Austin Journal

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Local Government

'Redistricting is the ballgame': Texas to gain two new House seats based on Census data

Recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau has revealed that the state’s population growth will result in two new U.S. House seats.


Local Government

Ginn: It's time to ease Texas' property tax burden

Texas will reduce its onerous property tax burden. It’s a matter of when, not if, Texas Public Policy Foundation chief economist Vance Ginn predicts.


Local Government

City of Austin City Council Will Meet Aug. 24

City of Austin City Council Will Meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24.


Local Government

City of Austin City Council and Travis County Commissioners Court Will Meet Aug. 24

City of Austin City Council and Travis County Commissioners Court Will Meet at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 24.


Local Government

City of Austin Housing and Planning Committee Met May 3

City of Austin Housing and Planning Committee Met Monday, May 3.



Local Government

City of Austin Audit And Finance Committee Met May 26

City of Austin Audit And Finance Committee Met Wednesday, May 26.


Local Government

City of Austin City Council Will Meet Aug. 26

City of Austin City Council Will Meet at 10 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 26.


Local Government

Absent Texas Democrats still collect per diem during special sessions at the cost of Texas taxpayers

In July, 61 Texas House Democrats left Texas for Washington, D.C. to avoid voting on a reform bill. As they remain absent, representatives are still being paid their per diem.


Local Government

City of Austin Housing Finance Corporation Board of Directors Will Meet Aug. 26

City of Austin Housing Finance Corporation Board of Directors Will Meet at 10:30 a.m., Monday, Aug. 26.


Local Government

Honest Elections Project's Snead: U.S. House will 'weaponize progressive litigation machine' under guise of fighting voter discrimination

House Democrats said they will vote next week on legislation that would require certain states to preclear changes to their voting laws with federal authorities.


Local Government

'It shows the legislative process works': TPPF applauds work of Texas Senate on election legislation

The Texas Senate’s approval of sweeping election legislation last week was a civics lesson for House Democrats who a month earlier fled the state to prevent the measures from making it to the governor, said Chad Ennis, senior fellow for the Election Protection Project at the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation.


Local Government

McCaul refers to crisis in Afghanistan as 'a stain' on Biden's presidency

Texas Republican Congressman Michael McCaul, who leads Republicans on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, posted a scathing tweet on President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.


Local Government

Former UT Regent Wallace Hall to match Crime Stopper reward for arrest of missing state lawmakers

Former University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall intends to match the reward offered by the Texas Government Crime Stoppers for information leading to the arrest of State Representatives who are missing from the House Chamber.


Local Government

Crime Stopper Organization offers $2,500 reward for whereabouts of missing Democratic lawmakers

The Texas-based office of Government Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of lawmakers who have fled the state House chamber.


Local Government

Austin implements policies to bring back families of color, reverse historical 'displacement caused by the city and other government entities'

The City of Austin is trying to bring black and brown families back to the East Austin area in an effort to slow gentrification in the region.


Local Government

State ponders overhaul of the electric grid, hopes to 'reallocate payments to most reliable source of power'

The February winter storm that exposed weaknesses in the state’s electrical grid, leaving much of the state’s residents to deal with subzero temperatures without electricity, could soon be overhauled.


Local Government

New poll shows more than 80% Americans 'worried' about China's influence

A new poll by the Convention of States Action, with The Trafalgar Group in partnership, shows in surveys done July 12 and July 13 of over 1,000 likely 2022 election voters, that 81% of Americans are concerned about the influence of China in the U.S.


Local Government

Texas, Connecticut's voting laws share common ground despite one being called an 'assault on democracy'

Texas has fallen under scrutiny after being accused of practicing voter suppression, but similar voting laws in Connecticut indicate the commonality in state guidelines across the country.


Local Government

'This is a post-pandemic recovery': McCaul criticizes new CDC advisory to wear masks again

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Austin) has criticized the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).