Austin, TX
Texas Legislature outlines state budget proposal
AUSTIN, Texas — State lawmakers are working on plans for what Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick calls a conservative approach to budgeting.
In a statement, Patrick announced the filing of the Senate budget proposal, saying, “Our conservative approach to budgeting has allowed Texas to maintain a pristine balance sheet going into the next biennium. This will keep our state’s economy the envy of the nation and the world.”
Along with the Senate, the House also filed its budget proposal. Both include more than $150 billion in spending driven by Republican priorities such as increased border security and school vouchers.
Rep. Mary González, D-El Paso, is the vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee. She describes the first draft of the chamber’s budget proposal as a work in progress.
“Our budget is a moral document of how we think we need to plan for the future of this state that is bigger than a lot of countries,” said González.
Lawmakers have a $24 billion surplus to allocate, which is $10 billion less than the last budgeting cycle. Chamber leadership describes their budgets as fiscally conservative, with the House proposal totaling $335 billion and the Senate $332 billion.
“They’re leaving room, for themselves on, in terms of, like, additional priorities that will come through during the legislative session,” said Rahul Sreenivasan with Texas 2036.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, says how lawmakers allocate the money “will determine the financial boundaries under which we operate when considering all other major legislation, including school choice, water infrastructure, and more.”
The priorities for the upper and lower chambers are similar, signaling a reset from previous tension that stemmed from the failure of educational savings account legislation in the House. Now it’s back on the table.
“We have the means to provide not only public education with the money it needs to go forth and do good work, but also to establish a new ESA program,” said James Quintero with the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Both chambers allocated $1 billion to school vouchers. This is double the allocated funding from the last legislative session.
“I do foresee us having deeper conversations on guardrails and protection of taxpayer dollars,” said González.
There is nearly $5 billion set aside for public education that includes teacher pay raises, and $6.5 billion is currently assigned to border security, which Patrick says is to “continue Texas’ strong presence at the border and maintain current border security operations.”
“I hope that the national government will become more willing to do what it needs to do on the border and take less pressure off the Texas budget,” said Quintero.
And decreasing property tax is another large ticket item for both chambers.
“The House version of the bill basically says we set aside this $3 billion contingent upon the passage of some legislation,” said Shannon Halbrook with Every Texan. “The Senate version of the bill, on the other hand, does specify that they want to increase the homestead exemption once again.”
While the House committees are not yet set, the Senate finance committee will start budget hearings early next week. The last budget is expected to be sent to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature in May.
AUSTIN, Texas – Central Texans gather to celebrate Juneteenth or “Freedom Day” on June 19 and commemorate the end of slavery.
What you can do:
The Greater East Austin Youth Association (GEAYA) is hosting the Central Texas Juneteenth Parade and Festival today (6/19).
It’s free and taking place at Rosewood Park in East Austin located at 2300 Rosewood Ave.
The schedule for the events is as follows:
- ACME Juneteenth FunRun – 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Juneteenth Historical Parade – 10 AM – 12 PM
- Park Celebration and Fireworks – 12 PM – 9:45 PM
Other events
On June 20, the Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition will be taking place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural, and Genealogy Center located at 1165 Angelina Street.
It will be a day of celebration and remembrance and there will be BBQ plates and music as well as vendors and hands-on activations.
The backstory:
Juneteenth commemorates the end of formal slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and more than one month following the end of the American Civil War.
Colloquially known as “The Black 4th of July,” Juneteenth marks the beginning of an African American journey to carve a new place in society for free people to shape identities independent of racial caricature, eradicate slave culture, promote ethnic pride, and create economic prosperity.
The Source: Information from City of Austin and Greater East Austin Youth Association and reporting by Jessica Rivera.
Juneteenth celebrations are happening across the city this weekend. The events will mark the 161st anniversary of the day Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The announcement on June 19, 1865, came more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 — known as Juneteenth — became a federal holiday in 2021.
From historical bike rides to Austin’s annual parade, here are seven events taking place in Austin.
Annual Juneteenth FunRun, June 19
The city of Austin’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility will host a fun run starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Leona Street, and concluding at Hargrave Street near the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Participants will have one hour to complete the course. The route is the same as the parade through the African American Historical Cultural District that will start later that morning. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels can participate.
Central Texas Juneteenth Parade & Festival, June 19
The annual Juneteenth parade will take place Friday and begin at 10 a.m. at East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Leona Street and will travel down to Chicon Street before turning on Rosewood Avenue. The parade will feature floats, live music and performers.
A Very Juneteenth Comedy Jam, June 19
The Velveeta Room, Austin’s longest-running comedy club, will have shows highlighting Black voices Friday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 18+ event will feature comedians like Freddy Do Less and Roderick McDaniel. Tickets for both shows are around $23.
Sistas Walk And Talk: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
Texas Sistas Society will host a 3-mile walk and talk Saturday at 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road starting at 7:45 a.m. Texas Sistas Society is an Austin-based community created for Black women and women of color. Attendees are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors: red, yellow, green or black, and to RSVP ahead of time.
The Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin is dedicated to creating a “space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.” The museum is hosting a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with barbecue plates, live music, vendors and activities for all ages.
Black Auteur Film Festival, June 20
The Black Auteur Film Festival, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers in Texas, is hosting its third annual film festival to showcase short films directed by Black Texans at AFS Cinema on Saturday. One filmmaker will win the $1,000 “Best of Fest” award, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win Austin Film Society memberships and movie tickets. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.
Juneteenth Social Ride, June 21
Black History Bike Ride, an Austin nonprofit teaching people about the city’s Black history through cycling, is hosting its seventh annual Juneteenth ride starting at the Haskell House on Saturday at 10 a.m. Austin-based historian Harrison Eppright will serve as the ride’s guide. Registration is required for all attendees. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data analyst Corey Yeung created the ATX Running Guide to help runners find community across Central Texas. What started as a personal project has become one of Austin’s most comprehensive running resources.
Looking for a Run Club? There’s a Map for That
When Corey Yeung moved to Austin three years ago, he had a simple question:
“How many run clubs are actually out there?” The answer wasn’t easy to find. While several websites listed local groups, Yeung felt none offered a complete picture. So, he decided to build one himself. What started as a spreadsheet evolved into ATX Running Guide, a website and social media platform that helps runners discover clubs throughout the Austin area.
“The list would be more useful if it were a map and search tool,” Yeung said. “The Instagram page was simply a way to communicate those free resources to the community.”
Today, the guide covers running groups from San Marcos to Hutto and serves as a one-stop resource for runners looking to connect. In this episode of KXAN’S Plus Simple Health, Corey Yeung walks us through everything you need to know about the 200-plus running clubs in Austin.
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