Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Following a 28-3 vote to pass HB 1925 in the Texas Senate, a statewide ban on the recent phenomenon of homeless camping in public areas will soon go into effect. The legislation included the unanimous acceptance of an amendment to ban camping in city parks – which the Capitol City of Austin has recently made famous for its implementation, and the resulting rise in crime in the city.
Following the State Senate's approval, the co-founders of "Save Austin Now," Matt Mackowiak & Cleo Petricek (at right) – who helped initiate and pass the effort – released the following statement:
“This overwhelming vote in the Texas Senate – which includes more than 10 Senate Democratic votes to ban camping statewide – sends a strong message to Mayor Steve Adler, Council Member Greg Casar and the rest of city hall that their efforts to allow unregulated public camping anywhere and regulated public camping in city parks is extreme and will not be allowed in the State of Texas."We want to specifically commend State Sen. Dawn Buckingham (R-Lakeway), State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (R-Keller) and Austin Council Member Mackenzie Kelly for their leadership on this issue. Austinites demanded a safe and clean city for everyone when more than 90,000 of them (nearly 58%) voted in favor of Prop. B in the May 1st Municipal Election.
"Since then, the city has outrageously proposed city parks and public libraries among their camping sites, showing that they are not taking the May 1st election result seriously.
"Austin’s political leaders need to wake up. The Texas Legislature is responding to the disastrous results of the public camping ordinance.
"When will City Hall start to listen?”
To learn more about the nonpartisan, nonprofit Save Austin Now organization, visit http://www.SaveAustinNow.com.
