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September 12, 2023

In today's BG Reads:

➡️ Semiconductor giant NXP, city of Austin to negotiate potential incentive agreement

➡️ U.S. Rep. Randy Weber concerned Texas projects hurt amid Freedom Caucus budget fight

➡️  United States takes on Google in biggest tech monopoly trial of 21st century

🔎 Have questions or in need of lobbying services? Fill out Bingham Group’s Service Interest Questionnaire and let us see how we can help.

Read on!

[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]

Semiconductor giant NXP, city of Austin to negotiate potential incentive agreement (Austin American-Statesman)

Semiconductor giant NXP is looking to modernize its Austin facilities, with the help of a potential incentive agreement from the city of Austin worth just over $1 million.

According to documents posted on speakupaustin.org, NXP is considering a $290.8 million project dubbed “Project Live Oak" that would include retooling manufacturing lines at its two existing Austin fabrication facilities.

To help fund its proposed updates, the company is pursuing a Chapter 380 agreement with the city of Austin that could include property tax reimbursement worth as much as $1.026 million over five years, according to city documents.

NXP, which is based in the Netherlands, has about 2,600 employees in Central Texas at two locations.

It has 1,600 employees at its W. William Cannon property in Oak Hill, and 1,062 employees at its Ed Bluestein property in East Austin.

The company first entered the Austin market in 2016, as part of an acquisition of Austin-based Freescale Semiconductor in a cash and stocker merger worth more than $11 billion

The negotiations mark the second time in recent years the semiconductor giant has pursued incentives to update its Austin facilities.

Last year, the Austin Independent School District's board rejected the company for a separate type of incentive agreement under the now-expired Chapter 313 incentive program. The company sought $140.5 million in savings on school district taxes for 10 years, according to an incentive application at the time… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

Also check out:

•  Austin ISD trustees vote 5-4 against Chapter 313 agreement with NXP Semiconductors (Community Impact, 12.16.2022)

And in other Austin Metro News:

➡️ Hotels adjust proposed new tax, giving city steady funds for homeless services (Austin Monitor) -> LINK TO FULL STORY.

➡️ Austin delays removal of Flo, Barton Springs' century-old tree (KUT) -> LINK TO FULL STORY

➡️ Oracle could expand Austin HQ campus with additional offices, hotel (Austin Business Journal) -> LINK TO FULL STORY

[TEXAS NEWS]

U.S. Rep. Randy Weber concerned Texas projects hurt amid Freedom Caucus budget fight (Texas Tribune)

U.S. Rep. Randy Weber, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, said he’s worried bipartisan priorities have been getting caught in the crosshairs as Republicans aggressively push to rein in federal spending.

The deeply conservative Friendswood Republican holds a distinction that separates him from several other caucus members: He is Congress’ top requester of earmarks this year at a time when many fellow conservatives have turned their backs on steering funds to local projects in their districts.

His asks include $100 million for the Ike Dike, an ambitious Gulf Coast hurricane protection project, as well as protections for some of the nation’s biggest energy and trade facilities.

And as Republicans fight over how to trim federal spending amid a looming government shutdown, Weber fears some projects that Republicans have been vocal to defend could be threatened... (LINK TO FULL STORY)

And in other Texas News:

➡️ Ken Paxton’s former chief of staff warned AG that alleged affair exposed him to bribery (Dallas Morning News) -> LINK TO FULL STORY

• Ken Paxton’s former chief of staff on Monday testified that she warned the attorney general that his attempts to hide his alleged extramarital affair took a toll on his employees and could expose the agency to ethical, political and legal risks.

• Katherine “Missy” Cary said she told Paxton on two separate occasions that having a secret affair could be problematic for him and the agency, including during his re-election campaign in 2018.

➡️ Verdict in Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial could come this week (KUT) -> LINK TO FULL STORY

• Lt. Dan Patrick said both sides have used about 14 and a half of their allotted 24 hours of time.

• Patrick added that, over the next few days, he intended to continue proceedings until the early evening, saying there will be no pauses in action on the Senate floor until verdicts are decided on the multiple charges against Paxton.

[NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS]

United States takes on Google in biggest tech monopoly trial of 21st century (NPR)

The United States government is taking on one of the world's most powerful companies: Google.

A court battle kicks off on Tuesday in which the U.S. Justice Department will argue that Google abused its power as a monopoly to dominate the search engine business. It's the government's first major monopoly case to make it to trial in decades and the first in the age of the modern internet.

The Justice Department's case hinges on claims that Google illegally orchestrated its business dealings, so that it's the first search engine people see when they turn on their phones and web browsers. The government says Google's goal was to stomp out competition… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

OTHER NEWS:

➡️ Elon Musk’s refusal to have Starlink support Ukraine attack in Crimea raises questions for Pentagon (Associated Press) -> LINK TO FULL STORY

• The Pentagon is reliant on SpaceX for far more than the Ukraine response, and the uncertainty that Musk or any other commercial vendor could refuse to provide services in a future conflict has led space systems military planners to reconsider what needs to be explicitly laid out in future agreements, Kendall said during a roundtable with reporters at the Air Force Association convention at National Harbor, Maryland, on Monday.

➡️ African leaders warily eye their generals after coups surge -> LINK TO FULL STORY

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