Mayor of Austin.
All campaign advertising and posts in a personal capacity are made without the use of public dollars and are not posted by city employees.
Weeks ago I called for a stop to the execution of
#RodneyReed
. Today I stand w/ a bipartisan coalition of Senators saying TX must investigate all evidence before taking Reed's life. It's up to Gov. Abbott & Bd of Pardons & Paroles. My letter:
#txlege
My heart goes out to Draylen Masonโs family. Yesterday, we lost a bright young man. At 17, he attended East Austin College Prep & had a budding musical career as a bassist. Draylen's grandparents Dr. Norman & LaVonne Mason have contributed so much & we owe them our love & support
Will you please join me in helping out the family of Anthony Stephan House, the first victim of the
#AustinBombings
? His wife and little girl need our support. Here's the link:
What an incredible honor to be sworn in as Austin's mayor this evening. I am committed to working together with a new sense of urgency in pursuit of a shared positive but practical vision to make the next part of our story even more amazing.
It's official, I'm running to be the next Austin Mayor! Austin is special, but we're facing a lot of challenges ahead. By working together, we can create transformational change that doesn't leave anyone behind. Sign up today!
#WatsonforMayor
I'm accepting an extraordinary opportunity to be Founding Dean of the
@UHouston
Hobby School of Public Affairs. So today I resigned from the Senate, effective 4/30. Iโve loved serving the people of Austin & Central TX & thank them for their trust & support
Will you help the family of Draylen Mason, the 2nd victim killed by the
#AustinBombings
? Draylen's mother is recovering from her injuries, but their home was โseverely โdamaged. This ordeal is far from over for his family. Here's the link to donate online:
.
@chris_phily
is the managing partner at the Chilis on 45th and Lamar. Always good seeing him when I eat there, so when I got an opportunity to celebrate good food and good people, I didnโt hesitate to declare today 4/5/2024 โChiliโs at 45th and Lamar Dayโ in Austin, Texas.
I tested positive for COVID this morning and will isolate at home per CDC protocols.
Thankfully, I am fully vaccinated and boosted. This situation is far from ideal, but Iโm still in contact with staff and will continue to work and receive storm recovery briefings. (1/2)
My heart and the hearts of Austinites are broken this morning. This is a horrible moment for our city and those who protect us.
Iโm praying for the family of our fallen officer, for our officer who was shot and in surgery and his family.
Full statement:
Thank you for all the kind words today. Iโm deeply touched. When Liz and I came to Austin almost 40 years ago, this community just wrapped itself around us and has lifted us up. Today is no different.
#txlege
ICYMI: I've requested that Gov Abbott grant a reprieve b/c TX shouldn't execute
#RodneyReed
w/o a thorough, unbiased review of all the evidence. We won't serve justice by ending a man's life while grave doubt & racial bias continue to taint his case.
BIG OVERNIGHT NEWS: A second granddaughter arrived. Elizabeth Catherine "Birdie" Watson is here! Talk about Women's History Month. Mom, Birdie, Dad and big sister Effie are all doing great.
Thereโs no wait this morning at the
@UHouston
's e-day polling location at the stadium!
@HarrisVotes
has over 800 polling locations for today - visit to find your location. Polls close at 7 PM. Go vote and go Coogs!
#ElectionDay
More dead & injured, including heroic law enforcement. Our grief is great. Tomorrow, new, more lax gun laws are in effect. The irony is gross. It makes no sense. Texans must indeed unite. Unite in supporting commonsense laws that protect Texans & TX law enforcement. Time to act.
For anyone who needs a moment of sweetness, I want to share this picture of my grand girl Effie. Letโs be good to each other. Treat each other fairly. Find happiness.
Thoughts & prayers, roundtables & platitudes, recycled tweets of sorrow, specious calls for justice after the fact can't replace needed
#txlege
action, real effort to prevent these horrible acts. And we need action in elections. We need to vote like lives depend on it. They do.
Please know that folks are working hard to get your power back on ASAP in difficult conditions, and we appreciate all they do. Weโre all in this together.
Update from
@austinenergy
As many prepare to watch the NCAA womenโs basketball championship tonight, I just want to say that I hope Iโm mature enough to comment on this for the last time. Okay, here it is. Apparently, this is definitely not a foul. There. Done. Iโm over it. Really.
@BaylorWBB
Filed for re-election as State Senator. Thx for the great support & friendships the people of Travis & Bastrop Counties have given me. Looking forward to continuing to serve you.
Latest
#WatsonWire
: Halting Zilker Park Vision Plan. The Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan will not be on the August 31st City Council agenda, and there is no plan to bring it before the Austin Mayor and Council in the future.
Read more:
I wrote the Gov in support of this reprieve request b/c Texas shouldn't execute
#RodneyReed
without a thorough unbiased review of all the evidence. We will not serve justice by ending a man's life while grave doubt & racial bias continue to taint his case.
Innocence Project asks Gov. Abbott for 30-day delay of Rodney Reed's execution (Nov. 20) to give parole board time to decide if Reedโs death sentence should be commuted "in light of the grave doubt concerning his guilt."
Letter:
Protocol question. I'm wearing my "I Voted" sticker, even though I voted yesterday. This caused some folks to question whether I should only wear it the day I voted. But I've, indeed, voted in this election & this sticker simply goes with anything I wear. Is it right to wear it?
(1:45 p.m.) We have determined we are unable to provide a specific system-wide restoration estimate. Each individual outage has unique challenges and full restoration will take longer than initially anticipated. At this time, we are unable to provide a restoration time.
Today marks the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Despite the Dobbs ruling last year that undercut fundamental reproductive rights recognized by Roe, our fight continues every day.
Proud to be a champion of abortion rights in the Legislature and now as Austinโs mayor.
W my move soon to be Founding Dean of the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs, Iโm cleaning drawers & packing. Just found this. Taken the day after Ann won the โ90 Primary. Miss some passed friends.
#AnnRichards
#JusticeKidd
#JudgeOzmun
.
@UHouston
@hobbyschooluh
I had the honor of testifying before a U.S. House subcommittee today about the need to invest in intercity passenger rail service, particularly to serve Austin and the other growing communities in Texas Triangle.
Thanks to Mayor
@KirkPWatson
for speaking at today's House T&I Rail Subcommittee hearing to advocate for strong and continued federal investment in passenger rail services, critical to local economies and the future of America's cities.
I wanted to share part of my quote that didn't make the story:
โ"โWe already ask way too much of teachers and provide them with way too little to do it all. Adding sharpshooter to their list of responsibilities is ridiculous."
Thanks for all of those who have supported me in this election & in my public service generally. I deeply appreciate getting to serve this district & the state. Thank you.
#txlege
There was a whole lot of love & happiness last night during Austinโs Pride Parade. It was a beautiful thing seeing so many folks out being joyful & celebrating our LGBTQ+ community.
The Pride Parade means so much to our city, & it was a lot of fun for me to be a part of it all.
In this moment of anxiety, uncertainty, anger and fear, a wonderfully large group gathered to share love and support for Austinโs Jewish community and the people of Israel.
Alright folks, put your creative thinking caps on and grab your friends and a camera! Legendary Texas-born filmmakers want to see your best work for
@BetoORourke
. Deadline is Sept. 21. Please share widely.
#BetoforTexas
๐งตItโs been a hard, tiring, frustrating time for so many Austinites. For too many, the lack of power & lost quality of life continues. We will do better.
The hard work of line workers, tree trimmers, & utility crew members on the ground restoring power deserve our thanks.
A professional ZOOM tip for everyone: When you hide yourself from video to sneak Cheetos, mute yourself too. That way you canโt be heard chomping. Iโm not saying Iโve learned this the hard way from experience.
Welcome to Austin,
@Spurs
! Theyโve brought five championships to Central Texas and have been integral to the fabric of our regionโ on and off the court.
Great that the
#I35Series
has brought Spurs basketball to their loyal fans here in Austin.
#GoSpursGo
This is a huge relief. Thanks to
@innocence
, my
#txlege
colleagues & everyone who worked so hard to prevent this execution w/out further evaluation of the evidence. While this is a critical victory, we must stay engaged & remember the
#RodneyReed
case isn't over.
Thank you to all who called, tweeted, and spoke out against the execution of an innocent person. Today, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we keep working to prove
#RodneyReed
's innocence.
Iโm certain he doesnโt understand COVID. Heโs used to staying at home. But heโs obviously bored silly. I donโt know if I can throw this thing any more. Heck, maybe he thinks heโs entertaining me.
I'm excited to be appointed to these committees for the 86th Legislature: Finance, Education, Higher Education & Nominations. I'm looking forward to plenty of good discussions & progress around important issues, particularly school finance reform.
#txlege
Austin Water has lifted the boil water notice that has been in place since Monday, Oct. 22, 2018. Customers no longer need to boil water used for drinking, cooking and making ice. Details and frequently asked questions at
We as adults have absolutely failed our children when they come to see a horrible, deadly, terrifying event as inevitable.
#SantaFeShooting
#NeverAgain
Heartbreaking moment as Santa Fe High School student is asked if she thought a shooting 'would not happen' at her school:
"It's been happening everywhere. I've always kind of felt like eventually it was going to happen here too."
๐งตAs Iโve said from day one, my goal is to do good by doing better. The City let its citizens down. The situation is unacceptable to the community, & itโs unacceptable to me. Iโm sorry.
Going forward, we will do better.
Full press conference:
We've lost a very special man with the passing of Mayor Gus Garcia. He built bridges in our community with a huge heart and a dedication to the people he served. I loved him & learned from him.
It's a great honor to be named Founding Dean of a public policy school that bears the name of former Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby. I've always admired his practical approach to getting things done.
@hobbyschooluh
@UHouston
As I took office, I met with McKinsey & Company consulting and asked them to take a deep dive into the Cityโs site plan review process.
I had promised during the campaign that we would dig into this mess and get working to fix it quickly.
Read more:
Gov. Abbott has signed our bill authorizing the sale of the Hobby Building in downtown Austin. Great news for the state employees working in appalling conditions. w/
@GinaforAustin
#txlege
Inside the William P. Hobby Building in downtown Austin: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
#txlege
So, I once ran for TX Attorney General and lost. Hmm, wonder what happened to the guy who won? Anyway, one of my life rules is you canโt fear failure.
#ShareYourRejections
Great meeting today w/ Gov.
@GregAbbott_TX
& Rep.
@VoteGiovanni
re: SB 943, our government transparency and Public Information Act bill. We appreciate the Governor's support for this important bill, which will restore taxpayers' ability to track state and local spending.
#txlege