, KUT
Posted inPublic Health
Austin moves to Stage 4 of its risk-based Covid guidelines ahead of SXSW, Austin Rodeo
Austin is no longer at its highest level of Covid risk-based guidelines. Austin Public Health announced Thursday that it’s lowering its guidance to Stage 4. That means fully vaccinated people in the five-county area should wear masks when shopping, dining and gathering with people outside their households. People who have not been fully vaccinated, including […]
Posted inPolice
Here’s what we know about APD officers facing charges for using beanbag rounds in 2020 protests
Nineteen Austin police officers face criminal charges for the use of so-called “less lethal” ammunition on demonstrators during racial justice protests in 2020. Police use of the lead-pellet bags, which were fired from shotguns, severely injured protesters, at least 19 of whom were hospitalized. The officers have been indicted on charges of aggravated assault by […]
Posted inPolice
DA says grand jury indicting ‘multiple’ Austin police officers for injuries during 2020 protests
A Travis County grand jury is expected to indict “multiple” Austin police officers accused of injuring people during the 2020 protests following the killing of George Floyd. In announcing the indictments, Travis County District Attorney José Garza said “multiple indictments will be forthcoming in the days ahead,” but did not specify how many. The Austin American-Statesman reports 19 […]
Posted inAISD
Austin ISD paid hundreds of millions more than other districts in Texas’ ‘recapture’ program
Lee esta historia en español. The Austin Independent School District is sending more taxpayer dollars than any other school system to the state’s so-called recapture program, a new study finds. The decades-old system, known commonly as Robin Hood, is meant to balance resources among less property-wealthy school districts, with the goal of leveling out the per-student spending […]
Posted inTravis County
Employees at Integral Care, Travis County’s mental health agency, want to unionize
Employees at Integral Care, the nonprofit that manages mental health care across the Austin area, intend to unionize. A group of more than 20 employees gathered at Integral Care’s South Austin headquarters Monday morning, dropping off a letter to the nonprofit’s CEO, David Evans, informing him of their intent. Employees say unionization would help address […]
Posted inPublic Health
New collaborative hopes to address equity gaps in Austin’s response to homelessness
Austin has consistently struggled to get people living outdoors into homes. Part of that failure lies in the city’s unprecedented real estate boom and affordability crisis over the last 10 years. Another reason is that people of color, who are overrepresented among Austin’s homeless population, haven’t been able to connect with housing and case management as easily […]
Posted inPolice
APD should follow national best practices on use of force and make guidelines clearer, watchdog says
The Austin Police Department’s policies governing when an officer can and can’t use force don’t align with Austinites’ expectations, according to a new report from the city’s independent police monitor. The Office of Police Oversight collected feedback from 1,400 Austinites on APD’s use-of-force policies and examined how these polices stack up against national standards. The report will […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
ACL Fest hasn’t been given the final OK on its permits yet, but the city says that’s normal
As cases of Covid-19 continue to surge in Austin, there’s been some question of how live events like the Austin City Limits Music Festival, which drew 400,000 people during its last in-person festival, will mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Last week, the city implemented new Covid-related protocols for special events on city land. The […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
Democrats sue Texas in attempt to get federal courts to redraw legislative districts before 2022
Texas Democrats say the state’s legislative districts can’t be redrawn in 2021 and they’re asking a federal court to redraw them before the 2022 election. The state has already begun work on redrawing its maps, but a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday argues the state can’t legally do so until after the 2022 election. The suit […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Petition-backed measure to mandate police staffing will go to Austin voters
A ballot measure that would set a mandatory minimum for police staffing in Austin is on its way to voters. The city clerk on Tuesday certified petition signatures from the group Save Austin Now, paving the way for a November referendum. If passed, the ballot measure would require the city to employ two officers per […]
Posted inAustin
City says two sites could serve as temporary encampments for homeless Austinites
Austin has found two city-owned sites that could serve as camps for people living outdoors. One of the potential campsites is on Manor Road in East Austin and the other is on Convict Hill Road in South Austin, according to a memo released Monday. The memo, posted initially on a city website shortly before 5 p.m., […]