News8Austin: First Amendment rights limited at the polls

"They think that they can wear whatever they want to wear and that I do not have the authority to tell them what they can wear. And in that case I tell them, 'Yes, I do have the authority. I'm responsible for running this election according to election law,' " early voting clerk Ginny Knapp said.

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The law is meant to keep any political influence away from people ready to cast their vote.

Whether you're casting a ballot or just stopping for coffee, the same rule applies across the board.

"It is a free country," Knapp acknowledged, "but they have to abide by election laws."

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Austin-American Statesman: Effort to unchain dogs meets resistance

A city ordinance proposed by a group called Chain Free Austin would make it illegal to leave tethered dogs outside unless their owners are with them.

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The city already has a law that sets restraint requirements for dogs on private property. (A violation is a Class C misdemeanor, subject to a fine of up to $500.) Among the provisions:

•A person may not restrain a dog in a way that does not allow the dog access to shelter and water and may not use a tether that is likely to become entangled.

•Dogs may not be tethered to a fixed point for more than eight hours unless the restraint is at least 10 feet long, has swivels at each end and is attached to a pulley or cable that is mounted no more than seven feet above ground level.

Chain Free Austin's ordinance would do away with the eight-hour rule, thus making it illegal to restrain or anchor a dog by a tether unless the dog's owner or handler is physically present. (The restrictions would not apply to veterinarians, groomers or obedience or law enforcement trainers.)

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