BG Reads | News You Need to Know (October 8, 2020)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
BG Podcast Episode 108: Industry Update with Skeeter Miller, President, Greater Austin Restaurant Association (SHOW LINK)
[AUSTIN METRO]
Central Texas county judges react to Gov. Abbott allowing bars to reopen (KXAN)
On Wednesday, Governor Greg Abbott announced bars in areas where COVID-19 hospitalizations are low will be able to reopen at 50% capacity. County judges have to agree to it first, though. They can start opting in as soon as Oct. 14.
KXAN reached out judges across Central Texas to see if they’re on board with reopening bars.
In favor of reopening bars
Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said he wants to be the first judge in all of Texas to reopen bars.
“It is time for all of our businesses to be open to serve our public while following the Governor’s health protocols to be safe,” Gravell said in a statement. “Our county residents have shown that they can be smart and protect themselves and others, so I will be choosing for Williamson County to opt in on October 14.”
Burnet County Judge James Oakley said only one city in the county has bars—the City of Marble Falls. He said he spoke with the mayor, and they plan to move forward with reopening.
“Only one of the municipalities in Burnet County has ‘bars,’ that being the City of Marble Falls. I spoke with the Mayor this afternoon who indicated to me that he was in favor of opening those establishments as allowed by the new order. Therefore, it will be my intention to take the steps necessary to do just that,” Oakley said in a statement.
Need more time
Many county judges in our area said they simply need more time to look over the order and consult with local public health officials.
Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape said he’s not fond of how the governor rolled out his plan without consulting judges first.
“Ironically, I’ve heard nothing from the Governor’s office. One would think that the Governor would have contacted us County Judges directly about something this important,” Pape said in a statement. “I am seeking the counsel of our Local Health Authority and other policy makers.”
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said he wants to make a decision that’s in the best interest of the community.
“We will be reaching out to all local officials to ensure we are considering all aspects of this change before we make any public comments on the direction of the county,” he said in a statement. “It is imperative that we take precaution and make all efforts to ensure that our decision is made in the best interest of our community.”
On behalf of Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe, Public Information Officer Hector Nieto said Biscoe will be taking time to look over the order and consult with Austin-Travis County health authorities.
“Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe intends to take the next several days to speak with the County Attorney’s office and determine what authority has finally been returned to local governments based on Governor Abbott’s announcement.”
Opposed to reopening bars
So far, there aren’t any county judges who’ve said they oppose reopening bars at this time.
Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden said parts of the new order don’t really apply to them.
“We don’t have any bars, only two restaurants with a bar,” Bearden said in a statement.
TBNA responds
After the announcement, Michael Klein, Texas Bar and Nightclub Alliance (TBNA) president, said Texas bars and nightclubs are now the official scapegoat of the pandemic.
“We are extremely shocked by the announcement made today. When other governors around the country, like Ron DeSantis, continue to lead and set a course for economic and social recovery for their states, today our governor punted,” Klein said... (LINK TO STORY)
It's a concern': Austin's mayor responds to Gov. Abbott's plan to reopen more Texas businesses (KVUE)
Question: The governor said he's planning on more reopenings, hinting at bars reopening. So what are your thoughts on that?
Mayor Adler's Response: "Well, it's a concern because cities across the world seem to be doing well until they open up bars. We did that here back in May, and that's the last thing we opened up before we had to shut things down. If the governor does that, I think it's really important that he does it with certain parameters. What we know is that masking and social distancing work. So we have to be able to take bars into account like restaurants. If we open up bars, people should be eating and drinking only at tables. They shouldn't be milling around. We shouldn't have people congregating at a bar. We shouldn't have any dancing. So my sense is that if we're going to do that, we have to make sure we're also being responsible. And we put it in the parameters that give it the best chance to actually work and stope protect the opening of our schools."… (LINK TO STORY)
With coronavirus rates flat, Travis County health leaders say what happens next is up to the public (Community Impact)
Following the resumption of on-campus activities at Austin ISD schools, Austin Public Health leaders reported that case numbers in the larger community are holding steady, with local risk remaining at Stage 3.
However, officials said they are tracking at least one cluster of cases traced to a party held by high school students.
Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Mark Escott said at a an Oct. 7 press event that he would not name the specific school associated with the cluster, as it is part of an ongoing epidemiology investigation.
Escott said unrestricted gatherings like this one—which, so far, has resulted in six positive COVID-19 tests, with 58 other individuals quarantined—are a source of concern as schools remain open. Hospitalizations from COVID-19 have not risen significantly following AISD's return to on-campus learning so far due to the county and school system's gradual and supervised assumption of risk, Escott said, but if students and community members relax individual precautions, case numbers and hospitalizations could rise.
"This virus is not a supernatural force. It responds to what we do as a community. If we reduce those protective actions—if we decide to stop masking and social distancing and we start to gather together again in large groups—that's when the second wave is going to come," Escott said. "My hope is that through education, through listening to expert advice, we can continue to keep this virus at bay in our community and protect one another."… (LINK TO STORY)
[TEXAS]
Early voting will start Oct. 13 as Texas Supreme Court rejects challenge to order granting extension (Dallas Morning News)
Texas' highest court rejected on Wednesday a legal challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott’s order extending the state’s early voting period during the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision is a blow to the GOP leaders, including Republican Party of Texas Chairman Allen West and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, and conservative activists who sued to prevent Abbott’s extension of early voting this year by six days.
The court’s decision means early voting will begin as planned on Oct. 13 and mail ballots may be returned at any point before the election to early voting clerk’s offices.In a 7-1 ruling, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that Abbott’s opponents had waited too long to challenge the order. The governor issued his order on July 27, but his opponents waited until Sept. 23 to file suit.
In an opinion written by Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, the court chided Abbott’s opponents for taking 10 weeks to challenge the order, not seeking relief in lower courts, and for waiting until the last day before some county elections officials were to begin accepting mail ballots to file their complaint. That delay, the court said, “precludes the consideration their claims require."
The court said elections were already underway and granting the request to overrule Abbott’s order and run the elections under the state’s ordinary rules would “disrupt” long-planned election procedures that would “threaten voter confusion.” “The United States Supreme Court has repeatedly warned against judicial interference in an election that is imminent or ongoing,” Hecht wrote… (LINK TO STORY)
Gov. Greg Abbott says bars can reopen next week at 50% capacity if counties opt in (Texas Tribune)
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that bars in Texas can reopen for in-person service next week — as long as their county governments choose to allow it.
Effective Oct. 14, bars in counties that opt in will be able to resume in-person service at 50% capacity, though all customers must be seated while eating or drinking. The governor will impose no outdoors capacity limits on bars or similar establishments.
“It is time to open them up,” Abbott said in a Facebook video. “If we continue to contain COVID, then these openings, just like other businesses, should be able to expand in the near future.”
But soon after Abbott’s announcement, the state’s two most populous counties indicated they would not go along with the reopening plan. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said on Twitter that he “will not file to open them at this time,” noting that “our numbers are increasing.” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement that “indoor, maskless gatherings should not be taking place right now, and this applies to bars, as well.”
In addition to bars being allowed to reopen, businesses currently limited to 50% capacity may now expand to 75% capacity — including establishments like movie theaters, bowling alleys, bingo halls and amusement parks.
But Abbott said in his order that bars in regions of the state with high hospitalizations for coronavirus won’t be able to reopen. He defined those regions as areas where coronavirus patients make up more than 15% of hospital capacity.
“It is time to open up more, provided that safe protocols continue to be followed,” Abbott said. “If everyone continues the safe practices, Texas will be able to contain COVID and we will be able to reopen 100%.”… (LINK TO STORY)
Gov. Abbott tells Japanese prime minister Dallas-to-Houston bullet train has his full support (Dallas Morning News)
Gov. Greg Abbott said the Dallas-to-Houston bullet train has his “full support” in a letter to Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Opponents were quick to criticize Abbott’s letter on the high-speed rail project, which would run from Dallas to Houston in 90 minutes, with stops in the Brazos Valley, between College Station and Huntsville. The letter — sent Friday but not made public until foes posted it on Twitter late Tuesday — notes that the proposed rail line recently received the necessary permits to begin construction, but opponents contend that’s inaccurate.
“This venture has my full support as Governor of Texas, and I am hopeful that final negotiations of this project with Japan can be concluded so that construction can begin,” Abbott wrote. “Public support and momentum are on our side, and this project can be completed swiftly.” Less than two weeks ago, plans for the bullet train had a breakthrough after Texas Central Railroad, the company handling the construction, said they cleared two federal regulatory obstacles by establishing safety requirements and completing an environmental review process. Pushback for the project has been heavy for years, with dozens of Republicans arguing that the private company would abuse eminent domain in order to develop the route. Texans Against High-Speed Rail have also argued that Abbott is being misled and provided false information by Texas Central regarding the status of the project… (LINK TO STORY)
Fundraising in Texas House races signals a wildly competitive contest for control of the chamber (Texas Tribune)
At least 10 Republicans in the Texas House were outraised on their latest campaign finance reports, though most GOP incumbents in battleground seats maintain a cash-on-hand advantage heading into the final month of the nationally watched battle for the House majority.
Taken together, the reports point to a wildly competitive battle for control of the lower chamber, where Democrats are nine seats away from the majority. They are eyeing roughly 22 GOP-held districts they see as flippable, while they also have to defend the 12 seats they picked up in 2018.
Across that 34-seat battlefield, Democrats raised a combined $6.7 million from early July through Sept. 24, while Republicans took in $5.3 million, according to the most recent filings. Republicans held $9.9 million cash on hand across the 34 districts, while Democrats had $6.2 million.
The candidates' direct fundraising is only part of the story, though. Many reported larger-than-usual amounts of in-kind donations, a reflection of the statewide and national groups that are rushing to their aid to help fund things like TV ads, direct mail, canvassing and polling… (LINK TO STORY)
[NATION]
Pence, Harris dodge direct answers in policy-focused debate (The Hill)
Vice President Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) dodged and weaved their way through a largely cordial debate Wednesday night in Utah that was low on fireworks and heavy on policy.
Debate moderator Susan Page was able to keep the candidates in check. While there were a few interruptions, there was nothing that approached the verbal hectoring that defined President Trump’s outing against Democratic nominee Joe Biden last week.
But Page wasn’t always able to get straight answers out of the elusive vice presidential candidates, who filibustered and changed topics rather than responding to the questions that were given to them.
Pence wouldn’t say whether it was irresponsible for the White House to have held a Rose Garden ceremony that appears to have been a superspreader event that may have sickened the president and many others with the coronavirus. Harris wouldn’t say whether the Biden administration would impose onerous new lockdowns or a federal mask mandate to battle the coronavirus.
Neither candidate would answer when asked if they’d had discussions about safeguards and procedures if Trump, 74, or Biden, 77, were to become incapacitated in the White House… (LINK TO STORY)
Pentagon risk grows as Marine Corps' No. 2 officer tests positive for coronavirus (Reuters)
The Marine Corps said on Wednesday its No. 2 officer, General Gary Thomas, had tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the second senior military official to do so this week, another sign of the danger to top brass who met both men at the Pentagon.
Thomas, the Marine Corps’ assistant commandant, is suffering mild symptoms and is self-quarantining at home, the Marine Corps said. Reuters was the first to report Thomas’ positive result.
Nearly all the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including its chairman, Army General Mark Milley, are in quarantine after attending top-level meetings last week with Thomas and the Coast Guard’s No. 2 official, Admiral Charles Ray, who tested positive on Monday for the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The list of top generals quarantining reads like a “Who’s Who’s” of the U.S. military, including General Paul Nakasone, head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, as well as the chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force.
“At this time we have no additional senior leader positive test results to report,” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement.
“We will continue to follow CDC guidance for self-quarantining and contact tracing,” Hoffman said, referring to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hoffman offered no further details, including whether any other top generals were experiencing potential symptoms… (LINK TO STORY)