BG Reads | News You Need to Know (September 25, 2020)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
*NEW* BG Podcast Episode 108: Industry Update with Skeeter Miller, President, Greater Austin Restaurant Association (SHOW LINK)
*NEW* Job Posting: Local Government Affairs Program Manager (Austin-Bergstrom International Airport)
[AUSTIN METRO]
Austin effort to fund homeless tent shelter falls short (Austin American-Statesman)
An effort led by the Austin Chamber of Commerce to raise $14 million largely for a massive tent to shelter homeless people has fallen far short of its goal, putting the project in doubt and leaving ATX Helps — the nonprofit the chamber helped create —pondering how to spend the money it did raise.
ATX Helps, a coalition of local business owners that organized last year after the Austin City Council repealed a ban against camping in public, has not purchased or leased the 300-bed tent shelter it had planned to acquire, according to Jeremy Martin, a vice president with the chamber.
The nonprofit, which includes the Downtown Austin Alliance and Austin Bridge Builders Alliance, has raised about $1.4 million — one-tenth of its stated two-year goal. Martin said ATX Helps’ board members will soon begin discussing how to spend that money, be it toward the group’s two additional objectives to help homeless people — storage and outreach — or possibly holding onto it and doubling down on its commitment to buy the tent.
Chamber leaders had said the cost to purchase a Sprung shelter — the brand-name for the tent structure — would be about $2 million, with several million more dollars needed to operate it. Early plans were to erect the shelter in downtown Austin, before the nonprofit pivoted and looked into placing it at a state-owned site in Southeast Austin along U.S. 183 that Gov. Greg Abbott opened last November as a campsite for homeless individuals.
Austin chamber leaders initially said they hoped to erect the structure to shelter up to 300 people at any given time, complete with dining and sanitation services, along with access to social services providers.
But warning signs surfaced this year when the nonprofit reported raising only $1 million of its $5 million goal by the end of 2019. The two-year fundraising goal the nonprofit established was $14 million.
Then-chamber President and CEO Mike Rollins said at the time that the group was “not discouraged at all,” and he had expressed confidence that the money for the shelter would be secured by the end of the first quarter.
But then the COVID-19 pandemic reached Austin and wounded the local economy, hurting the nonprofit’s efforts to raise money from the private sector. The Austin City Council is not associated with the project, and no taxpayer dollars were dedicated to it.
With the tent structure not materializing, the number of beds available in Austin in emergency shelters is 494, according to a city report from earlier this year that did not yet reflect any possible changes resulting from the pandemic. The report also did not include 362 emergency shelter beds operated by the Salvation Army at a site downtown and another in East Austin at the Rathgeber Center that opened after the report’s completion.
Separately, the city has activated five protective lodges during the pandemic for homeless people who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19. The five lodges have a combined 340 beds.
The city’s new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, at which time the city will have an additional $60.9 million to spend on homelessness efforts. Last year’s budget devoted more than $72 million to those efforts that included several one-time purchases… (LINK TO STORY)
TikTok is in early stages of evaluating Austin for big office, sources say (Austin Business Journal)
After days of speculation, it looks like TikTok is seriously eyeing Austin for a major corporate hub, if a proposed deal to sell a minority stake to Walmart Inc. and Oracle Corp. goes through.
TikTok, which makes a social media app for video sharing, is today in the position Tesla Inc. was in six months ago, sources told Austin Business Journal. However, they added that the company appears to still be in preliminary stages and primarily focused at this point on a spinoff from Chinese parent company ByteDance before turning its eyes toward real estate needs.
President Donald Trump last weekend voiced his support for the creation of a new company called TikTok Global and said it could wind up headquartered in Texas. That sparked speculation that Austin and Dallas would be the likely locations, and some have called tech-centric Austin the frontrunner. In addition, TikTok already has a presence in Austin, with fewer than 100 employees here in August, when Trump began feuding with the company. The company is currently advertising 43 Austin jobs on its website.
The company did not respond to questions about its plans for Austin.
But multiple sources confirmed that TikTok is indeed looking at potential sites around town and could be in the market for 100,000 to 300,000 square feet. They indicated Elevate Growth Partners is leading TikTok's search for office space in Austin. Elevate co-founder Chris Skyles declined to comment on his company's involvement with TikTok. The firm has been busy helping out-of-state tech companies find space in the Texas capital during the pandemic, including Palo Alto, California-based Hippo Analytics Inc., which has leased 35,000 square feet of a building being developed by Elevate.
Skyles did respond to general questions about the Austin real estate scene, which he thinks is about to enter another boom time.
“The Tesla announcement is incredible, and I don’t think there will be a bigger corporate relocation announcement in 2020 or 2021, but it’s not the end of the story about economic development and corporate relocations into Austin, Texas," he said. "It’s just the beginning.”… (LINK TO STORY)
Austin ISD releases updated on-campus learning plan (KVUE)
As Austin ISD is getting ready to start phasing students back to campuses district-wide, school administrators are providing a glimpse to parents and guardians of what that will look like.
On Thursday night, AISD Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde sent out the latest version of its back-to-school "Open for Learning Plan."
"I have been so impressed by the creativity, resilience and flexibility I’ve witnessed in our remote classrooms over the past few weeks," she said in a letter to parents. "As we celebrate a successful virtual launch of this new school year, we are also preparing for the next four weeks of school when we will begin to welcome students on campus in a phased-in approach. Thanks to the collaborative effort among students, staff, families and our community, I am confident we are well-prepared for the next stage in our reopening process."… (LINK TO STORY)
[TEXAS]
Texas still sitting on about $6B in federal coronavirus relief funds (Austin Business Journal)
Both Republicans and Democrats in Texas are pressing Gov. Greg Abbott for his plan to spend nearly $6 billion in remaining federal coronavirus funds, which must be used before the end of the year.
In March, Texas received $12.84 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds as part of the CARES Act. So far, the state has spent $7.14 billion with $5.7 billion remaining before the Dec. 30 deadline when those funds would be returned to the federal government, if not appropriated.
In a statement sent to KXAN, the governor’s office said Abbott is engaging with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, outgoing House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, as well as the chair and vice chairs of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees, two of whom are Democrats, in deciding how the state’s federal coronavirus funds are spent… (LINK TO STORY)
More contagious coronavirus now virtually only strain in Houston (Houston Chronicle)
A mutated, more contagious coronavirus that Houston scientists reported was the primary strain circulating in the area in the pandemic’s early days is now virtually the only one infecting people here, according to the team. In a study released Wednesday, Houston Methodist scientists reported that more than 99 percent of samples of the virus they’ve sequenced since mid-May contained the mutation that allows it to infect more people, up from about 70 percent the previous two months.
“We’ve now done molecular analyses of the two waves of the pandemic and one thing that stands out is the increase in the mutated strain’s frequency over a short period of time,” said Dr. James Musser, Methodist’s chairman of pathology and genomic medicine and the study’s author. “Clearly, this strain is very different.” But Musser emphasized there is “no evidence the strain is any more virulent,” meaning it is no more likely to cause death or extended hospitalization. Instead it seems to facilitate the virus’ spike proteins ability to attach to enter human respiratory cells. The strain’s increased dominance beginning in mid-May likely “contributed” to the dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases after Memorial Day, Musser acknowledged. But he noted the virus still could have been controlled reasonably well with the known measures — masks, proper social distancing, and the avoidance of large gatherings… (LINK TO STORY)
As legislative session like no other looms, Texas lawmakers face huge budget shortfall, COVID-19 challenges (Dallas Morning News)
The pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus is setting the stage for one of the most unusual and high-stakes sessions of the Texas Legislature — ever. The COVID-19 outbreak crippled the state’s high-flying economy, making for severe budget woes ahead. A fight over what programs are cut when lawmakers convene in January will play out amid a bipartisan desire to maintain over the next two years the increased funding of public schools approved last year. Then, lawmakers enjoyed a big enough surplus and a sufficiently robust economy that they could boost schools' budget and pay to lower property taxes, at least temporarily, without raising state taxes.
With passions running high over mask requirements and COVID-19 closure orders, some GOP lawmakers are expected to try to spank local leaders in blue bastions they believe have overreached — by trimming their authority in emergencies. Gov. Greg Abbott has threatened to push through bills punishing cities such as Dallas and Austin that at least have flirted with lowering their police spending. It’s unclear if the other major initiative passed in 2019 — “revenue caps,” which require local governments to get voter approval if they want to raise their annual haul from property tax more than 3.5% — will spark another high-drama debate. Even some diehard conservatives acknowledge there probably won’t be enough bandwidth to consider a lot of hot-button issues, be it eliminating the requirement to have a license to carry a handgun in Texas or granting protections that social conservatives want so child placing and adoption agencies may exclude LGBTQ Texans on religious grounds. That’s because, given uncertainty about safety during the pandemic, the Senate appears likely to press for a slimmed-down agenda.
“I’ve heard there’s going to be only two committee rooms where legislation will be heard on the Senate side,” said Austin lobbyist and consultant Bill Miller, a tall order for a chamber that has 16 committees. Chairmen will have to reserve the two rooms in advance, he said. That will ratchet up pressure for senators to avoid requesting hearings on “outlier” bills, and focus only on priority measures that have broad support, Miller said… (LINK TO STORY)
Republican dissent over Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's pandemic response animates state Senate special election (Texas Tribune)
Gov. Greg Abbott may not be on the ballot this fall, but his response to the coronavirus pandemic, maligned as overreach by some in his own party, is reverberating through a special election for a Texas Senate seat.
In the race to replace Sen. Pat Fallon, R-Prosper, the intraparty reckoning is being forced by Shelley Luther, the Dallas salon owner who was jailed this year over her refusal to shut down her business due to coronavirus restrictions. Tuesday’s special election is unfolding in safely red rural territory, the kind of place where conservative angst toward Abbott has risen amid the pandemic, even as the state’s Republicans try to keep their ranks focused on a momentous Nov. 3 general election.
Campaigning Tuesday evening in this town about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth, Luther peppered her stump speech with criticism of Abbott’s handling of the pandemic. She said “our tyrant governor has embarrassed us completely” with business shutdowns due to the coronavirus. As she boasted of her efforts in defiance of coronavirus restrictions, she scoffed at more traditional politicians who pushed back in less dramatic ways.
“What did they do when Texas was shut down?” she said. “They said, Oh, I wrote a letter or I — what?! Wrote a letter?!”… (LINK TO STORY)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott rolls out more proposals to back police officers (Dallas Morning News)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday announced six more legislative proposals aimed at backing police officers, including making it a felony that carries mandatory jail time for anyone who destroys property or strikes a police officer during a “riot.” “Texas will always defend the First Amendment right to peacefully protest, but Texas is not going to tolerate violence, vandalism or riot,” Abbott said.
At the Dallas Police Association headquarters in the Cedars neighborhood, Abbott added that he would mandate felony offenses for using lasers to target police officers, blocking hospital entrances and exits by protesters, using fireworks at protests and “aiding and abetting riots with funds or organizational assistance.” House Speaker Dennis Bonnen joined Abbott, as well as several Republican House members, candidates and police union leaders. After a news conference, they all signed a “Texas Back the Blue” pledge being pushed by Abbott. Bonnen will not be in the legislature next year after he decided not to seek reelection. And any legislative proposal offered would have to be approved by the Texas House and Senate and signed by the governor. “Criminals charged with these offenses must remain in jail, at least until their first court appearance,” Abbott said. “This will prevent the mockery of the revolving door arrest that we saw in Dallas during the riots that occurred earlier this year, and will ensure that these dangerous rioters will not be immediately released back into the streets to engage in further riots, without first having to go before the court appearance.”… (LINK TO STORY)
[NATION]
The RNC is wiring cash to Texas. Is it a 2020 battleground? (Politico)
The Republican National Committee cut million-dollar checks to six state parties in August as it prepared for the fall campaign. But one payment stands out amid a torrent of money flowing to traditional battleground states: $1.3 million to once-brick red Texas. On one level, it’s an astonishing development. But for those paying close attention this year, it’s hardly surprising at all. Texas is more competitive this year than it’s been in a generation. And even though Democrats have been talking about this coming for, oh, perhaps 20 years, Texas has flown far under the radar in 2020 as states more essential to the battleground map (like Wisconsin) or more gettable for Joe Biden (like Arizona) suck up all the attention.
But eyes would have popped if you traveled back to 2008 and told Texans, when Barack Obama lost the state by 12 points while winning nationally by 7 points, that the 2020 presidential contest in the state would be polling inside the margin of error. Yet even in 2016, President Donald Trump won Iowa by a larger margin than Texas, and in 2018, Democrat Beto O’Rourke lost to Sen. Ted Cruz by just 2.6 percentage points. The state’s rapidly growing and diversifying cities and suburbs are chock full of college-educated voters, a core constituency Trump has struggled to hold within the GOP. Both national parties send cash to state parties to fund get-out-the-vote efforts, field operations and staff. The RNC sent $1.3 million to the Republican Party of Texas in August, double what it sent in July and on par with what central battlegrounds like Arizona and North Carolina are getting. It’s also the biggest transfer ever from the RNC to the Texas state party. The Democratic National Committee is also investing in the Texas Democratic Party, sending more than $150,000 last month. Much of that is also going to pay for staff and mobilization. But Democrats say the investment needed to turn Texas blue is lower than ever despite the state's size, because down-ballot candidates, from a Senate contender to congressional and state House hopefuls, are having so much more success in funding their campaigns through small-dollar, online donations.
“The knock against Texas was that we were a hundred-million-dollar endeavor, but that’s not the case anymore because now, we’ve got so many well-funded races, from state House up, that they’re driving up the vote,” said Manny Garcia, the executive director of the Texas Democratic Party. “The fact that the RNC needs to send money to the Texas GOP is noteworthy, the fact that Texas GOP is talking about needing to do voter registration is noteworthy, the fact that the polling is so tight is noteworthy.”… (LINK TO STORY)
Who Is Amy Coney Barrett, front-runner for the Supreme Court nomination? (NPR)
Amy Coney Barrett is viewed as the leading candidate to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court.
The 48-year-old judge on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago is a favorite among social conservatives. They, and others on the right, view her record as anti-abortion rights and hostile to the Affordable Care Act. If nominated and confirmed, Barrett would be the youngest justice on the Supreme Court and could help reshape the law and society for generations to come.
When Justice Anthony Kennedy retired from the court in 2018, President Trump passed over Barrett, giving the nod instead to then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh. At the time, Trump told Barrett supporters that he was "saving" her to fill the Ginsburg seat, should the justice retire or die, sources say… (LINK TO STORY)
Internal USPS documents link changes behind mail slowdowns to top executives (Washington Post)
A senior executive at the U.S. Postal Service delivered a PowerPoint presentation in July that pressed officials across the organization to make the operational changes that led to mail backups across the country, seemingly counter to months of official statements about the origin of the plans, according to internal documents obtained by The Washington Post. David E. Williams, the agency’s chief of logistics and processing operations, listed the elimination of late and extra mail trips by postal workers as a primary agency goal during the July 10 teleconference. He also told the group that he wanted daily counts on such trips, which had become common practice to ensure the timely delivery of mail. Several top-tier executives — including Robert Cintron, vice president of logistics; Angela Curtis, vice president of retail and post office operations; and vice presidents from the agency’s seven geographic areas — sat in.
The presentation stands in contrast with agency accounts that lower-tier leaders outside USPS headquarters were mainly responsible for the controversial protocols, which tightened dispatch schedules on transport trucks and forced postal workers to leave mail behind. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told a House panel last month that he pressed his team to meet dispatch and mail-handling schedules but did not issue a blanket ban on such trips. AD ADVERTISING In a statement to The Post, Williams said the slide show was meant to be “motivational” and encourage greater efficiency and accountability — not set new policy. Yet the mail-handling tactics were among several operational changes — including the removal of hundreds of mail-sorting machines and a crackdown on overtime — that took effect that month and were later blamed for widespread delivery slowdowns.
By one estimate, nearly 350 million pieces, or 7 percent, of the country’s first-class mail were affected over a five-week span, according to an analysis of USPS and Postal Regulatory Commission data by the office of Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). The changes caused an uproar, drawing public and congressional scrutiny. Citing DeJoy’s history as a GOP fundraiser and ally of President Trump ally, critics contend the changes were politically motivated — which the postal chief has denied — ahead of an election that is expected to see a surge in mail-in ballots due to the pandemic. The president has repeatedly warned without evidence that voting by mail will lead to massive fraud and has also suggested it will hurt Republicans’ chances by leading more Democrats to cast ballots… (LINK TO STORY)