BG Reads | News You Need to Know (January 2, 2020)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
NEW -> Episode 68: BG Media Group 2019 Wrap Up Feat. The BG Podcast and Kicks & Comics (LINK TO SHOW)
[AUSTIN METRO]
Gerald Daugherty, Travis County’s last Republican, fears for county’s fiscal future (Austin Monitor)
Gerald Daugherty has long said that this would probably be his last term in office. However, for a couple of days at the beginning of December, there were whispers that the Commissioners Court’s lone Republican might try for another four-year stint in November 2020.
Daugherty, who has served on the court since 2002 – except for four years between 2009-13 – put the rumors to rest on Dec. 5, saying he will definitely not seek reelection. Shortly thereafter he endorsed Becky Bray, so far the only Republican to announce her candidacy for the seat.
Daugherty, who turns 70 in January, is the first to say it will be a challenge for any Republican to win the precinct, which roughly corresponds to the southwestern quadrant of Travis County, including parts of downtown, the western half of South Austin, West Lake and a number of affluent communities.
It’s the only precinct where Republicans are competitive, but Daugherty says they are still at a disadvantage. He himself lost his seat in the “Obama tsunami” of 2008, and only barely edged out his Democratic opponent in 2016, despite enjoying a major fundraising advantage and making an endearing TV ad that went viral… (LINK TO STORY)
After quarter-century on court, Gómez sees pros and cons in change (Austin Monitor)
Margaret Gómez has served on the Travis County Commissioners Court for 24 years, representing a precinct whose boundaries roughly correspond with the southeastern quadrant of the county, including nearly all of South Austin east of South Lamar Boulevard.
Her career in county government began two decades before her election to the court in 1994. In 1973 she was hired to work for then-Commissioner Richard Moya, the first Latino elected to public office in Travis County, and in 1980 Gómez was elected constable.
County government operated very differently in the 1970s and ’80s, Gómez recalls; it was far less centralized, with each of the four commissioners overseeing infrastructure projects for their precincts. There were four separate precinct headquarters for constituent services as well as storage for road-building equipment. The county did away with that system in the late ’80s, says Gómez, in part to save money on heavy equipment… (LINK TO STORY)
[TEXAS]
In rural Texas, people experiencing homelessness lead 'masked' lives outside of public view (Texas Tribune)
No one knew Billy Ray “Shaggy” Hagen was homeless until the janitor arrived early one morning and saw him sleeping on the floor of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
The 27-year-old had lost his job at a pizzeria and, after having problems with his roommates, left the house where he was living with nowhere to go.
“I’ve heard that some churches leave their door unlocked at night,” Hagen said.
The janitor told a few people at church that the man was homeless. Hagen eventually told some friends. But for the most part, people in this rural town of 20,797, one hour east of Fort Worth, never realized the man walking alongside them on sidewalks and hanging out with them at neighborhood bars had no home… (LINK TO STORY)
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg making headway on second-term agenda but running afoul of natural allies (San Antonio Express-News)
In the six months since his narrow reelection victory, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg has made headway on key parts of his agenda — and reverted to the often uncommunicative style that infuriated his natural allies during his first term, nearly denying him a second. Nirenberg won approval of a $2.9 billion budget that boosts spending on affordable housing and enacted a plan to tackle the city’s carbon emissions. He’s taken big swings on proposals to ease the city’s transportation woes.
But he’s also struggled to convince progressive activists who helped him get re-elected he’s truly on their side. And he’s having to quell opposition from local business leaders, who chafed at his support for the city’s controversial paid sick leave ordinance and his push to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions. Perhaps the most potentially risky, the mayor has tested his relationships with several City Council members who normally would be natural ideological allies. Some of his colleagues have complained that, as he did in his first term, Nirenberg fails to seek their advice or support before he unveils major policy initiatives, something he disputes… (LINK TO STORY)
Texas poised to gain multiple U.S. House seats after 2020 census, new population data show (Dallas Morning News)
Texas is poised to add two House seats — and perhaps even three — to its already massive congressional delegation in the wake of the 2020 census, according to the latest population estimates released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau. Those projections track longstanding expectations for fast-growing Texas, whose population now stands just shy of 29 million people. But the final estimates ahead of next year’s official decennial count underscore the high stakes of reapportionment, the process that will set off contentious — and highly political — battles in the Lone Star State and elsewhere to remake the congressional map.
The outcome also holds significant implications beyond partisanship, though the looming redistricting fight in the state Legislature is a focal point for both Democrats and Republicans. Billions of dollars in federal funding — covering high-profile programs like the Children’s Health Insurance Program — are allocated each year based on census data. A population under-count in Texas of just 1% could cost the state at least $300 million annually, according to one study. That means actual participation in the 2020 census is crucial to ensuring an accurate count. Some experts worry that Texas is ill-positioned to maximize its tally. Michael Li, a Texan who’s a redistricting counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice in New York, noted the disparity in how Texas is approaching next year’s census, as compared to other states… (LINK TO STORY)
[NATION]
States across the country plan ambitious legislative agendas for 2020 (The Hill)
State legislatures are crafting ambitious plans for legislative sessions in 2020, even though many have only a few months to tackle the contentious issues confronting them. In interviews with legislators from across the country, many said they would move to fund K-12 and higher education; expand childcare and early education; reconsider their tax codes; and address a shortage of qualified workers in a low-unemployment economy.
A growing number of states will consider spending millions or even billions to build new housing units to relieve a congested market and the growing homelessness crisis. Coastal states with the largest cities in the country face some of the biggest housing challenges, but increasingly so do smaller states with growing mid-sized cities. “Access to affordable housing is an issue that crosses district and county lines as well as party lines. In different communities, it’s driven by different factors,” said Colorado state Sen. Kerry Donovan (D). “We’re gaining a better appreciation of what permanent housing means to people. You have better health outcomes, you have better education outcomes. It’s not just access to the American dream.” In some states, housing is part of a larger challenge of attracting a qualified workforce necessary to grow a local economy. And while politicians gleefully cheer the lowest unemployment rate in half a century, they now have to feed growing businesses hungry for employees… (LINK TO STORY)
As nation's population growth slows, Texas sees a jump (KUT)
Texas had the biggest increase in population of any state in the country in the last year, according to estimates released Monday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The data show the number of people in the Lone Star State grew by 367,000 from mid-2018 to mid-2019, bringing the state's total population to almost 29 million. The state remains the second most populous – behind California, which has nearly 40 million residents.
Florida had the second largest population growth in the county, adding more than 230,000 people. The overall population growth in the United States was slowing, however, with fewer births in recent years and more deaths. The nation's population grew by half a percent between 2018 and 2019, adding 1.5 million people. In four states – West Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont – deaths outnumbered births… (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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