Last Thursday, many of those watching the City Council meeting were left befuddled by an exchange that took place late in the meeting over a proposed affordable housing project at 3300 Oak Creek Drive. Both the developer and the neighborhood supported the indefinite postponement ultimately approved by City Council. Such agreement is a rarity for […]
Texas Legislature
The state’s legislative governing body composed of the House and Senate.
Posted inPlanning
Hyde Park neighborhood groups divided over future of Austin State Hospital
State leaders are considering selling the Austin State Hospital, a historic facility near the Hyde Park neighborhood, but residents are divided over the future of the site. After construction was completed in 1861, the Austin State Hospital becaome the first facility in Texas established to care for the mentally ill. But now, state lawmakers are […]
Posted inDevelopment
Lack of contractor oversight leaves Texas homeowners unprotected
Amir Khalil and his girlfriend, Emily Thomas, bought their duplex off of South Lamar in February, but so far, it doesn’t feel quite like home. Khalil pointed out the damage that’s left over from an incomplete remodel job on the house. The laundry room ceiling has a gaping hole. In the kitchen, sections of the […]
Posted inDevelopment
Hyde Park residents vote to keep state hospital, but Texas lawmakers will decide its fate
For more than a century, the Austin State Hospital has been a fixture in Hyde Park. While the facility near Guadalupe and 41st streets is primarily a psychiatric hospital, its winding trails and tree-lined campus are a popular recreational space for neighbors. Now, state leaders are considering selling the property and relocating the hospital — […]
Posted inDevelopment
State considering sale of land in Central and West Austin
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is considering the sale of state-owned land totaling 223 192 acres on two sites in Central and West Austin. The first step is a study, currently underway, to determine the feasibility of relocating the Austin State Hospital and the Austin State Supported Living Center. The study is required […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
Uber and Lyft swing by the Legislature
Uber and Lyft were back in Austin on Wednesday afternoon for a rambling hearing at the State Capitol that also featured several upstart competitors, representatives from friendly and not-so-friendly cities and at least one NFL Hall of Famer. The State House of Representatives Business and Industry Committee met at 10 a.m. Wednesday and officially kicked […]
Posted inPolice
As APD tests out body cameras, state eyes in-house data storage
Local police agencies outfitting their officers with body cameras may have the option to store their data with the state. On Monday, Dale Richardson, chief operating officer of the Texas Department of Information Resources, told members of the House Select Committee on Emerging Issues in Texas Law Enforcement that his agency was working on opening […]
Posted inElections
Hinojosa wins House District 49 race
Democrat Gina Hinojosa, 42, won a decisive victory last night against six other candidates vying to take the place of retiring state Rep. Elliott Naishtat. Hinojosa will be the first woman and the first Hispanic person to represent House District 49 when she is sworn in next January. Since no Republican ran for this heavily […]
Posted inElections
Likely winners emerge in local early voting
Gina Hinojosa, a member and former president of the Austin Independent School District board, took a commanding lead in the race to replace House District 49 State Rep. Elliott Naishtat as the early vote was counted tonight. Hinojosa had 55.4 percent of the 13,460 votes cast during early voting, which ended Friday. Heather Way, a […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County lends support to Planned Parenthood
A vote on an item that has little effect on Travis County policy managed to pack in several elements of high drama at Commissioners Court on Tuesday. County Judge Sarah Eckhardt and Commissioner Brigid Shea co-sponsored a resolution proclaiming the county’s support for Planned Parenthood, the embattled health care provider facing a funding standoff with […]
Posted inElections
Race is on to fill Democrat Naishtat’s seat
Longtime state Rep. Elliott Naishtat, 70, has informed the Travis County Democratic Party that he will withdraw his name from the ballot for the March 1 primary. Naishtat (D-Austin) has served in the District 49 office since 1991 and has reportedly had some serious health problems recently. A number of local Democrats – including attorney […]
Posted inCity Council
Council to take stance on Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood funding may be a national issue, but City Council will likely weigh in on it this Thursday when it considers endorsing federal spending for the women’s health organization in the city’s federal legislative agenda. Council will also consider endorsing an increase in access to and state funding for a “full spectrum of health […]