Abbott, Persona Non Grata: Gov. Greg Abbott signed eight bills into law on June 6, naming public safety as a major concern. Among the eight was the bill attempting to control “rogue” district attorneys (such as Travis County‘s own D.A. José Garza, who has refused to prosecute cases for tiny amounts of cannabis and assisting in abortion, for example) and bills that deal with illegal street racing, criminal penalties, and support for rural law enforcement.
Veritas Vincit: Twenty-five years ago, the racist murder of James Byrd Jr. shocked the nation and sparked state and federal hate crime laws in Byrd’s name. On the anniversary of his killing, his family and friends work to make change in his memory and educate a new generation of East Texans as white supremacist propaganda surges.
Algae Ad Nauseam: The city began treatment of harmful algae blooms in Lady Bird Lake on Monday, June 5. Modified clay will be applied to the lake over the course of the summer to limit the growth of blue-green algae blooms.
A Quorum, Not a Packed House: The motivations of two supporters of the Zilker Park Vision Plan (a member of the Environmental Commission and a member of the board of nonprofit Zilker 351) came under scrutiny by the Ethics Review Commission on Monday, the Austin Monitor reported. Though a majority of commissioners present voted in favor of a final hearing on both cases, saying there were “reasonable grounds” to believe a violation had occurred, at least six votes were required, and not enough ethics review commissioners were present. So, the complaints are dismissed.
Libertas, Justitia, Wi-Fi: The city’s Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission is launching a pilot project to address Austin’s digital divide (in collaboration with Intel and the nonprofit Geeks Without Frontiers), the Austin Monitor reports. The program will supply computers and digital literacy education to underserved areas of Austin as the commission hopes to reinstate computer labs that closed down during the pandemic.
Bona Fide Working Relationship: A resolution to recommend a working relationship between the Airport Advisory Commission, the Environmental Commission, and the Department of Aviation passed unanimously at last month’s meeting of the Joint Sustainability Committee. Environmental Commissioner Richard Brimer told the Austin Monitor that his colleagues want to leave running the airport to the Aviation Department and the Airport Commission, but when the reach of their decisions “impact the residents of Austin outside of those boundaries, we’d like to provide some advice.”
Quote of the Week
“I have faith God is not done with America yet.”
– Mike Pence, seemingly suggesting that America’s divine retribution could include a Pence presidency
This article appears in June 9 • 2023.