Austin, TX
Texas Senate to hear ‘Audrii’s Law’ in Austin Tuesday as bill moves to become law
AUSTIN, Texas – State lawmakers in the Texas Senate will hear H.B. 2000 – better known as ‘Audrii’s Law’ – named after the Livingston girl murdered by a family friend in 2024.
The legislation, which Rep. Trent Ashby filed, already received unanimous approval from the Texas House of Representatives in March.
On Tuesday, the Texas Senate Committee on Criminal Justice will hold a public hearing on the bill, among others.
PREVIOUS: ‘Audrii’s Law’ passes unanimously in the Texas House, heads to Senate
The bill aims to expand the crimes for which a convicted suspect will be required to register as a sex offender. If approved, the law would make sex offender registration requirements for the offense of child grooming.
Audrii Cunningham was 11-years-old when, Don Steven McDougal, brutally murdered the girl.
McDougal was a family friend living in a trailer behind her grandparent’s house near Lake Livingston.
After an exhaustive search, which included local, state and federal law enforcement resources, Audrii’s body was found weighted down in the Trinity River.
WATCH: Finding Audrii: A story of tragic loss and lasting legacy
In January, McDougal agreed to a plea deal to spend the rest of his life in prison, without the opportunity for parole.
McDougal had a previous conviction for a sex crime involving a minor but avoided having to register as a sex offender after taking a plea deal years earlier. Audrii’s grandparents say they may never have allowed him to live in a trailer on their property had they known about his past.
Audrii’s Law aims to change that.
At a public hearing in front of Texas House lawmakers in March, Audrii’s family made an emotional plea with lawmakers.
“My granddaughter was the most loving child I’ve ever met,” Audrii’s grandmother, Tabitha Munsch, said. “Had this bill been in place, had this loophole existed, he would never be near our sweet baby. I’m not asking, I’m begging that we close this loophole.”
SEE ALSO: The hidden dangers of lapsed sex offender registrations
“We know this incident had far far-reaching impact across East Texas, our community, the whole great State of Texas,” added Audrii’s grandfather, Philip Munsch. “It’s a case that touched so many hearts and Audrii was just a charming young lady, lots of potential. Because of a loophole, her life was taken away far too early.”
According to Audrii’s family, they won’t be in Austin for the hearing on Tuesday.
However, Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers of Houston will be speaking in front of lawmakers.
During that same public hearing in March, he delivered powerful words.
“I told them, ‘Audrii Cunningham is going to be a catalyst for change.’ And that brings us here,” Kahan said while recalling on of his first conversations with Audrii’s family. “I’m sick and tired of naming bills after dead kids. This will prevent future Audrii Cunninghams.”
The hearing will begin at 8 a.m.
The committee is expected to vote on the bill today. If passed, it will be sent to the Senate floor for a full vote before being sent to the Governor’s desk for a signature.
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Austin, TX
Southwest Airlines establishing new crew base in Austin
AUSTIN, Texas (KVIA) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that Southwest Airlines will establish a new pilot and flight attendant crew base in Austin.
Abbott joined the Austin mayor at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to make the announcement today.
The expansion to Austin will lay the groundwork for future operational growth in Texas. It is expected to generate 2,000 jobs in Austin by mid-2027. In addition to the pilots and flight attendants, Austin will now also be home to managerial and support staff. The new crew base will have an average salary of $180,000 a year, the Governor’s Office says.
The state is extending a $14 million Texas Enterprise Fund to the airline, as well as a $375,000 Veteran Created Job Bonus.
“Southwest Airlines was born and raised in Texas and has been a core element of the economic growth we have seen in our state,” said Governor Abbott. “We are excited to announce that today Southwest Airlines will add over 2,000 high paying jobs right here in Texas. We are the home of economic opportunity for our fellow Texans more than any other state in the United States, and we know a key reason for that is because of everything Southwest Airlines provides. We are proud to partner with everybody connected with Southwest as well as the City of Austin on such a huge announcement for our state.”
Austin, TX
Fire destroys abandoned E Austin auto shop
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin firefighters battled their second major fire Thursday afternoon, responding to an abandoned East Austin auto shop engulfed in flames.
Crews responded to 3100 Manor Road around 4 p.m., AFD said.
No injuries were reported and no one was inside the building.
ALSO | 40+ residents displaced in North Austin third-alarm apartment fire, no injuries reported
The incident was called in as a first alarm. The building is a total loss, according to officials.
CBS Austin has a crew on the way to the scene.
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Earlier in the afternoon, firefighters extinguished a three-alarm fire in north Austin.
Austin, TX
Austin road rage suspect identified, charged with criminal mischief: affidavit
AUSTIN, Texas – The suspect in a violent road rage incident on the Capital of Texas Highway has been identified and charged, according to court paperwork.
The altercation was caught on camera.
What we know:
34-year-old Ian Kevin Brinkmeyer has been charged with criminal mischief, a Class B misdemeanor, in connection with the Dec. 5 incident.
At around 2 p.m. that day, officers responded to a call for service on Capital of Texas Highway, where they spoke with Brinkmeyer and another man.
The affidavit says Brinkmeyer “engaged in a road rage” with the other man while traveling north on Capital of Texas Highway. Brinkmeyer drove around the other man, changed lanes in front of him and cut him off before stopping his car.
Brinkmeyer then allegedly got out of his vehicle holding a “steel knife sharpening rod”, walked over to the other man’s car and struck the driver’s side door window with the rod, shattering the entire window.
The affidavit says Brinkmeyer then quickly walked back to his car and drove off.
The entire incident was caught on video by other drivers and posted on social media.
The affidavit says that the repairs to the shattered window cost about $480, making this a case of criminal mischief with a value between $100 and $750.
What’s next:
A warrant has been issued for Brinkmeyer’s arrest. As of 12 p.m. Dec. 11, he is not in custody.
The Source: Information in this report comes from court paperwork and previous reporting.
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