Axios Austin

September 01, 2023
Here comes the holiday weekend! Enjoy it. See you back here on Tuesday.
☀️ Today's weather: You guessed it. Sunny and a high of 102.
🎧 Sounds like: "How a Bill Does Not Become a Law"
🎂 Happy early birthday to our Axios Austin member Charles Franck!
Situational awareness: A shooting at the Arboretum yesterday left two people dead, including the shooter. Three people were injured.
- Police said they did not have any information about a motive or the relationship, if any, between the shooter and victims.
Today's newsletter is 816 words — a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: 👀 New Texas laws take effect
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
More than 750 new laws the Texas Legislature passed take effect today, impacting everything from public education and transportation to health care and drag shows.
Why it matters: The most high-profile laws passed this year address social issues popular among conservatives, including restrictions on medical care for transgender minors, limitations on trans athletes, bills targeting drag shows and new regulations for social media companies.
The new laws include:
Drag shows: Senate Bill 12 penalizes businesses that host "sexually oriented performances" in front of children.
- References to drag shows specifically were removed from the bill before it passed, but businesses hosting performances for children that appeal to a "prurient interest in sex" can be fined $10,000 and performers can be charged with a misdemeanor.
Trans athletes: SB 15 prevents transgender college athletes at public colleges and universities from competing on a sports team that doesn't match their sex assigned at birth.
Diversity, equity and inclusion: SB 17 bans diversity, equity and inclusion offices and diversity-related training at public universities.
Progressive prosecutors: SB 20 makes it easier to remove district attorneys who refuse to pursue violations of certain state laws like abortion bans and low-level drug offenses.
Social media: House Bill 18 requires digital social media platforms to get consent from a parent or guardian before entering into an agreement with minors to create an account.
Fentanyl deaths: HB 6 allows prosecutors to pursue murder charges against a person who provides someone a fatal dose of fentanyl, classifying the overdose as "poisoning."
Medicaid for new mothers: HB 12 extends postpartum Medicaid coverage from two months to one year.
Tampon tax: SB 379 removes the sales tax on feminine hygiene and baby products, including tampons, menstrual cups, diapers, baby wipes, maternity clothes and breast-milk pumping products.
2. 🛣️ New rules of the road
These car owners will now pay more in Texas. Photo: Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Several new laws passed this year will affect how Texans get around.
They include:
Street takeovers: HB 1442 outlines a new section of penal code law aimed at reducing street takeovers. The law also adds reckless driving to an organized criminal activity statute, giving prosecutors and police additional options for charges.
Where you can walk: HB 1277 allows people to walk on roadways facing oncoming traffic when sidewalks are obstructed or unsafe.
- The law was inspired by the arrest of Rodney "R.J." Reese for walking on a road during the February 2021 storm when snow and ice made sidewalks impassable.
EV fees: SB 505 will require Texans to pay $400 to register a new EV for two years and $200 for renewal to make up for the state's lost revenue from gasoline taxes.
Speed limit changes: HB 1885 allows TxDOT to temporarily change speed limits on roads or highways, depending on driving conditions, without approval from state transportation commissioners.
- An investigation of the deadly pileup on I-35W in February 2021 concluded that variable speed limits might have helped.
Toll road bills: HB 2170 requires toll agencies to mail an invoice to users with electronic tags when an automatic payment is rejected.
- The invoice must include a clear message outside the envelope indicating it contains an unpaid bill.
3. 🤠 The Roundup: Wrangling the news
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
🏊🏽♀️ A population boom and climate change are threatening Texas' beloved swimming holes. (The New Yorker)
The Tailor Shop Bar and Foodery in south Austin has been broken into twice in three months. (Fox7)
🦠 Austin Public Health says it's seeing a 33% increase in COVID-19 cases as of last week. (KVUE)
Stat du jour
47% of registered Texas voters agreed that "Ken Paxton took actions while Attorney General that justify removing him from elected office" in the latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll.
- 18% said no, and 35% didn't know or had no opinion.
- Among Republicans, 24% answered yes.
Be smart: Paxton's impeachment trial begins at the state Capitol on Tuesday.
4. Weekender guide: Moonlight paddle and Bey's birthday
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Here's what we're eyeing around town this long weekend:
🥕 Austin Restaurant Weeks begins today with prix-fixe menus at participating restaurants, bars and breweries through Sept. 17.
- A portion of sales will be donated to the Central Texas Food Bank.
🌝 Moonlight paddle, a free, self-guided evening tour hosted by the Rowing Dock, departs from their Zilker Dock tonight.
- Last boat out by 8:45pm and off the water by 10pm.
🐝 Get in formation at the Beyoncé Birthday Tribute hosted by Body Rock ATX at Sahara Lounge.
- 9pm tonight, $10-15.
🥣 Get creative at a Pottery Wheel 101 class by Mud Club ATX hosted at Sunset Canyon Pottery
- 2:30pm tomorrow. $85.
🍺 Enjoy Live Music Saturdays at Easy Tiger South Lamar featuring Kelsi Creek.
- 7pm tomorrow. Free.
⭐ Have your caricature drawn, meet adoptable pets and more at the Bullock Museum's Free First Sunday.
- 10am-5pm.
🪩 Celebrate Beyoncé's birthday again at Vacancy Brewing with glitter beer, your best silver fashion and all of Queen Bey's hits.
- 5pm-9pm Sunday.
🎸 The Jonas Brothers are in town, taking over the Moody Center.
- 7pm Sunday. Tickets still available.
Thanks to Chloe Gonzales for editing and Kate Sommers-Dawes and Keely Bastow for copy editing this newsletter.
🍗 Nicole is checking out how much Nashville hot chicken heat she can really handle.
🦉 Emma is a Rice grad helping out with the newsletter this week and wants to say GO OWLS!
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