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Tag: Austin

Texas Observer: Reefer Madness 2.0 Arrives in Lone Star State

Posted in Austin, Journalism, and The Texas Observer

Marijuana prohibition is a Texas tradition. Unless Governor Greg Abbott vetoes Senate Bill 3, the state’s new ban on THC, the state is about to suddenly and drastically renew its commitment to that tradition—at a potential cost of thousands of jobs, billions of dollars in lost taxable revenue, and countless lives broken in the prison system.

“We have to look at a long history in Texas,” said Austin Zamhariri, executive director of the Texas Cannabis Collective. “The modern enforcement of marijuana prohibition that exists today, that system began in Texas in 1915 in El Paso. It was the very first city in the entire country that prohibited marijuana.”

Zamhariri offered this historical perspective by way of explaining why our state is so eager to close the legal loophole that accidentally created a booming market for THC products about six years ago. “These systems have existed for 110 years,” he said.

Austin Free Press: LGBTQ+ Rights Groups Rally as Texas House Votes on Anti-Trans Bills

Posted in Austin, Austin Free Press, Journalism, and LGBTQIA

Local advocates for equality are fighting back as the rights of LGBTQ+ Texans are under attack again at the Texas Legislature – including by a bill up for a key House vote today.

A bill-tracking site maintained by the nonprofit Equality Texas shows that lawmakers filed more than 200 anti-LGBTQ+ bills before the March 14 filing deadline. Most of those bills, which mainly target the rights of trans people, never will reach Governor Greg Abbott’s desk. But a few are marching through the legislature, which ends its current sessions on May 30.

One top concern of the trans community is SB 240, which would restrict transgender people’s use of bathrooms or locker rooms in such public places as schools, domestic violence shelters, prisons or government buildings.

How Democrasexy Finds Joy In Political Action

Posted in Activism, Austin, and Journalism

These are dark and scary times, and it can be hard to hold onto joy. But it’s also difficult to motivate people using pure doom and gloom. Activism and action without considering our own happiness leads to burnout.

Since 2021, Becky Bullard has been encouraging playfulness, a spirit of mysticism and even sexiness in political action through Democrasexy, the organization she founded. Her first event was a “Texorcism,” a gathering to symbolically “cast out the demons” at the Texas Capitol who had brought on the state’s six-week abortion ban. 

“We all dressed like witches. I had drag performers. We had a panel on abortion rights and a tarot reading for Texas,” Becky told me.

Austin Free Press: Al Green Calls for ‘Millions’ to Protest Trump

Posted in Austin, Austin Free Press, and Journalism

U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, said he didn’t intend to shout back at President Donald Trump during Trump’s speech to Congress earlier this month — but would do it again, despite the consequences, including receiving numerous death threats and being censured by his House colleagues.

Speaking to a packed room at Austin’s AFL-CIO labor hall near the Capitol this week, Green said he wanted to make clear to the president that voters didn’t give him a mandate to cut Medicaid or Social Security. He urged the public to engage in peaceful protest to protect those and other services.

“I want you to know that if the Congress won’t act and if the court can’t act because (Trump) won’t abide by the rulings of the court…there is but one remedy left,” Green said. “We the people. We the people will have the last word…this country was built on we the people. The country wasn’t built on DOGE,” Green said, referring to Elon Musk’s cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency. “The country won’t be destroyed by DOGE.”

Austin Free Press: A U.T. professor and state trooper collide

Posted in Austin, Austin Free Press, and Journalism

Reporter’s Notebook: Kit O’Connell reflects on pro-Palestinian protests on UT-Austin’s campus last spring. Their commentary is accompanied by a video of the incident never before released to the public.

On a blistering April day I arrived at the University of Texas at Austin last year, after receiving a tip that more Gaza protests were breaking out at UT’s South Mall. I didn’t know then that a well-regarded professor whom I previously interviewed was about to have a life-changing altercation that would land him in jail and end his UT career.

Five days before, students had gathered in that grassy, open area to oppose Israel’s bombing campaign. Dozens of Department of Public Safety State Troopers, under orders from Governor Greg Abbott and with support of then-UT Austin president Jay Hartzell, had aggressively broken up the protest. Then, on April 29, the students were back; this time, they planned to pitch tents and form a protest encampment.

Kit @ SXSW 2025

Posted in Austin, Journalism, SXSW, and The Texas Observer

I’m appearing at a free SXSW event (no badge required) on Monday, March 10 at 4pm at Flipboard House (Speakeasy in downtown Austin). I’ll be talking about how I use alternative, decentralized social media like Mastodon and Bsky to promote Texas Observer and my own journalism.

I recommend checking out the whole two-day slate of events, which features some great speakers like Molly White and Cory Doctorow. Hope to see you there!