Houston Chronicle by Taylor Goldenstein and Raga Justin Oct. 2, 2019
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday warned Austin city officials that if by November they don’t take action on resolving homelessness issues, he will deploy state law enforcement and other agencies.
In a letter to the capital city's mayor Wednesday, Abbott called for “meaningful reforms†and cited “reports of violence, used needles and feces littering the streets†since the city council adopted controversial homelessness policies this June.
The move loosened bans on camping, sitting or lying down on public sidewalks, and panhandling and prompted an outcry from residents and Republicans across Texas who complained it made the city less clean and more dangerous.
“The status quo is increasingly intolerable and a swift course correction is needed to protect the health and safety of Texans,†Abbott said in the letter addressed to Austin Mayor Steve Adler, a Democrat.
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