The May 25 death of George Floyd during an arrest in Minneapolis was a turning point for many western Travis County residents who responded by holding rallies to support Black Lives Matter. For State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, Floyd’s death made it “very apparent that we still have a long way to go to reach where we need to be with civil rights.”
As a result, Goodwin—whose House District 47 covers Lakeway, Bee Cave, Spicewood and some unincorporated Westbank areas—recently formed an Anti-Racism Advisory Group. With 15 members representing diverse neighborhoods and races, the group aims to improve race relations and address racism in the area.
The members of the Travis County Delegation to the Texas House of Representatives have issued a joint statement supporting peaceful protests while condemning violence and destruction. The statement comes following days of growing anger and unrest over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Goodwin wrote a letter to the airline. “I would like for British Airways to offer cash refunds for those who ask for them. There may be some who feel like they may use the credit in time so not everyone would ask for a cash refund but for those who do we feel like they should offer that,” she said.
FOX 7 Austin reached out to British Airways earlier this week with the concerns of these parents and students, and so far they’ve told us they are looking into it.
Amid outrage over Austin's homeless policies, state lawmakers are preparing for the next legislative session, looking for ways to fix homeless issues across Texas.
On Jan. 10, the monument sign at the front of the Provence neighborhood was defaced with the spray painted message “Keep the Hills Country.” Vandals also broke glass and removed front panel lettering. The matter was referred to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office the following day, but sheriff’s spokesperson Kristen Dark said the case has been suspended “due to lack of investigative leads.”
State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, raised more money during the second half of 2019 than each of the five Republicans seeking to challenge her. Goodwin, a real estate broker, raised $120,000, according to a campaign finance filing released Thursday by the Texas Ethics Commission. She spent $64,600 and has nearly $106,000 in cash on hand.
A letter signed by nine members of the Texas House of Representatives on Thursday had urged the governor to participate in the federal refugee resettlement program.
On December 17, Rep. Goodwin assembled a panel of local experts on topic of billboards and traffic safety along Highway 71. Acting as moderator, she posed questions to Epi Gonzalez, engineer with the Texas Department of Transportation; Bob Moore, executive assistant to Travis County Precinct 3 Commissioner Gerald Daugherty; Stacy Suits, Travis County Precinct 3 constable; and Sarah Tober, executive director of Scenic Texas.
‘"If [drivers] know that there's a red-light camera, they might be more apt to stop at the red light," Goodwin said.
She's aware of the argument used by Abbott and others that red-light cameras may cause more rear-end crashes, but she said she recognizes the cameras are just one part of a bigger solution.’
Goodwin said she fears losing even more innocent lives. The Texas Legislature doesn’t meet again for another year and a half.
“That’s such a long time from now. Anything can happen,” she said. “I’m afraid people are seeing what’s been happening and saying ‘Well, if that’s how someone else has handled their anger, maybe I need a gun, too,’ and we have sort of a copycat situations and that’s what scares me.”
Eleven Texas House districts comprise the five-county Austin metro area: Travis has six, Williamson is split among three, Hays makes up most of one, and Bastrop and Caldwell together anchor another. (State House districts, unlike state Senate or U.S. congressional districts, are drawn to respect county lines.) When this map debuted in 2012, Republicans captured six of those 11 seats; today, Democrats hold nine, which between them include the entire city of Austin.
Bee Cave City Council voted down a resolution seeking a speed study from the TX DoT. Also on the agenda was a resolution to endorse House Bill 2814, a bill from state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, that calls for safety corridors on certain segments of state roads deemed highly dangerous.
The careful choreography of the session's marquee budget, property tax, and school finance measures advanced Tuesday, April 30, with the House's approval of Senate Bill 2, the revenue cap plan opposed vociferously by local mayors, county judges, and other elected officials.
State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, introduced House Bill 2814 to the Legislature on March 1. It is a bill she said was inspired by a highway safety advocacy group called Safer71 based out of the Sweetwater area in western Travis County.
Operating in a Republican run Legislature that has been more interested in expanding gun rights, advocates for laws promoting firearm safety— including three Austin Democrats — said Tuesday that they have higher hopes for progress this session.
Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, joined the Texas House of Representatives in January as a political freshman. While she can turn to her fellow House women, her real preparation for the job comes from her years as a longtime campaign volunteer and a mother of three biological children and two stepchildren. This is how she leads Texas.
Following her election in November, state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, said she was approached by constituents and traffic groups regarding how unsafe Texas 71, RM 620 and Bee Cave Road are in western Travis County. They asked for her help in looking for ways to make the roads safer.
Texas House Representative Vikki Goodwin joined the Westlake Chamber of Commerce today for their first Humanitarian Services Project of 2019 to benefit Central Texas Food Bank.
Impact Austin member and State Representative Vikki Goodwin believes we all have an obligation to serve our communities. Read about her inspiring perspective on service in this interview by Impact Austin.
Eanes ISD Superintendent Tom Leonard, State Senator Kirk Watson, State House Rep. Donna Howard and State House Rep. Vikki Goodwin were panelists at the Westlake Chamber of Commerce Community Luncheon, where they discussed state recapture.
