Ozzy Osbourne Visits the Capitol, Issues Alamo Apology

Photos of Ozzy Osbourne walking through the state Capitol circulated on Twitter Wednesday afternoon, prompting questions about his intentions and numerous jokes about the Congress Avenue Bridge bats.

It turns out the Black Sabbath front man and his son, Jack, were in Austin shooting footage for their new show coming to the History Channel that will discuss "history with an Osbourne slant."

The Osbournes met with state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, to discuss Texas history and politics, according to Rodriguez's chief of staff Laura Stromberg-Hoke.

“They probably spent about 50 minutes in our office meeting,” she said. “They were very gracious, very down-to-earth... I did get to escort Ozzy to the bathroom, so that was exciting."

On Thursday, Osbourne visited the Alamo in San Antonio in part to apologize for a 1982 incident where he urinated on a monument to the defenders of the Alamo that is located in the nearby Alamo plaza.

The General Land Office, though, denied his request to film on the parts of the Alamo property that are state owned.

“We repeatedly denied requests for a permit to film on Alamo grounds,” said GLO spokeswoman Brittany Eck. She noted that the incident at the cenotaph happened in the city-owned Alamo plaza. Osbourne had been coordinating with San Antonio District 1 Councilman Roberto Treviño for the visit.

Eck said when deciding whether or not to grant filming permits the land office looks at “whether or not the program is related to the history of the Alamo, is primarily educational in nature, and whether we are confident the Alamo mission and its history will be portrayed accurately and positively.”

According to a report from the San Antonio Express-News, Osbourne arrived mid-afternoon at San Antonio’s city hall in advance of the expected meeting with Treviño.

A subsequent tweet showed Osbourne and his son at the Alamo.

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The Texas General Land Office and the Veterans Land Board on Tuesday announced numerous policy changes for veterans cemeteries across the state including a waiver of all fees for the burial of military spouses, extended visiting hours at the grounds and more lax rules regarding flowers left at grave sites.

"Sometimes the right thing to do is an easy choice, and this is one of those instances," said Land Commissioner George P. Bush in a statement. "Texas is home to over 1.7 million veterans. ... By waiving all spousal fees at our State Veterans Cemeteries we're doing right by our veterans, and taking another step to ensure we continue to give our best for the men and women who represent the best of us."