Austin, TX

Paxton files nearly a dozen lawsuits over past month

Published

1 year ago

October 1, 2024

Paxton files nearly a dozen lawsuits over past month

AUSTIN, Texas — The League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, praised a judge’s decision to deem parts of a 2021 Texas elections law unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez said wording that made it a felony to be compensated for helping voters with their mail-in ballots was too vague.

What You Need To Know

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed nearly a dozen lawsuits over the past month

Some of the lawsuits target the Biden administration. Others are against Texas counties and cities

Paxton has sued Harris, Bexar and Travis counties

The attorney general’s critics claim some of his lawsuits are an attempt to keep people from voting

“It would criminalize almost every activity that was being undertaken by LULAC volunteers to help people, voters with their vote, to get the vote out,” said Gloria Leal, general counsel for LULAC.

In late August, Paxton authorized multiple home raids of LULAC volunteers based on the law. He said the ruling is deeply troubling and “risks undermining public trust in our political process.” LULAC officials hope the ruling will put an end to what they say is the targeting of Latino voters in Texas. But they expect an appeal from the AG, who vowed to do so.

“The fight will continue because this was just a ruling on one issue,” said Leal.

The judgment also marks the second loss in a week for Paxton. The Texas Supreme Court sided with the City of Dallas in Paxton’s lawsuit to stop the State Fair of Texas from enacting its gun ban policy.

Paxton reacted by stating, “While Texas clearly prohibits this type of gun ban, I will be working with the Legislature this session to protect law-abiding citizens’ Second Amendment rights on public property.”

Including the lawsuit against the City of Dallas, Paxton has filed 10 lawsuits since the end of August.

“It’s not typical, but it speaks to the increasing partisan divisions and the kind of hard ideological edge that Paxton has brought to the attorney general position,” said Matthew Wilson, a professor of political sciences at Southern Methodist University.

Four of Paxton’s lawsuits are against the Biden administration while six are against local governments. Those includes a lawsuit against Harris County over a program to give low-income residents $500 a month. He sued Bexar County and Travis County over voter registration efforts and targeted the City of Austin for using tax dollars to help women access out-of-state abortions.

Paxton also sued Travis County on Monday for alleged violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act.

“Texas state government is dominated by Republicans, but the biggest cities in Texas are all controlled by Democrats,” said Wilson.

The ACLU of Texas says it sees a negative trend from the attorney general’s actions with just five weeks to the general election.

“Attempting to prevent people from voting, to remove them from voter rolls, and also just to make people feel uncomfortable exercising their right to vote and instilling a sense of fear for eligible voters,” said Ashley Harris, a staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas.

But voters may be none the wiser.

“This is much more an attempt to, if anything, scare the cities,” said Wilson.

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Austin, TX

Texas’ Gorgeous State Park Northwest Of Austin Is A Rustic Haven With Caves And A Stunning Waterfall – Islands

Published

11 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Texas’ Gorgeous State Park Northwest Of Austin Is A Rustic Haven With Caves And A Stunning Waterfall – Islands

Billy McDonald/Shutterstock

The landscapes around Austin are a natural wonderland for outdoor adventures, from diving into pristine swimming holes to kayaking on the beautiful lakes of the Texas Hill Country. But one destination northwest of the city is a particularly gorgeous escape. Colorado Bend State Park, about two hours away by car, is home to ethereal caves and a 70-foot spring-fed waterfall.

The 5,300-acre park has 35 miles of hiking trails, including one that leads to the park’s most famous feature, Gorman Falls. The rugged 3-mile round-trip hike is considered moderately challenging to difficult, with steep, rocky sections, slippery areas, and little shade from the sun. The trek is worth it for the chance to view the cascades, towering high above the river and fed by a mineral-rich spring. “The falls were beautiful, natural, and peaceful!” said one hiker on AllTrails. If you’re interested in other nearby adventures, be sure to check out all the breathtaking waterfall destinations tourists can find in Austin.

Sometimes the water at Gorman Falls is rushing, and other times the waterfalls are quieter, according to traveler reviews. “This is a beautiful trickling fall that is right out of a storybook about fairies,” said one review on Google. Many agreed that the hike itself isn’t easy. “Very rocky and challenging but worth the effort,” commented another. Several people mentioned that the trail may not be appropriate for beginners, kids, or dogs, that it gets very busy on weekends, and that it’s important to bring more water than you think you’ll need.

Plan an escape to Colorado Bend State Park

Gorman Falls Trail and the Colorado River at Colorado Bend State Park

David Wayne Radzieta/Shutterstock

Another of the park’s key attractions is its system of underground caves, which visitors can explore on a guided tour with Nichols Outdoor Adventures. The intermediate-level Adventure Tour ($25 per person), billed as “an introduction to what Texas caving is all about,” is a 1.5-hour excursion that takes participants deep underground to crawl through cavernous passageways. “It was a fabulous experience,” said one recent guest on TripAdvisor. “[The guide] did a great job of explaining the topography, how the caves were formed, and answering any and all questions throughout the tour.” The activity is only for travelers ages 8 and up, and though long pants, headlamps, and closed-toe shoes are required, helmets and knee pads are provided. You can book your tour online.

Whether you’re touring the caves or hiking to waterfalls, you’ll need to pay a day-use fee ($5 per person) to access Colorado Bend State Park. It’s smart to reserve your pass online, since the park has a limited capacity and often fills up. If you’re hoping to camp in the park, you’ll want to make arrangements even further in advance. Simple campsites (without hookups) start at $10 per night, while larger group sites start at around $35.

Colorado Bend State Park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s less than a two-hour drive from Austin’s international airport. If you love Colorado Bend, consider a detour to the secluded Inks Lake State Park, an idyllic getaway with shady trails and peaceful waters.

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Austin, TX

Sunday storms expected in Austin. Here’s how long rough weather could last.

Published

23 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Sunday storms expected in Austin. Here’s how long rough weather could last.

While we saw severe weather across parts of the state on Saturday, the bulk of the action happened in North Texas but don’t let your guard down yet. That system will influence our weather in Central Texas throughout much of next week, bringing daily chances for rain and thunderstorms.

Saturday’s cold front has stalled across South Texas, and the next weather feature to watch is a closed system of low atmospheric pressure lingering near the Baja California coast. That system will send several atmospheric disturbances into Texas that will keep rain chances high across the region.

Overcast skies, spotty showers, light north winds, and cooler temperatures will welcome us Sunday morning. Temperatures will be in the middle and upper 50s through mid-morning and then climb about 10 to 15 degrees by the afternoon. Afternoon temperatures will remain closer to climatological normals for early March, in the upper 60s and low 70s.

While we do expect to see some thunderstorms across the region at times on Sunday, severe weather is not on the menu. Rain chances are about 50% with rainfall totals between a half-inch to an inch.

The comfortable temperatures and north winds will not hang around long once low pressure develops to our north and opens the door to winds from a more southerly direction by Monday. We’ll have a small rain chance, about 30% to 40%, on Monday with a few afternoon thunderstorms possible. Temperatures will be warm, though, with the morning near 60s degrees and the afternoon reaching the low 80s.

Rain chances look to ramp up again from Tuesday through Thursday with the potential for some strong and severe thunderstorms.

“For now, it looks like late Tuesday into Wednesday will be favored as a closed low (pressure system) moves across West Texas into Central Texas,” the National Weather Service wrote in a forecast bulletin. “We will likely see some changes in the path of this upper low, but the current latitude looks favorable for a line of convection (storm activity) along a Pacific cold front to accompany the passage of this system.”

“The latest guidance shows a 60 to 90% chance of at least 1 inch of rain for most of our area with a 40 to 60% chance of at least 2 inches for areas north of I-10,” the weather service said. “There is a potential for multiple inches across some areas.”

Once this storm heads east by Thursday afternoon, cooler and drier weather will filter in with temperatures closer to our March normals of 50 degrees and 71 degrees.

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Austin, TX

Austin weather: Cold front, storm risk to roll in mid-afternoon

Published

1 day ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Austin weather: Cold front, storm risk to roll in mid-afternoon

AUSTIN, Texas – It’s cold front day and storm day! The front is slowing down and not entering Central Texas until the afternoon during the warmest part of the day.

Austin weather risk

This will make the atmosphere unstable and more likely to generate isolated severe storms. The main concern will be with 1 to 2″ diameter hail.

Also a high risk of lightning and moderate chance of heavy rain with the highest flood threat staying in East Texas. Damaging wind and tornado risk remains very low. The first round of storms will happen by early to mid afternoon.

Risk for Saturday night

The second round will occur late tonight and into early Sunday. For now, a half to one inch of rain is likely for much of the area, with isolated spots getting over an inch.