It’s the third and final day of the annual political extravaganza. Here are some of the high points of the event.
Austin
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The 2019 Texas Tribune Festival
Beto O’Rourke calls for Donald Trump’s resignation
The Democratic presidential candidate spoke at TribFest about his assault weapon buyback proposal, his presidential prospects and the Democrats’ impeachment push.
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Higher Education
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to provide free tuition for students with household incomes under $75,000
The tuition assistance program is expected to cover tuition and fees for about half of UTRGV students in the 2020-2021 academic year.
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Texas told cities they couldn’t fund abortion providers. So Austin is funding abortion access instead.
On Tuesday night, the Austin City Council approved $150,000 for organizations that help women afford incidental costs like transportation, lodging and childcare when they seek an abortion.
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Criminal Justice
3D-printed gun designer Cody Wilson gets probation in child sexual assault case
Wilson pleaded guilty to injury of a child and will be required to register as a sex offender.
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New Texas Laws 2019
Lines to get driver’s licenses are long. Texans are skeptical more money will help.
In hopes to provide quicker service, over 90 of DPS’ 229 offices — including every mega center and “severely crowded” office — will become fully staffed, while another 100 will receive smaller personnel boosts.
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Homeless in Texas
Greg Abbott said San Antonio could teach Austin how to help homeless people. Experts disagree.
The Texas governor’s comments came amid controversial changes to Austin’s ordinances, which many said criminalized homelessness. While San Antonio officials say they’ve reduced the visibility of people experiencing homelessness downtown, their overall numbers remain stagnant.
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El Paso shooting
In honor of El Paso victims, dozens line up to donate blood at Texas Capitol
Organizers had to bring in a second mobile station to deal with the high number of people wanting to donate blood. By the end of the drive, over 110 people had donated.
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Politics
A rule requiring paid sick leave for workers takes effect Thursday in Dallas. Activists are watching.
Three Texas cities have passed paid sick-leave ordinances, but implementation of the rules in San Antonio and Austin has stalled amid court challenges.
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Politics
Chip Roy helped Ted Cruz agitate in the U.S. Senate. Now he has brought those tactics to the House.
Roy, a Republican from Austin who previously served as Cruz’s chief of staff, has employed a kind of procedural troublemaking to frustrate Democrats — and some Republicans — in Congress.
