In the News
Washington -- The Republican-led House voted Thursday to repeal an Obama-era regulation that required the Social Security Administration to disclose to the national gun background check system information about people with mental illness.
The regulation instituted in the final days of the Obama administration required the SSA to share information about those who are considered incapable of managing their own disability benefits due mental illness.
Gov. Greg Abbott is carrying out a promise, effective immediately, to withhold state grant money administered by his office to Travis County because of a new jail policy related to immigration, his office told the American-Statesman on Wednesday.
"This morning, the governor's office is canceling all currently active Travis County criminal justice grants," Abbott spokesman John Wittman said.
So far, the state has paid only about $300,000 of $1.8 million to the county, so the loss will total about $1.5 million.
Austin/San Antonio Congressman Lloyd Doggett visited Foundation Communities Monday morning, reminding Austinites that the deadline for enrolling in health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare") is Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 12 midnight. Despite the debate in Washington, new enrollees need to act now in order to have insurance in 2017.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, has joined some 50 House Democrats — including two others from Texas — who will not be attending President-elect Trump's inauguration on Friday as the 45th president of the United States.
Jan. 03--The independent congressional ethics panel that was the target of House Republicans this week investigated a Central Texas congressman last year for possible ethics violations.
The board of the Office of Congressional Ethics in April voted 6-0 to recommend that the U.S. House Ethics Committee investigate U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, for having a possible conflict of interest when he proposed legislation that benefits car dealerships.
The matter is still pending before the committee.
By Michael King
"Anybody need a courthouse?" was not exactly the question posed by the U.S. General Services Administration, but the U.S. government's (technically, the National Park Service) disused 1936 courthouse just happened to match the pressing needs of the Travis County justice system. This morning, the transfer was completed.
By Taylor Goldstein
After a failed bond referendum and months of uncertainty, at least some of Travis County's court space woes may soon be behind it.
Officials announced Thursday morning that the federal government approved the county's application to take the old U.S. courthouse at 200 W. Eighth St. for its probate court and clerks offices.
ICE agrees to announce big releases
By Jason Buch
Published December 13, 2016
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has agreed to give 24-hour notice before future large releases of families that will require assistance from San Antonio aid workers, according to people who attended a meeting with the agency over the weekend.
ICE has also said that the numbers of families released over the weekend of Dec. 3-4 was not unusually high; what was unusual was how many were released without travel documents.