BG Reads | News You Need to Know (April 30, 2021)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
BG Podcast EP. 139: Q1 20201 Review: COVID-19's Impact on the Built Environment with Michael Hsu
On today’s episode we speak with return guest, Austin-based Michael Hsu, Principal and Founder of Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.
He and Bingham Group CEO A.J. catch up from their June 2020 show, updating on impacts to the design/built environment sector through Q1 2021.
You can listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud. New content every Wednesday. Please like, link, comment and subscribe!
[MEETING/HEARINGS]
[THE 87TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE]
LINK TO FILED HOUSE BILLS (5,860)
LINK TO FILED SENATE BILLS (2,672)
[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]
EDC eyes push to make more city properties available for music, arts uses (Austin Monitor)
The city’s new economic development corporation will make a push this summer to identify city properties that could be repurposed into music venues or creative spaces, and has started to assemble the financial models for creating two arts spaces in the redevelopment of properties just south of the Congress Avenue Bridge.
During a presentation at a joint meeting of the arts and music commissions Tuesday, consultant Matthew Kwatinetz gave an update on plans for how the EDC will use money from two sources – the $12 million creative space bond and a slowly growing $15 million fund for iconic venue preservation – to purchase or develop arts and music spaces around the city.
The presentation covered most of the procedural steps that will be carried out following the release next month of a request for proposals for venues or organizations interested in using some of the bond money voters approved in 2018. The two commissions and city staffers have spent the two-plus years since establishing the criteria that will help decide how that money is allocated, with heavy emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion as well as addressing areas of East Austin where music and arts spaces are under acute pressure from rent increases or redevelopment.
Kwatinetz said the RFP is expected to take up to two months to receive all applications, and that city staffers will work concurrently to put together a second RFP for using city-owned properties throughout the area as the homes for arts and creative groups.
The initial RFP is anticipated to result in the city purchasing two existing venue properties that would be operated by current owners plus one other multi-use space operated by an umbrella organization and made available to up to a half-dozen arts groups.
Kwatinetz emphasized that the bond money does not have to be used to fund new construction, as had been suggested and rumored in some circles, and that the possible repurposing of existing city facilities for arts use would be a major help to addressing the affordability concerns affecting musicians and artists across the city.
“This does not preclude us improving existing assets or creating hubs out of existing assets … that is totally something that can happen as part of this and the idea of doing that acquisition is there are some spaces that could be lost and a better move would be for the city to acquire them,” he said.
“We’ve been making a request to try to get a hold of city-owned sites for a second RFP. Some of those have been mentioned in other resolutions and we’re working to try to unlock those and relocate some things into other facilities to create more (arts) spaces. That would be a very effective way to make dollars go further.”
Later in his presentation, Kwatinetz said it is expected the city would need to provide about $3 million to subsidize the cost of one music venue and another arts space – both between 4,000 and 5,000 square feet – in the proposed South Central Waterfront District. That subsidy is needed to cover the gap in square footage rental costs that an arts space could realistically pay compared to standard retail use.
City Council officially created the EDC in October after almost a decade of study and analysis about the best way for the city to create development projects that meet local needs around affordability but can be structured like private business deals. The newly formed body is still seeking members for some of its advisory committees, including the Cultural Trust Advisory Committee that will play a large role in the creative space endeavors.
Initial forecasts project that with the EDC in place to serve as a broker and handle other administrative roles for its projects, about $1 million in overhead will be saved from the creative space bond, with that money available for property acquisition costs… (LINK TO STORY)
Austin ISD still considering how to spend stimulus funds (KVUE)
Leaders with Austin ISD say they're not yet sure how they'll spend federal COVID-19 relief funds.
On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced he's releasing more than $11 billion from the federal government to school districts across the state to address learning loss during the pandemic.
Austin ISD Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde said they're still trying to figure out the rules attached to the money. They also want to hear ideas from local stakeholders.
“This is one where you don’t want to rush and say, ‘Here’s where we’re going to spend all our dollars,’” she said on Thursday.
The State released the funding after the Austin City Council unanimously passed a resolution asking the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Legislature and Abbott to provide withheld federal funding intended for public schools and the expected amount of State funding to local school districts.
To date, three rounds of federal stimulus funding totaling over $19 billion have been allocated for Texas K-12 schools. During the first round of funding, State leaders released $1.3 billion in federal money to Texas schools, but withheld an equivalent amount of State money, leaving public schools with few additional resources to pay for the costs of the pandemic.
“We are grateful that the governor and the TEA heard our call to distribute the COVID-19 relief funds that Congress appropriated specifically for public schools,” said Elizalde. “This is very good news for Austin's students, and will go a long way to helping us fulfill our mission to educate every child, every day.”
Austin ISD will receive $156 million in two allocations, according to Jacob Reach, chief of intergovernmental relations and board services.
“Two-thirds of this amount is available immediately, and the remaining one-third will be provided at a later date,” Reach said. “[Thursday] we expect additional information on how we can request the funds and any additional requirements for the use and allocation of funding. We’re looking forward to working with our community to determine the most impactful use of this funding.”… (LINK TO STORY)
Carver Museum expansion plans headed to Council in May (Austin Monitor)
City Council is set to approve expansion plans for the George Washington Carver Museum in May, the final step in a yearlong – and entirely virtual – process of planning, community engagement, and board and commission review.
The museum is dedicated to Black history, art and culture, and serves as an important community space in East Austin.
The expansion has been in the works for over 20 years. The museum’s master plan, adopted in 2000, called for a phased build-out. But only the first phase, the current structure that was completed in 2005, was ever built.
“The community wants to see this built … especially those individuals that were around when the original master plan was done,” said Terry Smith of Smith & Company Architects, the consultant for the master plan work.
The plans call for the museum to nearly triple in size, bringing the total building to 90,000 square feet. New indoor space includes a ballroom, additional classrooms and dance studios, more art gallery space and a 500-seat proscenium theater.
Seventy-thousand square feet of new outdoor improvements are also planned, including an event lawn for concerts, a community garden, an outdoor classroom, restrooms, a plaza and a 300-stall parking garage… (LINK TO STORY)
[TEXAS NEWS]
In push for new Texas voting restrictions, House panel sets up GOP faceoff over which chamber's legislation will advance (Texas Tribune)
After an early misfire, House Republicans on Thursday succeeded in pushing their proposed restrictions on voting to the legislative forefront as the Texas Legislature’s 2021 session enters its final sprint.
The House Elections Committee’s Republican majority voted to gut Senate Bill 7, the priority voting bill that has already passed the Senate, and replace the bill’s language with that of House Bill 6, a significantly different voting bill favored by House leadership. That maneuvering will put the Senate on the defensive to resurrect its legislation and likely tee up end-of-session tension between the two chambers over competing visions for which proposed restrictions ultimately make it to the governor’s desk.
As passed in the Senate, SB 7 clamps down on early voting rules and hours, restricts how voters can receive applications to vote by mail and regulates the distribution of polling places in diverse urban counties, among several other provisions in the expansive bill. The legislation passed the Senate with support from the chamber’s Republican majority and was awaiting action in the House.
HB 6, approved by the committee’s Republican majority earlier this month, would restrict the distribution of applications to vote by mail, require people assisting voters to disclose the reason a voter might need help in casting their ballot — even if for medical reasons — and enhance protections for partisan poll watchers, including criminal liability for election workers for their treatment of watchers.
On first try, a morning committee meeting descended into chaos when state Rep. Briscoe Cain, the committee’s chair, blindsided his colleagues with a motion to substitute SB 7 with HB 6, which he authored. That effort failed when another GOP lawmaker didn’t vote to follow along after Cain pressed forward, saying there were no objections to adopting the substitute language even as Democrats, shouting at times, continued to object.
The committee reconvened Thursday evening and advanced SB 7 on a 5-4 vote, after rejecting several proposed Democratic amendments.
As things stand now, SB 7 is a duplicate version of HB 6. The Senate can still revive its priorities if the full House approves the rewritten SB 7 and lawmakers from both chambers convene to cut a deal… (LINK TO STORY)
Sen. Ted Cruz won’t accept corporate PACs’ money as ‘woke’ CEOs recoil at Georgia’s new voting law (Dallas Morning News)
Texas Sen. Cruz has a message for “woke” corporate CEOs: He doesn’t want their money anymore. The Texas Republican announced on the day of President Joe Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress that he would no longer be taking money from corporate PACs, arguing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that CEOs have been “fair-weather friends to the Republican Party” for too long. “They like us until the left’s digital pitchforks come out. Then they run away,” Cruz said in the op-ed. “Or they mouth off on legislation they don’t understand — and hurt the reputations of patriotic leaders protecting our elections and expanding the right to vote.”
A multitude of corporate PACs pledged not to give money to Republicans who voted to object to the Electoral College votes in some states that Biden won, playing into former President Donald Trump’s false claim that the election was stolen. Cruz was one of those objectors. Big campaign contributors such as AT&T, Comcast and Home Depot pledged to halt these donations indefinitely, though several companies went back on their promises. But the final straw for Cruz was the corporate response to an election law passed in Georgia. The law includes more restrictions that Democrats and civil rights groups say will suppress Black citizens’ votes, while Republicans argue that it will increase voter confidence. Biden called the bill a “blatant attack on the Constitution and good conscience.” Companies including Coca-Cola and Merck came out against the bill, and Major League Baseball moved its 2021 All-Star Game to Colorado from Atlanta in response… (LINK TO STORY)
Texas service sector activity picks up, as retail slows (Houston Chronicle)
The Texas service sector saw an uptick of activity in April, following the wide availability of vaccinations and the loosening of restrictions, according to business executives responding to a survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The revenue index, a key measure of state service sector conditions, rose from 21.6 in March to 26.1 in April. A positive number indicates growth, whereas a negative reading indicates a contraction. “The rebound in the Texas service sector accelerated in April, with revenue growth reaching its quickest pace since 2014,” said Christopher Slijk, Dallas Fed associate economist. “Optimism surged among businesses, with the company outlook and general business indexes rising to their best readings since the survey’s inception in 2007.”
Labor market indicators suggest faster employment growth and longer workweeks in April. The employment index rose from 13.1 to 16.8, its highest reading in almost three years. The hours-worked index went up more than five points to an all-time high of 13.4, with 18 percent of firms reporting more hours worked among their staff compared with March. Employers also seem to be more optimistic about the future. Only 6.2 percent said the outlook of their business worsened, while 35.4 percent reported improvement. The remaining respondents said there was no change. This is improved from this time last year, when 73 percent of respondents said their outlook worsened. Retail sales activity also continued to increase, but at a slower pace in April, according to executives responding to the survey. The sales index, a leading indicator of state retail activity, fell from 19.6 in March to 9.7 in April. Inventories continued to fall sharply, with the inventories index contracting to an eight-month low of -14.8. Despite these contractions, the employment index climbed over six points to 10.9, with over 15 percent of respondents reporting increased employment compared with March. The hours worked index increased from 0.9 to 5.7, its highest reading in over a year… (LINK TO STORY)
Authorities say they won't seek charges after investigating allegation that a lobbyist drugged a Texas Capitol staffer (Texas Tribune)
The Texas Department of Public Safety and Travis County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday “that there is not enough evidence to support” an allegation that a lobbyist used a date rape drug on a Capitol staffer and that “no crime occurred in this instance.”
“DPS has conducted a thorough investigation following allegations of drugging of a Capitol staffer by a lobbyist,” the joint statement said. “Together, we have concluded that ... criminal charges are not appropriate.”
The statement did not name the lobbyist, and officials have not offered further details — including the names of anyone allegedly involved — since DPS confirmed it was investigating the allegation, as first reported by the Austin American-Statesman.
Earlier this week, though, after DPS confirmed it was investigating the allegation, Bill Miller, a co-founder of the prominent Austin-based HillCo Partners, told The Texas Tribune that one of its employees was "a person of interest" in the investigation.
In a statement after Thursday's news, Miller said that neither the firm nor the employee "had absolutely anything to do with the" allegation and said "DPS found we are completely clear of any and all wrongdoing."
"The announcement today confirms our own internal investigation into the issue," Miller said. "We commend law enforcement for a forceful and swift investigation into this serious matter."
After news of the investigation surfaced Saturday, state lawmakers, staffers and other Capitol observers expressed outrage, with many House members declaring that they planned to ban from their offices any lobbyist or lobby firm associated with the accusation. By Sunday, Buddy Jones, another co-founder of HillCo, told state lawmakers in an email that the group had hired outside legal counsel and “a respected former law enforcement official” to launch an investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, Austin lawyers David and Perry Minton, who said earlier this week they were representing a person "purportedly being looked into" for the investigation, said in a statement Thursday that the allegation was "100% false."
"It is our opinion that the individual or individuals involved in this outrages and immoral scheme [of making the allegation] should be held accountable by their employers and then prosecuted by our new district attorney," the two said.
The latest allegation sparked another conversation this week about the prevalence of sexual misconduct around the Capitol — and prompted questions about whether the current system still allows such behavior… (LINK TO STORY)
Measure would require Texas Capitol lobbyists to undergo sexual harassment training (Corpus Christi Caller-Times)
Late-filed legislation to require sexual harassment training for lobbyists will be heard in House and Senate committees on Thursday, suggesting the measures are being fast-tracked in the final weeks of the session. The measures, Senate Bill 2233, and House Bill 4461, come just days after the Texas Department of Public Safety launched a criminal investigation into whether a lobbyist gave a date-rape drug to a legislative staffer. It also comes on the heels of the speaker of the House denouncing the ongoing culture in the Capitol community that many say condones unwanted sexual aggression against women. The legislation would require lobbyist to show they have completed a certified sexual harassment awareness course as part of their registration process.
State Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, and state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, received special permission from their chambers to introduce the legislation with only five weeks remaining in the 2021 legislative session. All but three of the Senate's 31 members have signed on as co-authors to Menendez's bill. The senators who had not signed on as of Wednesday were Democrats Borris Miles and John Whitmire, both of Houston, and Republican Larry Taylor of Friendswood. The Austin American-Statesman, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported on Saturday DPS had initiated an investigation after an unnamed legislative staff member said a lobbyist had given her what is commonly called a date-rape drug during a social gathering. The lobbyist has not be charged and his name has not been released by authorities. But the influential public affairs firm, Hillco Partners of Austin, confirmed on Sunday the "person of interest" was an employee. The firm founders have launched their own investigation. Lawyers representing the firm have said no one employed by Hillco gave anyone such a drug… (LINK TO STORY)
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Get ready for a shortage of iPads and MacBooks (NPR)
Supply chain disruptions are taking a bite of out Apple, and it may make it harder to get your hands on that shiny new tablet or laptop.
Apple warns it can't make enough iPads and Macs to keep up with demand, thanks to the global shortage in semiconductors that has already disrupted production at almost every major car company, from Ford to VW.
Luca Maestri, Apple's chief financial officer, said late Wednesday that the lack of supply will cut into sales of both these products and lop off between $3 billion to $4 billion of its revenue in the next three months.
Still, Apple said it expects sales to grow in the current quarter. The announcement came in an earnings call a week after the company introduced new iPads and computers.
A lack of semiconductors has hampered the world's biggest automakers for months, forcing them to cut production and even shut entire plants down because of a lack of the essential parts.
Computer chip manufacturing requires significant lead time, with much of the world's supply coming from a handful of companies. And during the pandemic, demand for electronics such as laptops and tablets has soared, as so much of life went online.
"The last three quarters of Mac have been the best three quarters ever in the history of the product," Maestri told investors on Wednesday, noting the demand was driven by large numbers of people working and learning from home… (LINK TO STORY)
The Trump-rejecting Florida Republican who has a plan to fix the GOP (Politico)
The future of the Republican Party runs through Florida. And the future of the Florida Republican Party runs through Miami. The state long considered the nation’s biggest battleground reported solid red in November. Florida is now home to former President Donald Trump and his children. Out-of-state Republicans are flocking here for fundraisers, retreats and to make appearances at Mar-a-Lago. The state is led by conservative rising star Gov. Ron DeSantis, an early 2024 favorite on the right. But Florida isn’t just the capital of Trumpism, and its electorate is no monolith. One Republican leader in the state has made a name for himself by rejecting the Trump vision and is now yearning for a GOP less focused on divisive politics and more grounded in solutions. That’s the mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez. Suarez is a Cuban Republican, but he doesn’t match some of the usual headlines surrounding Cuban American voters. For one, he didn’t vote for Trump in the 2020 election. He doesn’t have a great relationship with DeSantis, either, and has criticized him openly and done little to support him politically. He even voted for DeSantis’ 2018 Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum.
Suarez has transcended local and state politics and repeatedly found himself in the national spotlight over the past year: He was one of the first U.S. elected officials to announce he tested positive for the coronavirus. With just a tweet, he launched a campaign to court tech investors in an effort to make Miami the next Silicon Valley. He publicly disagreed with the governor on his Covid-19 measures on CBS’ Face the Nation. And, earlier this year, he met with President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss the coronavirus relief package. Now he’s on Nikki Haley’s radar as a potential running mate if she decides to launch a 2024 presidential bid. And Suarez, who is up for reelection this year, isn’t writing off the possibility of getting into national politics.
“I would never say never to any sort of possible scenario in the future,” the 43-year-old Republican said in a lengthy interview with POLITICO. “Who knows what can happen? Why say never?” He steers clear of talking about what the exact future of the GOP looks like: “It's very early to tell.” He refuses to say if DeSantis is the future: “I don't know. He may be. He may not be.”
For now, Suarez says he’s focused on the Miami community, his reelection and his work in the U.S. Conference of Mayors. But he does wish political leaders in Washington would take more cues from local officials like him on how to lead. “We've got to, in many ways, start thinking more like mayors who think about issues as problems that need to be solved as opposed to an issue through a specific ideological bent,” he said. “Americans would be much better served and they'd be a lot happier with their elected officials.”… (LINK TO STORY)
CES plans return to Las Vegas in 2022 (Wall Street Journal)
CES, the world’s largest consumer-electronics exhibition, plans to hold its annual convention in-person next year in Las Vegas, a vote of confidence in live events amid optimism that the rollout of vaccinations is slowing the pace of Covid-19 infections.
The Consumer Technology Association, the trade group that puts on the event, said CES will begin Jan. 5 with at least 1,000 companies, from Amazon.com Inc. to Sony Group Corp. , already signed up to show off their innovations.
The group moved CES to an all-virtual format for 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, a move that was a blow to the Las Vegas regional economy. CES is typically the largest event by exhibition space in the country.
CES will offer a digital option for some attendees next year, allowing them to take in speeches and product announcements from afar.
The roughly $11 billion U.S. trade show and exhibition industry is slowly returning to life after the pandemic forced cancellations of conferences and trade shows last year. Many organizers tried to convene events using digital options for attendees to meet with companies over video calls and navigate virtual conference floors.
In the virtual CES, exhibitors used interactive portals to present content, network with attendees and conduct meetings. The convention also had a live anchor desk to deliver news and conduct interviews on tech topics.
The in-person CES in 2020 brought together more than 171,000 people from 164 countries, regions and territories for a weeklong showcase in Las Vegas.
The Consumer Technology Association said it would review guidelines for coronavirus safety measures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as from state and local authorities, in preparing for next January. With the event still eight months away, the group said it would adapt plans and share updates as needed.
The CDC this week issued a new advisory for individuals who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, saying they don’t need to wear face masks when walking, hiking, biking, running alone or gathering in small groups outside. It still recommends face masks in public settings indoors and outdoors where there is a substantial risk of Covid-19 transmission, including concerts, sporting events and other crowded gatherings… (LINK TO STORY)