Jun 19, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Houston mayor: Defunding Houston police isn't the answer

Screenshot: Axios Events

Cutting the police budget isn't the answer in Houston, rather, a greater investment must be made in underserved communities, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said on Friday during an Axios virtual event.

What he's saying: "Houston has underfunded our police for years," Turner said. He recently signed an executive order that included a ban on police use of chokeholds or strangleholds. However, he stressed, "that's the first step. I don't want anyone to assume the executive order we put in place, which was significant, is the end of the line."

  • "What I believe people are asking for is good policing. They are asking for a police system that is accountable. They're also going beyond that."
  • "They want us to be investing in communities and neighborhoods that've been overlooked and underinvested in for decades."
  • Turner also said they are preparing to implement additional reforms that will be citizen-driven.

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Austin to cut $150 million from police budget

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Why it matters: Austin is the first of Texas's four largest cities to slash its police funding, per the Tribune. The cut is also one of the biggest percentage decreases in the U.S. this year.

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Biden: The next president should decide on Ginsburg’s replacement

Joe Biden. Photo: Drew Angerer / Getty Images

Joe Biden is calling for the winner of November's presidential election to select Ruth Bader Ginsburg's replacement on the Supreme Court.

What he's saying: "[L]et me be clear: The voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider," Biden said. "This was the position the Republican Senate took in 2016 when there were almost 10 months to go before the election. That's the position the United States Senate must take today, and the election's only 46 days off.

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Mike Allen, Jim VandeHei, Margaret Talev
Updated 8 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump, McConnell to move fast to replace Ginsburg

Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Trump will move within days to nominate his third Supreme Court justice in just three-plus short years — and shape the court for literally decades to come, top Republican sources tell Axios.

Driving the news: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans are ready to move to confirm Trump's nominee before Election Day, just 46 days away, setting up one of the most consequential periods of our lifetimes, the sources say.

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