Memorial Day is a day to honor American soldiers, particularly the men and women who died serving in the armed forces. (Article by Daily Herald, republished from http://www.austindailyherald.com/2016/06/editorial-set-politics-aside-for-a-higher-cause/) That’s why we were disappointed when a Memorial Day speaker in Austin spent more time voicing political views than speaking about veterans and their sacrifice. A featured speaker […]

Billionaire reality TV star Mark Cuban was asked last Sunday if he would run for president as a Libertarian. And like a majority of Americans, he admitted he didn’t really know where the party stands on issues. (Article by Ben Kamisar, republished from http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/281399-5-things-the-libertarian-party-stands-for) Thanks to how unpopular the likely Democratic and Republican nominees are, top […]

Texas and 10 other states filed suit Wednesday against the Obama administration over its directive on transgender student access to public school facilities, firing the first shot in what is likely to be a protracted and messy legal battle over that guidance. (Article by FoxNews.com, republished from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/05/25/eleven-states-sue-over-obama-administrations-transgender-directive.html?intcmp=hplnws) The suit was filed in a Texas federal […]

Yes, there was life before Uber and Lyft, and life can go on after. There was also life before the wheel, before electricity, and before high speed internet, but no one wants to go back to living like cavemen, in the dark, with dial up. (Article by Ellen Troxclair, repbulished from http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/opinion/ellen-troxclair-austin-is-chasing-its-tail-on-ride/nrQnW/) We can argue about […]

The Obama administration is telling public schools that they must allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity. (Article by Kxan, republished from http://kxan.com/2016/05/12/obama-admin-to-direct-schools-on-transgender-bathroom-access/) The directive is in formal guidance being sent to school districts Friday by the departments of Education and Justice. The letter does not impose any new […]

If you’re an elected official, be wary. The effort to recall Austin City Council Member Ann Kitchen is just the beginning. We’ve entered a new era of accountability, and, like it or not, this is what democracy looks like. (Article by Max Borders, republished from http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/opinion/borders-kitchen-recall-effort-is-what-real-democra/nqckq/) Austinites who have signed petition for Kitchen’s recall have decided […]

A Harris County constable chief deputy who narrowly missed making the runoff in the Precinct 3 constable’s primary election earlier this month has sued the top two vote-getters, seeking to annul the results because of alleged violations of election law. (Article by Mihir Zaveri, republished from http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Constable-candidate-alleges-voter-fraud-in-Harris-6920866.php?t=98ffb7d9e8438d9cbb&cmpid=twitter-premium) Jasen Rabalais, chief deputy over community services and the […]

The debate over regulating companies like Uber and Lyft looks likely to move from the local to the state level in Texas, although how big a discussion it will be remains to be seen. (Article by Kiah Collier, republished from https://www.texastribune.org/2016/05/08/top-senator-announces-ridesharing-legislation/) On Sunday, the day after Austin voters soundly rejected a measure to overturn city protocols for […]

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) — The Supreme Court is hearing arguments Monday in a lawsuit led by Texas to counter President Obama’s executive actions on immigration. (Article by Claire Ricke, republished from http://kxan.com/2016/04/18/texas-leads-fight-against-obamas-immigration-plan/) Obama’s plan could temporarily shield more than four million immigrant families from deportation. Texas and 25 other states are not happy about this proposed plan. […]

On Friday, the Austin city clerk tossed a petition to recall District 5 Councilwoman Ann Kitchen on a technicality, arguing that each of the document’s 989 pages did not include a notarized affidavit. The petition met two of the three requirements: 10 percent of eligible voters in Kitchen’s district signed the petition (it actually exceeded […]