Open carry without a permit
Texas is set to become the largest state to allow the open carrying of handguns without a permit. For the first time since 1871 Texans will be allowed to carry handguns in public without a license. Governor Abbott has said he’ll sign House Bill 1927 into law. The state house passed it on Sunday and the Senate on Monday. Senator Charles Schwertner sponsored it.
“This bill, to me again, is a simple restoration of Texans constitutional right under the Second Amendment, a right of the people to keep and bear arms,” says Schwertner.
Democrats argued it will make Texans and police less safe.
Among the democrats who argue that the state will be less safe because of the gun bill is Round Rock Representative James Talarico. He says even cops don’t like this bill.
“Law enforcement leaders across the state has said this will make our communities less safe. And yet too many of my republican colleagues who claim to back the blue have ignored the blue,” says Talarico.
But if Governor Abbott signs the bill, which is widely expected he will, Texas will become the 21st state to have constitutional carry.
Backlash about job posting
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza speaking out over the backlash his office is getting about a job posting in the civil rights unit. That post is seeking out applicants who actively want to prosecute cops. Garza tells CBS Austin that the unit was started by the previous DA and it’s very understaffed right now.
“We simply need additional attorneys to handle all the cases of police misconduct in our community,” says Garza.
He says there’s a backlog of cases that needs to be cleared, but critics say the job posting exposes Garza’s anti-police bias by seeking out activists who will not focus on the law in general, but rather only police.
The Austin Police Association is still sounding the alarm over staffing after it took 16 minutes for an officer to arrive at the scene of a man who was shot in the head on Sunday. Austin Mayor Steve Adler says, even with fewer police, Austin is still not a dangerous place to live.
“There are lots of alarming things in public safety. There’s a lot of things that are not as well. Austin continues to be one of the safest cities in the country. It’s important to remember that,” says Adler.
But he does acknowledge the response time issue is a concern. So he says, the city council will be taking a look at that.
Designated campsite locations
Some community leaders are crying foul play over some of the proposed designated campsites. Mayor Pro TEM Natasha Harper-Madison says the list of possible locations is predominantly in low income and black and brown neighborhoods, and as things stand, she doesn’t know if there will be one designated encampment in each city council district.
“I think, given the nature of the city that we live in, things will always probably to some degree be lopsided,” says Harper-Madison.
Other black Austin leaders say it is unfair that the system that has been neglecting their communities are now leaning on their neighborhoods for this process.
Austin airport COVID case
Case of COVID grinds operations to a halt at the control tower for Austin’s airport. The FAA says it ordered the tower closed to be disinfected after a case of COVID was found and that led to a lot of afternoon delays for passengers flying into and out of Austin. Normal operations, though, have since resumed.
In person graduation ceremonies
The Austin School district will hold its graduation ceremonies in person, but they will be held outdoors and people will be kept six feet apart. Graduation ceremonies will run from May 28 to June 3 at the Toney Burger Center, House Park and Nelson field. Kids can invite eight people each, but all who are invited have to come from the same household.
Rail station at Q2 Stadium
Capital Metro Board of directors gives the go ahead for a new rail station at Q2 Stadium. The Austin FC Soccer Club will pay an initial $640,000 for the station construction and then it will pay Cap Metro $3 million a year for 15 years after construction is slated to begin next March.
Hamilton Pool
And as temperatures rise, a favorite swimming hole among central Texans will remain off limits for the foreseeable future. Travis County Parks Department says large rocks have been falling off the cliff side in Hamilton Pool as a result of the February storm geologists are assessing the issue, but the county says Hamilton Pool make may be closed for the entire summer.
This news and more on News Radio KLBJ:
https://omny.fm/shows/klbjam-flash-briefing-1/am-newscast-5-25-21
