BG Reads | News - August 26, 2022
[HEARINGS]
Thursday (9/1)
[AUSTIN METRO]
Austin's 2022 Council Ballot Slate Set (BG Blog)
As of 5PM Monday the field was set for Austin’s November Council elections.
The following offices will be on the 2022?Ballot:?(LINK TO FULL POST)
Adler shares views on past progress, future goals in final State of the City address as Austin mayor (Community Impact)
As his time in office nears its end, Mayor Steve Adler delivered his final State of the City from City Hall with a thank-you to Austinites and a rundown of his stated accomplishments and challenges faced as the city’s ceremonial head of government.
In addition to covering several points from the past year since his?last address?to the city, Adler also focused his remarks on the full scope of his time as mayor.
Adler took over the mayor’s seat after City Council shifted to its current 10-1 geographic district format and later?won re-election?in 2018. In his Aug. 25 speech, he highlighted that governmental change as one that ushered in the “promise and potential of unprecedented levels of justice and equity” in the city.
And while calling attention to many of the issues the city is still taking action on, including addressing homelessness and public safety, Adler centered his speech around his views of positive changes overseen by him and his council colleagues.
“It is true that much remains to realize the work we have begun over the past eight years. But for tonight, we pause and celebrate where we are and what we’ve achieved, how we got here, and where we need to go,” he said…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
30 female forces on Austin's business scene (Austin Business Journal)
Dozens of influential female professionals across Central Texas were honored Aug. 25 during the Austin Business Journal's 2022 Women in Business Awards luncheon at the JW Marriott downtown.
Candid, advice-packed Q&As with the winners:
Parks board raises concerns over Statesman PUD proposal, calling it ‘not superior’ (Austin Monitor)
The Parks and Recreation Board said Wednesday that the highly anticipated?mixed-used development?plan composed of several buildings on the former Austin American-Statesman lot does not do enough to protect the iconic space in front of the Congress Avenue Bridge.
In a unanimous?recommendation?to City Council, the parks board said the proposal does not fulfill the?criteria of superiority. For a planned unit development to be considered superior, it must preserve the environment, use innovative and high-quality design and ensure adequate public facilities and services.
“This PUD is not superior, and it needs to be held to the regulating plan,” Board Chair Laura Cottam-Sajbel told the?Austin Monitor.
Members of the parks board are concerned that the PUD in its current form will limit access to the hike-and-bike trail in front of the Statesman?building, where visitors watch the bats emerge from under the bridge in a celebrated nightly spectacle.
“The (PUD) applicants’ plan requires pedestrians to navigate multiple skyscrapers to find designated park access, a situation far less equitable, welcoming and accessible to an area the public has used a community gathering spot and tourist destination for years,” the parks board said in its recommendation to City Council…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Travis County DA's vow not to prosecute abortion crimes likely won’t make a difference, expert says (KUT)
Texas' so-called "trigger law" went into effect Thursday. The law, which the Legislature passed in 2021, was designed to be ready should the U.S. Supreme Court?overturn Roe v. Wade?and make abortion no longer a constitutional right.
The law makes it a crime to perform most abortions in the state, effectively banning the procedure. Travis County DA José Garza has said his office?would not prosecute crimes?under the law.
"Enforcing this law will not only fail to promote or protect public safety but will also lead to more harm," he reiterated in a statement Thursday. "Our office will continue to fight for and protect women’s rights and use our discretion to avoid tragedy and preventable harm in our community."…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Micron's plans for potential $80B semiconductor factory near Lockhart unveiled in incentives applications (Austin Business Journal)
Nearly a year after Central Texas was announced as the site for a "once-in-a-generation" semiconductor factory, another one is being planned for the region.
In documents made public Aug. 24, Boise, Idaho-based Micron Technology Inc. revealed publicly for the first time it could build a massive, eight-phased fabrication facility near Lockhart, a city about 35 miles southeast of Austin with a population of roughly 15,000 and a reputation as the barbecue capital of Texas.
Dubbed "Project Evergreen," the project has a minimum qualified investment of at least $80 billion. Incentives applications also pledge at least 80 jobs, although that represents the minimum required through the state's Chapter 313 program. If the company proceeds with the project, the job total would likely be much higher.
The facility would be located within a proposed reinvestment zone of unknown total acreage in Caldwell County and Lockhart Independent School District located in northern Caldwell County northwest of Lockhart along FM 2720. Construction on the first phase would start in January 2023 and commence operations by the end of December 2026, according to the documents. The project would be built in eight phases with the final phase scheduled to open by the end of 2042…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
Texans who perform abortions now face up to life in prison, $100,000 fine (Texas Tribune)
Performing an abortion is now a felony punishable by up to life in prison in Texas after the state’s trigger law, which has only narrow exceptions to save the life of a pregnant patient, went into effect Thursday.
The law was?“triggered”?when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its judgment in Dobbs v. Jackson, the case that overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed states to set their own laws about abortion.
Abortion clinics across Texas had?already stopped performing the procedure, fearing prosecution under state laws that were on the books before Roe v. Wade.
Texas now has three significant abortion bans in place and several administrative regulations governing the procedure, setting up a potential conflict as the largest state to ban abortion navigates this new legal landscape…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Uvalde school board fires its embattled police chief Pete Arredondo after he skips his termination hearing (San Antonio Express-News)
The Uvalde school board listened to screaming, crying parents of children massacred at Robb Elementary School, spent a short while in executive session, then voted unanimously to fire the district’s embattled police chief, Pete Arredondo. And by Thursday, the morning after, the mood in town was of head-shaking wonder that it had taken so long. “God’s peace over Uvalde,” Dr. Roy Guerrero, a local pediatrician and activist, posted on Facebook, along with two photos of a double rainbow over the city. Michele Prouty, who lives near Robb Elementary, was among the crowd of about 200 people who erupted in applause when the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District board voted to fire Arredondo.
The Uvalde school board listened to screaming, crying parents of children massacred at Robb Elementary School, spent a short while in executive session, then voted unanimously to fire the district’s embattled police chief, Pete Arredondo. And by Thursday, the morning after, the mood in town was of head-shaking wonder that it had taken so long. “God’s peace over Uvalde,” Dr. Roy Guerrero, a local pediatrician and activist, posted on Facebook, along with two photos of a double rainbow over the city. Michele Prouty, who lives near Robb Elementary, was among the crowd of about 200 people who erupted in applause when the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District board voted to fire Arredondo. The lawyer, George E. Hyde, issued a 17-page statement as Wednesday’s meeting began, saying the hearing was an insufficient forum to clear Arredondo’s name and hinting at a planned lawsuit that would argue that his due process rights under the 14th Amendment had been violated. The district also had failed to guarantee Arredondo’s safety amid common knowledge that people had threatened to kill him, Hyde wrote…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Emails show a top city of Houston director had history of working outside of City Hall in favor of airport businessman (Click2Houston)
The liaison officer between Mayor Sylvester Turner’s office and City Council, who pled guilty to a federal conspiracy charge involving cash bribes from a bar owner, appears to have previously worked to help other private businesses on deals against the best interest of the City of Houston, according to emails obtained by KPRC 2 Investigates. In July, William Paul Thomas, the former Director of City Council Relations, pleaded guilty to helping change the certification of bars to restaurants during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in exchange for money. Thomas’ actions were described as “out of character” by Mayor Sylvester Turner, who admitted he was surprised at the revelations surrounding his former senior advisor. Thomas had announced his resignation the week before the plea became public.
The director of city council relations typically acts as the chief liaison between the mayor and the city council. In 2020, emails obtained by KPRC 2 Investigates through the Texas Public Information Act showed Thomas worked outside of the scope of his role on several occasions. One email showed Thomas in the middle of a massive six-figure offer in exchange for Mayor Turner’s help in the closing of a private land deal for local businessman Jason Yoo. “The email, when I saw it yesterday, based on what you presented, the email was inappropriate,” said Turner back in 2020 in response to KPRC 2?s investigation. Thomas and Yoo declined to comment on the emails back in 2020. They also have not responded to calls or emails made by KPRC 2 Investigates for comment. The money was contingent on getting the Mayor’s “strong help” to close the deal valued at nearly $350 million dollars. The $500,000 to be pulled out of the commission, according to Yoo’s email. The email was sent to Thomas, as well as Andy Icken, a fellow city director within Mayor Turner’s inner circle…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Arabic 'In God We Trust' signs headed to Texas schools — a law requires that they be displayed (Houston Chronicle)
A Florida activist is attempting to give Texas legislators a "teachable moment of inclusion." Following the passage of Senate Bill 797 last year, schools in Texas are now required to display signs with the national motto "In God We Trust" in a public space if the sign is donated or paid for by private donations. The sign must also include the U.S. and Texas flags centered underneath. Earlier this week, Chaz Stevens, an activist in Florida, began donating hundreds of "In God We Trust" posters in Arabic to Texas schools. Stevens is the founder of Mount Jab Church of Mars, a group advocating for the separation of church and state. He said the posters directly translate to the national motto in Arabic. "As we see this Texas legislation as extreme, we're going to push the edges," Stevens wrote in an email.
The campaign has captured the attention of the bill's author, Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes, who said in a tweet Tuesday that the signs don't qualify under the law. A GoFundMe fundraiser for the signs titled "Messing with Texas" has raised $8,000 in two days. The campaign had hoped to raise $250,000 by Wednesday, Stevens said. The money will go toward the Arabic-language posters. Stevens said they will begin by sending the posters to schools in liberal areas determined by COVID-19 vaccination rates, presuming those areas are likely to be more progressive. In a tweet, Stevens said he expects to start with the Austin area and hopefully later target schools in less-vaccinated areas. The goal is to send a minimum of 300 signs, depending on how much money the GoFundMe account raises, Stevens said. The activist said he hired a professional translator based in the Middle East to ensure a direct translation, noting that there was a mistake in the translation on his first attempt. Stevens said one of the reasons Arabic was chosen was because the script is "beautiful."…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Dallas City Council approves racial equity plan critics say lacks specific steps forward (Dallas Morning News)
Dallas City Council on Wednesday approved a modified version of a plan aimed at correcting vast racial and economic inequities experienced by Black and Hispanic residents, many of whom live in the southern and western areas that have been historically segregated by city policy. While community groups and council members acknowledged the city’s first racial equity plan as a step forward to make Dallas a more fair place for all, critics say the plan lacks specific steps for achieving outcomes, is unclear on funding sources and has inconsistent community input processes. “What got approved today was the aspiration. We want to aspire to have these five major things we want to address as a city,” said Raul Reyes Jr., president of the community group West Dallas 1. “But at the end of the day, it’s the work component that is the part that brings about equity.”
The 14-1 vote sends the plan to the city departments and will serve as guidelines to create detailed goals seeking to address racial and economic disparities in housing, wealth, jobs, development, environmental justice, infrastructure, public safety and wellness. Among hundreds of progress measures, the plan targets “equity priority areas” or historically disadvantaged communities with goals to: Increase air quality in city buildings, Double the number of teams monitoring illegal dumping sites Increase outreach to get feedback on the city budget, Decrease arrests for low-level offenses, Increase by 30% the number of bilingual supervisors in the 311 service department by the end of 2026. Ahead of the vote, District 8 councilmember Tennell Atkins lamented Dallas’ “tale of two cities” and the vastly different experiences of people who live in the northern and southern areas. “If we’re going to be one Dallas, we need to share the wealth,” he said, calling this plan a necessary step toward fixing inequities…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
California E.V. mandate finds a receptive auto industry (New York Times)
For years, as California has moved ahead with ambitious clean-air regulations, the state has had to prod the auto industry to go along. Now, in the push to electrify the nation’s car fleet, it is California that is keeping up with automakers. Even before state regulators acted Thursday to ban sales of new internal-combustion vehicles by 2035, Detroit’s Big 3 and their international rivals were setting increasingly aggressive targets for exclusively electric product lines. But while the goals of automakers and regulators are aligned, mass production of affordable electric cars — which requires reconceiving the supply chains and engineering developed for internal-combustion vehicles — will not be easy. The automakers are hurrying to close deals with mining companies and other suppliers that can meet the escalating demand for battery materials.
Some are teaming up with smaller companies to expedite the build-out of a nationwide charging network. And they are breaking up their own corporate structures and refashioning them to ensure that the electric vehicle transition is not held back by the conventions of making gasoline-powered products. “To move everything to E.V.s in California doesn’t seem outlandish and unattainable right now,” said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at Edmunds, an auto-market researcher. “But I’m sure each automaker will face challenges to achieve their targets, and a few may even struggle a bit.” The 2035 mandate, adopted by the California Air Resources Board, adds to momentum for electric cars already coming from the federal government. The climate and energy package signed by President Biden this month expands tax credits available to electric-vehicle buyers, but includes made-in-America requirements for E.V. components that many manufacturers will have trouble achieving…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
LIV golf lobbies up (Politico)
LIV Golf, the controversial golf tour backed by Saudi Arabia, has registered to lobby, according to a Thursday filing.
Hobart Hallaway & Quayle Ventures — the firm of former Rep. Benjamin Quayle (R-Ariz.) — noted it would lobby on “education and issues related to the game of professional golf in the United States and abroad” along with “protecting the rights of professional golfers to play when and where they choose.” Quayle, who lost a primary campaign in 2012 after redistricting and revelations of his involvement with the raunchy controversial website DirtyScottsdale.com, and Rashid Hallaway, a former legislative assistant to former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), will work on the account.
“LIV’s priority as a startup is delivering an innovative and entertaining product to fans,” LIV Golf spokesperson Jonathan Grella said in a statement. “In light of the PGA Tour’s anticompetitive behavior, we have accelerated our plans to educate policymakers on LIV’s business model and mission to grow the game of golf.”…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
[BG PODCAST]
Today's (162) episode features Austin community leader and serial entrepreneur, Terry P. Mitchell.
She and Bingham Group CEO A.J. discuss her path into the business world, and the founding of the Black Leaders Collective->?EPISODE LINK
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