The state appears to have minimal oversight over events like the Astroworld concert. And some cities are more stringent than others.
Joshua Fechter
Joshua Fechter is the Dallas-based urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune, covering policy — including housing affordability, housing and property taxes, evictions, policing and transportation — and politics in Texas' major metropolitan areas. Before joining the Tribune in August 2021, Joshua covered City Hall for the San Antonio Express-News. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.
Posted in
Economy
Citing overwhelming demand, Texas Rent Relief Program will stop taking new applications after Friday
Housing advocates worry some Texans won’t get the help they need as the state enters the cold winter months.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Austin voters reject ballot proposition to hire more police officers
Supporters of Proposition A argued that boosting the ranks of the police force was necessary to combat the city’s growing homicide rate, a trend seen in cities nationwide. Opponents and city leaders warned it would lead to fewer firefighters, medics and librarians.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Texas voters will decide whether to lower their property tax payments after Legislature completes last-minute Hail Mary
If voters approve the measure next year, it will raise the state’s homestead exemption from $25,000 to $40,000 for school district property taxes, netting the average homeowner about $176 in savings.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Austin voters could put hundreds more police officers on the streets after last year’s budget cuts
A November vote on whether Austin should hire hundreds of new police officers is shaping up as a test of Austinites’ appetite for police reform.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Texas House wants to use federal COVID relief funds to send out $525 checks — but only to homeowners
Republican lawmakers have faced pressure to provide some form of property tax relief this year. Critics of a new proposal say it’s politically timed.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Texas Supreme Court puts San Antonio school district’s vaccine mandate on hold
The halt comes after Gov. Greg Abbott expanded his ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates — which previously applied to cities, counties and school districts — to private employers.
Posted in
Politics
Austin’s homeless residents left with nowhere to go amid camping crackdown
Months after Austin voters reinstated the city’s public camping ban, authorities are clearing many of the largest encampments. Their former residents are going “anywhere it’s safe and out of sight, out of mind,” one man said.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott and local officials are fighting several legal battles over mask mandates. Here’s what you need to know.
The Texas fight over mask mandates is confusing. We’re here to help.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
With Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s blessing, lawmakers fast-track property tax cut proposal
Tax relief for property owners joins a packed to-do list for Texas lawmakers — which includes redistricting, COVID-19 vaccine mandates and a spending plan for $16 billion in federal stimulus dollars.
