For Texas beaches, tar balls from oil spill could be on the way

From The Associated Press:


AUSTIN – Texans could see some tar balls roll up on their beaches in a few weeks as a result of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but the state is in little danger of a larger threat, officials said Thursday.

While tar balls are unsightly, currents in the gulf would make it hard for a large oil slick from the 5,000 barrel-a-day spill to make its way to Texas beaches, said state Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson.
http://tinyurl.com/2br5j6q

Contractor dropped appliance rebate calls from Texas consumers, comptroller says

Stutz reports:
AUSTIN – More than three-fourths of Texans who called seeking appliance rebates from the state this month had their calls dropped by the contractor who handled the program, according to the state comptroller.

In response to an open records request from The Dallas Morning News, Comptroller Susan Combs reported Thursday that nearly 78 percent of calls from people trying to reserve rebates for energy-efficient appliances were dropped with no courtesy message or other acknowledgement.
http://tinyurl.com/2afa83g

Judge Sharon Keller fined $100,000 for failing to disclose assets

Steve McGonigle reports:

The Texas Ethics Commission has fined Sharon Keller, presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, $100,000 for failing to disclose more than $2 million in assets on her state-required personal financial statements.

In an order released this week, the commission found there was "credible evidence" that Keller had violated five separate sections of the Texas Government Code by failing to make full disclosure of her holdings in statements filed in 2008 and 2009.
http://tinyurl.com/2dqswvs

Palin recounts her personal journey as a mother at fundraiser for anti-abortion group

Hoppe reports from Austin:

AUSTIN – Sarah Palin slammed the federal health care bill in a speech Thursday night that was peppered with politics but largely devoted to her personal journey of finding the strength to become the mother of a special needs child and a pregnant unwed teen.
http://tinyurl.com/2g5mttp

New Dallas police chief says he's open to policy changes

Goldstein profiles Dallas' new police chief:

As a loyal No. 2 for most of the past five years, David Brown stood by outgoing Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle for better or worse.

So Brown's hiring Wednesday as the next police chief would appear to signal more of the same for the Dallas Police Department. But that may not be so.


Though Brown says he generally wants to stick to the path Kunkle has charted, he doesn't "want to be inflexible."
http://tinyurl.com/3xqvk3d

Request to trademark 'The Alamo' halted by state

Tom Benning follows up on yesterday's story:
An attempt by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas to register a trademark of “The Alamo” has been halted – at least temporarily – by the state of Texas.


The state requested and received a 90-day extension from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday to look more closely into the matter and to determine if the state wants to oppose the trademark. At issue is that the state owns the Alamo property, although the Daughters have operated and maintained the iconic San Antonio site since 1905.
http://tinyurl.com/2cbxnyf

Texas has lots of reasons not to follow in Arizona's footsteps

Hoppe looks at the practical politics:

AUSTIN – Rick Perry wants an Arizona-style immigration bill here like a hole in his cabeza.

The Arizona law is serving as a rallying point for Republicans and others fed up with illegal immigration, but it also could provoke a surge of Hispanic voters.

Perry already has hard-line Republicans in his corner. And he would prefer that Democrat Bill White, who speaks fluent Spanish and has campaigned hard in South Texas, not have a potent racial issue for their fall battle.
http://tinyurl.com/29o6pp5

Higher copays, other hits likely for state workers

Garrett writes:

More than 53,000 people in Dallas and six surrounding counties are likely to be socked with higher copays for doctor visits, hospital stays and prescription drugs, starting Sept. 1, because of skyrocketing costs and lawmakers' underfunding of the health insurance pool for state employees.


This week, the Employees Retirement System of Texas circulated long-awaited details of the proposed benefit cuts at the Capitol, prompting howls in some quarters.
http://tinyurl.com/343r2xp

The solution on border security, Texas-style

On the heels of the AP's JimVertuno's story, Rusak says maybe we should just build a jogging track along the border, let the governor patrol it.

Sen. John Cornyn proposes extra $300 million for border enforcement

Todd Gillman reports from DC:

Later this afternoon, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, will announce a proposal to set aside $300 million in grants to help state and local law enforcement agencies patrol the U.S.-Mexico border.
http://tinyurl.com/24tafme

Dallas native David Brown named city's new police chief

Scott Goldstein reports:

Twenty six years after becoming a Dallas cop, David Brown is now the city's top one.

The 49-year-old South Oak Cliff High School graduate was named chief of the Dallas Police Department today by City Manager Mary Suhm, replacing retired Chief David Kunkle.
http://tinyurl.com/234w7e2

Study: Wage disparity between goverment, private workers in Texas higher than national gap

Garrett reports:


AUSTIN — Texas' public sector workers earn 17 percent less than private employees with comparable experience and education, a new study shows.

The gap was larger than it was nationally or in six other large states studied.

Researchers didn't pinpoint why pay of state and local government workers in Texas lags farther behind private-sector employees than, say, in Florida and California, according to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee economist John S. Heywood, the report's co-author.
http://tinyurl.com/2g7njbz

Aerial drone will fly on Texas border soon, Napolitano says

Gary Martin from the San Antonio Express-News reports:

WASHINGTON – Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a Senate hearing Tuesday that an unmanned aerial drone will soon fly through Texas skies as drug-cartel violence continues to escalate on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Texas is the last border state to receive a Predator drone, and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said the absence of one has hurt intelligence capabilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.
http://tinyurl.com/2434era

Texas lawmaker to introduce anti-immigration bill similar to Arizona law

AP reports:


AUSTIN, Texas – A Republican Texas lawmaker plans to introduce a tough immigration measure similar to the new law in Arizona, a move state Democrats say would be a mistake.

Rep. Debbie Riddle of Tomball said she will push for the law in the January legislative session, according to Wednesday's editions of the San Antonio Express-News and Houston Chronicle.
http://tinyurl.com/3azynho

Custodians of Alamo have new outlook: Remember the trademark

"The Alamo" – the final two words of Texas' most famous battle cry – could soon be the registered trademark of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the longtime custodians of the iconic San Antonio mission.

That might raise the eyebrows of history buffs, Alamo gift vendors and the thousands of business owners who use "Alamo" in their moniker. But legal experts said the Daughters' trademark probably won't affect others, and the group said it simply wants to sell its own line of official merchandise.
http://tinyurl.com/36dz3f6

-- here's some background on the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, who have been the subject of several recent DMN stories: http://tinyurl.com/356zfnq

The Derby: Kentucky Fights to Keep Horse Supremacy

With the Derby coming up (this Saturday, Mike would want me to tell you), our own transportation reporter Michael Lindenberger wrote this fine piece for TIME Magazine about the State of the Horse business in the state of Kentucky.
http://tinyurl.com/27whorj

Former state Rep. Terri Hodge gets a year in prison for role in Dallas City Hall bribery case

Jason Trahan reports from Dallas:

Former state Rep. Terri Hodge was sentenced to a year in prison today for her involvement in the Dallas City Hall public corruption case that ensnared former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill, among others.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn handed down the sentence to Hodge, 69, the only sitting elected official targeted in the massive investigation. Lynn verbally reprimanded Hodge at the 1:30 p.m. hearing in downtown Dallas.
http://tinyurl.com/2ut9pna

Bob Perry bankrolls GOP governors group

Slater reports:

Houston homebuilder Bob Perry leads all givers so far this year to the Republican Governors Association. Gov. Rick Perry (no relation) is finance chair of the GOP group. According to the latest report, homebuilder Perry gave $500,000 to the RGA in February. There's probably more where that came from - and if the past is any indication, Gov. Perry will be a beneficiary in the fall election.
http://tinyurl.com/2dojrud

Debra Lehrmann hit with ethics complaint

Hoppe:

Texans for Public Justice filed a complaint against Texas Supreme Court candidate Debra Lehrmann with the state Ethics Commission.


TPJ points out that the Republican nominee, who is currently a Tarrant County district court judge, accepted a $20,000 campaign loan from an individual. Under state judicial ethics laws, a candidate for judge can't take more than $5,000 from a person. TPJ says a loan counts as a contribution. The contributor, Norma Talley of Fort Worth, also provided Lehrmann with a separate direct contribution of $100.
http://tinyurl.com/25wjs55

UPDATE:
Debra Lehrmann camp calls ethics complaint frivolous:

Guess what? Lehrmann asks. Talley, the contributor, is her mother-in-law. Not only could this mean that she followed the law, but that she gets kudos for having the kind of relationship with her mother-in-law that could net a $20,000 check.
http://tinyurl.com/25wjs55

Farmers Branch legal costs over ordinance on renting to illegal immigrants may go up $1.3 million

Dianne Solis reports:

The potential price tag to the city of Farmers Branch in defense of its anti-illegal immigration ordinance has increased by another $1.13 million.

A second team of lawyers submitted their legal fees and costs to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas shortly before midnight Monday The team consists of the ACLU of Texas, the ACLU’s Immigrant Rights Project and the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
http://tinyurl.com/2fzd5bw

Texas' steep surcharges for driving violations clog courts, increase DWI dismissals, ex-judge tells panel

Stutz reports on unintended consequences:

AUSTIN – A steep surcharge program for drunken driving and other driving violations is clogging state courts and causing the dismissal rate for DWI cases to skyrocket, a former state judge told the Texas Public Safety Commission on Monday.
http://tinyurl.com/2f8ofu2

Perry refuses to debate until White releases income tax returns

Slater reports:

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry is refusing to debate Bill White unless the Democratic challenger releases income tax returns covering his years in public office.


The Perry campaign told WFAA-TV (Channel 8) in Dallas that it won't discuss debate dates until White makes his past income taxes public.

White campaign spokeswoman Katy Bacon said the Republican governor just doesn't want to debate.
http://tinyurl.com/2de3apt

Dallas newspaper driver shot and killed in predawn robbery

Rest in Peace, Mr. Lawrence. Our heartfelt condolences to his family.
Bruce Tomaso:

A longtime Dallas Morning News delivery driver was shot and killed early this morning in South Oak Cliff, apparently the victim of a robbery.


Robert Lawrence, 58, was dropping off newspapers at a convenience store near the intersection of Frio Drive and Ann Arbor Avenue when he was apparently surprised by armed attackers.
http://tinyurl.com/2uwu8m4

Algae killing fish in Texas lakes, luring pelicans from afar

The Associated Press reports:


Biologists estimate that nearly 120,000 fish have died in two golden algae-infested Texas lakes, and local fishermen say pelicans are apparently flying hundreds of miles from the Gulf Coast to feed.
http://tinyurl.com/2cochl8

What's the real dropout rate? The math is squishy

Terrence Stutz takes a look at the conflicting numbers.
http://tinyurl.com/2ec9pke

1,000 gather for Baylor medical center's 'transplant reunion'

Scott Farwell reports:

...more than 1,000 others gathered Sunday for Baylor's 23rd annual "transplant reunion," a festival-like picnic designed to promote one of the nation's largest organ transplant programs, and to rekindle relationships among donors, recipients, families and medical staff.
http://tinyurl.com/2awety8

Bill White jabs at Rick Perry over Texas dropout rate

Terry Stutz reports:

AUSTIN – Can the governor of Texas do anything to combat the state's mediocre high school graduation rate?


Past governors haven't had much success – if they tried at all. And Republican Gov. Rick Perry says he's making progress in cracking the decades-old problem.

But his challenger in the race for governor, Democrat Bill White, contends he would do much more, touting a dropout recovery program he started as mayor of Houston that later spread to Dallas, Fort Worth and other cities.

While the two candidates agree that Texas' future will be brighter if more students graduate and fewer drop out, they disagree on the magnitude of the problem and what to do about it.
http://tinyurl.com/2gyfbwj

SEC says its ex-Fort Worth official let R. Allen Stanford off hook

Torbenson, Michaels report:
Is Spencer Barasch the man who single-handedly let alleged Ponzi schemer R. Allen Stanford off the hook three times, costing investors more than $7 billion?


Or is he an honest Dallas defense attorney unfairly blamed for the failings of a government regulator?

The Securities and Exchange Commission's inspector general has a 151-page report that says he was the former. It skewers Barasch, former head of the SEC's enforcement efforts at its Fort Worth office, as a poster child for an agency that critics say missed one of the biggest investor scams of our generation.
http://tinyurl.com/275wpz7

Highest medical costs in TX? Lubbock, Tyler

Garrett writes from the Association of Health Care Journalists meeting in Chicago:

Average health care costs for Texans with insurance are higher in two midsized markets -- Lubbock and Tyler -- than in the big urban centers, according to Houston actuary Tim Lee.


In Lubbock and Tyler, there are two dominant hospital systems "that can leverage higher fees" from insurance companies, said Lee, principal and consulting actuary with Milliman Inc., a large national actuarial firm. He spoke at a panel at an Association of Health Care Journalists meeting in Chicago.
http://tinyurl.com/282bsb2

Food bank workers are helping Texas ease its backlog of food stamp applications

Garrett reports:

CARROLLTON – Last year, food banks had to step up to help hundreds of families when the recession and a meltdown of Texas' food stamp application process caused them to miss out on months' worth of benefits.

Now, food banks and pantries in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio are doing it again as the state works, under federal orders, to reduce backlogs and improve service at the offices where it determines if Texans are eligible for aid.
http://tinyurl.com/2ejov33

Forensic panel to investigate questionable science

IRVING – A state panel decided Friday to move ahead with the investigation of the questionable arson science that contributed to the conviction and execution of Cameron Todd Willingham.

The Texas Forensic Science Commission created a four-member panel to take charge of the review of the Willingham case, which has become part of the national debate on the death penalty. Opponents believe Willingham, who was executed in 2004, was innocent.
http://tinyurl.com/2dd9yrv

No relief seen for Dallas' shortage of family docs

Garrett reports from the AHCJ conference in the Windy City:

Dallas and most areas of Texas are running pretty low on family doctors, pediatricians, internists and other front-line docs. Experts predict primary care doctors will be in huge demand as the federal health care overhaul law in coming years boosts how many people have insurance coverage.


Pay levels, though, aren't high enough to solve the problem any time soon, Irving-based doctor recruiter Kurt Mosley said this afternoon at the Association of Health Care Journalists meeting in Chicago.
http://tinyurl.com/29y8bv2

Obama calls Sen. John Cornyn for Supreme Court chat

President Barack Obama called Texas Sen. John Cornyn Thursday afternoon to discuss the impending Supreme Court nomination. Gillman reports.
http://tinyurl.com/348rkao

Hutchison gets Senate GOP leadership position

More from Tom Benning in our D.C. bureau:

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will rejoin the Senate Republican leadership after being named a counsel to the group Thursday by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
http://tinyurl.com/2vxp95o

Obama nominee for Texas U.S. attorney post withdraws

Tom Benning reports from D.C.:

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's first choice for a Texas federal prosecutor withdrew from consideration Thursday after lengthy delays in the appointment process.


John B. Stevens Jr., a state judge in Beaumont, was the president's pick to oversee prosecutions in Texas' Eastern District, which stretches from Plano and Tyler to the Gulf Coast. Stevens said the protracted confirmation process and his impending November re-election forced him to re-evaluate.
http://tinyurl.com/2vxjbje

Sunken oil rig off Louisiana coast may form huge oil slick

The Associated Press and The Los Angeles Times report:


PORT FOURCHON, La. – As the odds of survival for 11 missing workers diminished Thursday, officials warned that the dramatic explosion and fire that sank an oil rig off the Louisiana coast may pose a serious environmental threat if oil is leaking thousands of feet below the surface.

An oil slick was already forming Wednesday as the Deepwater Horizon oil rig burned in the Gulf of Mexico, about 50 miles southeast of Venice, La. The Deepwater Horizon, the $600 million mobile offshore rig that burned for more than a day before sinking Thursday, could spill up to 336,000 gallons of crude a day into the water.
http://tinyurl.com/2fpjjmq

Texas, other states, should increase anti-smoking campaigns, CDC chief says

Bob Garrett, attending the Association of Health Care Journalists conference in Chicago, filed this report:

CHICAGO – States should ramp up their anti-smoking campaigns and snuff the potentially lethal habit, the head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.


In Texas, where nearly 3.3 million people smoke, that should mean passing a statewide ban on smoking in public workplaces and using more cigarette tax revenue to run anti-tobacco TV ads, according to a new agency report on what states are doing to discourage smoking.
http://tinyurl.com/2g263md

Texas Forensic Science Commission faces scrutiny today in arson case with questionable science

Hoppe, in Irving, reports:

AUSTIN – The Texas Forensic Science Commission goes under the microscope today when it takes up how to proceed with a case of questionable arson that contributed to the conviction and execution of Cameron Todd Willingham.


The meeting in Irving will be the first since last year to discuss actual cases in which discredited science might have crept into trials. The Willingham case was dismantled two days before a critical meeting in October, when Gov. Rick Perry upended the commission by replacing key members, including the chairman.
http://tinyurl.com/2cvahdb

Update: live blog fro the day's testimony: http://deathpenaltyblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/04/meeting-of-texas-forensic-scie.html

Hutchison promises chamber leaders she'll request earmarks for Trinity River projects in Dallas and Fort Worth

Tom Benning reports:
WASHINGTON – Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison promised Wednesday to secure federal funds for the Trinity River projects in Dallas and Fort Worth and to see the massive redevelopments through to completion.


"Nothing great ever happens easily. This is not easy," she said. "But it is so important to the development of our two cities that I'm not at all giving up."
http://tinyurl.com/2wyv9lw

Sen. Cornyn warns against picking Supreme Court justice "out of the mainstream"

Tom Benning reports:
Sen. John Cornyn joined other Republicans Wednesday in cautioning President Barack Obama against choosing a Supreme Court nominee who is "out of the mainstream," although the senator is still keeping his thoughts about potential candidates close to the vest.
http://tinyurl.com/3ytapq2

Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples involved in gay divorce appeals case

Jessica Meyers reports on now-Ag Commish-former-State Senator Staples' connection to gay divorce case::

He didn't appear, but lawyers from Plano-based Liberty Institute spoke on behalf of Staples and Rep. Warren Chisum this afternoon in a Dallas appeals court.

They are seeking to appeal a divorce granted to a gay couple in Dallas. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has filed appeals in both Dallas and Austin, saying the state doesn't recognize gay marriages so it can't recognize gay divorce.
http://tinyurl.com/295puwp

Gov. Rick Perry named on ethical worst list

Hoppe reports:
Okay, a group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has released its list of 11 governors with a record of ethical and campaign law violations. CREW, begun in 2003, is a nonprofit aimed at exposing government misdeeds.


On their list, Perry was lumped in with scandal-tarred Mark Sanford of South Carolina and David Paterson of New York. Paterson and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson were the only Democrats on the list. http://tinyurl.com/2eryunv
 
 
 

Rescuer in IRS building crash in Austin honored as hero in Washington

McClatchy Newspapers on Iraq vet, honored for his actions in Austin: http://tinyurl.com/2dtat49

Where's the beef? It'll be taking a Flyer on biodiesel fuel between FW, Oklahoma City

The Associated Press reports:

ABOARD THE HEARTLAND FLYER – Officials from the railroad and the Oklahoma and Texas transportation departments launched a yearlong test Tuesday to see whether beef-based biodiesel can efficiently run the Heartland Flyer passenger train between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth and reduce emissions.
http://tinyurl.com/28nmy9v

Sen. Cornyn defends Wall Street meeting, jabs back at Obama

Tom Benning calls the round:
Sen. John Cornyn said today that President Barack Obama "was demeaning himself and his office" by criticizing Cornyn and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for recently meeting with Wall Street bankers.


"The president, frankly, was demeaning himself and his office by making political attacks against Sen. McConnell and me when what we were trying to do was learn more about a complex topic from people who actually know something about it," Cornyn told the Washington Examiner.
http://tinyurl.com/2dkwqbo

Agreement to trap CO2 wins green support for coal plant

Randy Lee Loftis writes: An agreement reached Monday between a major environmental group and a power company clears some of the opposition to a new West Texas coal plant that promises to capture 85 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions.

If Nebraska-based Tenaska's plan comes through, its new Trailblazer Energy Center near Sweetwater would be among the first big commercial-scale coal plants in the U.S. to slash the amount of CO{-2} reaching the atmosphere.

In exchange for Tenaska's pledge to cut CO{-2} and reduce potential water use, the Environmental Defense Fund agreed to withdraw from a Texas permit hearing that seeks to block the 600-megawatt plant.
http://tinyurl.com/y25v7zv

Texas AG's appeal in gay divorce case to be heard in Dallas courtroom

Aida Ahmed reports:
Two Dallas men trying to end their Massachusetts marriage in Texas will be the subject of an appellate hearing Wednesday in a downtown courtroom.


The appeal pits Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott against family court Judge Tena Callahan, who accepted the case last fall and ruled that the state's ban on gay marriage violates the U.S. Constitution.

http://tinyurl.com/y2l4ats

Dallas County retains state's worst HIV infection rate

Jacobson reports: Dallas County had the highest HIV infection rate in the state in 2008 and has held that distinction for a number of years, county health officials acknowledged Monday.

The county's infection rate of 36 new HIV cases per 100,000 residents declined from 37.5 cases in the previous year, but still was higher than Harris County's infection rate of 32.5 cases in 2008.
http://tinyurl.com/y452ezj

Greg Abbott, Barbara Ann Radnofsky positioning for Texas Attorney General campaign stretch run

Theodore Kim writes: the candidates running for Texas Attorney General -- incumbent Greg Abbott and challenger Barbara Ann Radnofsky -- are already positioning themselves for the stretch run.
http://tinyurl.com/y5hdgnk

State legislators told of HOA fines, foreclosure threats

Garrett reports:

AUSTIN – Lawmakers say they have tried to write laws in recent years to prevent homeowners associations from gouging and abusing property owners, but more might need to be done.

On Monday, outraged homeowners told a Texas House panel they've been threatened with huge fines and possible foreclosure for what they described as minor infractions of association rules.
http://tinyurl.com/y6rez3q

Supreme Court rejects Texas death row inmate's appeal based on sexual relationship between judge, Collin County DA

The U.S. Supreme Court will not weigh in on whether a romantic relationship between a judge and a Collin County prosecutor tainted the death penalty trial of Charles Dean Hood, as his lawyers claim. Diane Jennings reports.

http://tinyurl.com/y2poefe

Woman starts 'Wylie's Angel' Facebook page to help identify boy found dead at park

Valerie Wigglesworth reports:
The unidentified little boy whose body was abandoned near a Collin County pond last week has been dubbed Wylie's Angel.


Wylie police released this illustration on Friday in hopes of identifying a boy whose body was found Thursday at East Fork Park near Lavon Lake.

View larger More photos Photo store Police have not released any updates on the case since Saturday, when volunteers began canvassing neighborhoods, churches and businesses with an image of the brown-haired, brown-eyed boy in hopes that someone might recognize him.

That's the same day that Malorie Martinez started a Facebook page called "Wylie's Angel" to get the image of the boy distributed as widely as possible
http://tinyurl.com/y7u8zal

East Dallas coop tour gives crowd a peep at the city-chicken craze

This may or may not be an "item of  statewide interest," but any time I have the chance to type "city chicken craze" I'm gonna take it! Eric Aasen reports.
http://tinyurl.com/y7wtxfb

Rick Perry has 4-point lead over Bill White

Hoppe, from the Trail Blazers blog:
A Rasmussen electronic telephone poll has Rick Perry up over Democrat Bill White, 48 to 44 percent as of April 15. That's a little better for White than a month ago, when Perry led him 49 to 43.


But here's where we put the disclaimers: It's early. And this poll has a substantial margin of error of 4.5 percent. But if you believe it, White is still within striking distance.

http://tinyurl.com/yym58ec

Wooing Latinos proves tricky for GOP

Benning reports:

WASHINGTON – Two Hispanic candidates romped to victory in Republican congressional runoffs last week, just a little more than a month after Texas' highest-ranking Hispanic officeholder blamed his GOP primary loss on bias against Hispanics.


The conflicting election results highlight the GOP's uneven results in fostering successful Hispanic candidates over the years, despite repeated efforts to do so as a way of reaching out to the fast-growing demographic.
http://tinyurl.com/y32lkc4

More Texas school districts look at whether to switch to online textbooks

At a time when Facebook and iPad are the rage and information updates with a click, some policymakers are trying to take textbooks off the shelf and onto the Internet.

Electronic textbooks are imperative, advocates say, because they offer inexpensive, interactive lessons that engage today's tech-savvy student and keep content fresh. Opponents worry that more free-flowing material will affect quality and remain unavailable to poorer students without computers.  Meyers reports.
http://tinyurl.com/y56rjen

Lines are drawn over plans for Battleship Texas at San Jacinto state historic park

Tom Benning reports:

An enormous dreadnought battleship sits near the spot where some of Sam Houston's troops camped at San Jacinto Battleground before the stunning upset that secured Texas' independence 174 years ago.

Disorienting from a purely historical perspective, the famous Battleship Texas is nonetheless a welcome sight to a broad coalition of state officials, local leaders and history buffs. In the more than 60 years since the battleship retired to a slip at San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, the two pieces of Texas lore have together become an integral part of the local fabric at the park and along the Houston Ship Channel.
http://tinyurl.com/y69ckc3

SUNDAY DIGEST

Dallas-Fort Worth area highway improvements come with a heavy toll

Lindenberger writes it's going to get worse before it gets better on North Texas roads:
Dallas-area traffic has been among the worst in the nation for years, and for many commuters it's about to get a lot worse before it gets better.


Call it growing pains, or just one big mess, but construction has either already started or soon will on no fewer than a half-dozen of the most heavily traveled – and already backed up – traffic corridors in North Texas, as the region embarks on what may be the most aggressive road-building program in the country.
http://tinyurl.com/y798v6y
 
SEC probe of Stanford Ponzi scheme is faulted

Dave Michaels reports:
WASHINGTON – Fort Worth-based regulators of the Securities and Exchange Commission knew as early as 1997 that R. Allen Stanford's offshore bank was probably operating a massive Ponzi scheme, according to a new report on the agency's mismanagement of the case.
http://tinyurl.com/y2q43ut


Bill White derides Texas education board's actions

Stutz reports:
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill White on Friday joined in the criticism of the State Board of Education for its version of new curriculum standards for history and other social studies classes.


Speaking to several hundred teachers, White attacked Gov. Rick Perry and his appointed chair of the education board as he called for a new direction in public education in the state.
http://tinyurl.com/y2gzzcs


5 airlines won't charge for carryons, senator says

The Associate Press reports:
ATLANTA (AP) -- In a remarkable gesture to fee-weary air travelers, five major U.S. airlines are committing to actually not charge a fee for something - the sacred carryon bag.


The announcement Sunday comes despite the fact that some of those same airlines are expected to report first-quarter losses next week amid significantly higher fuel prices and the beating they took from the heavy February snowstorms. Add-on fees for things like checked bags, pillows and food are a key revenue stream for them.
http://tinyurl.com/y4zdf2a


Ron Kirk says Trinity River Project will happen
Gromer Jeffers Jr. filed this in the Trail Blazers Blog Friday:

U.S. Trade Rep. Ron Kirk said today that the beleaguered Trinity River Project, first conceived during his tenure as Dallas mayor, will become a reality.
http://tinyurl.com/y7hukos


Sebelius on Texas' estimate of costs under health care bill: "That number seems wildly high"
State editor Ryan Rusak shared this WFAA interview with Sebelius:

Brad Watson, the host of WFAA's Inside Texas Politics (and a faithful Friend of Trail Blazers) had an interview today with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about Texas officials' opposition to the new federal health care law.
http://tinyurl.com/y5rxvvx

Texas educators want State Board of Education to delay curriculum vote

The Associated Press reports:


A group of university educators on Thursday called on the State Board of Education to delay a final vote on contentious statewide school curriculum standards until experts from higher education can weigh in on the matter.

In an open letter made public Thursday, the educators called on the board to delay it's planned May vote until curriculum teams and a panel of qualified, credentialed content experts from the state's colleges and universities can review changes the board made and "prepare a new draft of the standards that is fair, accurate and balanced," the letter says.

Flower Mound lawmaker wants repeat DWI offenders to lose driver's licenses forever

AUSTIN – A leading legislator is vowing to change state law so offenders convicted of two drunken-driving charges will permanently lose their driver's licenses.


Currently, Texas provides only that licenses can be suspended for a maximum of two years.

Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, said she was prompted by the Easter-morning accident in which a man with three DWI convictions was involved in a collision that killed an Argyle mother and daughter.

Texas jobs up slightly in March; unemployment rate steady

Brendan Case blogs from our Economy Watch blog about the latest employment numbers in Texas:

Texas employers expanded payrolls by 8,500 jobs in March, while the jobless rate remained unchanged at 8.2 percent for the fifth month in a row, the Texas Workforce Commission said Friday.


Government number-crunchers also made a significant revision to February's payroll employment data. Instead of losing 13,000 payrolls jobs in February, as preliminary data indicated last month, the state added 4,300 jobs.

Texas has added 32,500 jobs during the last six months, and the state unemployment rate remains well below the national average of 9.7 percent.

Medina back to debate, this time about electronic health records

Garrett reports:

AUSTIN – Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina brought her concerns about health care – along with a video camera – to the Capitol on Thursday.


Medina recorded a legislative panel's hearing about electronic medical records, and later sparred with two of its GOP members about state health care regulation. The senators, both staunch conservatives, greeted Medina politely but questioned her ideas.

Tax Day marks anniversary of Perry's victory

Gromer Jeffers looks back on Tax Day a year ago, and marks it as a watershed day for Perry::

A year ago today Rick Perry won the Republican nomination for governor. At the time, we just didn't know it.


Perry attended several tea parties last April 15, including the event in Austin where he told reporters that he understood the views of those who wanted Texas to leave the union.

Perry rules out special session to challenge federal health-care reforms

Governor Perry was on our floor this AM for a photoshoot -- Newsweek was taking advantage of our magnificent view of the Capitol, so intrepid Bureau chief Hoppe took advantage of the situation to ask him if he'd call a special session to nullify healthcare: 

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry tamped out rumors today that he would call a special legislative session to consider whether Texas should seek to exempt itself from federal health care law.

Harris County Republican Chairman Jared Woodfill has circulated a petition in hopes of prompting Perry to call a 30-day special session to consider "nullification" as it relates to health care. Nullification is a largely untested legal theory which holds that states can ignore federal mandates that they feel constitutionally overreach.

Rick Perry subject of Newsweek interest

I grabbed a camera -- the verite style just tells me I gotta cut way back on the coffee...

I got a nice screenshot of the governor, though:

Marsha Farney beats social conservative, wins GOP nomination for SBOE seat

Stutz reports on the runoff result for the Republican nomination for the Place 10 seat in the now internationally-known Texas State Board of Education:

The social conservative bloc on the State Board of Education suffered another setback Tuesday when former educator Marsha Farney of Georgetown beat Austin lawyer Brian Russell - the choice of social conservatives - to claim the GOP nomination for an open seat on the board. Farney far outspent Russell in the race, but Russell had the backing of social conservative groups and several board members - including incumbent Cynthia Dunbar, who did not seek re-election. Farney crushed Russell in the runoff, capturing about 62 percent of the vote.

Tough Arizona immigration law draws criticism

The Associated Press reports:

PHOENIX (AP) – Civil rights activists Wednesday warned that Arizona is inviting rampant racial profiling and police-state tactics if it enacts what would be the toughest law in the nation against illegal immigrants.


The measure – on the verge of approval in the Legislature – would make it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally. It would require local police to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal.

Texas Capitol to get metal detectors, X-ray machines

Jim Vertuno from AP reports:

AUSTIN – The State Preservation Board voted Tuesday to place metal detectors and X-ray machines at the public entrances to the Texas Capitol to deter terrorism, despite objections from Gov. Rick Perry that the devices would create a logjam for visitors.

School expulsions hit minorities, special ed students hardest

A new report Wednesday showed that minority and special education students are more likely to be expelled from Texas schools than other students. The report from Texas Appleseed, a public interest law center, found that 8,202 students were expelled from regular schools in 2008-09, with most sent to Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs. The Dallas school district - the second largest in the state - expelled the largest number of any district at 408.

Texas Appleseed's homepage for its School-to-Prison Pipeline study: 
http://www.texasappleseed.net/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=106

Black workers at East Texas plant were harassed with nooses, death threats, federal officials find

Jason Trahan filed this story:

Federal officials in Dallas have found that a group of black employees at a Paris, Texas, pipe factory were harassed with nooses, Confederate flags and death threats while white employees who refused to participate in the abuse were fired.


The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s finding, issued late last month, requires that the employees and their attorneys sit down with management of Turner Industries to reach a settlement on the matter. If that stalls, the employees have the option of filing a civil rights lawsuit.

“I’ve been called colored boy, coon, monkey,” said Dontrail Mathis, 33, a painter’s helper at the plant in Paris who began highlighting racist conditions in December 2006. “When Obama won, they went off. My superiors said ‘If he ain’t white, it ain’t right.’


“I saw nooses, swastikas on the wall,” said Mathis, a father of three. “It was horrible.”

Video from Dallas press conference: http://tinyurl.com/y65yzyf

Greg Abbott hoists defiant logo (shades of tea?)

Garrett reports: Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who's suing the federal government about health care and just about everything else, adopted a new campaign logo that uses the Don't Tread on Me slogan commonly seen at tea party rallies.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban plans massive land development in southern Dallas

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is planning a massive development of corporate offices, homes, ball fields and an indoor sports facility in a declining area of east Oak Cliff that city officials say needs the spark such a plan could create.


As envisioned, the development would include the corporate offices for some of Cuban's businesses, although it is unclear whether that includes the Dallas Mavericks. Rudolph Bush reports.

Lehrmann wins GOP Texas Supreme Court race

The AP reports on Place 3 Supreme court race. Check all runoff results here.

State Farm stiff-arms Texas regulators, but insurer says it's protecting clients

Stutz reports:

AUSTIN – To leading lawmakers and even some insurance industry experts, State Farm hasn't exactly been like a good neighbor in recent dealings with state regulators.


The state's largest property insurer shows no sign of compromising on its marathon legal battle over the state's ruling that it overcharged homeowners hundreds of millions of dollars.

Dallas Morning News wins Pulitzer for editorial writing

Yeah, we're still in a Pulitzer glow a little bit... http://tinyurl.com/y7omsm7 ...OK, that's enough! Get back to work!

Historic designation for levees, floodway could block Trinity toll road

Lindenberger continues revealing the long and winding road:

Dallas may face a new obstacle in getting the proposed Trinity River toll road built between the river's aging levees.


The levees – 39-foot-high earthen walls running 11.5 miles along each side of the river – may simply be too old and too "historic" under federal law to allow the road to be built where the city wants it.

If you're interested, masterful exposition: http://tinyurl.com/yahr53g

Most Texas home insurers profitable again

Stutz reports:

AUSTIN – Texas home insurers returned to profitability in 2009, as property claims were nearly half of those lodged as a result of Hurricane Ike the previous year.

New financial reports released Monday by the Texas Department of Insurance indicated that most companies had a solid year, if not a banner one, thanks to the lack of any major weather catastrophes across the state.

Here's an overview
HOW BIG HOME INSURERS FARED LAST YEAR IN TEXAS

Loss ratios of leading Texas home insurers for 2009, in order of the companies' market share:

1. State Farm Lloyds: 72.9 percent
2. Allstate Lloyds: 72.4 percent
3. Texas Farmers: 47.9 percent
4. USAA: 61.9 percent
5. Travelers Lloyds: 63.9 percent
6. USAA Lloyds: 62.4 percent
7. Allstate Fire and Casualty: 79.9 percent
8. Nationwide: 77.3 percent
9. Chubb: 58.3 percent
10. Fire Insurance Exchange: 62.3 percent
11. Texas Farm Bureau: 86.3 percent
12. Nationwide Lloyds: 72 percent
13. Statewide average: 67.3 percent

NOTE: Some companies use multiple subsidiaries to sell policies.

SOURCE: Texas Department of Insurance

Last chance to vote today in runoffs

Supreme Court race tops Texas runoff ballot

Kelley Shannon from the AP reviews the remaining races:

(AP) Many Democratic and Republican primary contests – including each party's nomination for governor – were settled March 2.


Those who voted in a party primary can vote only in that party's runoff election; they can't cross over and cast ballots in the other party's runoff. People who didn't vote at all in the March primary may choose which party's runoff they wish to vote in.

Unfinished primary races to be settled in runoff election today

Jeffers, Kim, and Houseright offer a review of North Texas races, many quite contentious.

Lawmakers affirm they're in synch with tea party

Today, conservative Republicans from House and Senate formed a new organization that acknowledges the tea party movement -- and seeks to assuage some tea partiers' mistrust of the GOP. Garrett reports.

Here's the website for this new group, which calls itself the Independent Conservative Republicans of Texas: http://www.icrepublicans.com/

A weekend full of Perry for President talk

Rusak reports on Perry at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference last weekend:

In case you missed it: Rick Perry's speech at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans on Friday has rekindled the Perry for President talk.


The New Orleans paper notes that our gov "exceeded [Sarah] Palin in delighting the crowd with ideological red meat and encouragement as the mid-term elections approach." As our Christy Hoppe smartly noted, he did so with a speech that wasn't all that different from what he's been telling Texans for a while. But that's part of why a Perry run seems plausible: He's already honed a message that the GOP's conservative base wants to hear.

The Dallas Morning News awarded a Pulitzer

DMN's Tod Robberson, Colleen McCain Nelson and William McKenzie awarded the Pulitzer for Editorial Writing! Congratulations to all the winners, and to all hard-working journalists everywhere.

The paper's announcement: http://tinyurl.com/yepga2b

Some of the work they did: http://tinyurl.com/yaxzxj6

Pilgrim's Pride to shutter East Texas headquarters, cut 160 jobs

Robinson-Jacobs reports:

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. said early Monday it will shutter its East Texas world headquarters office, eliminating nearly 160 jobs, within the next 60 days and will move its corporate functions to Colorado.

The announcement, feared by many in the communities of Pittsburg and Mt. Pleasant, comes as part of Pilgrim’s Pride’s continued integration into JBS USA which is based in Greeley, Colo. Pilgrim’s, one of the largest chicken processors in the U.S., sold a 64 percent stake in the company to JBS to hasten its exit from bankruptcy last year.

Tea Partiers' April 15 events to focus on local politics

Tom Benning reports on what's next for the Tea Party:

WASHINGTON – With the battle against health care legislation behind them, Tea Party activists are looking ahead to the next stage for the loosely organized and generally anti-government movement.


Texas leaders of Tea Party groups hint that their true success will hinge less on "headline-grabbing" rallies and more on direct involvement in politics, such as developing citizen candidates, holding community forums and focusing on local elections.

U.S., Mexico first ladies strive for healthy dialogue on obesity trend

Villagran reports:

Mexico's widening waistline mirrors that of its northern neighbor. In the U.S., childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Nearly 20 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 11 were obese in 2008, up from 6.5 percent in 1980, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection. In Texas, nearly a third of high schoolers and 42 percent of fourth-graders are overweight or obese, according to the latest data from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

10 camera look at the Texas Stadium implosion

Cool edit of video and photography as Texas Stadium comes down.

From YouTube, a nice shot from the roof of a nearby building:

Program for mentally ill offenders offers compassion in court

Nonviolent mentally ill defendants can now seek treatment to regain competency – the ability to help their attorneys with their defense – on an outpatient basis instead of waiting four to six months in the Dallas County Jail for a bed at a state hospital where they are stabilized enough to assist in their cases.
Jennifer Emily reports.

With a booming blast, Texas Stadium reduced to rubble

IRVING — More than 38 years of football and entertainment memories came crashing down Sunday morning when 11-year-old Casey Rogers pushed the button that set off 2,715 pounds of dynamite, leveling Texas Stadium in less than a minute.

All that remained standing at the Dallas Cowboys' former home after the implosion were three buttresses at the southeast end of the stadium where the implosion process started. Demolition officials said that the columns were being held up by debris and would be easy to demolish.

Most Barnett Shale facilities release emissions

"There are toxic air emissions being released by the majority of the facilities that we have looked at." Randy Lee Loftis reports:

Plumes of toxic, smog-causing chemicals from Barnett Shale natural-gas operations are so common that inspectors find them nearly every time they look, a Dallas Morning News examination of government records shows.


What's more, the inspectors have rarely looked.

Hundreds of pages of documents obtained by The News under federal and state open-records laws, plus other reports and studies, reveal a pattern of emissions of toxic compounds, often including cancer-causing benzene, from Barnett Shale facilities.

Sibley challenges opponent's eligibility in Senate race

Republican David Sibley of Waco, trying to recapture the senate seat he gave up a decade ago, is challenging the eligibility of perhaps his strongest opponent in a special election that will be held for the now vacant post on May 8. Sibley contends that fellow Republican Brian Birdwell of Granbury, a retired lieutenant colonel in U.S. Army, cannot serve in the Senate because he does not meet the constitutional requirement of five years of continuous residency in Texas to run. Terry Stutz reports.

Dallas lawyer Eric Johnson unopposed, wins seat in Texas House to replace Terri Hodge

Gromer Jeffers reports:

Dallas lawyer Eric Johnson is the newest member of the Texas Legislature.


Johnson, winner of the March Democratic primary in House District 100, was the only candidate to file for the May 8 special election called to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Terri Hodge.

NASA chief: Cut won't stop advances

The Washington Post and The Associated Press report:

NASA wants to spend more than $12 billion over the next five years to develop a rocket engine capable of propelling astronauts into deep space and to fund cutting-edge space technologies, the agency's leader said Thursday.

Texas won't transfer Big Bend area mountains to park service, land boss says

Ramit Plushnick-Masti from the AP reports:

HOUSTON (AP) – The Christmas Mountains in Big Bend, an isolated group of wilderness peaks, will not be transferred to the National Park Service and instead may be sold to a private bidder or even leased for bow hunting, the state's land boss said Thursday.

Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said he believes the National Park Service would not be the best manager of the land. Patterson, an ardent gun rights supporter who packs a .22 Magnum in his boot, has frequently insisted that guns and hunting be allowed on the property. Both had been banned in national parks.

Immigration rally planned in downtown Dallas next month

Tomaso reports:

Supporters of immigration reform today announced plans for a march through downtown Dallas, one they hope will evoke memories of the massive demonstration that took place in the streets of the city in 2006.


The May 1 march will seek to rally support for congressional passage of "a comprehensive, sensible, and feasible immigration bill," said Dallas lawyer Domingo Garcia, an organizer of the event.

White hits Perry's record on education

Bill White, the Democratic nominee for governor, said Thursday that Gov. Rick Perry was too far on the fringe to lead a state that needs better education for its kids.


"We could be the best state in the nation," White said in Dallas at a fundraiser for the Preston Hollow Democrats. "We could be the state that leads the nation, not leaves the nation." Jeffers reports.

Comptroller seeks answers from contractor after appliance rebate snafu

Hoppe reports on fallout from appliance rebate debacle:

AUSTIN – Comptroller Susan Combs, besieged with complaints from angry Texans who missed out on appliance rebates, is seeking answers from the contractor whose Web site and phone lines were jammed by consumers seeking the credits.


In a letter sent Wednesday, while the system to reserve rebates for energy-efficient appliances was being helplessly overwhelmed, Combs asked Helgeson Enterprises Inc. of Minnesota to explain "today's disappointments."

Private money may be used to build Cotton Belt corridor rail line

Lindenberger reports:

With transportation funds running short at every level, regional planners for the North Central Texas Council of Governments are seeking permission to lead an unusual partnership with private investors so they can fast-track a 62-mile rail line known as the Cotton Belt corridor.

Rick Green looks to Christian conservatives for Supreme Court bid

Hoppe blogs about the Place 3 Supreme Court runoff between Green and Lehrmann:

Republican Supreme Court candidate Rick Green has spent his few advertising dollars on a Christian radio station in Houston and is using the phone bank system of the Heritage Alliance, which favors breaking down many barriers between church and state.

Bush library looking for some friends with Facebook application

Construction crews won't break ground on the George W. Bush Presidential Center until November, but the future home of Bush's policy institute and library is already building an online presence – on Facebook.

Thompson reports.

Note:
I tried to post a DMN story about how the Bush presidential library has a Facebook page ON Facebook, and I (repeatedly) got this message. "Some content in this message has been reported as abusive by Facebook users." After repeated attemptsI broke up the url to get it up, but the fact remains: a news story, from a major American newspaper, is being blocked by Facebook. - jj

The bureau's Facebook page is here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Austin-TX/The-Austin-Bureau-of-the-Dallas-Morning-News/198243714493

The presidential library's Facebook url: http://www.facebook.com/georgebushfoundation?ref=ts

Gramm says GOP must beat Edwards

Todd Gillman in our Washington bureau reports:

WASHINGTON – Former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas, stumping Wednesday for congressional candidate Bill Flores, said it's vital for Republicans to unseat Rep. Chet Edwards this year.


"I don't think we can win back the House without beating Chet Edwards," Gramm said by phone while campaigning in Bryan.

Lawmakers challenge Forensic Science Commission chairman's priorities

AUSTIN – State lawmakers suggested Wednesday that the prosecutor Gov. Rick Perry placed in charge of the Texas Forensic Science Commission is doing more to impede cases than investigate them.


The chairman, Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley, has concentrated on clarifying the forensic commission's policies and procedures and putting them into a manual rather than holding hearings on a death-penalty case that has raised questions about arson convictions statewide, members of the House Public Safety Committee charged. Hoppe reports.

Appliance rebate response overwhelms Web site

Torbenson and Hoppe report on tough day for texas Trade Up:

For some on Wednesday, the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate program turned into the government handout from hell.


"It's the most frustrating thing I've ever tried to do in my life," said Susan Hildebrand of North Dallas, who tried to apply for a rebate starting at 7 a.m. She hoped for two "rebate reservations" from the state comptroller's office in Austin – one for a new refrigerator and one for a clothes washer.


The program gave away $23 million in rebate reservations; Hildebrand and possibly thousands of others got none after traffic overwhelmed the Web site and phone lines set up to take reservations.

TRAIL BLAZERS: Rick Perry teams up with NASCAR's Bobby Labonte

The Perry campaign pays $225,000 to advertise on NASCAR car. Tomaso (via Jeffers) reports.

Kinky Friedman sponsored a car in the '06 campaign. it came in 28th. he paid rather less than $225 k for it, though.

28 35 1 Robert Richardson, II * Chevrolet Kinky Friedman for Governor 79/0 143 Running 7,665

Elder abuse allegations should require police investigation, advocacy group says

Jim Drew, in a follow up to Sunday's investigative piece about state-run veterans homes, offers this story:

AUSTIN – Advocates for nursing home residents called Monday for tougher oversight of abuse cases, saying state inspectors and local law officers need to better coordinate joint investigations.


They said police should get more training and be brought in when state regulators receive any allegations of abuse or neglect – a dual inquiry aimed at protecting evidence that might be used in a criminal prosecution.

"If something happened to you in your residence, you wouldn't call a state regulatory agency; you need a police officer and an emergency medical technician who's trained in investigating elder abuse," said Gay Nell Harper of the Texas Advocates for Nursing Home Residents, a nonprofit volunteer organization.

Watchdog pans Immigration and Customs Enforcement program, saying local officers inadequately trained, overseen

State and local police officers who enforce federal immigration laws are not adequately screened, trained or supervised, and the civil rights of the immigrants they deal with are not consistently protected, according to a report released Friday by the Department of Homeland Security inspector general.


The report by the department's internal watchdog was a sweeping review of a program run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Julia Preston reports.

Early voting begins today for primary runoff elections

Have your say, beginning today.

New rules to address prison sexual assault, most common in Texas

Meredith Simons and Robert Gavin from Hearst Newspapers report:


WASHINGTON – Each week, the staff of the prison watchdog group Just Detention International receives about 30 letters from inmates who say they've been sexually assaulted in prisons across the nation.

More than a quarter of those letters come from one state: Texas.

Even when adjusted for the number of inmates in a given prison system, Texas stands out as the state where sexual assault in prison is most prevalent.

Five of the 10 prisons with the highest rates of sexual abuse in the country are in Texas. That includes the top two, the Estelle Unit and the Clements Unit.

 

Elder abuse investigations linger in incidents at state veterans home

Jim Drew in our Austin bureau:

BIG SPRING, Texas – The Veterans Land Board promotes its seven state-owned veterans homes with a glossy brochure titled "Where Honor Lives."


But there was nothing honorable about what allegedly happened to World War II Navy veteran John Harris in the final months of his life in 2007 at the Lamun-Lusk-Sanchez State Veterans Home in Big Spring.

A certified nurse aide said she saw a co-worker grab the 97-year-old from his wheelchair and slam him into his bed. Harris, suffering from Alzheimer's disease, was taken to the hospital that night when he complained of hip pain, according to a state inspection report.

Army mechanic from WWII feared attendant, family says

Perry's office confirms that he was among governors to receive threat

The Associated Press reports: 


AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry's office confirmed Friday that it had received a threatening letter from an anti-government group calling for the removal of governors from office.

Crawford Peace House in danger of foreclosure

Crawford Peace House, locus of antiwar movement, in danger of foreclosure. Garrett reports:

AUSTIN – The Crawford Peace House, once a launch pad for antiwar protests as President George W. Bush sought refuge at his nearby ranch, could soon be on the auction block.
The Crawford Peace House was scheduled for a foreclosure sale Tuesday, but owner Johnny Wolf and a possible buyer have negotiated a one-month delay. The house was a launch pad for antiwar protests during the Bush years. Dallas-area resident Johnny Wolf, who bought the century-old frame house seven years ago, said Friday he's five months behind on the mortgage and faces foreclosure.

Texas border towns fear violent spillover from Mexico

Alfredo Corchado in our Mexico City bureau reports:

EL PASO – Texas law enforcement officials are bracing for a bloody weekend along the border, advising farmers to arm themselves as signs across northern Mexico point to a new escalation of violence after coordinated drug cartel attacks against the military this week.


In the northern Mexican states of Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, both bordering Texas, drug cartel gunmen used trucks and buses Tuesday to block approaches to military bases in Reynosa and Matamoros, apparently in an attempt to trap the troops inside. In all, gunmen attacked military targets in a half-dozen towns in the two states.

At least 18 suspected attackers were reported killed. One soldier was reported wounded.
(note: other reports have it as a toe injuty -- jj)

Obama's school initiatives face opposition in Texas

Michael Birnbaum from The Washington Post reports:

MADISONVILLE, Texas – As vendors sold yellow "Don't Tread on Me" flags nearby, Texas State Board of Education member Don McLeroy assured a gathering of Tea Party activists one recent evening that President Barack Obama was going to keep his hands off the schools in the Lone Star State.

AUSTIN ENERGY FORCED TO RESET ELECTRIC THINGAMADOO AS LAWMAKERS STAGGER AROUND IN DARK

Hoppe reports:

Lights are out at the Capitol

Yes, state leaders in the state Capitol complex are moving around in the dark (insert joke here). The off-again-on power outage just before noon and caused everything to go down for about a minute and then came back up.

Meet your county. Meet all 254 Texas counties!

It's April 1st, and of course everybody knows that means it's COUNTY GOVERNMENT MONTH!

A very fine website will link you to all our counties, and offers all sorts of cool information about our local governance: http://www.texascounties4u.org/

After the break, the accompanying press release:

EPA rejects Texas' air pollution program

Loftis reports:

The EPA on Wednesday struck down a Texas air-pollution program that has let thousands of companies bypass rigorous reviews under the Clean Air Act.


The EPA is expected to declare illegal a permitting system that governs some of Texas' biggest industrial plants - mostly on the Gulf Coast, but some in North Texas.Texas companies that have been operating under the state's qualified facilities program, mostly small to midsize businesses, do not have to meet new rules, shut down or apply for new permits because of the ruling, said Al Armendariz, regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Hutchison confirms she'll stay in Senate, but won't take questions

Slater reports on the ramifications of KBH's decision to serve out her term:

SAN ANTONIO – By staying in the Senate, Kay Bailey Hutchison gives the GOP a boost nationally but scrambles the political landscape in Texas for those hoping to replace her.



Had Hutchison resigned, as she repeatedly vowed to do over the past year, it could have put a safe Republican seat in political jeopardy and forced the GOP to divert money here to keep it.





...and Gillman reports on many still-unanswered questions: Hutchison's 'media availability' didn't include questions

Hutchison left many questions unanswered, largely by refusing to take a single question at an announcement billed as a "media availability" – a term that usually means journalists ask questions and get them answered.

Abbott offers to help in Dallas constables inquiry

Timms and Krause report: Texas AG offers Dallas AG Watkins assistance in county constables investigation:

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has made a second offer to help Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins investigate criminal allegations involving two constables' offices.


But Watkins has not responded to the Feb. 23 request – sent about a week after county commissioners released a lengthy report from their special investigator accusing Precinct 5 Constable Jaime Cortes of abusing his office and accepting bribes from a towing contractor.

Suicides open eyes to bullying after 13-year-old Joshua boy's death

A 13-year-old hangs himself in a Johnson County barn. An 8-year-old jumps out of a two-story school building in Houston. Nine Massachusetts teenagers face jail time after allegedly harassing a girl so mercilessly that she killed herself. These incidents, all of which took place in the past week, reframe the age-old phenomenon of the schoolyard bully. Jessica Meyers writes about the grim effects of modern bullying.

7 universities to submit strategies to state to become Tier One

Holly Hacker reports:

The University of Texas at Arlington will offer doctorate degrees in sustainability and globalism. UT-Dallas will bring more diversity to its student body and faculty. UT-San Antonio will continue raising admissions standards.



Those are among the strategies of some state public universities for becoming so-called Tier One campuses, which are considered the country's top research universities and carry national clout.


By today, seven campuses must submit plans to the state detailing how they'll achieve that lofty goal. The other four schools are the University of North Texas, Texas Tech University, the University of Houston and UT-El Paso.

State estimates health care overhaul will cost Texas $27 billion

Garrett reports on wide disparity between state, federal estimates of health care costs:

AUSTIN – Texas, accused of vastly inflating its costs under the health care legislation that President Barack Obama signed last week, just upped the tab.


Health and Human Services Commission chief Tom Suehs presented lawmakers Wednesday with an estimate of $27 billion over a decade to expand health insurance coverage. It had been about $24 billion.