Headlines

District 2 Council Member Delia Garza and Mayor Steve Adler were among those who marched last Sat., March 26, to celebrate the life of civil rights activist Cesar Chavez. (Photo by John Anderson)

After passing a handful of labor-related issues last week, City Council meets today, March 31, to consider investing in social services, changing up their campaign finance reports, and City Manager Marc Ott's job performance. Also on the agenda are some 34 Items related to construction contracts and purchasing. See "Council: Labor Protections and Job Evaluations," April 1.

More than 400,000 uninsured Texans with a mental illness or substance-use disorder could have benefited from a Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act in 2014, according to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report released Monday. An estimated 101,000 fewer residents would experience symptoms of depression and 147,000 additional individuals would report being in good or excellent health if Texas expanded the medical assistance program.

Recently terminated Austin Police Officer Geoffrey Freeman has filed an appeal of his indefinite suspension. The officer, fired for the Feb. 8 shooting death of 17-year-old David Joseph, said through his CLEAT attorney Grant Goodwin that he believes he was subject to disparate treatment of discipline by Police Chief Art Acevedo, and that he believes he did not violate APD policy at all.

Beginning this summer, Hamilton Pool visitors will have to reserve a spot in its infamously packed parking lot. The Travis County Commissioners Court voted on and approved the change last week, in addition to a fee increase.

Testimony began Tuesday in the murder trial of Daniel Willis, the former Bastrop County Sheriff's deputy who shot and killed 47-year-old Yvette Smith with his own firearm at Smith's friend's home in Feb. 2014. Willis waived his right to a jury in February, meaning visiting District Judge Albert McCaig will issue a ruling. A Sept. 2015 hearing was ruled a mistrial after a jury failed to reach a verdict.

President Obama commuted the prison sentences of 61 people serving time for drug-related offenses. An attorney for the White House reports that nearly all of those whose sentences are being commuted were nonviolent offenders, and more than a third of them were serving life sentences. The Associated Press reports that most will see their release July 28.

Convicted murderer John Battaglia received a stay of execution on Wed., March 30, hours before his scheduled execution. The 5th Circuit granted the stay on the grounds that Battaglia deserves more time to argue that he's too delusional to be executed. Battaglia was sentenced to death for the 2001 murder of his two grade-school-age daughters. For more, see "Battaglia Granted Execution Stay," March 30.