BG Reads | News You Need to Know (July 20, 2022)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
FUNDRAISER FOR KIRK WATSON
Join Bingham Group CEO A.J. and co-hosts at Native Hostel this Thursday (5:30PM to 7:30PM) for a fundraiser in support of Austin mayoral candidate Kirk Watson.
[HEARINGS/MEETINGS]
TODAY
[AUSTIN METRO]
AISD debuts two draft bond proposals (Austin Monitor)
Austin Independent School District hosted a series of four meetings last week to talk to community members about the bond planning process for the upcoming year. Over 200 stakeholders tuned in to the first meeting alone to better understand the process and provide their two cents on the first draft of the proposals.
At the meetings, representatives from the school district presented two draft proposals, the first a bit more conservative than the second. With community feedback in mind, the board of trustees will ultimately vote on which plan will end up on the November ballot. Ed Ramos, chief financial officer at AISD, explained that the bond proposals were created with several critical needs in mind, all of which would require bond dollars to execute.
The state of Texas classifies AISD as a “wealthy school district” – a label that allows the state to take back 50 percent of the $1.68 billion in Austin’s General Fund, leaving AISD to operate with just over $835 million, shortchanged of what it needs. Because bonds are shielded from recapture by the state, 100 percent of bond dollars are spent in AISD… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
School districts in the Austin area will require clear backpacks in the fall (KUT)
In the wake of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde that left 19 students and two teachers dead, Texas school districts are looking for ways to make their campuses safer. One strategy a growing number of districts are adopting is to require secondary students to carry clear or mesh backpacks during the upcoming school year.
Del Valle ISD, in southeast Travis County, already requires high school students to carry clear backpacks. Now the policy will also apply to middle school students. Manor ISD, another district in the Austin area, is rolling out the policy for the first time next school year; students in sixth-12th grade will be required to use them. Students will be able to carry small non-transparent bags, such as pencil cases and purses, but the maximum size is 6 by 9 inches. Elementary school students can continue to use traditional backpacks.
Dallas ISD, one of the largest districts in Texas, is instituting a transparent bag policy as well. It announced Monday that middle and high school students will be required to carry clear or mesh backpacks. Students can carry a pouch, no larger than 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches, for personal items such as cellphones and hygiene products… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Hutto hires Earp as new city manager (Austin American-Statesman)
After a national search, the Hutto City Council has picked a Central Texan as its new city manager.
James Earp, currently the assistant city manger for the city of Kyle, will begin his job in Hutto on Aug. 3. Earp, 46, won the Public Administrator of the Year award in 2019 from the American Society of Public Administration, according to a Hutto news release.
Earp has worked 16 years with the city of Kyle, holding various titles including assistant city manager, interim city manager and administrative police chief.
“James has a proven track record of dedication and expertise, with significant experience in land development, financing mechanisms, mentorship and organizational growth,” Hutto Mayor Mike Snyder said in a statement. “Not to mention, he seems to connect and collaborate well with a wide variety of people, which will be important as we take our diverse teams and community to the next level.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
Here’s how much Greg Abbott and Beto O’Rourke have raised in the race for Texas governor (Texas Tribune)
In the November race for Texas governor, two prolific fundraisers are vying to be the chief executive of the state.
Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, who is seeking his third term in office, has reported huge fundraising hauls in the past, amassing staggering amounts of cash in his campaign coffers. However, Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke reported raising $27.6 million from late February through June, which is the most a candidate for state office in Texas has ever raised in a single reporting period. Because Texas has no campaign finance contribution limits, it’s possible both candidates will accumulate and spend record-breaking amounts of campaign cash by November.
The Texas Tribune has been tracking contributions, expenditures and cash on hand for both candidates since O’Rourke officially entered the race in November last year. The numbers will be updated again when new campaign finance reports come out in October of this year. The data is made public by the Texas Ethics Commission. Here's how they compare… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
New stats show a record number of border crossings this year (Houston Chronicle)
With three months to spare in the fiscal year, arrest numbers at the U.S.-Mexico border have already surpassed every other year on record for border encounters, beating out the 1.7 million arrests record made in 2021. Border officials encountered migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in June 2022 more times than any other June on record, according to Customs and Border Protection, which provides statistics dating back to the year 2000. Of the 207,416 border encounters in the month of June, roughly half ended in a Title 42 expulsion - meaning the U.S. denied the migrant entry into the country without access to the asylum system and either returned the person to their home country or Mexico.
Worsening economic conditions post-pandemic, violence, political instability and climate-related displacement have contributed to the high number of individuals and family migrating, along with the promise of jobs in the United States, which is currently facing a labor shortage. New migrant statistics were released amid continued rhetoric around the border and renewed humanitarian concerns after 53 migrants were found dead in a tractor-trailer in San Antonio. Deep disagreement continues between Republicans and Democrats about how to handle the recent increase in unauthorized migration, which is largely driven by forces that are difficult for politicians to control — conditions in migrants’ countries of origin. Though Republicans and even some migrants traveling to the U.S. may perceive the Biden administration as having “open borders”, the reality is that more than 90,000 migrants in June alone were turned back to Mexico or sent to their home countries under Title 42. “There certainly aren’t open borders,” said Migration Policy Institute border expert Jessica Bolter. June numbers represented a slight slow-down in a record-breaking year at the border - May had the highest number of border arrests in agency history. “While fluctuations are normal from month to month, we saw a 14 percent decrease in encounters compared to the previous month,” said Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[BG PODCAST]
Episode 160: Talking Public Relations, Career advice, and Austin with Kristin Marcum, CEO of ECPR
Today's special weekend episode (160) features Kristin Marcum, owner and CEO of ECPR, Austin's preeminent public relations firm.
Kristin and Bingham Group CEO A.J. discuss her path into PR and her career leading to the C-suite and ownership of the firm.-> EPISODE LINK
Enjoyed this episode? Please like, share, and comment!
SUBSCRIBE / CONTACT US AT: info@binghamgp.com