AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott is speaking out against Austin's new homeless ordinances once again, this time calling them "reckless." However, Mayor Steve Adler is calling his comments false information.
So, who is correct?
A Twitter user tweeted at Mayor Adler Monday about an alleged accident in Austin caused by homeless people. The tweet said in part, "Homeless people darting into traffic totaled two cars, injuries, glass everywhere."
Gov. Abbott quoted the tweet, saying, "Look at this insanity caused by Austin’s reckless homeless policy. All state-imposed solutions are on the table including eliminating local sovereign immunity for damages and injuries like this caused by a city’s homeless policy. The horror stories are piling up."
KVUE spoke with the Austin Police Department, who said they've reviewed HALO camera video of the moments leading up to the crash. They said they saw no indication that any homeless people or pedestrians were in the road and contributed to the crash. Police said it appears one of the drivers ran a red light.
On Tuesday, Mayor Adler tweeted the following along with those details from police:
"Governor: Why retweet the incendiary lie that people experiencing homelessness caused a recent traffic accident? You blame what never happened on “reckless” city policy. Really?"
This comes after the new homeless ordinances went into effect on Monday. Before the change, it was illegal to sit, lie or camp in public. The new ordinances allow the homeless to camp on public Austin streets, except at City Hall. It also allows them to panhandle unless they're being too aggressive.
The Texas governor has made his views on the new policies very clear. He said last week, "If Austin – or any other Texas city – permits camping on city streets it will be yet another local ordinance the State of Texas will override. At some point, cities must start putting public safety and common sense first."
KVUE has reached out to Gov. Abbott's office for comment. This story will be updated if received.
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