BG Reads | News You Need to Know (February 1, 2023)
[AUSTIN METRO]
Winter storm warning in Austin area extended through Thursday morning; road conditions worsen (KUT)
The National Weather Service extended a winter storm warning in Central Texas until Thursday morning.
Previously, the warning, which began Monday, was scheduled only through Wednesday afternoon, but NWS is now anticipating freezing rain through Wednesday night.
Ice has accumulated on roadways, making driving dangerous. The Texas Department of Transportation is treating roads but asking people to not travel at this time… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
How Austin plans to spend its $350M affordable housing bond funds (CommunitY Impact)
After Austinites voted overwhelmingly for a $350 million affordable housing bond proposition last year, the city is now planning to start using that funding beginning later this year.
Proposition A, the affordable housing measure, passed with nearly 71% support citywide in November's general election. The bond follows other housing packages approved by voters in 2006, 2013 and 2018, as most of those dollars have already been used up.
The city stated the bond would eventually mean an annual $40-$50 property tax bill hike for the owner of a median-value home—although that full increase is not expected in 2023. Community Impact previously reported on the anticipated taxpayer effects from Austin's housing bond as well as measures from Austin ISD and Austin Community College that were on the November ballot… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Canally named sole finalist for ATP amidst confusion (Austin monitor)
Members of the Austin Transit Partnership Board of Directors have unanimously recommended that ATP interim Executive Director Greg Canally be presented to the community as the sole candidate for the permanent executive director job. Canally has served as interim director since Randy Clarke resigned last May to take a job in Washington, D.C.
ATP Board Chair Veronica Castro de Barrera released a statement about the selection on Tuesday, following Monday’s Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority board meeting. At that meeting, Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion, who sits on the Capital Metro board and is chair of the ATP, told fellow Capital Metro board members that ATP had selected Canally as the sole finalist for the job. He said it was a quick meeting and made no reference to voting on the matter.
In response to a question from Board Member Eric Stratton, Travillion said, “The decision was made to move forward with him as executive director.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
City’s hotel tax on the upswing after pandemic (AUstin Monitor)
The city’s Arts Commission heard an update last week on the status of the Cultural Arts Fund and Hotel Occupancy Tax collection numbers for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2022-23. After a rough showing during the pandemic, there are signs the revenue source is again on the rise.
The Hotel Occupancy Tax – the revenue the city makes from taxing hotel stays – rose dramatically from 2010 to 2019. The funds are used to promote tourism and the hotel industry, and mainly go toward expansion of the Austin Convention Center. The city has also allocated percentages to certain cultural heritage projects, including the Cultural Arts Fund. While that growth disappeared during the pandemic, it appears to be turning around.
At the Arts Commission’s Jan. 23 meeting, staff reported on the status of HOT collection as it relates to the Cultural Arts Fund, which contracts with and supports local arts organizations. At this point in the first quarter of FY 2023, Austin has collected $35 million in Hotel Occupancy Tax. That’s 43 percent higher than where the city was at this point in Fiscal Year 2021-22… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton negotiates settlement with his former deputies over retaliation lawsuit (Texas Tribune)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s legal team is in settlement negotiation talks with three of the four former employees who filed a whistleblower lawsuit against him for firing them after they accused Paxton of criminal acts.
Paxton’s lawyers, in a joint filing last week with attorneys for Mark Penley, David Maxwell and Ryan Vassar — Paxton’s former deputies — asked the Texas Supreme Court to put the whistleblower case on hold to give the parties time to negotiate a settlement. The lawyers wrote they were “actively engaged in settlement discussions” with mediation set for Wednesday.
Lawyers for a fourth plaintiff, Blake Brickman, opposed the motion in their own filing and urged the court to move forward with its consideration. The news was first reported by The Dallas Morning News… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Gov. Abbott heats up school voucher debate, calling for ESAs ‘for every child’ in Texas (Dallas Morning News)
Gov. Greg Abbott said “every child in the state of Texas” needs access to a voucher-like program that gives parents public dollars to spend on private school tuition or other educational expenses. Speaking at Annapolis Christian Academy in Corpus Christi on Tuesday night, Abbott said education savings accounts are what Texas needs to give families options. His remarks come as lawmakers push voucher-like bills this legislative session. “When a school does fall short of excellence, when it strays too far from the fundamentals or simply cannot meet the unique needs of a particular child, parents should not be helpless,” he said. “They should be able to choose the education option that is best for their child.” The state piloted a form of such savings accounts through microgrants made available to select students with disabilities in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. “It’s been so successful,” Abbott said of the program. The state awarded $1,500 grants to more than 65,000 students, according to the Texas Education Agency. “But that program shouldn’t be limited.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
Tyre Nichols will be laid to rest in Memphis on Wednesday (NPR)
The funeral for Tyre Nichols is set to be held in Memphis on Wednesday, roughly three weeks after he died following a beating by police that was caught on video and sparked a wave of protests and calls for accountability nationwide.
The Rev. Al Sharpton will deliver Nichols' eulogy, and Ben Crump, an attorney for Nichols' family, will give a "call to action," organizers said.
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to attend the funeral at the invitation of Nichols' family. Tamika Palmer, the mother of Breonna Taylor, and Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, are also expected… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
K Street's crypto gold rush continues (Politico)
Crypto interests nearly tripled their investments in federal lobbying last year compared to the year prior, as the industry welcomed some of the first real efforts from lawmakers to stand up a new regulatory framework for the sector and worked to emerge whole from market turbulence that was capped off by the spectacular collapse of the crypto darling FTX at the end of the year… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[MEETINGS/HEARINGS]
WEDNESDAY, February 1
TUESDAY, February 7
(9AM) - Work Session of the Austin City Council Agenda (not yet posted)
(5PM) - Urban Transportation Commission - Regular Meeting Agenda