BG Reads 7.16.2024

🗞️ Bingham Group Reads - July 16, 2024

July 16, 2024

Bingham Group Reads

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www.binghamgp.com

July 16, 2024

Today's BG Reads include:

🟣 City candidates’ financial filings are in for the latest fundraising period (Austin Monitor)

🟣 Active Austin home listings keep rising in emerging 2024 trend, says report (KVUE)

🟣 Summer tensions for Texas House Republicans distracting from work that matters, some say (Dallas Morning News)

🟣 Who is JD Vance? Things to know about Donald Trump’s pick for vice president (Associated Press)

🟣 America’s HR lobby scraps the ‘E’ from DEI (Wall Street Journal)

Read On!

[BINGHAM GROUP]

🟣 [NEW] BG Podcast Episode 260 // Our wrap up the week of July 8, 2024 in Austin politics, and discussion of the week ahead.

[CITY OF AUSTIN]

🟣 The Austin City Council meets today at 9AM for its Work Session and the Regular Meeting of the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee

🟣 Last Friday Friday, City Manager T.C. Broadnax presented the city’s proposed $5.9 billion FY 24/25 to the Austin Council.

[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]

City candidates’ financial filings are in for the latest fundraising period (Austin Monitor)

Monday was the deadline to file campaign finance reports for members of City Council and other candidates in the November election. No one was surprised last week when the Austin Monitor reported that Mayor Kirk Watson had raised more than $710,000 between mid-April and June 30, probably more than his opponents are likely to raise for the race.

Those opponents include former Council Member Kathie Tovo and two community activists, Doug Greco and Carmen Llanes Pulido. Tovo reported raising about $57,000 and spending more than $39,000 over the reporting period. According to that report, she has about $44,000 left in the campaign fund. She has loaned her campaign more than $181,000 over the years.

Greco reported raising more than $88,000 and spending less than $30,000 in the reporting period. That leaves more than $52,000 in the bank for Greco. He said he did not loan his campaign any money.

Llanes Pulido reported raising $71,000 in contributions and loaning her campaign $20,000. That makes up the $91,000 she estimated her campaign had raised when speaking with the Monitor last week. So far, the campaign has spent nearly $77,000, which leaves less than $9,000 in the bank... (LINK TO FULL STORY)

Active Austin home listings keep rising in emerging 2024 trend, says report (KVUE)

The latest real estate report from Unlock MLS and the Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) has revealed that June saw a significant increase in the number of active home listings in the Austin metro area — continuing on a three-month high that began in April — and median sale prices are dropping to accommodate the rise in inventory.

New in the June report, Unlock MLS refers to the Central Texas region as the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metropolitan statistical area (MSA), whereas it was previously identified as the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown MSA.

The data shows there was a 13.4 percent drop in home sales across the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos MSA, with only 2,732 homes sold in June for a median price of $450,000. There were more than 13,200 active home listings on the market last month, and 4,364 new listings.

According to Unlock MLS and ABoR housing economist Clare Knapp, the decline in sales can be attributed to stubborn sellers that aren't budging on their home prices, which is exacerbating buyers' barriers to affordability… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

Landmark commission considers imposing historic zoning for neglected east side building slated for demolition by Eureka (Austin Monitor)

Dallas-based real estate developer Eureka Holdings is once again ruffling feathers on 12th Street, with an application to demolish a century-old storefront at the Comal Street intersection meeting some resistance from the city’s Historic Landmark Commission.

The two-story building has lived many lives, from a German beer hall weathering Prohibition to Civil Rights-era meeting place of Black fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha. Now, Eureka Holdings, which purchased the property alongside 36 others in an infamous land grab, wants to wipe the slate clean, citing violations of National Electric Code as grounds for a teardown.

“The public power lines are well within the 15-foot safety setback required by code,” said engineer Nick Sandlin, speaking on behalf of the owner at the Historic Landmark Commission’s July 3 meeting. “In placing the lines, Austin Energy likely had the expectation that the vacant structure would be demolished.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

Zoox self-driving car company to use Austin for testing (Community Impact)

Austinites may notice the colorful rear ends of newly retrofitted Toyota Highlanders driving alongside traffic this month.Automated transportation company Zoox announced they will begin fine-tuning their self-driving vehicles in Austin, beginning testing sometime late this summer.

Expanding to both Miami and Austin, Zoox will be deploying its new fleet in small areas near the business and entertainment districts of the two cities, a company news release states. The company has already been testing its AI-smart vehicles in the San Francisco and Las Vegas areas.

Part of Austin’s allure stems from the area's horizontal traffic lights, wire-hanging traffic lights, railway crossings and “famous thunderstorms,” the release continues.A driver will remain in the car during this phase of testing and rides will not yet be available for the public… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

[TEXAS NEWS]

Summer tensions for Texas House Republicans distracting from work that matters, some say (Dallas Morning News)

Summer could have been a time for Texas House Republicans to heal from a bruising primary season, setting the tone for choosing the next House leader and identifying priorities for the legislative session that starts in six months. Instead, Republicans are exchanging insults on social media, four conservative lawmakers have been censured by fellow Republicans for campaigning against incumbents, and GOP factions are pushing contrasting calls for action ahead of the 2025 session. The tension has strained relations within the party, distracting from the work that matters — developing sound state policy and passing laws that help Texans, legislators say. It comes as Republicans prepare to choose a House speaker who will wield extensive power over which policies succeed or fail in the next two years.

Dade Phelan, the current speaker, is under siege from his party’s right flank, with two other Republicans vying for his job and several others weighing a challenge. Phelan supporters and opponents frequently clash on social media — a public airing of disdain that is remarkable for a legislative body that thrives on personal relationships and party cohesion. The fight for leadership, frequently pitting pro-Phelan conservative and moderate Republicans against anti-Phelan conservatives, will influence a host of contentious issues awaiting legislative action, including school choice, property tax cuts and border security.

The strains are taking a toll. “Normally going into session is a fun exercise. We look forward to it,” said Rep. Carl Tepper, R-Lubbock. “In this atmosphere, with so many combative camps, there’s a lot of uncertainty and consternation about how the session will unfold.” The Dallas Morning News spoke to 20 House incumbents, candidates and high-ranking staff members for this story, including 11 who declined to go on the record when discussing internal House dynamics and how they impact legislation. Phelan’s office, contacted twice by email and once by phone, declined to comment…  (LINK TO FULL STORY)

[US and World News]

Who is JD Vance? Things to know about Donald Trump’s pick for vice president (Associated Press)

Former President Donald Trump on Monday chose U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio to be his running mate as he looks to return to the White House.

Here are some things to know about Vance, a 39-year-old Republican now in his first term in the Senate… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

America’s HR lobby scraps the ‘E’ from DEI (Wall Street Journal)

The country’s top organization for human-resources professionals is distancing itself from the “equity” plank of diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. SHRM, a lobbying and advocacy group with 340,000 members, announced this week that it wants employers to focus on inclusion and diversity efforts—in that order.

The group, a powerful lobby in Washington, said that it’s moving away from equity language to ensure no group of workers appears to get preferential treatment. Equity, in HR parlance, is the notion that companies should take steps to level the playing field for workers. “By emphasizing inclusion-first, we aim to address the current shortcomings of DE&I programs, which have led to societal backlash,” the group said in a statement posted on LinkedIn.

The announcement is the latest example of business leaders grappling with diversity measures during a time when those very efforts face fire from legal, political and employee groups. Diversity recruiting efforts are shrinking at some big banks and consulting firms, and elsewhere companies are reducing staff or shifting initiatives once designed to advance underrepresented minorities.

A few years ago SHRM stopped using the DEI abbreviation in favor of inclusion, equity and diversity, or IE&D. The group emphasizes inclusion so that all employees, including white men, feel they belong, according to Johnny C. Taylor Jr., president of SHRM. The decision to drop “equity” and create a new abbreviation—I&D—is a move to temper political polarization around diversity, he added. “We need a world where inclusion is front and center,” he wrote. “Everyone has a right to feel that they belong in the workplace.” SHRM’s LinkedIn post was quickly flooded with comments, many critical. Hundreds of people accused SHRM of backing away from DEI efforts and several said they would cancel their membership or join other HR groups… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

[2024 Austin City Council Race Watch]

This fall will see elections for the following Council Districts 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, and Mayor.

Declared candidates so far are:

Mayor

District 2

District 4

District 6

District 7 (Open seat)

District 10 (Open seat)

_________________________

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