Serving The University of Texas at Austin Community Since 1900 @thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com NEWS UT Senate introduces first diversity coordinator to better represent UT community.
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Friday, August 30, 2019
OPINION Cockrell School of Engineering students need more female guest lecturers.
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Volume 121, Issue 14
SPORTS Texas begins its season Saturday looking to avoid a third straight opening-game loss.
LIFE&ARTS Stressed? Try these University resources to relax both mind and body.
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STATE
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WEST CAMPUS
More than 800 Texas laws will go into effect in September
Apartment delays move-in Move-in for Villas on Nueces complex has been postponed 2 weeks due to incomplete construction.
By Graysen Golter @graysen_golter
Texas citizens will soon have to abide by 820 new laws, including some which will impact sexual misconduct, alcohol delivery and driver’s licenses. The bills, which were passed during the 2019 legislative session, will go into effect on Sept. 1. House Bill 2789 was authored by state Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas, and will classify the unconsented electronic transmission of sexually explicit content as a Class C misdemeanor. Caroline Roche, chief of staff at dating app Bumble, said Bumble conducted a national study which found that 1 in 3 women have received unsolicited sexual photos and that 96% of those women were unhappy to have been sent them. “You didn’t consent to receiving them and you feel just as violated and embarrassed as if it’d happened right in front of you in person,” Roche said in an email. “If indecent exposure is a crime on the streets, then why isn’t unsolicited digital indecent exposure a crime on your phone or computer?” House Bill 446, authored by state Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, will remove brass knuckles from the Texas Penal Code’s definition of prohibited weapons and make it legal to carry in public. According to a bill analysis by the Texas House Research Organization, supporters of the bill said brass knuckles are primarily a means of self-defense. Permitted wine and beer retailers will also now be allowed to make deliveries to consumers under Senate Bill 1232, authored by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe. Senate Bill 2048 is authored by state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, and will abolish the Driver Responsibility Program. The program previously required people who committed certain traffic offenses to pay an annual surcharge on top of their fines and court fees or have their licenses suspended. B I L L S PAGE 2
joshua guenther
/ the daily texan staff
Construction continues at Villas on Nueces on Aug. 25, 2019. Move-in for residents of the new apartment complex has been postponed to Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019 following the construction delays. By Sara Johnson @skjohn1999
nexpected construction delays postponed movein for residents of the recently developed Villas on Nueces apartment complex for two weeks. Brad Zucker is the developer of Zucker Properties, which manages the construction for several Villas complexes in West Campus, including Villas on Nueces. He said residents were supposed to move in Aug.
23, but delayed construction led to delayed inspections, which prevented the complex from being ready for residents until Sept. 7. “We have a lot of really high-tech stuff in our building, and construction just took a little longer than expected,” Zucker said. “The people in the city department have been very helpful. I have no complaints about any of the work they’ve done.” Villas on Nueces is a 99unit complex located at the intersection of Nueces and 22nd streets. Computation-
al biology sophomore Nhat Pham said he was informed on Aug. 19 that his move-in date had been pushed back to Sep. 7. “We received an email that morning saying that there was a problem with the inspection and some delays in construction, that they had to move the move-in date back and that they’d waive all of our rent for the first month,” Phan said. Kelly Brustein, head of operations for the Villas, said October rent was waived and residents will be given rent credits for the days they were
not living in the complex. Residents also received reimbursements for Uber and Lyft, and they were offered a $200 per day reimbursement if they stayed in a hotel or $100 per day if they stayed with a friend, Brustein said. “We apologize for the unfortunate situation, but we’re doing our best to ensure everyone is taken care of and accommodated,” Brustein said. Computer science sophomore Akshay Buche said finding alternate accommodation was a V I L L A S PAGE 2
SYSTEM
CAMPUS
UT System Board of Regents approves $21.1 billion systemwide budget for 2020
UTPD Chief asks to prohibit camping around campus
By Areeba Amer
@emilyhernandez
@areeba_amer
The UT System budget has increased nearly 7.4% since the last fiscal year due to an increase in projected budgeted revenue, according to the recently approved budget report. The UT System Board of Regents authorized a $21.1 billion systemwide expense budget for the 2020 fiscal year during their Aug. 15 board meeting. The budget includes $6.7 billion for UT System academic institutions and $14 billion for UT System’s health institutions. “(The budget increase) is huge,” said Nick Long, assistant vice chancellor for the UT System Office of Budget and Planning. “It far exceeds what you’re going to see from most public universities and most public university systems in the country.” Long said most of the expected funds will come from the six health institutions, which will have a predicted
Jumping into this school year like...
By Emily Hernandez
emma overholt
increase of more than $1 billion in revenue. According to the report, the academic institutions had an increase of about $400 million in revenue, and one of the major
drivers of this is the $80 million from net tuition and fees. Net tuition and fee revenue from the health and academic institutions is expected to increase from the previous fiscal year,
/ the daily texan staff
according to the report. Karen Adler, director of media relations at the UT System, said the bulk of the net tuition BUDGET
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UT Police Department Chief David Carter asked Mayor Steve Adler and the Austin City Council to consider prohibiting camping along the perimeter of UT’s main campus and into West Campus in a press conference held Thursday. In July, an ordinance went into effect removing restrictions on where homeless individuals were allowed to sit, sleep and camp in public areas in Austin and limiting the Austin Police Department’s discretionary authority to take action in incidents involving the homeless population. “The police actually take a pretty significant role in managing things such as homelessness or other tragedies that occur,” Carter said during the press conference. “A large percentage of the time, it’s not about law enforcement. It’s about a public caretaking responsibility the police have.” Carter first addressed this
concern in an open letter to Adler and the City Council on June 6, before the ordinance was passed. He published a longer letter on the same subject Wednesday. Adler proposed an action plan on homelessness last week in which he suggested restricting camping in areas of high foot traffic, including the Drag. In his letter Wednesday, Carter wrote that it is important to also add camping prohibitions around UT’s entire perimeter and in West Campus because of the dense student population residing there. “Large numbers of students, staff members and faculty members travel on foot throughout the day and night, and permitting camping, sitting and lying down in those areas poses a similar public health and safety risk,” Carter wrote in the letter. During the press conference, Carter also spoke about the experiences and statistics of students and staff interacting with homeless individuals around U T P D PAGE 2
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