September 14, 2021      4:46 PM

SB: Sold as a crackdown on homelessness policy in Austin, Abbott and Paxton now use statewide camping ban to threaten all cities and counties

When HB 1925 was passed, the GOP legislators who championed it said the main goal was to correct policies in Austin. As for other major cities: "This bill actually doesn't change anything”; now Abbott tells all cities to expect “costly litigation” and the withholding of resources

The issue of homelessness in the City of Austin has become so personal for a few in the legislative community that some who would normally be champions of local control were among the most vocal supporters of a one-size-fits all statewide policy now being used to threaten all cities and counties with “costly litigation and denial of state grant funds.”

Sold to legislators and Texans during the regular session as a course correction for the City of Austin – where residents earlier this year had already voted overwhelmingly to reinstate a ban on camping in public spaces – House Bill 1925 is now swiftly being used by Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton to tell every local government in the state that they “face serious repercussions” over their policies dealing with homelessness.

All stick, no carrot, and certainly not anything that could be considered a good faith partnership to tackle a complex and heartbreaking issue that every community faces to some degree.

By Scott Braddock

Copyright September 14, 2021, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved