U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., encouraged the Texas Young Democrats on Sunday to continue fighting for the party’s values and against voter suppression efforts such as Senate Bill 9, which met its just demise at the Lege this week. “It doesn’t matter how many laws that they pass to restrict our basic right to participate in our democracy,” she said, “we know that by having a conversation with our friends, by mobilizing our families, and awakening people to the realities of the policies they are trying to enact … we are able to turn the tide.” Credit: Photo by David Brendan Hall

Convention Center Countdown: In what may be a record for proposed “Whereas” clauses (71), CMs Kathie Tovo and Pio Renteria have posted a draft resolution for Council consideration of a master plan for the “Palm District” – encompassing the school, the surrounding neighborhood, and the Convention Center – with an eye toward preserving the school and expanding the Center in line with the recent UT School of Architecture analysis.

Not Just Alabama: CM Leslie Pool has promised a resolution for the June 6 meeting to “prohibit the city from doing business with Alabama” after the state’s adoption of a ban on virtually all abortions. Pool cited the precedent of an earlier city action (no longer in force) against Arizona’s immigration policy. But she might need to list Louisiana, Ohio, Missouri, and … Texas, too.

AISD Breaks More Ground: On Tues­day, district leaders marked the start to Murchison Middle School‘s $25 million project to include a sixth grade addition, bus loop, and more, with the renovated school set to open January 2021. Today, Thursday, May 23, the district broke ground at East Austin’s Norman Elementary, which will eventually hold students from nearby Sims Elementary. The modernized school is scheduled to reopen in August 2020. Norman students are co-locating at the Sims campus.

Fingers Still Crossed: As the 86th Lege session winds down toward sine die (May 27), damage assessments begin: a successful assault on reproductive rights and health care, additional insults to LGBTQ equality, and a little more freedom for … guns. The vote’s still out on property tax caps and school finance…

Trumpian Defiance, Again: Political pressure to impeach Donald Trump grew this week as former White House counsel Donald McGahn failed to appear at a House Judiciary Committee meeting – defying a subpoena – after the administration instructed him not to attend. Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler said a contempt vote or court action is likely.

No More Sandra Blands: The Commun­ity Advocacy & Healing Project hosts a rally at 6pm Friday, May 24, at the Capitol, following recently released footage of Sandra Bland‘s 2015 traffic arrest. The Project urges state lawmakers to hold the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Public Safety accountable.

This article appears in May 24 • 2019.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US