AUSTIN, Texas — There was a rare moment at the Texas State Capitol on Wednesday morning.
As lawmakers in the House Committee on State Affairs unanimously rejected House Bill 274, laughter broke out.
Usually, bills that don’t make it through committees are simply left pending without a vote. But HB 274, which would have created the “District of Austin,” was literally laughed down.
“Chair lays out House Bill 274. Members, this is Rep. [Briscoe] Cain’s bill that changes the city of Austin into the ‘District of Austin.’ Rep. Geren moves that House Bill 274 –” began State Rep. Ken King (R-Canadian), the committee’s chair, before he had to pause for laughter, including his own.
King then said Geren wanted the bill reported favorably to the full House before stating that the clerk would call the roll.
All 11 members of the committee voted the bill down.
“There being zero ‘ayes’ and 11 ‘nays,’ the motion fails,” King said to more laughter.
HB 274, authored by State Rep. Brisco Cain (R-Deer Park), would have allowed the state to amend or repeal laws, ordinances and policies in the city of Austin. Cain said creating the district would help address crime in Austin.
“From carjackings, to open drug use blocks from this very building, the failures of Austin city government have made clear: the Seat of Texas Government should be run by the representatives of the people of Texas,” Cain said in a hearing on March 19.
But opponents of the bill said it was an overreach of authority.
“This bill really just violates the core tenets of democracy by disenfranchising Austinites and depriving them of a government that’s accountable to their needs and priorities,” said Luis Figueroa with the nonprofit group Every Texan.
This was the third legislative session in a row where lawmakers introduced a bill to create the District of Austin.