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SAWS Holiday Ratepayer Surprise — SEE YOU IN COURT TODAY! For Immediate Release January 4, 2021 SAWS Sneak Holiday Legal Action to Stop Citizens Petition for SAWS Accountability Act — in Court Monday, January 4, 10 am Austin, Texas, 7 am:   On December 10th, the City of San Antonio, acting through San Antonio Water System (SAWS), filed litigation known as a “1205 Petition” in the Travis County 345th District Court challenging the SAWS Accountability Act citizens’ charter amendment claiming the petition would harm SAWS’ ability to pay their bond debt. The presiding Judge, Jan Soifer, is being asked to issue, as early as January 4, a declaratory judgment and a permanent injunction for the alleged purpose of “validating” 39 sets of revenue bonds (“Bonds”) issued to finance SAWS’ projects since 2009. SAWS is also asking for a broad permanent injunction that the SAWS Act PAC says is clearly aimed at stopping the charter amendment petition in its tracks, even before filing the petition with the City. Neither the individuals nor the political action committee conducting the petition drive – the SAWS Act PAC — were named. Therefore, they claim they had no timely notification. Petitioners were fortunate to discover the SAWS legal maneuver they called a “sneak attack in the middle of the holidays” on Christmas Eve in “Legal Notices”, imposing a severe time squeeze on them to find attorneys in the middle of the holiday to respond. The SAWS Accountability Act Petition is not due to be filed until January 21st at the earliest. If enough signatures are filed – at least 20,000 valid signatures of City of San Antonio voters — the Petition must be placed on the ballot by the San Antonio City Council for the City election. That election is in May 2021 when the Mayor and all City Council seats will also be on the ballot. The SAWS legal action was covered by the independent news publication, San Antonio Report on December 30th . Writer Brendan Gibbons, who has followed the SAWS/Vista Ridge water pipeline controversy for years, began zeroing in on the wiliness of SAWS and the City to preempt the citizen’s petition: “SAWS officials addressed the charter amendment briefly in their statement, saying that “it impacts ordinances authorizing SAWS to issue debt and SAWS’ borrowing ability.” However, SAWS’ lawyers discuss it more extensively in the 26-page legal filing, which includes the phrase “charter petition” 24 times.” Reinette King, a spokesperson for the SAWS Act PAC, said, “While we were out putting our health at risk petitioning at polls on Election Day, November 3, we believe SAWS was cooking up this litigation in Executive Session ( Item 20A ). But, as usual, we are left only to guess because SAWS is about as transparent as the Politburo. This is why we are still petitioning in the midst of COVID to get the SAWS Accountability Act on the May ballot.” Ironically, the only spoken public comment at the November 3 SAWS meeting was made by Joe Yakubik, a professional electrical engineer. Yakubik didn’t identify himself as such, but he is also the Vice Chair of the SAWS Rate Advisory Committee. Yakubik made well-documented observations of SAWS repeated false or conflicting claims about their rates starting in May 2019. He ended by stating, “This is my learned perception of SAWS presentations. They are frequently inaccurate, self-congratulatory, omitting relevant facts using poor or misrepresentative comparisons. It is incumbent upon the new members of this board to correct the course and demand better data, better analysis and a more honest ethos from the SAWS staff.” His comments were almost immediately followed by the Executive Session. ( Yakubik’s brief comments begin at 2:16 .) Though SAWS’ legal action affects the many groups from across the political spectrum that have endorsed the SAWS Accountability Act seen here , none of them were given any notice of this outrageous sneak legal action. # For Additional More Information: Reinette King, (210) 241-2683, reinette3@gmail.com Linda Curtis, 512.657.2089, contact@SAWSAct.org SAWS Act PAC PO Box 33402, San Antonio, TX 78265 210.807.7273 • www.SAWSAct.org #JoeYakubik #ratepayersurprise #SAWS #SAWSAccountabilityAct

From the never give up Barry Klein of Houston, we received this inspiring message (see below) on Christmas. With it, was a reminder of  the Drifter’s “White Christmas” — a simply delightful present to all who celebrate this time of year!  It was Barry who sounded the alarm in the 2015 legislative session when Texas Lobby King — oil and gas — with a little help from some key municipal Democrats, tried to gut municipal petition rights in Texas. We also have a mutual friend, Bruce Hotze (not to be confused with his brother, Steve), who stood up with us against the Texas Lobby King and killed the bill. Barry is the inspiration for “homegrown petitions,” an experiment with all-volunteer petition drives. One is currently in the field in San Antonio for SAWS accountability, despite COVID. Therefore, we include the 17-second video, “Santa is dealing with SAWS, alright!” released on Christmas eve by the SAWS Act PAC. We have plans developing for Texas independents to make our mark in 2021. Get on board with LIV wherever you live in Texas! ( Join LIV here. ) Thank you, Barry, from the  bottom of our hearts, for sharing your personal and political story! Linda Curtis for LIV Dear Friends and Family: Merry Christmas to each and all. In the last two years I have been dealing with health problems related to the radiation treatments I went through 12 years ago to arrest tonsular cancer. Cancer can be a disease “that keeps on giving”, one health worker explained. For me it means a stiffening of the soft palate which plays a role in speech and eating. I am now engaged in two different exercises to strengthen both functions and I’m seeing progress, I’m happy to report. This problem has slowed me down but not knocked me out. I continue with my activism which focuses on government reform using local ballot initiatives. This is an approach that can overcome tribalism that now hobbles the American system. I call this “single issue politics”, and since I urge people to apply this strategy in smaller cities where a mere five or six change-makers are sufficient to carry the day I also call it  micro-politics.  Most of the 20,000 municipalities in the US are small so there is plenty of opportunity to be a force for good. ==================================================== M usical interlude ; ===================================================== My important news is that many states and cities let voters put propositions on local ballots by submitting a petition with a minimum number of signatures. Some cities such as Houston allow ballot initiatives to feature a resolution that lets voters express a wish for policy change on any matter of public concern. Since referenda generate a lot of media coverage this is a way for voters to grab the attention of officials at  all  levels of government, from school boards up to Congress. If done in enough cities the national zeitgeist can be upgraded, though some states may need to tweak their laws to facilitate this process. Forty years ago the Nuclear Freeze movement successful used this small city tactic to build support for a reduced US nuclear force. The grassroots work of the 1980s supercharged President Reagan’s desire to work with USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev to shrink the American and USSR nuclear stockpiles. The result was a series of treaties with Soviet leaders that did just that. (Sadly, Reagan’s amazing peace project is threatened by decisions in Washington and Moscow to back out of those agreements, a most regrettable change that dismantles the Reagan vision and revives the risk of mutual destruction since Russia and the US each keeps nukes on hair-trigger alert. Many incidents, called Broken Arrows, have almost led to nuclear war.) So dear friends and kinsmen, this is my holiday gift … you now posses knowledge of a proven mechanism for the political grassroots to stimulate reform at  all  levels of government. You have the power to be a change-maker. Use it wisely. Barry Klein P.S.  I have worked on several successful ballot initiatives, called direct democracy. Frequently a reform proposal can unite people from the Left and Right. If you want more information go to the web to find this information,  “Laws governing local ballot measures”  found on the Ballotpedia web site:   https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governing_local_ballot_measures .  Look for the document posted on the right side,  Local Ballot Initiatives , a 30 page booklet that explains the city initiative process reflecting research that looked at all 50 states. Scroll down to pages 11 and 12 to read a short overview. PPS Did Santa give you the Lee Drutman book, “Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop”? Our study group is starting up again in late January. Join us! #referenda #LeeDrutman #activism #petitionrights #BruceHotze #homegrownpetitions #BarryKlein #nuclearfreeze #Christmas

We have been hearing from landowners in northern Lee County that they are losing their wells – aka the wells are sucking air! These landowners are very close to the Vista Ridge pumping wells just on the other side of the Lee/Burleson County line. Are you, or do you know, someone affected? Call us or reply to this message. We want everyone on the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District (charged with management and protection of groundwater in Bastrop and Lee counties) meeting via phone or video conference this Wednesday night at 7 pm — details below. On Thursday the General Manager of Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District (the permitting authority for Vista Ridge), said that Vista Ridge stopped pumping last Monday. Nothing was mentioned at all at the SAWS meeting on Tuesday. In fact, the usual Vista Ridge briefing was not on the agenda. On Friday, the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District posted two agenda items for their monthly meeting this coming Wednesday night. Items 11 and 14, which are set to take action to renew or amend permits for two other mega projects – Recharge (formerly End Op – posted as Item 11) and GateHouse Water LLC (successors to  Forestar’s permit – posted as Item 14). (See link below) Our point is this. Landowner well impacts are intimately connected to the resource – the aquifers that sustain us all. If both aquifers and well owners are given no real protections, how can any groundwater district (in this case, Lost Pines) seriously consider renewing additional mega-permits? In other words, Lost Pines has some work to do and so do we, dear citizens. Please plan to attend the meeting (via phone or video stream) this Wednesday evening at 7 pm the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District. All the details are under this link. Note: If you want to speak, you must notify the LPGCD by noon on Wednesday . This message from the Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund can help you prepare to speak to the Board. Or feel free to reach us at the League of Independent Voters at 512.213.4511. Don’t let the SAWS Vista Ridge Grinches steal your Christmas…er, your water! #LostPinesGroundwaterConservationDistrict #SAWS #VistaRidge

Curiosity Junky, a podcast by Cassie Brown-Burton, out of Arizona, interviewed LIV’s resident federal budget nerd, Jeff Harper. The dude actually make some sense or is it cents! Seriously, Jeff makes some important points about the times we’re living through relative to the US economy and as a true to form political independent, seeks to inform not to inflame. That’s because we really are in this together, if we give it — deliberation — a chance. #CassieBrownBurton #CuriosityJunkie

Paul Robbins’ gift to Austin since 1995 The 10th edition of the Austin Environmental Directory, a sourcebook of green issues, products, services, and organizations, has now been released. The publication began in 1995. The 2020/2021 edition, perfect-bound, 148-pages, and in full-color, is free to the public. Places in Austin where it will be distributed include Half-Price Books, Wheatsville Food Coop, and Central Market-North Lamar. It is also online at environmentaldirectory.info/ . New content is under appropriate headings, while content from previous editions is also posted. There are several feature articles. It includes a resource section of organizations in Central Texas that draw children to nature, train them to live and play there, teach natural systems and history, and instruct and coach them in outdoor activities, skills, and safety.  It can be used by school teachers, teens, parents, and grandparents as a beginner’s guide for young people to find ways to experience the natural beauty of our region. There are also two extensive articles on food and green building materials that relate to environmental health. Tragically, industrial toxins have become a part of our everyday lives.  While the toxic dangers are relevant to everyone, children are considerably more susceptible than adults due to their low body weight and high metabolism.  These articles evaluate the toxins in conventional products and carefully detail how we can best avoid them. There is also an extensive article on Electric Vehicles. EVs can reduce carbon and air pollution, mechanically outlive the engines of conventional vehicles, and reduce the national security implications of oil consumption.  However, they are still relatively new and misunderstood. This article provides an overview of how individuals can become a part of this new and growing trend. This edition also includes sections or pages on locally grown food (included in the food section discussed above), clean energy programs, City of Austin Parks programs, watershed protection, the Edwards Aquifer, Travis County Environmental Programs, and the region’s environmental groups A note from Paul Robbins, Editor of the DIrectory: I learned decades ago that a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing, so I try to write comprehensively.  I try to follow the issues that I write about to their origins, to anticipate questions readers will have in advance, to calculate answers based on my own observations of statistics as well as reflecting the knowledge and interviews of experts in their fields. Readers will be hard pressed to find another Austin publication that goes to these levels of detail. #AustinEnvironmentalDirectory #environmentalism #PaulRobbins

Don’t let BIG DARK MONEY in SA scare you! Richard Perez of the Greater San Antonio Chambers of Commerce was half-hysterical at their press conference yesterday indicating that if the SAWS Act gets on the ballot the sky would fall. He falsely claims we’re out to “dismantle SAWS”. He even showed the press how they have failed to do basic campaign disclosure required by Texas campaign finance law. Press, so far, has failed to report this…we have. Read on. The truth is if we get the SAWS Accountability Act on the ballot and passed next May, an independent performance audit of Vista Ridge is going to show us who is profiteering off of 58% rate hikes for Vista Ridge. That’s the beginning of the end of the SAWS cash-cow for private development interests. It will also shake up city politics for the May 2021 election. We posted the SAWS Act PAC release about this at the “Stop the SAWS Profiteers” at Change.org/LIVSAWSAct. Please go read it, sign the petition and share it. Come volunteer at San Antonio polls next week. If you can’t get there put some money behind our online petition and help us grow across central Texas. Don’t get burnt out. Get burned up with your independent pals at LIV. PS You gotta wonder if all the pillaging going on by certain “bidness” people in San Antonio keeps San Antonio the poorest metro area in the US. Become a member of LIV today ! It’s for our future. #darkmoney #RichardPerez #SanAntonioChambersofCommerce #VistaRidge

Stop the SAWS Profiteers! LIV proudly presents this online petition “ Stop the Water Profiteers at SAWS “ at Change.org . Voters from both major and both minor parties agree on at least one thing. It is all kind of Texas wrong for a public water utility to soak (pun intended) ratepayers on behalf of the biggest welfare queens on the planet — land speculators and BIG developers. The petition calls upon Gov. Greg Abbott; the chairs of the two major parties — Republican Party State Chair Allen West and Democratic Party State Chair, Gilberto Hinojosa; San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg (an independent); Sunset Advisory Commission chair, Rep. John Cyrier (R-Lockhart); House Natural Resources chair, Rep. Lyle Larson (R-San Antonio); and Senate Rural Affairs chair, Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), to work together after this election, no matter who wins, to solve the SAWS problem befalling millions of central Texans, our water, our land and our wallets! Sign & share. Put a buck or two behind this to reach out to central Texans who have had enough! If you vote in San Antonio, don’t forget our ON PAPER petition to get the SAWS Accountability Act on the ballot — go to SAWSAct.org . Or, find petitioners at selected poll sites. San Antonians, have you seen the big digital billboards by NOPE, trying to stop our petition drive? Send us a picture, but drive carefully. Please consider making a donation to LIV to help us upgrade our efforts. We believe our time — independent voters, that is — is coming after this election. #petitionrights #SAWS #VistaRidge

LIV will not tell you — indies in this election — who to vote for in this election. But, would you mind taking this 3 minute, 10 question anonymous to tell us YOUR thoughts about this election ? HEADS UP! Special Outdoor, IN-Person curbside petition event in San Antonio, the poorest and most economically segregated metro area in the US. In the midst of economic downturn, a seemingly unbreakable alliance between officials and real estate speculators and their lobbyists — with water as their pivotal subsidy — is telling ratepayers and landowners we can, for all intents and purposes, DROP DEAD. Maybe they don’t see the San Antonio food bank lines pictured here. This is why there is a growing cross-partisan movement of citizens with some BIG differences who are actually working together to do the seemingly impossible: Petitioning during this pandemic for a public vote to put the public back into two wayward public utilities: SAWS and CPS Energy. Both drives are also all volunteer — we’re as homegrown as it gets! Curbside petitions for SAWS and CPS reforms! Join us at our joint curbside/drive-thru petition signing event THIS Saturday, October 3, 11-3 PM in the SAWS Parking Lot, 2800 US  281. Reply to this message with your name and phone number, if you’d like to volunteer at early polls between Oct, 13-30th. We will give you the training, support and gear you need to be effective AND stay safe. SAWS Accountability Act Website “Recall CPS” Website Only registered San Antonians may sign, but anyone can circulate these petitions. Come get some on Saturday to circulate on your own. Can’t make it? Donate whatever you can, IF you can. #homegrownpetition #indiessurvey #RecallCPS #SAWSAccountabilityAct

Texas water watchdogs know it’s not news that SAWS’ nose is a tad shorter than the 142-mile Hose (Vista Ridge). What is not yet appreciated, however, is how SAWS and Vista Ridge are wreaking havoc on state water policy and the lives of 1.8 million ratepayers in the poorest metro area in the United States! The machinations of SAWS today to avoid an independent audit of Vista Ridge (one has never been done) is at the heart of our homegrown petition drive in San Antonio to place the SAWS Accountability Act on the ballot. If you give San Antonio voters a fighting chance, they will protect and conserve their water. They would have rejected Vista Ridge. This is why the SAWS Accountability Act – if it’s on the ballot – is a likely winner. And, it will be a winner for all of Texas. How do we get it on the ballot with little funds and in the midst of a pandemic? We call it LIV’s innovation — HOMEGROWN PETITIONS. Read on. SAWS’ Nose Puts Two Aquifers, Central Texas and Texas Water Policy at Risk Remember, SAWS got busted in the media on June 10th for dumping Vista Ridge water — the most expensive water in Texas — down a creek. We wrote about this here . On June 12, SAWS reported to the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District, the permitting authority for Vista Ridge, that SAWS had stopped dumping Vista Ridge water. This week, it became clear that SAWS actually continueddumping Vista Ridge water through June 30. SAWS’ is claiming the dumping was for a legitimate purpose. We think they’re in violation of Texas water law, wasting water. The good news is we may soon find out who’s right. On September 2, the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District (the permitting authority for Vista Ridge) filed public information requests with SAWS and the TCEQ (Texas Commission for Environmental Quality.)  Read supporting documents here at Post Oak’s website. Here are Linda Curtis’s comments for LIV to Post Oak’s Board on Tuesday, September 8. Vista Ridge has put the Edwards at Risk — we warned about this in 2014! The San Antonio City Council was warned from the beginning that Vista Ridge would not just endanger the aquifers in the “source communities” (Burleson and Milam counties)  but the mighty Edwards as well. This August 13 San Antonio Report article, “ San Antonio aquifer, trails advocates lament sales tax vote ” discusses the San Antonio City Council decision (by 9 to 2) NOT to put the popular Edwards Aquifer Protection Program on this November ballot and to redirect the 1/8 sales tax to other programs. (Discussions are underway to urge voters to vote this Council plan down this November.) LIV first dubbed water policy unfolding in Texas due to SAWS and the Vista Ridge Project the “California Water Model”, an already proven disaster. In these times, we’re not about to let a man-made disaster happen without a real fight. But we need your help — your participation~! Here’s How You Can Help Anywhere You Are — Join our Homegrown Petition Drive!     Go to the SAWSAct.org site. Share this effort and please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. Soon, you will be asked to share action items.     Donate to SAWS Act PAC (a cross-partisan coalition — a rarity these days). None of us are getting paid. All donations help this homegrown petition drive.     Live in San Antonio or nearby? Please print out the petition and circulate it. Only SA voters can sign, but anyone can circulate it. Follow the instructions at SAWSAct.org . LIV is also getting ready for the Texas legislative session focusing on electoral, water and eminent domain reform. Interested in working with us and tired of partisan gamesmanship? How about a little statesmanship and some creative problem solving? Join us! PS Our “Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop” Study Group is on break, but it will be coming back soon. Get the book and let us know if you’d like to join our discussion group. PPS Are you a non-aligned independent voter? Become a member of LIV today . Dues start at $10 for the year. #HomegrownPetiitons #SAWS #TheHose #VistaRidge

TOP Joins Homegrown Petition Drive for SAWS Accountability. Check it out . LIV is developing “homegrown petitions” — petitions not reliant on big donors and, well, let’s call it “gastroturf” . Homegrown petitions also drive the hogs at the public trough nuts! Try stopping volunteers. The SAWS Act PAC in San Antonio is a grand 20,000 signature homegrown petition drive to reform SAWS — a nearly billion dollar public water utility, we’ve been complaining, endlessly, for years. Now, a volunteer coalition is taking action. Like them Facebook, following them on Twitter, contribute and help get San Antonio city voters to print and sign the petition and mail it back. If it works, it’s the new normal establishing up-from-the-bottom independent issue-oriented political organizing. It’s all right here on the SAWS Act Website. Check out Texas Organizing Project’s endorsement of this effort — love those comments! ► It’s really too bad that three female Texas democratic icons — Wendy Davis, MJ Hegar, and Chrysta Casteneda — filed suit to take their Green Party opponents off the ballot. Yeah, we get it. You just want to win in a winner take all elections process. More here in the Houston Chronicle — with one more hearing to go next week. Good news is at least the Dems added rank-choice-voting to their platform this year. ► Don’t Mess with the Post Office!  The Post Office is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution. Nonetheless, President Trump has unwisely been messing with the agency. Y’all need to know about this lawsuit and get ready to vote. Those of us who use the Post Office are quite accustomed to standing in lines. 🙂 ► Do you think the two-party system needs a break? Our study group of Lee Drutman’s “Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop” has begun. The purpose of our group it to inform our efforts at LIV about what it takes to get us all out of the winner-take-all, two party voting system. Give us a call or reply to this message if you’d like to join us. Y’all take care to get ready to vote! Meanwhile, if you’re an independent, please consider becoming a member of LIV . We wish our dear friend, Margie R, our well wishes for a quick recovery! If you live in San Antonio, please add contact@SAWSAct.org to your contact list to receive SAWS Act PAC emails. #GreenParty #TwoPartyDoomLoop #SAWS #VistaRidge #SAWSAccountabilityAct #SAWSActPAC

Thank you, so very much, Jas and Reinette for petitioning in this pandemic.) SAWS Act PAC Vista Ridge News! The SAWS Act PAC sent out this news release this morning taking credit for saving ratepayers a cool $100,000 from the bloated salary of the SAWS CEO, Robert Puente. Of course, he still received a 4% raise, while the people of San Antonio — the poorest metro area in the US — are lining up at food banks. So wrong. The SAWS Act PAC has only just begun to fight: that is, SAFELY petition in a pandemic. The PAC needs your creativity and help to gather 20,000 signatues for their HOMEGROWN (all-volunteer) PETITION DRIVE by the end of the year.  Action please! Visit their new site at SAWSAct.org , like and share their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter and, if you live in San Antonio, print out and circulate the petition and get ready for the BIG PUSH (it’s all at SAWSAct.org .) #pandemicpetitioning #RobertPuente #VistaRidge #SAWSActPAC #bloatedpay

LIV just received a call from CNN, asking for help with a voter panel — to be conducted remotely — on Do you think the San Antonio City Council should put the SAWS Accountability Act on the ballot and save Reinette and Jas (pictured here) and the rest of us, the time and worry of petitioning in a pandemic? August 31st with 6 people from “battleground” states. They asked LIV to help them identify Texas independent voters who would be willing to appear on their show. It matters not whether you are decided, are leaning towards a particular candidate or are undecided. All you have to be is a self-identified independent. Interested? Contact us . The big news from yesterday’s primaries is seeing highly competitive forces vying for control within both parties . Remember, we love competitive elections! ( Politico Report .) An LIV Group has formed to discuss how we can stir the pot for more competitive elections outside the major parties to experiment further with our “cross-partisan” organizing. We’ll be meeting every other week and using Lee Drutman’s book, “ Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop ” to help guide us. Are you an independent? You’re invited! Contact us. MORE NEWS! ► Vista Ridge News! The SAWS Act PAC sent out this news release this morning taking credit for saving ratepayers a cool $100,000 from the bloated salary of the SAWS CEO, Robert Puente. Of course, he still received a 4% raise, while the people of San Antonio — the poorest metro area in the US — are lining up at food banks. So wrong. The SAWS Act PAC has only just begun to fight: that is, SAFELY petition in a pandemic. The PAC needs your creativity and help to gather 20,000 signatues for their HOMEGROWN (all-volunteer) PETITION DRIVE by the end of the year.  Action please! Visit their new site at SAWSAct.org , like and share their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter and, if you live in San Antonio, print out and circulate the petition and get ready for the BIG PUSH (it’s all at SAWSAct.org .) ► LIV was founded in 2013, just after some of us helped Austin pass, via citizen’s petition, geographic representation and the first (and only, so far in Texas) independent citizens redistricting commission (ICRC) to draw the lines. It’s time again for the ICRC to draw the Austin City Council district lines. The Austin ICRC is seeking applicants to sit on the 14 member body. The period to apply ends September 30 . ► Austin land development battles led by the non-profit Community Not Commodity are ongoing. The City of Austin continues to try to block the rights of Austin residents to protest zoning changes in defiance of two very recent court rulings, a costly obsession by the current majority on the council. Read the latest and give CNC a hand, y’al l ! ► Of course, the news has been out that Sarah Eckhardt , after State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez decided not to pursue a runoff, is now the new State Senator for District 14. We congratulate all the candidates and wish Senator Eckhardt all the best of luck representing all of Bastrop County and most of Travis County for the next two years. We look forward to working with you! PS You independent Texans reading this post, please become a member of LIV, starting at just $10 for the year. Thanks for your consideration! PPS Have you forgotten to like us on Facebook or to follow us on Twitter? Please do. #pandemicpetitioning #Texasindependents #CNN #SarahEckhardt #independentcitizensredistricting #BreakingtheTwoPartyDoomLoop