Uber and Lyft may be back on Austin's streets this year, according to Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, who told a group of residents last night that he expects statewide ride-hailing regulations to pass, thus reversing the vote Austinites took last May to mandate fingerprint background checks. "I think, knowing the Legislature the way it is right now, a bill like that has a decent chance of passing," Rodriguez told the Austin Neighborhoods Council—a neighborhood advocacy group—at its first meeting of 2017 last night. Rodriguez represents parts of East and Central Austin. The bill he is referring to has been filed by Sen. Paul Schwertner, R-Georgetown, and does away with fingerprint background checks. Rodriguez said such legislation is targeted at Austin and added many other cities won't be affected by these regulations because their local governments haven't made fingerprint background checks mandatory, and ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft haven't pulled their business out of the market. Short-term rentals Rodriguez also said he fears a bill on short-term rentals will pass this session because several members of the Legislature feel it is a property right issue, and owners should be able to do whatever they want with their property. "It’s not that different than a hotel, in my view," Rodriguez said. In February 2016, the Austin City Council passed an ordinance that places limitations on the operation of Type 2 STRs, which are single-family homes that are rented without the property owner on site. Last year, the Texas Public Policy Foundation sued the city of Austin, claiming its STR ordinance was overly restrictive and violated state and federal constitutional rights. The ordinance restricts the number of people allowed to congregate inside a residence and how many people are allowed outside after a certain hour. It also plans to phase out all Type 2 STRs by 2022. The lawsuit has continued into 2017.

Speak up

Rodriguez left ANC members with one request: Speak up during the 85th Legislature. He said while emails and phone calls to representatives help, the best way to make a chance is to show up to the committee hearings. "This is the most challenging [legislative session] that I certainly [have faced]," Rodriguez said. "We need as many hands on deck for lots of issues but certainly for these issues." Additional reporting by JJ Velasquez