Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday night threatened to overturn new Austin policies to allow camping in public areas, excluding parks, so long as the person isn’t causing a hazard. Austin last week softened an ordinance that previously prohibited public camping, as part of an overhaul of city homelessness policies.
“If Austin — or any other Texas city — permits camping on city streets it will be yet another local ordinance the State of Texas will override,” the governor posted on Twitter. “At some point cities must start putting public safety & common sense first. There are far better solutions for the homeless & citizens.”
Abbott subtweeted a local KXAN news story about the city’s ordinance changes, featuring interviews with people concerned about how the move will affect streets and sidewalks downtown.