Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty announced his retirement Thursday. “It has been a privilege and honor to serve my neighbors as their commissioner,” said Daugherty. “I’ve done my very best to deliver on the promises that I’ve made over time. I’ve fought for honest, cost-effective transportation solutions, for a comprehensive road system, and for a […]
Local Politics
Posted inLocal Politics
Travis County considers nonpartisan redistricting
In contrast to most elected officials around the country, members of the Travis County Commissioners Court say they don’t want to be in charge of picking their voters. At their Aug. 20 meeting, the commissioners discussed setting up a nonpartisan redistricting commission similar to the city’s. The commission would be tasked with redrawing the four […]
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Group pushes Garza to run for county attorney
Council Member Greg Casar and community activists Martha Cotera and Brian McGiverin are leading an effort to encourage Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza to run for Travis County attorney – and to raise campaign funds for her before she officially announces her candidacy. David Escamilla, the current county attorney, has announced he will not seek […]
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Save Our Springs backers among major supporters of anti-convention center PAC
Campaign finance reports filed Monday showed that longtime members and financial supporters of the Save Our Springs Alliance have pledged the bulk of the funding that is supporting a political action committee attempting to force a public vote on the proposed expansion of the Austin Convention Center. The report for Unconventional Austin, the PAC that […]
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PAC files petition to put Austin Convention Center expansion to a public vote
The city’s proposal to expand the Austin Convention Center could be on the ballot in November. A group opposing City Council’s decision to build out the center says it submitted a 30,000-signature petition calling for a referendum that would force a public vote as the city moves ahead with the plan. The political action committee […]
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House Speaker Pelosi says attempted voter purge in Texas shows need for stronger federal protections
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a visit to East Austin on Tuesday to promote sweeping voting reform legislation currently before Congress. Among other things, House Bill 1 would ensure online voter registration or automatic registration for citizens across the country. The bill would require paper trails for electronic voting machines and prohibit states from removing […]
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Certified petition brings more questions on soccer stadium
The city of Austin has certified the petition circulated by residents opposed to a planned soccer stadium that would be built on city-owned property. The petition drive began last year and was pushed by a group known as Friends of McKalla Place, named for the 24-acre parcel that is the site where the city and […]
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IndyAustin suspends paid petition drive against stadium deal
An activist group looking to prevent the city from making deals to build for-profit entertainment venues on city land has pulled back some of its resources for a petition drive. IndyAustin began collecting signatures in September with the goal of putting a ballot measure before voters next spring that would have required voter approval before […]
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PAC takes heat after using racist symbol Pepe the Frog in anti-Adler ad
One of Austin’s more prolific political action committees has apologized after releasing a video ad featuring Pepe the Frog, a cartoon frog used by anti-Semitic and alt-right groups. IndyAustin has collected thousands of dollars for several political goals, including opposing Mayor Steve Adler’s re-election and getting Proposition J on the ballot. An ad it released […]
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Petitioners seek public vote on city’s soccer stadium deal
The activist group that worked to derail the city’s CodeNEXT land use code update has set its sights on preventing the construction of a 20,000-seat soccer stadium in North Austin. IndyAustin has started gathering signatures on petitions that would call for a referendum and voter approval of any use of city property – in this […]
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CodeNEXT critics postpone petition deadline, averting a May election
The political action committee hoping to put CodeNEXT to the voters has announced that it’s changing course and will aim for a referendum in November rather than May. As first reported by The Austin Bulldog on Thursday, IndyAustin PAC says it will wait until March to turn in the signatures the group is currently gathering […]
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Political action committees quietly file reports
Although much-maligned in certain circles, political action committees help spread the word in local elections for candidates, bonds and other propositions. Among the PACs filing with the Office of the City Clerk this month was the Our City Our Safety Our Choice PAC, which supported the successful election to pass stringent rules for governing transportation […]