Unicameral legislature of Austin, Texas
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At the beginning of April, Austin City Council learned that they'd be facing a $33.4 million budget deficit that's only expected to get larger. Meanwhile, council members finally made a plan to accept $32 million in grant money to replace the bridge over Barton Springs, and add a cool $8 million of the city's own. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Amy Stansbury, editor-in-chief of The Austin Common, to talk about all that — plus why outreach teams are crucial to the city's homelessness response, what we're doing with a new batch of EPA money, the future for historic Palm Park, and a new AC rule that will keep all Austinites cool this summer. Learn more about the sponsors of this April 30th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Visit Port Aransas Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE
AISD officials continue to blame the state for poor results and the possible closing of Dobie Middle School, the Austin City Council is expected to approve the purchase of an office building for $26 million and Travis County officials report a 36% drop in fentanyl deaths.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
UT officials are speaking out against local prosecutors after a man was arrested and released from jail three times for assaulting multiple UT students, there's been at least half a dozen reports in Williamson County over the past month of attempted kidnappings and the Austin City Council has approved an extension of funding to the Austin Police Department's Auto Burglary & Theft Interdiction Project.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Austin City Council has passed amendments to the city building code including the allowance of single staircase apartment complexes and the requirement of AC units in every dwelling, parents are speaking out against the possible closure of Dobie Middle School in AISD and legislation is being filed to allow guns on the Texas State Fair grounds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Austin City Council is considering imposing a regulation on housing developers that would require AC units in every dwelling, a school choice voucher bill has advanced to the full Texas House floor and former Austin Police officer Justin Berry's nomination for a second term to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement has been narrowly confirmed in the Texas Senate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Multiple shootings occurred in Austin on Sunday, one that claimed a life in south Austin and another that left 4 people injured in a bar on Sixth Street, the Austin City Council is looking to fill "budget asteroids" ahead of the 2026 city budget and school districts in Texas are scrambling to fill budget shortfalls as there's heightened scrutiny about the high salaries of district superintendents. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Austin City Council has approved the extension of the program using automatic license plate readers, the Austin school district is scrambling to cut costs to rectify an over $100 million budget deficit and an insurance company was found hiring private investigators to follow Texas state lawmakers and their spouses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Austin City Council will vote today on extending the use of automatic license plate readers for law enforcement as well as voting on a five-year strategic plan for the city's animal shelter and an alleged top leader for the MS-13 gang was arrested by federal officials in Virginia this morning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Austin City Council is set to vote tomorrow on whether to continue using automatic license plate readers, the Pecan Street Festival announced it will be moving to Bee Cave following recent developments on Sixth Street and Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett is facing backlash after making comments mocking Texas Governor Greg Abbott's disability. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Delia Garza, Travis County Attorney and first Latina to serve on Austin City Council, as Austin Mayor Pro Tem and County Attorney.Watch and subscribe on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BAgAZF6IjOQ
The Austin City Council is set to vote on whether to spend millions on updating the art at ABIA, one of the truckers who was part of the deadly wreck near Parmer & 35 last week is speaking out and and a Texas State Representative has filed legislation that would abolish Texas Parks & Wildlife.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
San Marcos City Councilman Mark Gleason talks about the new tool the city is using to crack down on habitual parking offenders, Texas State Rep. Ellen Troxclair discusses her newly proposed legislation regarding Project Connect and the Austin City Council has delayed a vote on funding cap & stitch, blaming the Trump administration.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stories we're following at Progress Texas:Huge shoutout to Houston Congressman Al Green, who defied Donald Trump to his face before being ejected from last night's speech before Congress: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/texas-al-green-removed-trump-address-20203096.php...Unfortunately, much of the rest of the Democratic response while Trump trolled and insulted them was anemic at best: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/05/democrats-reaction-trump-addressAustin Rep. Greg Casar has been active in his opposition to Elon Musk - opposition that dates back to his days on the Austin City Council: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/05/greg-casar-elon-musk-texas-clash-dc/The Texas Progressive Caucus has endorsed Texas Democratic Party Vice Chair for Finance and Dallas Central Appraisal District board member Kendall Scudder to succeed Gilberto Hinojosa as the next Chair of the state party: https://www.texasprogressivecaucus.org/This year's Amplify Austin Day starts TONIGHT, Wednesday March 5 at 6pm, and continues through the same hour on Thursday March 6! A small donation goes a long way towards keeping this podcast coming every morning, and we'd appreciate the support: https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-instituteThe merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at https://store.progresstexas.org/.We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at https://bsky.app/profile/progresstexas.bsky.social.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
The Austin City Council has decided to hold off on implementing new regulations on short-term rentals, Bastrop ISD is working to equip all its school buses with seatbelts after a tragic bus crash left one student dead and the second phase of the I-35 Capital Express Project is underway.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In hour one, Mark, Melynda and Ed talk about the Austin City Council's statement on "keeping Austin safe & vibrant," peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, and how the Democrats are trying to keep DOGE from doing its job.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Austin City Council approved a rule to make parking in bike lanes illegal, RFK Jr was confirmed as White House Health Secretary, Gov. Abbott's property tax relief bill was approved by the Texas Senate, and DOGE continues its investigation into the USAID.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Austin City Council is looking at codifying more protections for cyclists in the city parking code, the council's also looking at streamlining the process for dividing single-family lots to build more housing units and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick wants to crackdown on marijuana this legislative session.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In hour one, Mark, Melynda and Ed talk about Trump's plans for the Gaza strip and Hamas, Austin City Council having a meeting about how to improve the safety of bikers, and Trump's approval rate for the first few weeks of his Presidency.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ellen Troxclair is an American small business owner and politician who is a member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 19. A member of the Republican Party, Troxclair was the youngest woman ever elected to the Austin City Council, where she served the 8th district from 2015 to 2019.
In hour two, Melynda, Ed and Kenny talk about how to prevent wild fires from occurring in the Austin area, the Austin City Council announcing that the homeless situation in our city will become a "financial priority," and an Apelet Court in Louisiana that found it unconstitutional to ban the sale of handguns to persons under the age of 21.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Austin City Council met behind closed doors with legal council about federal immigration policies, a bomb threat is under investigation at Georgetown High School and Robert F. Kennedy's confirmation hearing for Secretary of Health & Human Services begins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark and Melinda finish off the week by going live as Trump meets Newson in Los Angeles before his damage tour of the California wildfires. Also they touch on Austin City Council telling APD how to handle mental health crisis calls, and school vouchers with the caller debating public vs private vs homeschooling.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In hour four, Mark and Melynda talk about screen time for kids in school being too high, what Trump said during the World Economic Forum, and what the Austin City Council is planning for the homeless within the next ten years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tonight's the first night that Sixth Street will be open to traffic as part of the city's plan to improve public safety downtown, some Austin City Council members are concerned about state representatives trying to block Project Connect and the newly negotiated ceasefire deal has been delayed by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Texas Representative Dustin Burrows has been elected as the House Speaker for the new Texas Legislature, the Austin City Council is expected to put a $2 billion dollar climate bond package on the November ballot & Eanes ISD will close an elementary school due to budget cuts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As the California wildfires rage, including a brand new fire in Ventura County, there are concerns about Austin's readiness to deal with a wildfire should one occur. We speak with Austin Fire Union leader Bob Nix, retired AFD Battalion Chief Randy Desner and former Austin City Council member Don Zimmerman. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Three new Austin City Council members will be sworn in today, a bill has been proposed in the Texas Legislature that would prevent any type of a ban on guns on government property & a troubling report alleging that violence between teachers & students is on the rise and is not investigated thoroughly. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In our last Friday News Roundup of 2024, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to break down Austin City Council's final meeting of 2024, during which members gave a pretty big gift to Preservation Austin by designating a building on East 12th Street as a landmark. Plus, we talk about how the Vox Media layoffs are affecting our pals at Eater Austin, and how we're spending New Year's Eve in Austin. Learn more about the sponsor of this December 20th episode: Tecovas Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Republican House Rep. Ryan Guillen of Rio Grande City in Starr County is excited that a new concentration facility for migrants rounded up by Donald Trump's deportation operation will provide economic opportunities for his county: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2024/12/16/potential-trump-texas-deportation-partnership-puts-spotlight-on-rural-starr-county/ Ken Paxton has sued a doctor in New York for providing abortion medication to a woman in Texas - a potentially pivotal test of anti-abortion states to impact doctors in pro-choice states with broad implications for telemedicine in general: https://www.reuters.com/legal/texas-ag-sues-new-york-doctor-over-abortion-pill-prescription-2024-12-13/ Paxton is also celebrating putting the brakes on Harris County's second attempt at a guaranteed income program to help its most vulnerable families: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/article/harris-county-ken-paxton-guarenteed-income-19981432.php ...While the Austin City Council sends funding through September to a homeless support center that's been under fire lately by Paxton: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/homeless/sunrise-homeless-navigation-center-funding-austin/269-32e64823-8d05-4b49-ad4d-bd70a69c8883 Lt. Governor Dan Patrick's fury against THC products could end up hurting the small number of Texans who have qualified for medical cannabis via our state's stingy "compassionate use" program: https://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/marijuana-thc-ban-texas-19978031.php Our second holiday party for 2024 is TONIGHT in Dallas! Individual tickets are on sale here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/progress-texas-holiday-parties-2024 Holiday shopping for your progressive pals is easy and fun at our web store! Grab your goodies at https://store.progresstexas.org/. We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at @progresstexas.bsky.social. Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at https://progresstexas.org.
November has come and gone, but we're still voting in Travis County — there's a runoff election in three area races, so don't shirk your civic duty! For this week's Friday News Roundup, KXAN's city hall reporter, Grace Reader, joins host Nikki DaVaughn and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec in breaking down the races on the ballot: An Austin Independent School District school board seat, Austin City Council's District 7 seat, and Manor's mayor. Plus, we talk about these freezing temperatures we're suddenly having after a record-breaking fall, and our weekend picks. Plus, stick around after the roundup for our Don't Go Gently tip for this weekend. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about the sponsor of this December 13th episode: Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa
New Jersey residents are frustrated by the lack of answers regarding mysterious drone sightings at night, the Austin City Council will vote today on approving construction of a new peaking power plant and 35 Del Valle ISD employees are suing the school district after multiple staff restrooms were discovered to have cameras in them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Send us a textEpisode 104 | Krista Laine, newly elected to Austin City Council for District Six, discusses her background and plans for the district. Born in Houston, Texas, in 1974, she represents a diverse, suburban area with challenges due to its split between Williamson and Travis Counties. Lane emphasizes improving city services, particularly 911 response times and multimodal transportation access. She highlights the need for affordable housing, especially near the Lakeline station, and the importance of community engagement. Lane aims to enhance public safety, transportation, and housing affordability while maintaining neighborhood stability and providing choices for residents. She also stresses the importance of joy and community connection in her role.Support the show
On today's Friday News Roundup, the City Cast Austin team discusses several headlines that caught our eye: What the Texas Democratic Party chairman said that led to him stepping down, Austin City Council finally wrote a check to the Red River Cultural District, and — no joke — The Onion has purchased local conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars. Plus, host Nikki DaVaughn, Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw, and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec share what they're getting into this weekend. And, stick around after the roundup for our Don't Go Gently tip for this weekend, sponsored by Tecovas. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE
This hour, Mark, Melinda, and Ed discuss the rise of the 4B movement, Austin City Council's decision to fund out-of-state abortions, and certain colleges deciding to stop providing unpopular majors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We continue to talk about the police contract vote on the Austin City Council and Kamala Harris failed to convince voters in a recent CNN town hall. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We continue to cover the 2024 Pres Election and the Austin City Council is being pressured to vote no on a new police contract. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Half of the seats on the Austin City Council are up for election this year, and let's be honest, these are the races where local voters have the most impact and are also impacted the most. To break down everything Austin voters need to know about the races for council districts 2, 4, 6, 7, and 10, executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec is joined by Liz Pagano of the Austin Monitor. And for more on these important races, check out the Monitor's reporting, and the League of Women Voters Austin Area's voters guide. Plus, stay tuned after Liz's interview for a special segment: A mile in their boots, where we feature the unsung heroes of Austin. Today, we'll hear from Lauren Hartnett, who is a huge part of the magic of Cherrywood's Halloween parade and festivities. We'd like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE
In our fourth episode featuring interviews with mayoral candidates, host Nikki DaVaughn interviews Kathie Tovo, who's no stranger to Austin City Hall. After years serving on neighborhood associations and the Austin Neighborhood Council, Tovo was elected to the Austin City Council and served from 2011 to 2023. She is also a lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin's School of Architecture. You can find our previous Mayoral Monday episodes here: Jeffery Bowen, Doug Greco, and Carmen Llanes Pulido. Our final interview will be out soon. We'd like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE
The Austin City Council is considering a new police contract and Bitcoin mining is a problem in Texas? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Council Member Mackenzie Kelly sat down with the APA to discuss her first term in office and what her goals are for a second term. https://www.mackenzie4austin.com/
Austin City Council has adopted the budget for next fiscal year — and it's a measly $5.9 billion. To fund it, the average homeowner is expected to see an increase in fees and taxes of $30 a month. And what will it be paying for? There are employee raises, police department increases, and new line items for addressing homelessness, increased money for maintenance at parks, and the Austin Animal Center, and more. In today's episode, host Nikki DaVaughn follows up on an earlier episode previewing the budget debate and is joined again by Amy Stansbury, editor-in-chief of The Austin Common. We'd like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE
Welcome to BG Podcast Episode 265! On this episode Bingham Group CEO A.J. Bingham and Associate Hannah Garcia wrap up the week of August 12, 2024 in Austin politics, and discuss the week ahead. Discussion Highlights include:
Ellen Troxclair is a former Austin City Council member and currently serves as a member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 19. She is also a new Regents parent. In this conversation, Rep. Troxclair sits down with Director of Advancement Kirk Avery to discuss the negative impact phones are having on children in the classroom.
Since he was first elected to the Austin City Council ten years ago in 2014, Houston native Greg Casar has emerged as one of our state's most respected progressive leaders, and since 2022 has been pushing hard for progress in Texas in the U.S. House, where he's currently the second-youngest member of that entire esteemed body. Join us for a great conversation on his experience so far in D.C., how it has inspired him to keep fighting for his folks back home, and how Texas progressives should both buckle down and buck up about the work at hand, even when the battles seem tough - let's play the long game and win the war. Learn more about Congressman Greg Casar at https://casar.house.gov/. Thanks for listening! Your donations and your purchases from our web store help Progress Texas continue our important work, and we appreciate it very much. Come see us at https://progresstexas.org/.
For this week's Friday News Roundup, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by producer Elissa Rozentuller and Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw to talk about the story on everyone's mind in Texas this week: Hurricane Beryl. Also, Austin City Council is back from their summer break, and they've got a lot of work to do. Finally, we discuss: Did USA Today miss the mark on their recent ranking of the best fries in town? We'd like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE
Alex is an Austin comedian, rapper, podcaster, and epic troll. We talk about who is rotten on Austin City Council (and how to change that), the intoxicating effect of power, the art and importance of trolling, and how conservatives are currently being pump-faked. ALEX STRENGER IG: https://www.instagram.com/showtimealexstrenger/ LINKS: https://linktr.ee/AlexStrenger
Austin City Council just voted to become a sanctuary city for "gender-affirming" care for minors. Mark Hamill led The White House press briefing today to lie to the American people about the job Sleepy Creepy has done. In 2023 the federal government gave $7 billion dollars to all of the woke University's. Plus more on this episode.
Cities are grappling with enforcing parking restrictions in bike lanes. Why is this dangerous? How can we fix it? Are citizen bounty programs the answer? Also, Louis speaks to the Austin City Council about this very issue.
Welcome to BG Podcast Episode 237! On this episode the Bingham Group CEO A.J. and Consultant Chris Stewart, former Austin Chief Information Officer (2020 to 2023), discuss Item 24 on the Austin City Council's February 15th agenda. The item calls for the City Council to, "Approve a resolution regarding transparent and ethical citywide artificial intelligence guidelines and procedures, accountability strategies, and workforce considerations." Among other directives to the City Manager, the resolution calls for the guidelines to include (but are not limited) to the following principles:
Ellen Troxclair says she never intended to run for public office. She was busy growing her small real estate business in Texas, but grew frustrated by the high property taxes that were keeping buyers out of the market. Troxclair ran for public office, becoming the youngest-ever elected woman, and lone conservative, on the Austin City Council. During her time there, she was successful in bringing property tax relief to Austin residents.In 2022, voters elected Troxclair to the Texas House of Representatives, where she again advocated tax relief and helped pass what was called the largest property tax cut in U.S. history. Her desire to solve the practical problems facing her community not only led Troxclair to serve in public office, but to write the book “Step Up!: How To Advocate Like a Woman,” encouraging other women to be part of the solution to local problems. Troxclair joins the “Problematic Women” podcast to share her story, discuss the role of local political leaderss, and offer first-time homebuyers some real estate advice. Get Ellen's book here: https://www.ellentroxclair.com/orderEnjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.