BG Reads | News You Need to Know (May 7, 2020)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
*NEW* BG PODCAST Episode 85: School District Land Use Talk with Tanya Birks, Director of Real Estate, Austin ISD (LINK TO SHOW)
[AUSTIN METRO]
Q&A with Austin Mayor Steve Adler on reopening of barbershops, salons and pools (KVUE)
Barbershops and nail, hair, beauty and tanning salons can reopen in Texas on Friday under certain restrictions, but Austin Mayor Steve Adler fears this may be happening too soon.
KVUE's Ashley Goudeau spoke with Mayor Adler about his concerns.
On the barbershops and salons reopening this Friday:
Adler: "I think we have to be really cautious. And as we dip our toe, we have to get the data and the information to see what's happening with infections and hospitalizations. ... I'm real concerned about the barbers and the stylists who, over the course of a day, are going to have that kind of close contact with somebody. ... I just don't think we can adequately protect them. And we don't know if the face covering is going to be enough, if the gloves are going to be enough. ... I want to see the data, and it's going to take us three or four weeks until we can see what happens to hospitalizations because of the behaviors we're doing now."… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Travis County staff discuss possible adjustments for 2020 elections, including expanded mail-in voting (Community Impact)
At a recent virtual meeting of the Travis County Commissioners Courts, county staff briefed commissioners on preparations needed for upcoming elections, including a possible expansion of mail-in voting due to social distancing measures related to the coronavirus pandemic. County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir said at a May 5 meeting that preparatory efforts could require an overhaul of staffing procedures and a financial investment.
“In order for us to be able to process a very much more used by-mail voting system, we’re going to need to purchase some additional equipment,” DeBeauvoir said, pointing to the need for automatic mailing resources as well as personal protective equipment for in-person staff and volunteers that could cost around $138,000… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
DATA: Austin not hit as hard by sales tax revenue dip compared to other Texas cities (COMMUNITY IMPACT)
Despite the cancellation of South by Southwest Conference & Festivals on March 6, the city of Austin’s slowdown of collected sales tax revenue was less drastic than figures collected across the state.
Sales tax revenue generated by the city of Austin in March totaled $20.18 million, according to numbers released May 6 by the Texas comptroller of public accounts. That figure represents a decrease of 4.46% compared to sales tax revenue generated in March 2019.
May sales tax revenue data is based on March sales from across Texas.
In all, Austin generated $943,061 less in sales tax revenue in March 2020 than it did in March 2019, the state data shows.
This is the first month Austin has reported a decline in year-over-year generated sales tax revenue since January 2018… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
One of city's biggest landlords doesn't fear a recession in Austin (Austin Business Journal)
Cousins Properties Inc. remains bullish on developing in The Domain and Central Austin amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the real estate investment trust’s top executive in the Texas capital said.
“We feel very fortunate to be a part of this community,” said Tim Hendricks, senior vice president and managing director of Cousins’ Austin office. “We feel Austin is going to rebound faster than any other city in the nation. We just have to get to rebounding.”
He said Austin’s office market has just hit pause amid the pandemic that has closed most offices and kept out-of-town investors and companies from traveling.
Hendricks has been Cousins’ top executive in Austin for 27 years. During that time, he has shepherded the development of some of Austin's iconic buildings including the Frost Bank Tower and Palisades West along Loop 360. His job got even bigger last year… (LINK TO STORY)
[TEXAS]
Readjusted model forecasts thousands of additional COVID-19 deaths in Texas (KUT)
A popular model used to forecast deaths related to COVID-19 has readjusted its outlook for Texas, dramatically increasing the number of deaths projected for the state. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, which has been used by the White House, is now forecasting 3,632 deaths in Texas by Aug. 4. That’s up from 1,288 forecast on April 29. Nationwide, IHME is forecasting 134,475 deaths, up from 72,433 forecast on April 29.
According to a news release, the new projections reflect rising mobility as social distancing measures are eased. Increased testing, more contact tracing and warmer weather (with more needing to be learned on the latter) are factors that could help slow the disease’s spread, but they don’t offset people leaving their homes and intermingling. The projections released Monday came with a major overhaul to the IHME model. Its initial model released on March 26 to estimate hospital resource demand is now combined with a disease transmission model. The new hybrid model captures the impact of changes in social distancing mandates, mobility, testing and contact tracing. This model can predict a resurgence in the disease that might be caused as social distancing mandates are relaxed, according to the news release… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Will Texans be able to vote by mail? (Texas Monthly)
The persistence of the coronavirus pandemic is stirring fears about the safety of voting. Texas voters were able to head to the polls for the Super Tuesday primary on March 3, before the virus disrupted the state. But now concerns abound about how to safely hold the primary runoffs, which have been delayed until mid-July, as well as the November general election, which public health officials warn could come amid a second wave of infection. Wisconsin’s primary in early April became the subject of a back-and-forth between Democrats, who wanted to expand the state’s vote-by-mail program, and Republicans, who insisted that voters should visit in-person polling locations amid the pandemic. (Republicans ultimately won the debate, although the voters who turned out at the polls elected a Democrat to a key state Supreme Court seat.)
New York, meanwhile, canceled its Democratic presidential primary scheduled for June 23, justifying the decision as way to reduce the risk of spreading the disease in a race that former vice president Joe Biden has already clinched. In Texas, mail-in voting is already an option for some voters, and several lawsuits have sought to expand that right to include the rest of them. Here’s what you need to know about voting in upcoming elections. Can I vote by mail in the runoff election in July? Maybe. In a typical election, Texans can qualify for a mail-in ballot if they are 65 or older, out of the country on Election Day, in jail but eligible to vote, or disabled. An April lawsuit from the Texas Democratic Party, League of Women Voters, Workers Defense Action Fund, and Move Texas Action Fund argued that the state’s election code on mail-in voting applies to every voter in the state under the disability qualification… (LINK TO STORY)
UT System looks to return this fall, but fiscal impact will linger (Austin American-Statesman)
The University of Texas System’s 14 institutions are preparing plans to return to in-person activities this fall, but the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic could have long-lasting effects, Chancellor James B. Milliken said. At a teleconference meeting of the UT System Board of Regents on Wednesday, Milliken told members there have been some significant financial hits to the system as agencies adjust to the pandemic, including a $300 million to $400 million revenue loss at health institutions.
The gradual reopening of the state is expected to improve revenues, Milliken said, but state funding for higher education could drop significantly next year. “No doubt in our mind there will be a significant financial impact on the state of Texas, and we’re preparing for it,” he said. To prepare for potential state funding cuts, many institutions already freezing hiring, halting salary increases and, in some cases, furloughing employees. Board of Regents Chairman Kevin P. Eltife said the board is going to be critical when approving spending and will likely “scrub every new building project.” “We’re going to do our part to help the Legislature, because they’re not going to have the funds next session,” Eltife said at the meeting… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
Trump contradicts nurse in testy Oval Office exchange over coronavirus protective gear (CNBC)
A nurse found out Wednesday what happens when you contradict President Donald Trump on how well coronavirus response efforts are going while standing near him in the Oval Office. Trump clapped back at that nurse, Sophia Thomas, who said that access to sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment “has been sporadic.” Her comments came during a National Nurses Day event at the White House meant to honor those first responders.
Trump upon hearing a less-than-glowing description of the front lines, quickly shot back, “Sporadic for you, but not sporadic for a lot of other people.” The exchange underscored how sensitive Trump has been to suggestions that the United States has lagged in preparedness for the coronavirus outbreak under his watch. Thomas, who is president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, had told reporters in the Oval Office that there are “certainly pockets of areas where PPE is not ideal but this is an unprecedented time.” “I’ve been reusing my N95 masks for a few weeks now,” she said. “PPE has been sporadic but it’s been manageable, and we do what we have to do, we’re nurses,” said Thomas, who works at the Daughters of Charity Health System in New Orleans. “And we learn to adapt and do whatever the best thing we can do for our patients to get the job done and get the care provided, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do as Covid-19 continues.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Obamas to participate in class of 2020 virtual commencement (The Hill)
Former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama will deliver a virtual commencement speech dedicated to all 2020 high school and college graduating seniors.
Most if not all of the nation's seniors will not be taking part in traditional graduation ceremonies before audiences this year given the coronavirus pandemic.
"I've always loved joining commencements — the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice," Obama wrote in a message on Twitter. "Even if we can't get together in person this year, Michelle and I are excited to celebrate the nationwide Class of 2020 and recognize this milestone with you and your loved ones."… (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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