Anti-petition bill — set for a hearing THIS WEDNESDAY 9:30 am — to more than double petition signatures for citizen’s charter amendments.  (Details below.)

State Senator Jeff Wentworth is sponsoring SB 690 (details below) at the request of the Austin Chamber of Commerce.

Call Senator Wentworth’s office (512) 463-0125. Ask Sen. Wentworth to pull SB 690 down.  

Then join us this Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Capital — in the underground extension, Room E 1.028 for a hearing on SB 690.

Are you coming to our Mayoral Forum this coming Saturday, March 14, 4- 6pm, at Opal Divine’s, 3601 S. Congress (Penn Field)?  

This will be one of the few places where you get to see Council Members Leffingwell and McCracken together with former Comptroller and Austin Mayor, Carole Strayhorn, in the same place at the same time.  

Caution:  Wanna vote on our endorsements? Make sure to sign up here to be a member for $20 by this coming Friday at midnite!  (If you can’t spring the $20, please call us — there are other ways, like indenturing your labor to us for a few hours).

Linda Curtis & Brian Rodgers
ChangeAustin.org 
(formerly your Stop Domain Subsidies friends)
2153 S. Lamar #205
Austin, TX 78704
512-383-8484 or 657-2089

PS  Please forward this on to five friends and invite them to join our email network — it’s free of course!

MORE ON SB 690
Here’s the actual bill language.

A quick political history.  The Austin Chamber of Commerce has been pushing this bill, we believe as their response to Prop 2, even though Prop 2 failed!  It was just a little too close (48%) for the Chamber’s comfort.  In 2007 Senator Kirk Watson carried this bill (minus an amendment in this year’s bill that exempts police and fire).  The requirements currently for citizen’s charter amendment petitioning is 5% of registered voters, with a 20,000 signature cap.  Wentworth’s SB 690 would raise the signatures to 10% and remove the 20,000 cap.  The law already requires 10% for citizen’s municipal initiatives, referenda and recall petitions.  (Remember, Texans only have I&R&R at the city level).  The reason you don’t see more referenda and initiatives is because petitioning requirements make them near impossible and WAY too expensive.  If anything, they should lower those requirements.  Bottom line — if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  How many citizen’s charter amendments have we seen in the last 10 years in Austin?  Four.  How many have passed?  None!  But that hasn’t stopped the Chamber from trying to snuff out any opposition to their developer scams on Austin taxpayers.  Defeat SB 690!  If you’re a member of the Chamber — let ’em have an earful, cancel your membership and tell them you’re sending your dues for ChangeAustin.org, who will keep fighting for voters and local business.