As the 89th Texas Legislature gears up, Austin faces potential challenges and opportunities arising from state policy agendas. Voucher legislation, a top priority for Governor Abbott and Lt. Governor Patrick, is raising concerns about funding for Austin ISD. Local leaders, including newly elected council member Marc Duchen, are preparing to advocate for local control over key issues like transportation, housing, and homelessness. Mayor Kirk Watson aims to collaborate with state leaders on these matters, while stressing the importance of preserving Austin's light rail system and addressing affordability concerns.
The 89th Texas Legislature is set to begin this week, with lawmakers returning to the Texas State Capitol to tackle the agenda of Gov. Greg Abbott and other state leaders. Among the top priorities for many lawmakers, including Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, is voucher legislation, which would allow families to use taxpayer dollars for their children's private schooling.
Jeremi Suri, a University of Texas at Austin professor, expresses concerns that voucher legislation will divert funds from Austin ISD. 'Because of the formula the state uses,' Suri said, 'More than half of the property taxes that you and I and all property holders in Austin pay, more than half leaves the city and goes to other parts of the state. This makes the system even more unsustainable for students and families that are sending their children to go to this system.'Newly sworn-in Austin City Councilmember Marc Duchen is prioritizing efforts to counter the Legislature's potential influence on local issues. 'It is a priority for me, because that covers a lot of issues that we care about, whether they're environmental, housing, serving homelessness, etc.,' Duchen said. KVUE reached out to Mayor Kirk Watson for an interview on his legislative priorities, but he was unavailable at the time of publication. His office provided the following statement: 'Mayor Watson will continue to advocate and protect Austin's light rail, which was approved by voters in 2020. Austin has done a lot when it comes to addressing housing affordability in the last two years, and Mayor Watson sees an opportunity to work with state leaders on this issue--especially since the Legislature has indicated that they want to do more on housing affordability. There's also opportunities to work with the State on issues like homelessness and mental health.'Suri underscores the importance of local control over public transportation, stating, 'We can argue over whether it should be light rail or something else, but we need public transportation. And the state at the very least needs to allow us to make those decisions.' He adds, 'Sometimes, it kind of feels like the legislature is a foreign place in our city and I think there's blame on both sides.' Local leaders hope for a constructive dialogue between the state and city to accurately represent Austin's interests. The 89th Texas Legislature commences on January 14th
TEXAS LEGISLATURE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL EDUCATION FUNDING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
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