Tag Archives: Texas Legislature
Thursday, February 14, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Water
Buda seeks passage of aquifer storage bill
Buda’s explosive growth, from about 7,300 people in 2010 to nearly 17,000 today, coupled with a changing climate that brings both floods and drought, means that the city has to carefully manage its water resources.The city is hoping to move…
Friday, January 25, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
Texas State Legislature
County pushes for progress amid state’s political battles
Travis County has already filed bills for a third of its dozen legislative priorities for the 86th Texas Legislature since the session began Jan. 8.One of these priorities is to ensure that sobering centers are authorized to assume responsibility for…
Wednesday, January 23, 2019 by Andrew Weber
Transportation
Texas wants to put more autonomous vehicles on the road
Like a mirage on a sun-beaten West Texas highway, the future of autonomous vehicles in Texas isn’t altogether clear. A new state effort hopes to clear up the prospect of an increasingly connected fleet of vehicles on the road.The Texas…
Thursday, January 17, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Texas State Legislature
Better session ahead, legislators say
Senator Kirk Watson told those gathered at the Real Estate Council of Austin luncheon on Wednesday that he is “more optimistic than I have been in the past by quite a bit” about the possibility of resolving numerous problems related…
Thursday, December 6, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Budget
Local pols examine impacts, options in state school funding debate
Leaders from all levels of government in Central Texas, plus most of the area’s school districts, learned Wednesday that they could be in for budgetary hits if state lawmakers pass limits on local property tax increases without restructuring the state’s…
Tuesday, November 27, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Texas State Legislature
Austin, TravCo leaders brace for state laws targeting revenue, local control
Austin leaders have started gaming out the budget cuts and possible staffing and service reductions that would come from possible state caps on property tax increases.At last week’s meeting of the Austin Regional Affordability Committee, city staff briefed a consortium…
Wednesday, October 17, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Texas State Legislature
Property taxes, Austin Energy top city’s worry list
Once again, the city of Austin, along with other large Texas cities, will face a grueling task as the 2019 legislative session begins in January.Intergovernmental Relations Officer Brie Franco told City Council during Tuesday’s work session that she and the…
Thursday, July 12, 2018 by Audrey McGlinchy
Courts
Texas usually fights Austin at the Capitol. Lately, the fight is in the courtroom.
The city of Austin has endured several legal jabs from the state in the past couple of months.Recently, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stepped into a dispute over the makeup of the city’s Planning Commission. A week ago, the city…
Monday, July 2, 2018 by Elizabeth Pagano
Radio
Austin Monitor Radio: Deece Eckstein
This week, Travis County Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator Deece Eckstein joins Austin Monitor freelancer Caleb Pritchard and editor Elizabeth Pagano. Listen in below to hear predictions about the upcoming session of the Texas Legislature and a review of some of the…
Thursday, April 5, 2018 by Jack Craver
Budget
Council braces for another tight budget cycle amid threats from Legislature
City Council will have to raise property taxes by 5 percent in the Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget just to continue funding existing programs, according to a financial forecast prepared by the city budget office.In a presentation to Council members on…
Wednesday, March 14, 2018 by Elizabeth Pagano
Courts
Court upholds majority of ‘sanctuary cities’ law
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Senate Bill 4 can remain in effect for the time being. Tuesday’s decision will allow the so-called “sanctuary cities” law to take effect while the case against it plays out.However,…
Wednesday, March 7, 2018 by Ashley Lopez
Elections
Sheryl Cole and ‘Chito’ Vela head to runoff in Texas House race, pushing Dawnna Dukes out
Democrats Sheryl Cole and Jose “Chito” Vela will move on to a runoff election for Texas House District 46 after pushing out embattled incumbent Dawnna Dukes in the primary on Tuesday.The district includes parts of East Austin, Manor and Pflugerville.Cole,…
Monday, January 29, 2018 by Austin Monitor
Reporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: What blind spots?
Colossus of roads… “There’s no question that I am probably the largest road proponent in the Milky Way.” Thus Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty began a stemwinder about his transportation prescription for Central Texas at a luncheon hosted by the…
Friday, December 15, 2017 by Jack Craver
Development
Council greenlights new pedestrian mall on Congress Avenue
City Council paved the way Thursday for a major state project that will transform three blocks of downtown from roadway into a grass-covered pedestrian mall.Council voted to give the Texas Facilities Commission the OK to seize control of city right…
Wednesday, November 8, 2017 by Jo Clifton
Courts
Casar reports on SB 4 hearing in New Orleans
City Council Member Greg Casar attended Tuesday’s hearing on Senate Bill 4 at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The city of Austin, along with Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, the small border city of El Cenizo,…
Wednesday, October 11, 2017 by Joseph Caterine
Public Safety
Travis County sheriff responds to community outcry after ‘sanctuary’ policy reversal
At a town hall meeting on Monday organized by the Commission on Immigrant Affairs, Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez faced a crowd of immigrant rights advocates, service providers and undocumented community members, many of whom expressed disbelief at her Sept.…
Tuesday, September 26, 2017 by Stephanie Federico
Courts
After court ruling, Travis County will comply with all ICE detention requests
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office will honor all federal immigration detainer requests following a federal court ruling that held parts of Texas’ “sanctuary cities” law can go into effect.A three-judge panel for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled…
Wednesday, September 20, 2017 by Cate Malek
Police
Despite Austin’s crime lab meltdown, Texas is working to clear its DNA backlog
When Wendy Davis decided to find out how many untested rape kits there were in the state of Texas, she readily admits she had no idea what she was getting into.Davis, a former state senator, was first told that there…
Thursday, August 31, 2017 by Stephanie Federico
Courts
Federal judge blocks Texas’ ban on ‘sanctuary cities’
A federal court in San Antonio has blocked Senate Bill 4, Texas’ so-called “sanctuary cities” law.U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia said, “The best interests of the public will be served by preserving the status quo and enjoining, prior to September…
