Austin, TX

Texas legislature studies two ways to spend $130 billion

Published

2 years ago

January 19, 2023

Texas legislature studies two ways to spend 0 billion

AUSTIN, TX (KCBD) – After a brief week involving two temporary conferences underneath the dome and the inauguration ceremonies Tuesday, state lawmakers filed their 2024-25 finances proposals and adjourned for 5 days.

The 1,033-page budgets are related in mission however differ intimately on the right way to spend the state’s historic projected income stream and its $33 billion surplus from the final session. Each proposals cease on the constitutional and legislative spending caps of $130.1 billion {dollars}, leaving greater than $50 billion up for grabs in supplementary appropriations payments and different, post-session funding requests.

These state budgets applicable funding to every part from working prices for the Texas Bullion Depository to utility prices for various state companies, from salaries for state-employed staff to IT expenditures, and from public colleges to frame safety.

Buried within the public college financing portion of the budgets is $15 billion within the “Property Tax Reduction Fund,” which is able to go towards limiting how a lot a faculty district can cost a home-owner yearly. By lowering the “compression” on district’s tax charges, the state will pressure them to drag much less income from native taxpayers and can as an alternative subsidize that distinction with cash from the reduction fund.

It’s price noting the Home finances proposal would cut back the compression charge by 7.75 p.c; for comparability, in 2022-23 the proposal solely lowered the compression charge by 0.3 p.c. A college finance professional informed KCBD it is a good, “aggressive” step in making an attempt to make up for progress in appraisal values, which have gone up in Lubbock about 20% up to now two years. The professional stated combining that with a rise within the homestead exemption to $70,000 – which is included within the Senate model however not the Home model – would have a good probability at lowering the typical taxpayer’s obligations annually.

One other less-obvious funding plan for West Texas is the $350 million appropriated in 2024 for rural regulation enforcement grants. On Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, promised that funding for sheriff’s workplaces who’re scuffling with paying their sheriffs and deputies sufficient to remain aggressive. The budgets set this cash apart underneath the Comptroller’s workplace, ready for laws to find out the right way to applicable it later within the session.

The road-item investments for method funding for Texas Tech didn’t change a lot, although a number of the Texas Tech System’s colleges obtained marginal modifications of their working budgets. On the identical time, the Senate has put aside $2.5 billion to determine what it calls an “endowment” for universities like Texas Tech to make the most of as a substitute for the Everlasting College Fund, which is reserved for the College of Texas and Texas A&M methods.

The Legislature additionally intends to speculate at the least $1 billion in its beleaguered juvenile justice system, which has confronted rising criticism over the previous 12 months on account of stories of insufficient staffing, unsafe and unsanitary dwelling circumstances, and poor psychological well being amongst detainees. That $1 billion funding would signify a 50% enhance in its working finances from 2022-23.

Now, every finances will undergo the everyday legislative course of, committees, amendments, flooring votes, amendments, and passage, earlier than going to what’s referred to as a “convention committee,” the place representatives from every chamber will hammer out and reconcile the 2 payments’ variations right into a single balanced finances. That’s the solely authorized obligation the Legislature is beholden to earlier than sine die Could 29.

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Austin, TX

Klubnik not enough to carry Clemson over Texas in homecoming playoff loss

Published

7 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Klubnik not enough to carry Clemson over Texas in homecoming playoff loss

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Cade Klubnik carved up Texas’ defense Saturday night like nobody else this season, just not enough to complete a spectacular homecoming.

What You Need To Know

Klubnik, Clemson’s junior quarterback from Austin, passed for 336 yards — the most by a Texas opponent this season — and three touchdowns

But the Tigers fell short, losing the College Football Playoff game 38-24

Texas safety Michael Taaffe and Klubnik were teammates at Westlake High School when they won the 2020 Texas state high school championship together. The quarterback they beat that day? Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers

Another Westlake teammate, Texas defensive end Ethan Burke, sacked Klubnik in the first half Saturday

Klubnik, Clemson’s junior quarterback from Austin, passed for 336 yards — the most by a Texas opponent this season — and three touchdowns. He directed a second-half comeback that gave No. 12 seeded Clemson a chance to overtake No. 5 Texas after falling behind by 18 at halftime.

But the Tigers fell short, losing the College Football Playoff game 38-24.

“I’m hurting a lot,” Klubnik said. “It was fun to come home, but it was not a vacation. It was time to come win a football game, and we didn’t do that.”

Klubnik led the Tigers (10-4) on a four-play, 55-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter, the final 25 on a pass to running back Jarvis Green that left Clemson trailing 31-17.

He directed a 64-yard touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter. His 7-yard pass to T.J. Moore, on fourth-and-6 left Texas ahead by just a touchdown, 31-24.

“We put ourselves in a position to win,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “That young man (Klubnik) has grown into an amazing leader. You’re never out of a game with him.”

Texas (12-2) made Klubnik’s job a lot tougher when Jaydon Blue raced 77 yards for a touchdown on the Longhorns’ first possession after Moore scored.

Nevertheless, Klubnik led Clemson 74 yards to the Texas 1, connecting with Moore three times, including completions covering 29 and 30 yards.

But Klubnik was stopped by Texas safety Michael Taaffe on third down and Keith Adams was stuffed on fourth by Bill Norton and Barryn Sorrell.

Clemson’s comeback attempt was over when Klubnik’s pass on fourth down was broken up by Taaffe at the Longhorns’ 25 with 1:16 left.

Taaffe and Klubnik were teammates at Westlake High School when they won the 2020 Texas state high school championship together. The quarterback they beat that day? Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.

That history and rivalry added some extra spice to Klubnik’s trip home.

Another Westlake teammate, Texas defensive end Ethan Burke, sacked Klubnik in the first half Saturday.

Earlier in the week, Taaffe said Klubnik was his “best friend” on the Westlake team when they won that state championship.

“We were definitely sharing words back and forth, that was fun,” Taaffe said. “He’s a great guy. He had a great game.”

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Austin, TX

Body found in same Austin lake where 6 other deceased individuals were found in 2024

Published

14 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Body found in same Austin lake where 6 other deceased individuals were found in 2024

Another body was found in the popular Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, where other deceased individuals were found recently.

The latest body found joins the growing mystery after at least 6 additional bodies were found throughout the year in the lake in 2024. On Friday, police were called to investigate reports of a dead person in the water near 1st Street Bridge and the 300 block of Cesar Chavez.

The Austin Police Department (APD) said that they do not suspect foul play as the body showed no signs of trauma, but are investigating the incident.

Despite APD attempting to quell community fears, questions and speculation have run rampant. Police have attributed most of the deaths to accidental drowning due to the lake’s proximity to nightclubs and bars.

BODY FOUND IN SAME AUSTIN LAKE WHERE OTHER DECEASED INDIVIDUALS DISCOVERED IN RECENT MONTHS

Mounted police patrolling down Rainey Street after several bodies appeared in a nearby lake. (Matteo Cina/Fox News Digital)

The most recent body was found on December 1. The victim was recently identified as 73-year-old Thi Lang Nguyen. Austin police said that there is nothing connected to the other deaths this year.

TEXAS PARENTS OF ONLYFANS MODEL IN DEADLY MIAMI STABBING ARRESTED

In September, a man was behaving erratically near East Cesar Chavez and Nueces Streets. He then went into the water and did not resurface. He was later pulled out and pronounced dead.

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Back in February, a woman’s body was found in the water about 20 feet from the north shore and in April, a fisherman spotted another person floating in the water.

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In July, a man was suffering from blunt force trauma on the trail near Rainey Street. The man was pronounced dead a short time later.

In September, a body was found along a trail near the lake off Pleasant Valley Road.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the APD for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.

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Austin, TX

Born and Braised Food Trailer Lands in East Austin – Texas is Life

Published

22 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Born and Braised Food Trailer Lands in East Austin – Texas is Life

Born and Braised, a food trailer specializing in native wild game meats and seasonal food, recently opened at the Sign Bar in Austin at 9909 FM 969, Building 3. Chef and owner William Woodland, a.k.a. Woody, is looking forward to his new venture and serving wild game meats and other special menu items to Austinites.

Menu items customers will enjoy includes birria tacos, birria ramen, venison frito pie, pulled pork Cubano tortas, venison bratwurst, venison smash burger, and sides like braised greens, beans, and street corn.

Born and Braised started at Lustre Pearl in 2022. The food trailer moved to Sage Brush for over a year. The trailer worked at Bastrop, but now it operates in East Austin at the Sign Bar.

Born and Braised hours include Tuesdays through Fridays from 4 pm to 2 am, and Saturdays from 11 am to 2 am, at Sign Bar Austin (9909 FM 969, Bldg. 3).

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