Texas lawmakers are reigniting an effort to allow the state to control Austin.
A bill to establish a District of Austin, with state lawmakers having the power to amend or repeal city policies, was first filed by Houston-area Republican Rep. Briscoe Cain in 2021. A similar bill was proposed in 2023. Both efforts failed.
Cain said he felt compelled to refile a bill this legislative session because he’s concerned about Austin’s ability to govern the state’s capital effectively. He cited “spikes in violent crime and homicide ratesamong other systemic leadership failures.”
Austin had 70 homicides in 2024, slightly fewer than last year’s total of 75. That is much lower than 2021, when the city had a record-high of nearly 90 homicides.Crime rates have dropped overall since 2020, according to city data.
Cain said the legislation would address the city’s shortcomings by putting the power to run the city in a body that is accountable to the Texas Legislature, ensuring proper oversight and safety.
“This is about more than governance — it’s about safety, accountability, and protecting the integrity of Texas’ state government,” he said. “Austin’s failures are not just an embarrassment; they threaten the people who live and work here and the citizens who visit.”
“Something as large as a takeover of the City of Austin is unlikely to receive the kind of attention … and really the due diligence needed to be implemented in anyway that wouldn’t be anything other than an unmitigated disaster.”Joshua Blank, research director for the Texas Politics Project at UT
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis acknowledged the city has challenges, but said it’s safe. She said before that record set in 2021, there were an average of between 20 and 25 homicides a year.
“Nationally, everyone saw these huge spikes,” she said, noting that murder rates are starting to come down in most cities. “Austin is the same.”
“This whole idea that Austin is an unsafe city is just not a true narrative,” she said.
Local advocates have said a shortage of officers has led to poor neighborhood patrol and slow response times to calls for help, leaving an impression that there is no police presence.
Davis said she and her team are working to address the staffing issues, adding that more than 100 new police officers are set to come in this year. The new long-term labor contract should also add some stability, she said.
Ultimately, though, the likelihood of the bill passing is pretty low.
Joshua Blank, research director for the Texas Politics Project at UT, said state lawmakers have bigger fish to fry — like the cost of living, housing and immigration and border security. Additionally, many state lawmakers are focused on establishing a school voucher program.
“Something as large as a takeover of the City of Austin is unlikely to receive the kind of attention … and really the due diligence needed to be implemented in anyway that wouldn’t be anything other than an unmitigated disaster,” he said.
Additionally, Blank said, many lawmakers come from local government and understand local problems are best solved by locally elected officials.
Mayor Kirk Watson said the Texas Legislature has long had a special and unnecessary antipathy for Austin.
“It’s been an effective political tool for some in control of the Capitol, but isn’t particularly helpful when we’re actually trying to solve our shared problems,” he said in a written statement.