Live music venues in Austin could receive up to $100,000 annually in state liquor tax rebates from a new program created to provide relief for the state’s live music industry. The Texas Music Incubator Rebate Program was passed by the state Legislature last week and signed into law this week, providing just over $10 million […]
Texas Legislature
The state’s legislative governing body composed of the House and Senate.
Posted inCity Hall
Good news, bad news from Legislature for Austin
For the city of Austin, the just-ended 88th regular legislative session offered both good news and disappointments, as outlined in a lengthy memo from Brie Franco, the city’s intergovernmental relations officer. On Tuesday, as her team was getting ready to monitor the special session Gov. Greg Abbott called to deal with property taxes and border […]
Posted inTransit
Austin light rail gets first approval amid looming Texas legislative threat
Austin’s newest light-rail vision – a $5 billion map set to redefine 10 miles of streets – is traveling two parallel tracks this week. On one track, city decision-makers are flashing the go-ahead signal, setting the stage for the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) to morph blueprints into steel and concrete. On the parallel track, a […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Neighborhood groups warn of bill to limit, kill city regulations
Members of two neighborhood coalitions have been contacting members of the Texas House to alert them to what they perceive as an especially dangerous bill, one that could strip cities throughout the state, as well as counties and special districts, of their ability to protect citizens from a variety of dangers. The bill is scheduled […]
Posted inTransit
Project Connect could be on the ballot again this November
Austin’s mayor is adopting a new strategy against a Texas bill that threatens to derail the city’s voter-approved transit expansion: Get the legislation passed as quickly as possible with overwhelming support in the Texas House and Senate. The approach seemed shockingly counterintuitive to some Project Connect advocates who would prefer Austin try to slay the […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Austin tried and failed to rewrite its land code. Republican lawmakers might do it for them.
In Austin, 5,750 square feet is a magic number. It’s one-tenth of a football field. Half of an Olympic standard swimming pool. And precisely the size of the American dream. “If you’re driving around urban Austin, through Hyde Park, Clarksville, Crestview,” said Scott Turner, a local homebuilder, “then most of (these lots) are going to […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
Library legislative working group gets update on ‘bills of concern’
The Library Commission spent the majority of its regular meeting on Monday discussing proposed legislation viewed as potentially harmful to the mission of libraries in Austin and statewide. Commissioner Courtney Rosenthal, who is leading the commission’s legislative working group that was formed a week earlier, brought the commission a list of bills of concern for […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
Library Commission working group to track bills restricting access to library materials
Since the Texas Legislature reconvened for its 88th session in January, the city’s Library Commission has been tracking a number of bills concerning restriction of library materials. At last Monday’s regular meeting, commissioners expressed their concern about some of the newly introduced bills and decided to form a working group to keep track of their […]
Posted inEducation
Austin leaders brace for state lawmakers to take up bills restricting library content and resources
After Texas lawmakers placed limitations on how Texas teachers approach lessons on history and racism and passed anti-trans legislation in recent sessions, Austin leaders are preparing for further action on these fronts when the Legislature convenes for its 88th session in January. During a Monday meeting at the Windsor Park Branch in East Austin, the […]
Posted inCity Hall
Legislation restricting open records requests likely to meet opposition
Legislation aimed at redacting personal information from city records subject to the state’s open record law faces an uphill battle at the Texas Capitol. This was the message in a Nov. 8 memo to Austin City Council from city staff. They were responding to Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, who recently moved to amend the city’s […]
Posted inCity Council
Legislative agenda passes with Kelly opposed
City Council approved a lengthy legislative agenda Thursday night, with only Council Member Mackenzie Kelly voting no. Though she had proposed an additional task for the city’s legislative team just a few minutes earlier, Kelly voted against adopting the agenda. On Monday, she was visiting Salt Lake City with the Austin Chamber of Commerce, but […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Celia Israel seeks to be a progressive voice for Austin
Celia Israel announced her run for mayor early, on January 11, almost a full 10 months before election day. She said her motivation to run was her desire to tackle the biggest issues facing Austin today: affordability and transportation. Israel is no newcomer to politics. First elected to Texas House District 50 in 2014, she’s […]