Austin police end low level marijuana possession arrests
Most low level marijuana possession crimes will no longer be enforced by the Austin Police Department. APD Chief Brian Manley made that decision months after Austin City Council ordered it. Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy’s Heather Fazio says mounting political pressure may have pushed the chief.
“Obviously, the Austin Police Department is under tremendous scrutiny because of their response to the peaceful protests in Austin. If they can find opportunities to get in line with what the people want, it will help to rebuild the trust that they so desperately need,” says Fazio.
APD says those caught with small amounts of pot will have the drug taken away, but they won’t be ticketed or fined.
Statewide face mask order in effect
Governor Abbott’s statewide face mask order is now in effect as of July 3rd. The order covers counties, including most in central Texas, with over 20 active COVID-19 cases. It’s in response to skyrocketing case numbers.
“These numbers reveal a very stark reality. COVID-19 is not going away, in fact, it’s getting worse,” Governor Greg Abbott says.
Repeat violators are subject to a $250 fine, but no one will go to jail for violating the order.
Within Austin and Travis County, there’s a good chance you will be hit with that $250 fine if you’re caught without a mask in public. Mayor Steve Adler says he’s taking full advantage of the power he now has to enforce the local requirements.
“So the question we’re going to be looking at now here over the next week is: are we slowing things down? Are we bending the trajectory?” says Adler.
The new order also limits social gatherings to 10 but locally it discourages all gatherings of any size. It also asked any business that’s currently open to operate under the capacity currently allowed by the state. Adler also wants Governor Abbott to give him more control in order to shut down businesses if necessary. Right now, the city needs permission in order to do that.
COVID-19 update
Of the nearly 11,000 coronavirus tests administered in Hays County since March, 3,050 have come back as positive. As of this morning, the number of active cases stands at 2,549. Of those, 18 are hospitalized. Seven people have died, but about 500 have recovered.
It’s not clear what Williamson County’s latest numbers look like. The county’s been shifting data to a new system, and that’s made the public data unavailable this morning. However, 1,390 cases were active in the most recent tally, from a couple of days ago.
Anti-mask protests
Another weekend, another protest. In front of the governor’s mansion, on Saturday, mask opponents banded together to condemn the statewide mandate. Del Bigtree, a TV producer and CEO of the anti-vaccination group Informed Consent Action Network, was one of the keynote speakers.
“This mask says that I am simply property of the US government. That i’m only a cow or a goat like the herd that they keep wanting to refer to us as,” says Bigtree
Some Texas counties are more willing to adhere to Governor Abbott’s mask order than others. In Gillespie County, which includes Fredericksburg and Luckenbach. Sheriff Buddy Mills says he has no intention of enforcing it. Mills also says he won’t require deputies to wear one, although they can if they would like. But he says it impedes their ability to communicate properly with the public, as debates continue nationally about police brutality.
Austin consumer spending is growing
Austin’s economy continues to suffer during the pandemic, with the business cycle index dropping by 20 points. However, Christopher Slijke with the Dallas Federal Reserve says Travis County is actually seeing consumer spending beginning to grow.
“We’ve seen spending recover more quickly in the Austin area compared to the State,” says Slijke.
He believes that’s due to more locals being able to work from home than others. In Texas, area spending saw a 30% drop in the beginning of the pandemic. It’s since grown to just 3% less than what it was in January spending levels.
Outside Austin fights for pedestrian safety
A local group called Outside Austin wants the city to spend massive amounts of money on pedestrian safety. The group is proposing a $750 million park bike lane and sidewalk upgrade to reduce the likelihood of someone getting hit by a car. To do that, the city would need voter approval to borrow that money through another bond election. Outside Austin hopes to get the item on the council’s July 30 agenda.
This news and more on News Radio KLBJ:
https://omny.fm/shows/klbjam-flash-briefing-1/am-newscast-7-6-20
