Top Morning Stories for June 29, 2011

City Council to Vote on Formula One

The Austin City Council is scheduled to take a vote today that could unlock state funding for the planned Formula One racetrack in Southeast Travis County. The council had postponed the F-1 vote last week.

Incoming first-time council member Kathie Tovo officially assumed the Place Three seat at last night’s inauguration ceremony. Council members unanimously voted incumbent member Sheryl Cole to serve as Mayor Pro Tem.

“W” Austin Hotel to Replace Every Glass Panel

Managers of the “W”luxury hotel and condo building in downtown Austin say they will replace every piece of glass on the balconies of the high-rise. That’s after several more panels shattered from the building Tuesday.

Last Day of Legislative Special Session

Today is the last day of the Texas Legislature's special session. Ross Ramsey and Thanh Tan with KUT's legislative reporting partner, The Texas Tribune reports:

As House SpeakerJoe Straus exited Tuesday evening, he said the chamber's end game hinges on two remaining bills: HB 79, an omnibus funding bill for the courts, and SB 29, the upper chamber's version of a bill to criminalize invasive pat-downs by federal officers working for the Transportation Security Administration.