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Texas State Legislature
Workman's bill could help Lake Travis town ditch Capital Metro
Leaders of one of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s original members are hoping a state lawmaker can help them in their quest to quit the transit agency. Earlier this month, state Rep. Paul Workman filed House Bill 2627, which is…
Texas State Legislature • By Caleb Pritchard • Mar 21, 2017
Mayor, Troxclair check in at the Capitol to talk short-term rentals
Mayor Steve Adler and City Council Member Ellen Troxclair took their disagreement over the city’s short-term rental regulations to the Texas Capitol on Tuesday evening. Both testified before the Senate Committee on Business & Commerce on Senate Bill 451, a…
Texas State Legislature • By Caleb Pritchard • Mar 16, 2017
Legislature drives closer to statewide ride-hailing regulations
Three bills that would trump Austin’s ride-hailing regulations swerved through the Texas Senate on Tuesday. In front of a standing-room-only crowd, the Committee on Business & Commerce took up Senate bills 113, 176 and 361. Each authored by Republican lawmakers,…
Texas State Legislature • By Caleb Pritchard • Mar 15, 2017
Troxclair, Adler present opposite views on tax bill
City Council Member Ellen Troxclair and Mayor Steve Adler presented diametrically opposite views at Tuesday’s Senate Finance Committee hearing on Senate Bill 2, which would prevent cities and counties from raising taxes by more than 4 percent above the effective…
Texas State Legislature • By Jo Clifton • Mar 15, 2017
Reporter's Notebook: ICE, ghosts and trees
ICE in Austin… Over the weekend, protests dominated the local news as Austinites grappled with how to react to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that began on Thursday. Meanwhile, public officials and agencies worked to come up with their…
Texas State Legislature • By Austin Monitor • Feb 13, 2017
Travis County explores ways to overcome funding cuts
Travis County raised nearly $90,000 as of Monday afternoon through an online initiative set up after Gov. Greg Abbott cut $1.5 million in grant funding over Sheriff Sally Hernandez’s new immigration policy. State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) launched the fundraising…
Texas State Legislature • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Feb 7, 2017
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Updated: 'Sanctuary City' bill clears senate committee after 16 hours of public testimony
Texas lawmakers heard hours of public testimony Thursday and into early Friday morning over a bill banning so-called “sanctuary cities” in Texas, ultimately voting early this morning 7-2 -along party lines to send the bill to the full Senate Texas…
Texas State Legislature • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Feb 3, 2017
Eckhardt on Abbott's cuts: "It's retribution"
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt is offering unequivocal support for Sheriff Sally Hernandez in the face of costly punishment meted out by Gov. Greg Abbott in response to Hernandez’s new policies regarding immigration enforcement. “We have done an extensive review of…
Texas State Legislature • By Caleb Pritchard • Feb 2, 2017
What will the Lege do to Austin this year?
The debate over local control that will likely play out in the coming months at the Texas Capitol was on display at a panel Tuesday morning hosted by Leadership Austin. In a discussion that often veered into debate, three experts…
Texas State Legislature • By Jack Craver • Jan 25, 2017
Austin Monitor Radio: Harvey Kronberg of the 'Quorum Report'
The Quorum Report‘s Harvey Kronberg joins Austin Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to chat about the upcoming Texas legislative session. Post is embedded below:
Local Politics • By Michael Kanin • Jan 23, 2017
Candidates react to Dukes' indictment
Two weeks after reneging on her promise to resign from her seat, state Rep. Dawnna Dukes, who represents much of eastern Travis County, was indicted by a grand jury for 15 offenses related to her alleged misuse of public funds.…
Texas State Legislature • By Jack Craver • Jan 19, 2017
Videos from City Summit 2016: state vs. local
Our third edition of City Summit, produced this year with our partners at KUT and Glasshouse Policy, tackled a range of topics centered around interactions between state and local governments. Complete videos from each of the six panel discussions are…
