Property Taxes

KUT Afternoon Newscast for December 19, 2023

Central Texas top stories for December 19, 2023. Lower property taxes in Travis County. New chair of the Texas State Board of Education. CapMetro offers free two-year bus passes. New elections administrator for Williamson County. Travis County Sheriff’s Office turns to social media to find recruits. It’s allergy season.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for November 20, 2023 

Central Texas top stories for November 20, 2023. Travis Co property tax bills online tomorrow. State Board of Education votes to approve new science textbooks. UT System Regents implement new laws restricting DEI initiatives. Texas football heads to last road game of regular season. 

KUT Afternoon Newscast for November 17, 2023

Central Texas top stories for November 17, 2023. Travis Co property tax bills online tomorrow. NOAA tracking increasingly severe and increasingly frequent severe weather. State Board of Education votes to approve new science textbooks. UT System Regents implement new laws restricting DEI initiatives. Texas football heads to last road game of regular season. 

KUT Afternoon Newscast for July 04, 2023

Central Texas top stories for July 04, 2023. Texas Legislature property tax battle. Texas sued over “Death Star” law targeting cities. Texas students react to loan forgiveness ruling. Student food resources. Bastrop Food Pantry supply falling short of demand. Sam Bass shootout at Round Rock Frontier Days. Austin fireworks show. Hays Co fireworks shows.

Texas outlawed red-light cameras years ago – but this town still has them

As a deadline approaches for bills to be filed in the Texas Legislature, proposals on guns and secession are making headlines. There is rare bipartisan support building around a proposal that proponents say would boost the effectiveness of background checks for buying a firearm, a move prompted by the school shooting in Uvalde.

When it comes to property tax relief, are Texas Republicans a house divided? There is a possible battle looming between the Texas House and Senate.

And the last red-light cameras still giving out tickets in Texas – and the push to switch them off for good.

Marfa art exhibit honors the railroad’s Chinese laborers

Nearly 400,000 homes and businesses are still without power in Texas, but the worst of the freezing rain may be behind us. Mose Buchele of the Disconnect podcast and KUT Austin joins us with more on the power situation.

A new poll suggests a disconnect between the headlines and what Texans really think of the state’s public schools.

Our focus on the push to cut property taxes in the Texas Legislature turns to how schools are funded in Texas.

And an effort to turn attention to a largely forgotten story of how Chinese labor helped to build West Texas.

Why Fort Worth ISD is canceling sex ed this year

Fallen trees and branches, downed power lines and more as Texas weathers the first statewide winter storm of 2023. The worst of the weather stretches along a line west of I-35, but most Texans are feeling the impact one way or another, with driving extremely hazardous and scattered outages leaving hundreds of thousands without power.

There’s been lots of talk about property taxes in this legislative session. How’d they get so high in the first place?

Fort Worth ISD scraps its plans for a sex education course after spending millions in the ramp-up. So why the reversal?

Also a PolitiFact check of gun violence claims.

What would property tax relief from the Legislature mean for Texas renters?

Winter storm and travel advisories across much of Texas with some forecast models indicating things could get worse. Victor Murphy of the National Weather Service with more on the icy situation that’s already led to many school closures and stranded motorists overnight.

Our closeup on property taxes continues as the Legislature sets its sights on cuts. The Texas Standard’s Sean Saldana has more on what this means for renters.

The Standard’s Shelly Brisbin on how advocates for Texans with disabilities are turning up the heat on lawmakers at the Capitol.

And 30 years after the Branch Davidian siege, we’re talking to Kevin Cook, author of the new book “Waco Rising.”

What do Texans think about expanding legal gambling?

As Texas senators hold hearings on a new budget, they may get an earful from everyday Texans. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom shares his look at the week ahead in the Texas Legislature, and how you can weigh in on the budget.

Reducing property taxes is likely to be a big part of the discussion, but some say it’s high time to consider legalizing cannabis sales to offset property tax cuts.

Major casino companies are betting big on Texas. How do voters feel about that?

Also the King of Tacos, Mando Rayo, takes us on a tour of the Taco Mile.

New invasive species sighted in Southeast Texas nature preserve

The Supreme Court of the United States issues its first orders and opinions of the new year. UT Legal scholar Steven Vladek on the impact and what to watch for today. Other stories we’re tracking: the week ahead at the Texas lege: Sergio Martinez-Beltrán of the Texas newsroom on attention turning to teachers and the classroom. And President Biden’s Border initiatives and the connection to past administrations’ efforts to manage immigration. Also an historic grand hotel in Palacios spared from the wrecking ball, at least for the moment. And a surprising discovery at a huge federal nature preserve in southeast Texas. Plus the Cowboys maintain their losing streak in the playoffs and much more today on the Texas Standard:

KUT Morning Newscast for November 14, 2022

Central Texas top stories for November 14, 2022. Registration deadline for December runoff. New property tax bill. Austin Energy rate increases. New Lockhart ISD schools. Georgian Acres mobility hub. Diesel prices. Healthcare scholarships. Longhorn football.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for September 20, 2022

Central Texas top stories for September 20, 2022. Leander water restrictions. Property tax rates. Early voting. Teacher shortage. Slaughter lane bus stop. Monkeypox vaccine clinic.

KUT Morning Newscast for August 15, 2022

Central Texas top stories for August 15, 2022. It’s back-to-school week for Austin area students. Pine Pond fire update. The family of Vanessa Guillén is filing a lawsuit against the U.S. government. Travis County homeowners and property taxes. LGBTQ+ discrimination protections. Austin FC’s win against Sporting Kansas City.

Texas Standard: May 18, 2022

Democratic primaries in South Texas pit progressives against moderates. The big question is which brand will have a better chance against the GOP. We’ll have the latest. Plus for immunocompromised people who don’t get enough protection from COVID-19 vaccines, there is another option. Why most Texans don’t know about it. And COVID-19 is still having a huge impact on the Texas criminal justice system, just look at Dallas County. And as the November Governor’s race approaches we’ll fact check a claim from Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke on property Taxes. And we’ll settle in for a little music exploration as an iconic Texas album turns 50. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: April 26, 2022

Election season and property tax valuation season coincide in Texas as two constitutional amendments come up for a vote. As many Texas property owners see historic increases in their tax valuations, a pair of constitutional amendments come up that could provide some relief, but how much? And will it make a difference? Two reporters from the Texas Newsroom offer a primmer. Also, from five to just four days of school each week? Long a dream for many a student, many Texas school administrators are making the shift. We’ll hear why. And Texas-based presidential scholar Mark Updegrove reconsiders the legacy of JFK. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 27, 2017

A deadly discovery in South Texas with echoes of the past: why is Texas at the epicenter of the human smuggling crisis? We’ll have the story. Also the terms are used almost interchangeably: human trafficking and human smuggling. We’ll look at what the difference is, and why it matters in the wake of 10 deaths in the back of a tractor trailer. Plus a sad sign of of an oil rebound? Experts point to a boom in methamphetamine use in the oil fields of west Texas. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: May 1, 2017

Trees pitched across pastures, trucks tossed about like like toys, and more than 5 thousand homes in the path of monster twisters. We’ll explore the tornadoes of North Texas. Also: reading, writing and reform? Though the courts have called for a transformation in how Texas pays for public schools, the state share continues to shrink. What’s happening and why?
And it’s supposed to level the playing field for women in higher ed, but now more and more men are using Title Nine to defend themselves from allegations of sexual violence. We’ll hear how and why. Plus massive FBI raids in Laredo leave a long string of questions: what are they looking for? Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard: