Texas bill would allow state to run Austin
Texas State Capitol building in Austin, Texas. ( Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call / Getty Images)
AUSTIN - A proposed state bill suggests the state of Texas should govern the City of Austin.
House Bill 274, filed by State Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park), would allow the Texas Legislature to create the "District of Austin."
Cain claims Austin has failed to govern properly, citing homicide rates and other public safety concerns.
HB274 says the district would follow Austin's current laws and ordinances, but the state would have the power to amend or repeal them as needed.
"For far too long, [Austin] city leaders have thumbed their nose at the Capitol and turned their backs on their own citizens," wrote Cain in a post on social media.
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Any amendment to the district's charter would have to be submitted to the lieutenant governor and Speaker of the House.
If passed, it would then have to be approved by voters.
The District of Austin would be established on Jan. 1, 2026, if passed.
Rep. Cain filed a similar bill in 2021, but it was not passed.
The Texas Legislature will be back in session this January.