On Sixth Road all through New Yr’s Eve, there have been lengthy traces to get into the bars downtown.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court has blocked the Austin and Travis County orders that require dine-in beverage and meals service to cease from 10:30 p.m. to six a.m.
This comes after Paxton stated he could be asking for the emergency stick with the Supreme Court docket of Texas, urging the courtroom to halt enforcement of the orders.
“The town and county orders clearly violate the governor’s Govt Order No. 32,” stated Paxton. “Native authorities don’t have any authority to override it.”
Paxton stated the orders “can’t be allowed to face.”
“We can not have native declarations conflicting with Gov. Abbott’s clear order,” he stated.
“WE WON! Texas Supreme Court docket stops Mayor Adler’s unlawful order shutting down eating places and bars. #AustinTx #COVID19 #victory,” Paxton tweeted.
On Thursday night time, crowds had been ringing within the new 12 months in a sight that appeared nearly pre-pandemic. A curfew was imposed for the vacation weekend to cease Austin bars and eating places serving patrons for dine-in from 10:30 p.m. to six a.m., via Jan. 3.
However on Sixth Road all through the night time, there have been lengthy traces to get into the bars downtown, and many individuals weren’t carrying masks. Inside, crowds could possibly be seen dancing and hugging. A KVUE photographer reported in a single bar, not one of the bartenders had a masks on.
Now, these bars may face a high quality of as much as $1,000. A City dashboard reveals a number of COVID-19 complaints known as in on Thursday night time downtown.
On Thursday, a Travis County district choose sided with the Metropolis of Austin to maintain the brand new 12 months vacation weekend restrictions on dine-in providers at Austin-Travis County bars and eating places.
District Decide Amy Clark Meachum denied the requests for non permanent restraining order and non permanent injunction filed by the State of Texas, saying “the State has not demonstrated a possible proper to the reduction sought nor imminent and irreparable hurt.”
Regardless of the courtroom ruling, Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted, “The Governor’s statewide government order permits meals institutions to be open for in-person eating on New Yr’s Eve as licensed by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Fee. They need to stay open. Joyful New Yr!”
In a information convention on Thursday afternoon earlier than the ruling, folks with the Texas Legal professional Basic’s Workplace inspired enterprise house owners to be considerate earlier than listening to these new guidelines in Austin and Travis County.
“I’d encourage you to have a look at what your rights are to open tonight,” stated First Assistant Legal professional Basic Brent Webster. “After which for those who get a quotation that I encourage you to get a lawyer and I encourage you to struggle that quotation. OK, in order that’s not authorized recommendation, however that is simply how our authorized system works. You will have rights and it is advisable to not overlook that.”
Former Travis County Decide and Texas State Senator Sarah Eckhardt responded to Abbott’s tweet on Thursday night.
“The Governor, a former Supreme Court docket Justice, is telling Texans to interrupt the regulation as a result of he disagrees with the judicial department’s ruling,” Eckhardt tweeted. “That is extraordinarily damaging to our separation of powers and Governor Abbott ought to know higher.”
The Legal professional Basic’s Workplace stated it’s interesting the choice. Texas Legal professional Basic Paxton filed an enchantment within the Austin-based Third Court docket of Appeals, urging the courtroom to halt enforcement of Austin Mayor Steve Adler’s and Travis County Decide Andy Brown’s orders. By 10 p.m. on New Yr’s Eve, the Third Court docket of Appeals had denied Paxton’s emergency enchantment, Adler confirmed to KVUE.
There may be additionally a query about enforcement of the weekend dine-in curfew. Austin police say they’re going to enhance their presence downtown the subsequent few nights, nevertheless it’s not clear if they’re going to be handing out any tickets. Typically the Metropolis’s Code Enforcement workforce does that, however they solely work till eight p.m.
