A TEA spokesperson confirmed the state has opened an investigation, but declined to comment since “the matter remains ongoing.”
KUT News
Posted inGovernment
Austin budget forecast includes millions in cuts to housing, job and education programs
Programs that help low-income families, people experiencing homelessness and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault could face funding cuts in the city of Austin’s next budget. A first draft of what the budget could look like was released Thursday. The fiscal year 2027 forecast assumes what the state calls a no-new-revenue property tax rate, which means […]
Posted inGovernment
Texas AG Ken Paxton is investigating APD’s new policy on cooperating with ICE
The Austin Police Department says Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into its cooperation with immigration authorities. APD defended its newly tweaked policies for how officers work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on certain arrest warrants for undocumented residents, and said Monday night that it would cooperate with the attorney general’s investigation. In a joint statement […]
Posted inCommunity
SAFE Alliance programs that help domestic and sexual violence survivors could end
The SAFE Alliance is preparing to make around $4 million in cuts starting this summer. That includes the elimination of four programs, including closing a downtown shelter and services that provide additional housing assistance for people leaving an abusive situation. Pierre Berastaín, CEO of the SAFE Alliance, said about $2 million of the cuts come […]
Posted inGovernment
Travis County votes to withhold 9% of Tesla’s tax rebate for insufficient documentation
The Travis County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to withhold 9% of Tesla’s tax rebate for 2020-2022 for “partial noncompliance with certain provisions” in the company’s economic incentive deal with the county. “The big takeaway is we are holding Tesla accountable,” Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea said at the meeting. The deal, which was finalized in 2020, offers […]
Posted inEducation
Facing political pressure, UT Austin speeds up ethnic and gender studies consolidation to this fall
The University of Texas at Austin is set to consolidate seven departments at the College of Liberal Arts into two new departments beginning in the fall. The information was shared with faculty by the interim dean of the college, David Sosa, in an email on Thursday. Some faculty claim changes have been rushed because of political pressure. […]
Posted inGovernment
Austin adopts new homeless strategy plan, but leaders aren’t sure of the cost
Austin city leaders have approved a new strategic plan to address some of the issues people experiencing homelessness face. David Gray, the city’s homeless strategy officer, said it will act as a road map for addressing homelessness over the next two years. The plan was crafted with more than two dozen community partners and includes […]
Posted inGovernment
Austin Energy quadruples shutoffs for nonpayment as the city gets hotter
As Austin keeps getting hotter, Austin Energy shutoffs for nonpayment have increased by more than four-fold over the last four years. Data from the publicly owned utility shows shutoffs skyrocketed from 7,777 in 2022 to more than 35,000 last year. But the increase in shutoffs comes as the utility has made big strides helping struggling […]
Posted inGrowth & Development
Austin City Council urged to pause plan for parks over I-35
Less than a year after Austin’s City Council signed off on a plan to build parks over sunken stretches of I-35, city staff are now urging elected leaders to pump the brakes on committing any more public money for the ambitious project. “At this point, we just can’t recommend you move forward with such a […]
Posted inGrowth & Development
Austin rents dropped over 7% since last year, but families on tighter budgets are still struggling
Austin’s monthly rent continues to decrease as the city leads the way in rent relief since costs peaked in 2022, according to a new report. Newly released data from realtor.com shows monthly rent dropped more than 7% year-over year. As of Feb. 2026, the median asking rent was $1,357 for an apartment of any size. That […]