BG Reads | News You Need to Know (December 23, 2019)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
NEW -> Episode 66: Generational Leadership with Michael Linehan, Land Strategies Inc., and Preston Flynn, Flynn Construction Inc. (LINK TO SHOW)
[AUSTIN METRO]
Fiscal questions on revenue caps, transit plan remain with Flannigan after 2019 (Austin Monitor)
Council Member Jimmy Flannigan likes to refer to himself as the “fiscally responsible progressive” on the Council dais, pushing for ambitious action supported by the operational discipline needed to make sure money isn’t wasted.
In that light, he said 2019 left him with a lot of questions and concerns for the coming years that can all be traced back to the state Legislature’s decision to place caps on the amount cities can increase property taxes – their main source of General Fund revenue.
Much of Council and city staffers’ attention this year was spent trying to prevent the caps or make them less onerous. What’s ahead is looking at how the main city services that use General Fund dollars – public safety, fire, emergency services, parks and libraries – will feel the effects in the coming years… (LINK TO STORY)
See als0:
BG Podcast Episode 53: Budget and Policy Talk with Austin Council Member Jimmy Flannigan
BG Podcast Episode 30: Jimmy Flannigan, Austin City Council District 6, on 2019 policy predictions
Casar proud of victories in 2019, ready to prove value of progressive policy again in 2020 (Austin Monitor)
Council Member Greg Casar began the year defending several of the city’s workers’ rights ordinances at the 86th legislative session while pushing for adoption of Affordability Unlocked at City Council.
Senate Bill 15 was known for its attack on the paid sick leave ordinance Casar authored in early 2018. The bill took aim at other city policies as well, including the rest break ordinance, LGBTQ protection, the fair chance hiring ordinance, and some required employee benefits. Had the bill passed, it could have undone years of Casar’s advocacy work.
“Part of the goal of those right-wing legislators is not only to stop progressive policy, but to stop Texans from seeing that progressive policy can work,” he told the Austin Monitor… (LINK TO STORY)
Kitchen optimistic about work begun in 2019 but committed to finding real solutions (Austin Monitor)
From where Ann Kitchen sits, 2019 was a productive year at City Hall. After years of stagnation on major issues from homelessness and transportation to our clunky land use code, the Council member says the city buckled down this year to solve some of its messiest problems.
“I think we tackled a lot of big things,” she told the Monitor. “A lot of them were tough things, but they were important.”
The biggest strides, she said, were made in transportation, housing and homelessness, criminal justice, and the revision of the Land Development Code. While much of the work is ongoing, she remains optimistic that City Council will find sustainable, comprehensive solutions that the community can accept… (LINK TO STORY)
Travis County to walk away from Expo Center? (Austin American-Statesman)
County commissioners plan to end their operation of the Travis County Expo Center after learning the city will not release hotel taxes voters approved in November for the county to expand the facility. Commissioners planned to use a 2-cent hotel occupancy tax to fund an estimated $900 million upgrade to the Expo Center and the 176-acre, city-owned site that the county manages.
However, City Manager Spencer Cronk told Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt on Monday that the county would not have access to the money for many years to come, a letter from Cronk obtained by the American-Statesman said. “It is fairly plain that the mayor and City Council feel entitled to hold on to the tax despite the overwhelming success of the referendum,” Eckhardt told the Statesman… (LINK TO STORY)
For The First Time Since 1999, Someone In Travis County Has The Measles. (KUT)
Austin Public Health says a person in Travis County has been diagnosed with measles for the first time since 1999.
The infected person visited a handful of locations in North and Central Austin (listed below), including Austin Bergstrom International Airport. Officials ask that people who may have been in that area call their doctors if they develop symptoms including a fever, rash, sore eyes and a cough before Jan. 1… (LINK TO STORY)
[TEXAS]
For TxDOT, building more lanes is the go-to traffic management strategy (KUT)
Marshall Beldon is a University of Texas at Austin student from San Antonio. Driving back and forth between San Antonio and Austin, he’s become quite an expert in road construction, and back home in San Antonio, he sits in traffic on the city’s eastern thoroughfare – Loop 1604.
“I mean 1604 is just stuck at two lanes, I don’t even try to go on 1604 after 5 p.m. or 6 p.m.,” Beldon says.
The state is working to ease the traffic, and drivers’ white knuckles. Like many Texas highways in recent years, Beldon’s Loop 1604 route has already added new lanes to make room for more drivers.
“They’ve added a bunch of overpasses … which completely changed the way traffic is being handled,” Beldon says… (LINK TO STORY)
Texas House committee adopts report saying Dennis Bonnen "likely violated" law in meeting with hardline activist, closes investigation (Texas Tribune)
The House General Investigating Committee on Friday unanimously adopted a report from its legal advisers that said House Speaker Dennis Bonnen “likely violated” state law during a June meeting with a fellow member and a hardline conservative activist — though members didn't raise the idea of any possible action against Bonnen and said the investigation was closed.
“Today’s action concludes the committee’s investigation," said state Rep. Morgan Meyer, a Dallas Republican who chairs the committee, after members met behind closed doors for over an hour.
Meyer, who left the hearing room at the Texas Capitol without taking questions from reporters, said the full report from the three legal advisers retained in October by the committee would be “promptly transmitted” to House members. The committee did not immediately release the report to the public, though a copy was later obtained by The Texas Tribune… (LINK TO STORY)
Beto O'Rourke unveils PAC with focus on boosting Texas Democrats in 2020 (Texas Tribune)
Weeks after dropping out of the presidential race, Beto O'Rourke has launched a new political group to boost Texas Democrats in the 2020 election.
In an email to supporters Friday morning, O'Rourke said the group, Powered by People, will bring "together volunteers from around the state to work on the most important races in Texas." He named a few battles in particular: the fight for the state House majority, national Democrats' drive to flip six Texas congressional seats, the race to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and the presidential general election in Texas.
"Powered by People will organize grassroots volunteers to do the tough, necessary work that wins elections: registering Texans to vote (especially those that have just moved to Texas and those who are just turning 18), knocking on their doors, making phone calls, and connecting the dots so that we all understand that in order to make progress on the issues we care most about — like gun violence, healthcare and climate — we will have to register, volunteer and vote," O'Rourke said… (LINK TO STORY)
[NATION]
Pentagon exodus extends 'concerning,' 'baffling' trend of acting officials in key roles (The Hill)
he Pentagon has seen an exodus of top officials this month, prompting concerns from lawmakers and experts alike as the Defense Department struggles to fill roles ahead of a contentious election year that will leave little room for staffing critical jobs.
Within seven days the department experienced the departure of five civilian policymakers, continuing a bleeding of staff the Trump administration has been having trouble keeping up with.
Though the Senate on Thursday night confirmed three Department of Defense (DOD) nominees - Lisa Hershman to be chief management officer, Dana Deasy to be chief information officer and Robert Sander to be Navy general counsel – the administration has to overcome a limited bench of talent and a slowed down confirmation process in the Senate in refilling roles that have been recently vacated, staffed on an acting basis or empty for months… (LINK TO STORY)
The Bingham Group, LLC is an Austin-based full service lobbying firm representing and advising clients on municipal, legislative, and regulatory matters throughout Texas.
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