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By Tara Brolley CBS Austin Originally published Aug. 19, 2024 AUSTIN, Texas — A lawsuit filed Monday in Travis County District Court challenges Austin's decision to place 13 proposed city charter amendments on the November 5 ballot. The Save Our Springs Alliance, its executive director Bill Bunch, and former Texas Attorney General's Office staff attorney Joe Riddell sued Mayor Kirk Watson and the City Council, alleging violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA). The plaintiffs claim the council failed to provide adequate public notice and opportunity for comment when voting to include Propositions C through O on the ballot during [...]

By Tony Plohetski Austin American-Statesman Originally published Aug. 12, 2024 Travis County District Attorney José Garza met with county commissioners behind closed doors with an urgent request earlier this year. Worried about his safety after someone posted his residential address online, Garza asked for help to make himself and his home more secure, Commissioner Margaret Gómez told the American-Statesman. “He wanted something to be done to keep him safe,” Gómez recalled. At their March 19 meeting, commissioners met again in closed session to discuss a nondescript and, according to government transparency experts, potentially legally insufficient agenda item about county security. The item [...]