Local control was a recurring theme during the 85th Texas Legislative session, and many of those policy debates will continue during the upcoming special session. When Gov. Greg Abbott announced the 20 items that will be taken up by lawmakers, some of them seemed plainly targeted at city of Austin policies. “Some local governments like […]
Texas State Legislature
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Abbott takes aim at Austin’s tree protections
Austin leaders who watched with dismay as GOP lawmakers spent much of the recently concluded legislative session undermining city policies on immigration, ride-sharing and short-term rentals could at least take comfort in the fact that the state did not completely take away its ability to protect trees. In fact, city leaders welcomed a tree-regulation bill […]
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Is a grueling special session ahead?
Brie Franco, the city’s intergovernmental relations officer, told City Council at Tuesday’s work session that although Austin had “some positive outcomes” during the just-ended legislative session, many of the items defeated by the city and its allies are likely to show up again at the special session starting July 18. In his press announcement about […]
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Mayor, City Council members hold news conference on ‘sanctuary’ suit
The city of Austin filed a motion in federal court Monday, seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the enforcement of Senate Bill 4, the state’s new law barring so-called “sanctuary cities.” Mayor Steve Adler called SB 4 unconstitutional and said that if it goes into effect it will have irreparable social and economic impacts. He […]
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Local leaders slam Abbott’s special session call
The Austin area’s top two elected leaders reacted quickly and harshly to Gov. Greg Abbott’s unusual call for a special session of the 85th Texas Legislature on Tuesday afternoon. “I admit to being a little dumbfounded when I hear what sounded to me almost like a call for a war against cities and against individual […]
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Updated: City of Austin joins San Antonio in lawsuit against ‘sanctuary cities’ law
By Stephanie Federico The City of Austin has filed a legal challenge to the state’s new “sanctuary city” law, joining a suit filed Thursday by the City of San Antonio. “Elected leaders across the state are following the leadership of community members who have called for a Summer of Resistance against the immoral and unconstitutional […]
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Anti-annexation bill now biggest threat to city
Although there were numerous legislative proposals that threatened Austin at the beginning of the current session of the Texas Legislature, the one that now appears to put Austin’s ability to grow and pay for its services in greatest jeopardy is Senate Bill 715, according to Brie Franco, the city’s intergovernmental relations officer. The legislation would […]
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City, state officials call for legal action against ‘sanctuary cities’ law
Government officials and community activists from across the state gathered outside the Texas Capitol on Tuesday to voice support for taking legal action to stop the so-called “sanctuary cities” law. Senate Bill 4, which goes into effect September 1, allows officers to question the immigration status of people they detain. It would also punish law […]
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Texas sues Austin, Travis County over ‘sanctuary city’ law
Texas is preemptively suing the city of Austin, Travis County and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund to enforce the state’s newly minted “sanctuary city” law, Senate Bill 4. The suit, filed on Monday, asks a federal court to declare the law constitutional. Precedent allows states to consolidate impending legal challenges to a […]
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How does Texas’ ‘sanctuary cities’ bill stack up against Arizona’s ‘show me your papers’ law?
City Council Member Greg Casar sat on the floor, his back blocking one of the two main entrances to a state building on the Capitol grounds. He’d taken a seat as part of a sit-in Monday to protest Senate Bill 4, also known as the “sanctuary cities” bill. “(Gov. Greg Abbott) wants to sign the […]
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Bills threaten Austin’s land use plans
Brie Franco, the city of Austin’s chief legislative strategist, gave City Council a brief update at Tuesday’s work session before rushing off to do some last minute lobbying. The city is facing a number of legislative attempts to curb its powers in the area of land use, Franco explained. That includes House Bill 2959 and […]
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Demonstrators arrested after staging sit-in at state office to protest ‘sanctuary’ bill
State troopers began arresting demonstrators who had staged an all-day sit-in at a state office building to protest legislation banning so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions Monday. City Council Member Greg Casar was arrested and cited with a Class B misdemeanor for Criminal Trespassing among nearly 20 other protesters. Dozens of people staged the sit-in at the Texas […]