Every week while the state Legislature is in session, Travis County’s chief lobbyist, Deece Eckstein, briefs members of the Commissioners Court on the bills that might affect the county. In recent months, the weekly briefing has usually been bleak, but on Tuesday he began his presentation with a rare piece of good news. “The good […]
Texas Legislature
The state’s legislative governing body composed of the House and Senate.
Posted inTexas State Legislature
State lawmakers approve legislation shielding most Texans from surprise medical bills
Surprise medical bills may be a thing of the past for many Texans. In a unanimous vote, the Texas House approved a Senate bill banning health care providers from sending steep medical bills to insured Texans in emergencies. Senate Bill 1264 passed the Texas House on a 146-0 vote. If signed into law, it would […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
State bill no longer targets Austin’s MLS deal
A Senate bill that many felt could endanger the city’s lease deal on a new soccer stadium has been amended in a way that appears to have created an exception for the roughly $250 million structure. On Thursday, State Sen. Paul Bettencourt amended SB 1771, which sought to give local taxing entities the power to […]
Posted inBudget
Watching Legislature, city delays financial forecast
Without final action on the property tax bill moving through the Texas Legislature, Austin budget planners are holding off on presenting the city’s financial forecast to City Council. At this point, however, legislative watchers expect final passage of SB 2, the bill that would put a 3.5 percent cap on the amount of revenue cities […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
Austinites testify for, against Precourt bill
Dave Greeley, president of Precourt Sports Ventures, told a Senate committee Tuesday night that SB 1771 “would jeopardize the viability” of Austin FC, the soccer club slated to play in the stadium his company has agreed to build at McKalla Place. “We are 100 percent privately funding a $242 million stadium. If Senate Bill 1771 […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
Austin defends its short-term rental rules before Texas lawmakers
Austin’s rules on short-term rental units – advertised on apps and sites like Airbnb and HomeAway – are under fire at the Texas Capitol. House lawmakers heard testimony Thursday on a bill that would override the city’s ban on properties in residential areas that aren’t owner-occupied. Richardson Republican state Rep. Angie Chen Button said the […]
Posted inLocal Politics
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 […]
Posted inWater
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 forward this year with plans for aquifer storage and recovery, so it can store […]
Posted inTexas 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 publicly intoxicated individuals. The city of Austin has been diverting people out of jail […]
Posted inTransportation
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 Department of Transportation announced yesterday that it’s forming a task force to bring more […]
Posted inTexas 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 to public school finance during the 2019 legislative session. “As we go into this session […]
Posted inBudget
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 funding system for public education. The symposium at the Austin Convention Center saw most of […]