On May 26th at 6:00pm, the NAACP Austin branch meeting will be going virtual in order to keep everyone safe. The dial-in number is (646) 376-3266, and the meeting ID is 928-8086.

We hope to "see" you there!

Judge Jan Soifer has restored the injunction previously issued against the city and its Council members forbidding them from ignoring or violating protest rights of citizens who object to a change in zoning regulations at or near their properties. Read more here.

Ahmaud Arbery had gone for a run. The former high school football speedster often jogged through the neighborhoods southwest of Brunswick, but, on February 23, he was viewed as a threat, a thief. Someone in Satilla Shores called 911 to say "a black male running down the street" -- Arbery -- might be responsible for a rash of burglaries. Within minutes, three blasts erupted from Travis McMichael's shotgun, and Arbery was dead in the street.

It's been more than 10 weeks since the shooting. Learn more about updates in the case here.

Millions of kids are feeling the stress of uncertainty right now, especially in low-income communities. Founder and CEO of Harlem Children's Zone, Geoffrey Canada, says the impact will stretch far beyond the next few months. Hear what Canada has to say here.

Due to current limitations, we will be hosting our branch meetings virtually until further notice. April's monthly meeting will be held on 04/28 at 6:00pm. However, we ask that people began calling at 5:45pm in case we need to address technological issues.

In order to join the meeting, please use the following information:

Dial-in number (US): (978) 990-5361
Access code: 1418950#
International dial-in numbers: https://fccdl.in/i/lindernelson
Online meeting ID: lindernelson
Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/lindernelson

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to President Linder at lindernelson@aol.com. We look forward to seeing you there!

Central Health helps the people of Travis County live healthier. They have posted information for CommUnityCare patients as well as anyone who needs to visit a Central Health office, including MAP Eligibility. Read more here.

Yesterday, Travis County District Judge Jan Soifer ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Acuña, et al. v. City of Austin, et al., upholding the rights of local property owners who have filed protests in response to City Hall’s controversial rezoning plan. The decision is a major victory for Austin’s homeowners, renters, small businesses, and the rest of our community.

The City of Austin argued both publicly and in court that local residents have no right to protest the rezoning of their properties because it intends to rezone all properties at once, rather than one at a time. Judge Soifer rejected that claim.

The court’s ruling means that city officials will need approval of three-quarters of the Austin City Council (nine of 11 votes) in order to rezone any property that is the subject of a protest. Only seven council members currently support the rezoning plan.

More than 16,000 Austinites have filed official rezoning protests to date. Those who haven’t are encouraged to visit FileYourProtest.com, where they can fill out a short protest form and protect their residential and commercial property. Protests may be filed until one week before the city council takes its final vote on its code revision. That vote had been scheduled for early April, but was postponed by city officials due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Judge Soifer also ruled that the city council’s votes on first and second reading of the code revision are void because City Hall failed to provide the state-required notice to property owners and the public. If local officials intend to proceed with their plan, they must provide our community with legal notice, and the city must hold its hearings and votes again.

If the City of Austin intends to revise the land development code, it must be one that has broad support and brings our community together rather than dividing it. We need a consensus code.

Community Not Commodity would like to thank the law firm of Gray & Becker, P.C. for providing the plaintiffs with outstanding representation in this complex case. We are also very grateful for the generosity of those who donated to our legal fund. This victory belongs to you.
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Together we can build an Austin for everyone!

Q: What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
A: Patients with COVID-19 have had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Questions and answers like this one can be found on austintexas.gov's website. Please review to stay up-to-date on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in our community.

The investigator looking into allegations of racism within the Austin Police Department’s top brass is expected to release a written report in the next few weeks. Read more here.

Rent prices have increased by 2% to 4% nationwide each year since 2011, according to CoreLogic. While gains in federal and state minimum wage rules have somewhat mitigated the bite for lower-wage earners in certain areas, it’s often not enough to compete with the rising cost of housing. Meanwhile, the population of renters has increased, forcing renters to compete for a finite supply of rental housing, which is already pricing out some people. Read more about Austin's place in this conversation here.