BG Reads | News You Need to Know (December 16, 2020)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
***NEW*** BG PODCAST - Episode 117 - The State of Georgia with Howard Franklin
On today’s episode Bingham Group CEO A.J. speaks with return guest Howard Franklin, Managing Principal of Atlanta-based lobby firm Ohio River South. The main discussion covers the state of play in Georgia ahead of the January 4th runoff for its two US Senate seats. Additionally, the two discuss the intra-party state GOP civil war, and the implications of Georgia’s new battleground status.
Pre-filed bills for the 87th Texas Legislature:
[AUSTIN METRO]
2020 Runoff Election Results: Kelly And Alter Win Austin City Council Races (KUT)
A challenger and an incumbent secured wins in December runoff races to represent Districts 6 and 10 on the Austin City Council.
Mackenzie Kelly upset incumbent Jimmy Flannigan to represent District 6, while Alison Alter successfully defended a challenge from Jennifer Virden to retain her District 10 seat.
Challengers in both West Austin districts focused squarely on public-safety issues – specifically the Austin City Council's decisions to reduce the Austin Police Department's budget and rollback regulations that largely banned camping in public.
Kelly defeated Flannigan, who was first elected in 2016, by just over 750 votes; Alter bested Virden 587 votes.
Kelly campaigned against the Austin City Council’s vote this summer to cut millions from the police budget and a vote last summer to rescind the ban against camping and panhandling in public.
“From standing courageously behind our law enforcement community to demanding safer conditions for our homeless population to fighting for transparency at City Hall, the voice of Northwest Austin has been heard,” Kelly’s campaign wrote in a statement via text message.
Flannigan said he hopes Kelly "represents [the] district with honor."
Shortly after the Travis County Clerk's final Election Day results came in, Alter told KUT she believes runoff voters chose to focus on issues affecting District 10.
"I believe that District 10 rejected a politics of fear and recognized that the real public safety challenges come from COVID and wildfire," she said.
Alter's record at City Hall was a target of her challengers ahead of the November election. She voted to cut and reinvest APD's budget in August. Though, she did vote against the city's rollback of its camping ban in 2019…(LINK TO STORY)
Travis County hospitals could be overrun with coronavirus cases if public gathers for holidays (Austin American-Statesman)
Austin and Travis County's top health official on Tuesday warned county leaders that hospitals could be forced to turn coronavirus patients away in the next few weeks if residents do not immediately stop all nonessential activities and stay home.
Interim Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott made the blunt assessment of the growing surge in hospitalizations related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, during a Travis County Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday.
Escott said the seven-day moving average for new hospitalizations would probably reach 50 by the end of the week if residents do not change their behaviors now. That number was 46 Tuesday night, with 40 more people admitted to the hospital that day.
"We are close to the stage where, if we had the ability to do a lockdown, we would start those discussions," Escott said. "I want to be very clear: A surge like was seen in El Paso would leave another 1,500 Travis County residents dead in the next 60 days… Escott on Tuesday said some sports programs and local bars are abusing pandemic protocols, which is causing even more cases.
As an example, some coaches are saying that every one of their players has a medical condition that prevents the wearing of a mask, Escott said. "… (LINK TO STORY)
Austin-Travis County 'stay home' orders extended until Feb. 16 as cases surge (KVUE)
The City of Austin and Travis County have extended the "Stay Home, Work Safe" orders – now titled "Stay Home, Mask and Otherwise Be Safe" – until Feb. 16, 2021.
The orders were extended on Tuesday, Dec. 15, the day they were set to expire. The orders were last extended in August.
The extended orders direct residents to continue practicing social distancing and good hygiene and to continue wearing face coverings. The orders also state that social gatherings with up to 10 people should be avoided or minimized, and gatherings of more than 10 people not living in the same household are prohibited. Read the City's order and the county's order… (LINK TO STORY)
Generational Commercial Properties putting offices, restaurants, rooftop decks next to Zach Theatre (Austin Business Journal)
After years of planning, Generational Commercial Properties has received the green light to build a high-rise office building just across the river from downtown Austin.
The Austin-based development firm will construct 195,000 square feet of office space and nearly 14,000 square feet of ground-floor retail at 218 S. Lamar Blvd., currently home to a closed Schlotzsky's restaurant. The building will rise next to the Zach Theatre, less than a mile from Zilker Park.
Austin City Council approved a rezoning request for the site on Dec. 10, allowing a development that's been in the pipeline since 2018 to move forward. Joe Llamas, founder and president of Generational Commercial, had been seeking a planned unit development zoning to exceed a 60-foot height restriction.
In a Dec. 11 interview, Llamas said construction is expected to start next summer with buildout estimated for 2023.
The seven-story building, dubbed Zilker Point, will also feature space for retail and restaurants, five levels of underground parking, rooftop decks that highlight the view of downtown Austin, a fitness center, a 1,000-square-foot art gallery and a 5,000-square-foot public plaza… (LINK TO STORY)
[TEXAS]
Texas has $2 billion in COVID relief funds left to spend. Advocacy groups are anxiously watching. (Texas Tribune)
With only two weeks before the funding expires, Texas’ state government still hasn’t spent about a quarter of the $8 billion it received from the federal coronavirus relief bill.
In March, the U.S. Department of the Treasury assigned $11.24 billion to local and state governments in Texas. Almost a third of that went directly to cities and counties with more than 500,000 people, which have been quick to use it for a wide range of measures, from rent assistance programs to temperature checks at city offices. The state distributed $1.85 billion to smaller jurisdictions and has been distributing the remaining $8 billion through its health, education and emergency agencies, among others.
The funds can pay for expenses incurred only until Dec. 30, according to federal guidelines. Gov. Greg Abbott’s office said that it will use the money by that deadline but would not give details on how.
“Governor Abbott has worked closely with legislative leaders and state agencies to allocate $6 billion so far, including an estimated $1.6 billion for [the Department of State Health Services] and [Texas Division of Emergency Management] to fund the state’s response through the end of the year,” said Renae Eze, a spokesperson for Gov. Greg Abbott, in a statement. “With $2 billion remaining of the original funding, the state will spend every dollar by the end of the year to ensure the health and well-being of all Texans.”… (LINK TO STORY)
Cruz and 16 Texas GOPers in House still mute on Biden, even after McConnell declares ‘Our country has, officially, a president-elect’ (Dallas Morning News)
The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, publicly acknowledged that Joe Biden is president-elect on Tuesday, and privately urged fellow Republicans not to try to overturn the Electoral College victory that became apparent five weeks ago and formal on Monday. Few Texas Republicans took the cue.
Sen. Ted Cruz still refrained from acknowledging President Donald Trump’s defeat. So did 16 of 22 GOP House members from Texas, even after McConnell’s remarks on the Senate floor added yet another nail in the coffin for Trump’s longshot hopes of overturning the election. Fourteen Texans were among the 126 House Republicans who signed a brief last week supporting a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas asking the Supreme Court to nullify Biden’s victories in four states. Biden defeated Trump 306-232 in the Electoral College, and topped him by 7 million votes. A handful of House Republicans plan to object when Congress votes Jan. 6 to certify the Electoral College tally – the final formality before inauguration.
McConnell warned GOP senators not to join in the likely embarrassing spectacle, which would force a choice between voting to repudiate Trump or the American electorate. “Our country has, officially, a president-elect and a vice president-elect.. Our system of government has processes to determine who will be sworn in on Jan. 20. The Electoral College has spoken. So today I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden,” McConnell said on the Senate floor… (LINK TO STORY)
Prairie View A&M University gets $50M from MacKenzie Scott, largest in its history (Houston Chronicle)
Prairie View A&M University received $50 million from writer and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott — the largest donation in the historically black college’s 144-year history, according to a university release. The university administration, which was given the choice on how to use the funds, will create a $10 million Panther Success Grant program, a financial aid initiative to assist juniors and seniors facing financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. “This is a historic gift for Prairie View, coming at a time when the university had already decided and begun to invest heavily in key areas to strengthen its academic programs and improve student success. The timing of this gift could therefore not be better,” President Ruth J. Simmons said in a written statement.
The remaining money from Scott will increase Prairie View’s endowment by 37 percent from $95 million to $130 million, making it one of the largest of any HBCU in the country. The endowment supports various academic programs and student success, including establishing endowed faculty positions, the recruitment and development of faculty, and student scholarships and fellowships. Simmons said she and Scott had been discussing a matter that did not involve Prairie View, and that she had no idea Scott was interested in donating such a large sum to the school.
“Stunned, and for a time speechless,” Simmons said was her response to a phone call from a Scott assistant. “At first I thought I had surely misheard the amount and I asked them to repeat it. They clarified that it would be ‘$50 — five zero — million,” Simmons said. Scott, who finalized her divorce from Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos last year, pledged to give away a majority of her fortune to charity, which was worth about $35 billion. Scott wrote in a Medium post in July that her goal was to give her wealth “back to the society that helped generate it, to do it thoughtfully, to get started soon, and to keep at it until the safe is empty.”… (LINK TO STORY)
What do residents want in new Dallas police chief? Survey shows someone who can lower crime (Dallas Morning News)
The leading candidates to become the 30th Dallas police chief will be interviewed in a televised Q&A session on Wednesday. The seven finalists include three internal candidates, a former deputy chief, police chiefs in Irving and Charlottesville, Va. and a police chief who recently retired from San Jose, Calif. The finalists are: Dallas Police Maj. Malik Aziz; Assistant Police Chief Avery Moore; Deputy Chief Reuben Ramirez; Albert Martinez, director of security at the Dallas Catholic Diocese; Irving Police Chief Jeff Spivey; Charlottesville, Va., Police Chief RaShall Brackney; and former San Jose, Calif., Police Chief Eddie Garcia.
They are vying to succeed Dallas Police Chief U. Reneé Hall, who announced in September that she would resign amid criticism from public officials over her leadership of the department. She was selected as Dallas’ police chief in 2017 and will remain through the end of December. Hall was the first woman appointed as the city’s top police official. Assistant Chief Lonzo Anderson, a 23-year Dallas police veteran, has been appointed interim chief starting Tuesday. The new chief will start in early 2021, according to Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax, who is leading the search and plans to make the final pick by the end of the month.
The seven candidates will answer questions from Dallas City Council members during a televised and live-streamed event at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson has questioned the transparency of the search for a new police chief. But at the Public Safety Committee meeting on Monday, council members said they were able to provide some input. Ultimately Broadnax has the final decision on who will be hired. “I guess it’s easy to criticize after the fact, as opposed to provide good input prior. ... I’m very happy with the direction this is going,” council member Lee Kleinman said. “The candidates look solid.” More than 50 community and law enforcement groups were invited to take part in virtual panel interviews starting Tuesday before Broadnax speaks privately with the finalists. Broadnax indicated he may cut the list down after this week… (LINK TO STORY)
[NATION]
Congress closes in on COVID-19 relief, funding deal (The Hill)
Congressional leaders said Tuesday night they are making progress on a sweeping deal to fund the government and provide coronavirus relief but hadn't yet clinched an agreement.
The top four congressional leaders met twice Tuesday as they race the clock to try to fund the government by Friday and break a months-long stalemate to provide more coronavirus aid.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters that they were "close" to a deal, but didn't say if he thought it could be reached Tuesday.
"I think it's going really well," McCarthy said as he left Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) office.
McConnell told reporters as he was leaving the Capitol for the night that he was "optimistic" they would reach an agreement "soon." He declined to say if that would be on Tuesday.
"We're making significant progress and I’m optimistic that we're gonna be able to complete an understanding sometime soon," McConnell told reporters.
"Everybody wants to get a final agreement as soon as possible. We all believe the country needs it. And I think we're getting closer and closer," he added… (LINK TO STORY)
Biden to introduce Buttigieg as latest nominee to diverse U.S. Cabinet (Reuters)
President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday plans to formally introduce former rival Pete Buttigieg as his pick for U.S. secretary of transportation, adding to what is shaping up to be the most diverse Cabinet in U.S. history.
If confirmed by the Senate, the 38-year-old former South Bend, Indiana, mayor would be the first openly gay Cabinet secretary.
The nomination caps the political rise of Buttigieg, who emerged from obscurity to mount a surprisingly robust campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. A military veteran who served in Afghanistan, Buttigieg is in the vanguard of the next generation of Democratic politicians and is widely seen as a future White House contender.
When Buttigieg ended his campaign and endorsed Biden in March, Biden offered him high praise, saying the Indiana native reminded him of his late son, Beau.
As transportation secretary, Buttigieg would oversee a sprawling federal agency that regulates the nation’s airlines, transit systems and interstate highways. He would also play a central role in Biden’s proposed infrastructure and environmental initiatives, including plans to add 500,000 charging stations nationwide for electric vehicles… (LINK TO STORY)
MAGA-world may resist the vaccine, but it still wants Trump to get credit (Politico)
To his die-hard fans, President Donald Trump is a hero for creating the coronavirus vaccines. But that doesn’t mean they want the vaccine — or think others should take it.
They just want Trump to get credit.
Across the far-right, and especially in the conspiratorial corners of MAGA world, Trump’s supporters are finding novel ways to both lavish the president with praise for speeding a Covid vaccine, while arguing against taking the vaccine itself.
Some explanations focus on limiting vaccinations — only high-risk individuals and health care workers should get it, while the rest should simply resume our pre-pandemic lives. Others are reflexively anti-establishment — a vaccine is needed, but the government shouldn’t dictate what we put in our bodies. Others are fantastical — the vaccine is somehow part of an elitist conspiracy to control the world.
And increasingly, the loudest anti-vaccine advocates are high-profile MAGA supporters.
Emerald Robinson, White House correspondent for the pro-Trump television network Newsmax, tweeted this month that people don’t need vaccines, but “the politicians want it for control.” The Gateway Pundit, a pro-Trump news organization that has prompted untrue conspiracy theories, called the prospect of widespread immunizations “creepy.” Senate Republicans allowed a Covid vaccine skeptic to testify last week, and Fox News host Tucker Carlson called the possibility of mandatory Covid vaccination — even though no such dictate is on the table — “a legitimate crisis.”… (LINK TO STORY)