The Federal Department of Justice is investigating the City of Austin over what it claims are “race-based employment practices.” Here’s my response:
Vanessa Fuentes
@vanessafuentes.bsky.social
💜 D2 Austin City Councilwoman 🕊 Public Health CMTE Chair 🤘🏽 Working for US, delivering results
This Labor Day, I’m thankful for: - Working families - Unions - Workplace safety protections - Child protection labor laws - Paid parental leave - Weekends - Paid time off - Employee benefits...
This pregnant mother’s story breaks my heart and should break all of ours. No one should face childbirth on concrete. No baby should enter the world without shelter. This budget cycle is our chance to fund housing and shelter that truly meets the needs of our community.
Recent flooding was a wake-up call! Austin's flood insurance pilot program is fielding numerous calls from families they'd previously visited who are NOW ready to get flood insurance. Program impact so far: ✅ 400+ homes reached in high-risk zones ✅ 750+ preparedness packages distributed
Just received a hard copy of the City of Austin proposed budget! Will be digging in to 1335 pages 🤓🕵🏻♀️
It’s official y’all: all Austin homes now require working air conditioning! In a big win for renters, our new policy makes sure every home meets basic cooling standards. As summers get hotter, indoor cooling is no longer a luxury - it's a matter of public health and safety.
Texans are still in disaster recovery from historic floods—and yes, I welcome real recovery help. But this Governor is also pushing an agenda that threatens women’s rights, guts police transparency, and kneecaps local government with tighter tax caps. We see what’s happening. #txlege
A 4th of July Message from Your Austin Mayor Pro Tem 🇺🇸 Today, during a time of deep reckoning, we honor and celebrate Independence Day. The truth is this: across the country we love and cherish, our constitutional rights are under direct attack...
The final passage of this tax bill will be remembered in the midterms. Republicans talk affordability, then slash working family benefits to cut billionaires a break—while driving the largest federal deficit in U.S. history.
Senate Republicans just passed a bill that will rip healthcare from millions, shut down rural hospitals, gut food assistance, & kill clean energy jobs -all to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Austinites deserve better. We won’t stop fighting for dignity, care, & climate justice.
The “Big Beautiful Bill” is a disaster for working Austinites: ❌ 10k+ Austinites could lose Medicaid ❌ Cuts to SNAP food assistance ❌ Higher utility bills ❌ No help for housing or childcare ❌ Massive tax breaks for the rich This isn’t beautiful—it’s brutal.
Thank you to renowned Professor Jacqueline Angel for this piece in the Statesman. Our abuelas deserves better than choosing between rent & medicine. Our neighbors shouldn’t have to choose between work and caring for mom. Our seniors resolution is just the start.
Before Zohran Mamdani’s all but certain upset in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, he was a young Queens rapper known as Mr. Cardamom. In 2019, the actress and cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey starred in his music video. Read our 2019 story here: nyti.ms/4lu1Jeg
Area Lawyers Describe Immigrant Kids Without Representation, Refugees Arrested in Court www.austinchronicle.com/news/2025-06... via @austinchronicle
Area Lawyers Describe Immigrant Kids Without Representation, Refugees Arrested in Court
“It shocks the conscience,” attorney says
austinchronicle.com
It’s time to hit the brakes on Elon Musk's Robotaxis. Full stop. At this stage, they don’t belong on Austin’s streets. From child collisions to a lack of basic safety tech, the risks are real. We deserve better. Read my full thoughts w/ the Austin-American Statesman: bit.ly/4kgaWG4
Given Tesla’s troubling track record of safety failures, Texas should hit the brakes on Elon Musk's Robotaxis in Austin | Opinion
For nearly a decade now, Elon Musk has been hyping Tesla as a leader in self-driving vehicles. In 2015 he told us that “complete autonomy” was about …
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It’s budget season at Austin City Hall! Join us for our D2 Budget Town Hall to learn about the budget process, ask questions, and share your priorities. 🗓️ Wed, Jul 30, 5:30–7:30 PM 📍 Uphaus Early Childhood Ctr 🎧 Food & Interpretation provided RSVP 👉🏽 bit.ly/403oCNp
Donald Trump once again shows that he is a man of his last word. With his unconstitutional action entangling us in conflict, he has made American families less safe. (1/3)
It is illegal for Donald Trump to drag America into another endless foreign war. Congress should immediately pass a War Powers Resolution to block Trump from carrying out an unconstitutional war.
SAVE THE DATE: D2 BUDGET TOWN HALL 💰 South and Southeast Austin, it’s that time of year again! We’re getting ready for our Budget Town Hall, one of our most important events of the year, and we would love to see you there. 👉🏽 bit.ly/403oCNp
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has 29 air traffic controllers, less than half the FAA's target of 60. So now ABIA is seeing more "ground delays," where the FAA slows the pace of arriving flights to avoid overwhelming the tower. This causes flight delays. www.kut.org/transportati...
Austin's 'dire' air traffic controller shortage raises risk of flight delays
Austin airport's CEO warned the Federal Aviation Administration months ago about the "critical" staffing shortage at the air traffic control tower causing delays and reducing safety.
kut.org
Happy Juneteenth, y'all! Today, we commemorate Juneteenth, a longstanding celebration of freedom that began here in Texas. While the day celebrates progress, it also calls us to keep fighting for a better future. The D2 Team and I wish you a relaxing day of reflection, celebration, and community. 🖤
The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth
Juneteenth is an often overlooked event in our nation’s history. On June 19, 1865, Union troops freed enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay and across Texas some two and a half years after Presi...
bit.ly
🚨I join local officials in sounding the alarm: Federal budget cuts will devastate Medicaid, SNAP, & essential services that millions rely on. Hospitals will close, families will go hungry, & schools will suffer—all to fund tax breaks for billionaires. This isn’t partisan, it’s wrong.
In Austin, and in the United States of America, we don’t believe in kings. 🇺🇸 Thank you to the patriots who peacefully showed up, rallied, and made your voices heard this #NoKings Day.
Miles from Tesla gigafactory, our Del Valle community lives in a food desert www.mysanantonio.com/business/art...
'Give the people a store': Texas food desert calls on H-E-B
For nearly a decade, a Central Texas community has waited with baited breath to see if they would one day welcome an H-E-B.
mysanantonio.com
Imagine being tackled and handcuffed just for asking a question at work. That’s what happened to @SenAlexPadilla while doing his job as California’s Senator. This isn’t normal. #StandWithPadilla
D2 said what we said! POV: Austin Chronicle discovers what every tía in Southeast Austin already knew. Our conchas don’t just hit different - they hit *diferente*. Thanks for finally putting some respect on our pan dulce game! www.austinchronicle.com/daily/food/2...
Where to Get Your Conchas in Southeast Austin
A hyperlocal look at five panaderías
austinchronicle.com
Food Watch is in effect in Austin for Wed, June 11. Be prepared: ⚠️ NEVER drive through flooded roads — TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN 💬 Sign up for emergency alerts at warncentraltexas.org 🗺️ Check road closures at atxfloods.com 🌊 Know your flood risk & evacuation routes (1/2)
Sending the National Guard to intimidate peaceful protesters is wrong. Period. We’ve seen this playbook before, military force used to threaten and silence communities demanding justice. (1/2) www.kxan.com/news/local/a...
kxan.com
