BG Reads | News You Need to Know (April 3, 2020)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
*NEW* BG BLOG: All Austin Construction "Essential" Under Supplemental DSD Guidance (4.20.2020)
BG PODCAST EPISODE 81: Ilissa Nolan, Executive Director, Texas Hemp Coalition (LINK TO SHOW)
[AUSTIN METRO]
Garza, Casar lead plan to use $25M in city reserves for Covid-19 relief programs (Austin Monitor)
The city is expected to expand its contracts with social service organizations in order to begin deploying a portion of Austin’s budget reserves to residents facing financial peril due to the spread of Covid-19.
Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza and Council Member Greg Casar have teamed up to create a budget amendment and accompanying resolution that will likely be posted today to be acted on at next week’s Council meeting.
Garza said the basic criteria already in place to qualify for existing city assistance programs for housing vouchers, food aid and other assistance will serve as the guidelines for the Relief In a State of Emergency (RISE) Fund. The fund is proposed to receive $25 million total, with half directed toward aid programs and the rest for upfront costs for health care services and related equipment that will likely be reimbursed by the federal government… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Rapid Local Relief Amid Pandemic: Over $110 Million for Austin-San Marcos (Office of Congressman Lloyd Doggett)
(4.2.2020) - Today, amid broadening economic hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, announces over $8 million in federal funding for housing support in Central Texas and over $110 million for public transportation in this crisis.
This local funding comes through the CARES Act—the recently-passed coronavirus relief package—for Central Texas: $4.62 million for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for Austin, $700,683 for Travis County, and $425,261 for San Marcos; $2.35 million for the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program for Austin; and $272,065 for the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program for Austin.
The CARES Act also secured robust funding for public transportation; Rep. Doggett announces over $104 million for Austin public transportation funding and over $6 million for San Marcos… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt's long goodbye (Austin Chronicle)
On March 10, Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt announced she would step down to run for state senator. Two weeks later, March 23, she said she would postpone her official resignation until May 13 – the filing deadline for the July 14 special election to succeed incumbent Sen. Kirk Watson. While the postponement has been welcomed by the County Commissioners, there has also been some public backlash. When Watson announced his resignation to accept a deanship at the University of Houston, his decision evoked a litany of praise for the longtime local official – followed by a scramble of possible successors. Officially, two current officials – House District 51 Rep. Eddie Rodriguez and Eckhardt – have declared themselves candidates for senate. Three other people – Austin City Council Member Greg Casar (who appointed a campaign treasurer) and local attorneys Adam Loewy and Chito Vela – have expressed serious interest.
Shortly after Eckhardt announced her resignation, Gov. Greg Abbott set the SD14 special election (wihich under state law would have been in May) on July 14 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; soon thereafter, the primary run-offs were also moved to that date. That meant the filing deadline for SD14 became May 13 – creating an unusual situation at Travis County Commissioners Court. Under the Texas "resign to run" law, Eckhardt initially (March 10) announced she would step down as judge, to be succeeded on an interim basis by former County Judge Sam Biscoe. In the light of the extended filing period and in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, on March 23 Eckhardt announced she would stay on until the mid-May filing deadline. In the meantime, Biscoe has moved into an advisory role, while Eckhardt focuses primarily on addressing the pandemic. "I didn't 'unresign,'" Eckhardt told the Chronicle. "I just have a job to do."… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
District to begin continuous at-home learning April 6; suspends weekend meal distribution (Community Impact)
In a message to Austin ISD families April 2, AISD Superintendent Paul Cruz said the district is scheduled to start phasing in continuous at-home learning beginning April 6.
According to the post, teachers will conduct mandatory lessons through printed materials, online communications and other platforms.
“Continuous learning is the next step in our plan to keep educating our Pre-K through 12th-grade students,” Cruz wrote in the message. “Our continuous learning plan uses various ways for us to continue to prepare our students for their return to campus with increased teacher interaction, direction, and feedback.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
Texas tells locals they must delay their upcoming May elections (Texas Tribune)
Citing the state’s stay-at-home order, the Texas secretary of state is instructing municipalities to delay their May 2 elections.
In an email to local election officials sent Thursday afternoon, the state’s director of elections, Keith Ingram, said cities, towns and school boards that hadn’t pushed their upcoming elections to November “must take action to do so immediately” or risk facing a challenge in court.
“If you don’t move your May 2nd election, you are subjecting voters to health risks and potential criminal violations,” Ingram wrote. “Failure to postpone your election will put your election at severe risk for an election contest.”
In response to the new coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Greg Abbott paved the way for postponements two weeks ago with an emergency proclamation suspending parts of the state's election code. Since then, municipalities and other local entities across most of Texas had voted to cancel their traditional early May elections… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
SA anticipates economic gut punch as it cuts millions in program funding (San Antonio)
San Antonio suspended $82 million in program funding to balance the 2020 budget as the city anticipates losses in revenue across the board.
City Manager Erik Walsh said at an April 2 council meeting that the suspensions are effective immediately, cutting about 18% of the programs' total budget of approximately $450 million. The suspended funding is response to the city's anticipated loss in general fund revenue between $62 million to $81 million.
Among those suspensions is a $12.4 million cut in economic development incentives. The budget for economic development incentives is about $7 million annually, including carry over after the close-out of prior projects.
"There is a tremendous amount of uncertainty with this unprecedented economic disruption," Villagomez said. "We want to be proactive and take actions sooner rather than later so we can better position the city as we continue through this emergency response and eventually recovery."… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Houston-based apartment co. launches $5M fund for residents without income due to coronavirus (Houston Business Journal)
Out-of-work residents living in one of Houston-based Camden Property Trust’s multifamily communities will soon have access to a new source of funds to help pay their bills.
Camden (NYSE: CPT) has launched a $5 million program to provide financial support to residents who lost their source of income as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Residents who can show coronavirus-related income losses are eligible for up to $2,000 per household under the Camden Cares Resident Relief Program.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the program during an April 2 press conference… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
FDA to allow imports of KN95 masks from China amid PPE shortage (The Hill)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will no longer block the import of KN95 masks, due to a shortage in personal protective equipment, or PPE, in the United States, an agency official first told Buzzfeed News.
The masks have been described as the Chinese equivalent of an N95 mask which U.S. health care workers use to protect themselves from airborne bacteria and viruses. Though they are allowing imports of the KN95 mask, the product is not FDA-approved, meaning those who use it do so without legal protections.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has included the KN95 mask as an alternative to other certified masks that should be used on an emergency basis… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
White House expected to urge Americans to wear face coverings in public to slow spread of coronavirus (Washington Post)
The White House is poised to urge Americans to wear cloth masks or face coverings in public to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, in a reversal of earlier advice.
President Trump said Thursday at a coronavirus task force briefing that “a recommendation is coming out,” but “I don’t think it will be mandatory. If people want to wear them, they can.” Vice President Pence, who heads the task force, confirmed new guidance would be released in “coming days.”
Later, however, a White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to relate internal discussions, said that the guidance being considered is “narrowly targeted to areas with high community transmission” and that the matter remains under discussion.
White House coronavirus task force officials have been considering whether to recommend that face coverings be routinely worn in public because of increasing evidence that infected people without symptoms can spread the virus, according to internal memos and new guidance provided to the White House by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… (LINK TO FULL 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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