Lawmakers in the House Committee on State Affairs unanimously rejected House Bill 274 yesterday that would have dissolved Austin’s city government and replaced it with a state-controlled “District of Austin.”
They not only rejected it, they laughed at it.
Houston-area state Rep. Briscoe Cain was the bill’s author which faced skepticism even from his fellow Republicans, particularly given its companion bill for a statewide vote.
A similar bill was filed in 2022, and this measure could be added to other bills before the Texas Legislature’s regular session concludes in May.
Austin City Council meets today. Among the more than 100 items on its agenda:
— A vote on expanding the areas of Austin officially designated as being at risk of wildfire damage. (Austin American-Statesman)
— A vote on extending the city’s license plate reader program. (CBS Austin)
— Approving contracts for the Austin Convention Center Redevelopment and Expansion Project.
Today’s session can be watched live or on replay here.
Former Austin Mayor and Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton died around noon Wednesday at her home in Tarrytown.
One person was reportedly injured after a shooting Wednesday night in Pflugerville. (KVUE-TV)
Two Mustang Ridge police officers and a hospital nurse were slightly injured by a violent suspect in custody Wednesday.
Authorities in Elgin have released new information regarding a more than 40-year-old cold case.
Did the Elgin Fire Department miss an opportunity to solve this case three years ago?
Austin police are addressing the rising number of car burglaries and the crime rate near UT Austin and West Austin communities. (Fox7 Austin)
Could Travis County taxpayers be on the hook for missed deadlines by District Attorney José Garza that have left defendants sitting in jail?
A lawsuit was filed Wednesday by two people injured in the Interstate 35 crash on March 13 that killed five and injured at least 11, naming several parties, including Amazon, as defendants. (KXAN-TV)
A 38-year-old Austin man has been arrested and charged with distributing cocaine. (Fox7 Austin)
CapMetro says it cannot quantify revenue losses from fare collection glitches that began in 2023 and included a month-long outage last year. After severing ties with the system provider, they launched a new fare platform this month. (KUT 90.5)
Round Rock-based tech giant Dell Technologies Inc. reduced its global workforce by 10% — or by 12,000 employees — over the past 12 months, its second 10% decline in as many years. (Austin Business Journal)
The 183A toll road extension project, aimed at easing traffic congestion, is facing delays.
Meanwhile, the project to extend the US 290 toll road into Elgin takes another step forward.
WEATHER
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Sen. John Cornyn announced Wednesday his 2026 bid for a fifth term, emphasizing his support for Donald Trump and criticizing Joe Biden’s policies, as he has for weeks.
Reaction from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton:
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred is “seriously considering” running against Cornyn.
U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman, in a significant 91-page decision issued Wednesday, deemed the Texas prison system’s practice of housing inmates in non-air-conditioned, extremely hot facilities as ‘plainly unconstitutional’. (Texas Tribune)
The Texas branch of the NAACP has joined a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Education Department and Education Secretary Linda McMahon, arguing that President Donald Trump’s order to begin dismantling the federal agency violates the Constitution. (Austin American-Statesman)
A state lawmaker is calling on the Legislature to “completely” defund the University of Texas if it doesn’t shutter its Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department and LGBTQ studies program, which he has decried as liberal indoctrination that taxpayers should not fund. (Austin American-Statesman)
Texas could soon have its own state efficiency office inspired by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
No more paper! The Texas DMV will replace paper tags with metal plates.
SPORTS
MLB: Both the Texas Rangers and Houstin Astros open their 2025 seasons at home today.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Sean Miller was formally introduced as the new head coach of the Texas Longhorns basketball team.
Texas Tech takes the court today in the Sweet 16.
NBA: The Mavericks, Rockets and Spurs are back in action tonight after a day off Wednesday.
NHL: Jason Robertson had a natural hat trick in the second period and the Dallas Stars held off the short-handed Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Wednesday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Dallas remains in Canada to face Calgary tonight.
As reported earlier, former Austin Mayor and Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn has died.
A video retrospective…
