The Week’s Biggest News in Brief: Aug. 27 – Sept. 2

Tarrant County Reduces Voting Locations: With November’s election just two months away, the Republican Party continues working to limit voting access throughout the nation. Most recently, in a 3-2 vote, Tarrant County commissioners approved a new list of polling sites for the election that reduces the amount of available locations to a total of 224, compared to 316 in the 2022 midterms. Voting rights advocates provided testimonies at Tuesday’s meeting, claiming that the change will severely impact voters’ access to cast a ballot. The vote comes after the commissioners tabled the decision at their Aug. 4 meeting, where one speaker was arrested and another who voluntarily left the hearing was arrested a week later.

Trump Gets Involved in Senate Race: Donald Trump made his way to Houston last Thursday, Aug. 27, for a two-day stay, with two goals in mind: praise the members of NASA’s Artemis II and boost Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Ken Paxton as November’s election draws nearer. Recent polling has indicated that his opponent, Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, is pulling away in the race, as Paxton continues to catch backlash for his trip to Iceland on July 4, potentially violating voting laws, offering an attorney charged with sexually abusing a child an incredibly lax plea deal, and refusing to commit to a debate against Talarico. Before making the trip down to Southeast Texas, Trump said that he plans on “spend[ing] a lot of time in Texas” working to help propel Paxton. While Talarico and the Democrats have been outspending the Republican Party in the race, that changed last week, as Republicans spent over $3 million on ads and the Democrats exhausted just over $2.5 million.

Texas Voter Suspense List: More than 1.2 million voters across the state are on Texas’ voter suspense list, likely meaning that those individuals’ residential addresses in the county voter registrar are not up to date. Though the Texas secretary of state said that individuals on the list are still eligible to vote, they likely will need to jump through a few more hoops to get a say in this year’s midterms. Those still living within the county in which they are registered may be required to complete a Statement of Residence before casting a vote. Those no longer living in their registered county may qualify for a limited ballot, which are only available during early voting at the county’s main early voting location. Texans can check their voter status through the state’s Am I Registered? portal. 

Travis County Against Mail-In Ballot Rules: Travis County is fighting to block Trump’s mail-in voting rules that were introduced in March, joining a federal lawsuit against the rule changes, which require the U.S. Postal Service to strictly deliver mail-in or absentee ballots to those included in a “state-specific list.” Outgoing mail-in ballots must be delivered in official envelopes with unique barcodes that track the votes. The rule change was blocked by a federal judge back in June, but was lifted last week by the Supreme Court. Municipalities and voting advocacy groups brought forward the lawsuit, arguing that the rules give the U.S. Postal Service election authority without Congress approval. 

Lake Austin Jet Ski Ban: A petition is currently circulating around town that would ban personal watercrafts on Lake Austin. If the city refuses to adopt a year-round ban, the petition hopes the watercrafts to be prohibited on weekends from April 1 to Oct. 1. Council Member Vanessa Fuentes has acknowledged the petition, stating that she supports evaluating safety risks on the lake.

City Cuts Adult Sports Leagues: The city got to pick and choose what it wants to prioritize in its FY 26-27 budget, recently adopted by City Council. One of the cuts that has sparked public opposition is the discontinuation of all adult indoor sports leagues, which were operated by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department; the cut is expected to save $400,000. Local athletes raised their concerns at the department’s Aug. 24 meeting, hoping there would be a way to save the games. Those advocating for the sports leagues have said that the decision is “lazy and a bad reflection of leadership.” The summer volleyball league will continue for the rest of the season through early October while those who have registered for the fall basketball league will receive full refunds.

Penske Takes Full Ownership of SXSW: Penske Media Corporation is set to hold full ownership of South by Southwest, after 30 stakeholders sold their stake in the longtime Austin-based conference, nearly 40 years after its inception. Among those 30 stakeholders is one of the festival’s co-founders, Nick Barbaro, who also co-founded the Chronicle and currently serves as the publication’s president and sole owner. Read more in Richard Whittaker’s report.

A Stand Against Patrick: Last week, City Council approved a resolution – brought forward by Council Member Krista Laine – declaring Austin Public Library a Book Safe Harbor. The approval comes a week after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that the state is “coming for the books,” stating that public school districts around the state are providing students access to “vulgar” literature. Though Patrick said that these books are not banned in public libraries, Laine fears that some groups would begin to challenge what the public libraries can carry, which is why she brought the resolution forward.

Public Defenders Seek $2 Million: At last week’s Travis County budget hearing, the county’s public defender’s office told the commissioners that it is hoping to land an additional $2 million. $450,000 of that $2 million would go toward raises and retention efforts while the rest of those funds would be used to form a group that would work on felony cases. The county’s preliminary budget for fiscal year 2027 would grant the office around $18 million, which is a $700,000 increase from last year. However, the additional funding is needed, the office says, in order to manage the attorneys’ workloads and retain staff. Travis County is scheduled to finalize its budget on Sept. 29.

Elysium and 13th Floor Property For Sale: After nearly 100 years in the Branton family, 701-713 Red River was listed for sale at a tumultuous time for the entertainment district. Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken will displace Valhalla at 710 Red River at the end of October, cocktail bar Marlow ended a three-year run on Aug. 29, and operations at dual-stage venue Empire came to a sputtering halt in July. Read more in Caroline Drew’s report online. 

AISD Schools Inherit F Ratings: As a potential state takeover hangs over Austin ISD, the Statesman reported that six of the district’s campuses that have received students from failing schools will inherit their four consecutive F ratings. The six campuses are Bailey and Kealing middle schools and Blackshear, Galindo, Guerrero Thompson, and Rodriguez elementary schools. Now, if any of those campuses receive an F rating in 2027, that score will count as a fifth consecutive unacceptable rating. In early August, the Texas Education Agency adopted new rules that outline the rating inheritance, which came after AISD made the last-minute decision to close Paredes Middle School to avoid a fifth consecutive F rating.

Data Center Guidelines Approved on Thursday: At the Aug. 25 City Council work session, Mayor Kirk Watson and the rest of the Council took the first steps toward banning large-scale data centers within city limits. Then during last Thursday’s regular meeting, the Council unanimously approved the resolution, tasking city staff to configure the regulations for the developments. These build-outs have been the cornerstone of conversation for Texans north and south, east and west this past year, as Texas remains among the top states in the nation in terms of data center developments. City staff are expected to gather data and information in order to bring forward an initial set of rules in December. On Wednesday, Sept. 2, community members gathered outside of the Austin Marriott Downtown to protest the rise in data center developments across Central Texas.

Charged Minnesota ICE Agent Released: For the last two weeks, Gov. Greg Abbott has been hard at work making sure that Christian Castro, an ICE agent accused of shooting and injuring a Minneapolis man back in January, won’t be extradited to Minnesota. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit against Abbott and Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Trevino, as the Texas governor worked to stall the process. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez, who was appointed by Trump, rejected the Minnesota officials’ request, stating that there is no requirement for Abbott to make a decision on the situation within a certain time frame. On Thursday, Aug. 27, Castro was released from the Carrizalez-Rucker Cameron County Detention Center, now leaving Ellison and others worried that he will avoid prosecution. “Greg Abbott is turning Texas into a sanctuary state for violent criminals,” the A.G. said in a statement. “But regardless of today’s ruling, Christian Castro will not escape justice in Minnesota.”

Racist, Homophobic Tweets Resurfaced: Jorge Borrego, the first-time GOP candidate for Texas House District 118, has been under fire the last week after racist and homophobic tweets that he posted a little over a decade ago resurfaced. Among the posts, Borrego used homophobic and racist slurs, alluded to selling drugs, made sexually aggressive remarks toward his now-wife, and attributed a fake quote to Hitler. When the news first broke, Borrego responded, saying, “I was 16 lol.” As he continued to catch heat, he decided to apologize for his previous comments, stating that the posts were a form of dark humor he used to deal with past traumas and he has since matured. Borrego is currently facing Democrat Kristian Carranza for the San Antonio seat. 

Deported U.S. Citizen Returns: According to Statesman reporting, a 25-year-old Austinite and U.S. citizen was allowed to return to the country from Mexico after he was deported in April. The individual was removed from the U.S. after he was detained at a Fredericksburg traffic stop and local law enforcement did not believe that he was a legal citizen. The Austinite’s attorneys – Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, Dicky Grigg, and Chad Dunn – filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security that challenged his deportation, providing documentation that confirmed his citizenship. He has since been allowed to return to the States as the legal battle continues.

Local Nurses Against Palantir: Austin nurses came together in South Austin last Thursday, Aug. 27, to protest artificial intelligence firm Palantir’s technology being used in healthcare facilities. The Austin-based demonstration was a microcosm of the fight against the company, as demonstrations were held in major cities throughout the nation. In Austin, the nurses gathered outside offices of 8VC, a venture capital firm whose co-founder – Joe Lonsdale – is connected to Palantir. Palantir has since said that its software has assisted hospitals in reducing sepsis deaths and gets patients care quicker. U.S. Rep. Greg Casar was seen at the protest, encouraging individuals to continue to raise their concerns against AI.

Big Bend Border Protests Continue: The No Big Bend Wall Coalition hosted a virtual press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 2, continuing to push back against border construction within the region that includes Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. Advocates, local officials, and law enforcement leaders spoke at the presser, took the opportunity to continue voicing concerns regarding the construction in the region, stating that given the area’s isolation, rough terrain, steep canyons, and low apprehensions, there is no need for a border wall in the area. The meeting comes after a pause on construction in the area was extended by a U.S. district judge. 

AFD Appoints Interim Fire Chief: Early last month, former Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker announced that he was resigning from the position, after serving as the city’s first Black fire chief since joining the Austin Fire Department in 2018. Tom Vocke, who has three decades’ worth of experience in the field, stepped in as interim fire chief on Sept. 1, as the department continues to search for a permanent replacement. City Council honored Baker for his service and confirmed Vocke’s appointment at its Aug. 27 meeting. Mosaic Public Partners, an executive recruiting firm, has been tasked with finding the permanent fire chief.

Community Acknowledges Overdose Awareness Day: VOCAL-TX and the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance hosted a demonstration at Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center on Monday, Aug. 31, to observe the 25th anniversary of International Overdose Awareness Day. Leaders from both groups as well as Council members Mike Siegel and Vanessa Fuentes and Travis County District Attorney José Garza spoke at the event, addressing the Trump administration’s “Treatment First” overdose plan.  

City Awards 34 Orgs: $102,000 is being distributed to 34 community-led projects from Austin Climate Action and Resilience as part of the Food and Climate Equity Grants Program, which allows up to $3,000 in grants to be provided to local organizations focused on creating solutions to improve the local food system and confront environmental inequalities.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Texans don’t take kindly to cheating. We’re getting ready to retire Republicans statewide, and today just gave every voter in Texas another reason to show up.”

Democratic Lt. Gov. candidate Vikki Goodwin on Tarrant County slashing nearly 30% of its polling locations