More money sought to help cover legal expenses for Texas’ poor

AUSTIN — Legal aid advocates asked lawmakers Wednesday to consider passing legislation that would raise certain fees that help fund civil representation for poor Texans, saying such services are already in jeopardy.

Mulvaney: http://dallasne.ws/eb6sf8

Texas Supreme Court rules government workers' birthdates are private; dissenting justice fears decision limits accountability to the public

The Texas Supreme Court dealt a blow this morning to transparency when it ruled the public has little interest in government employees' dates of birth. The decision sweeps aside rulings by the trial and appellate courts, which ruled that government employee dates of birth are public records. It also means that government workers will enjoy special protections while the state continues to sell the very same information about members of the public for millions of dollars each year.

McNeill: http://dallasne.ws/hgir2p

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

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.

Can Charlton Heston help Rick Green - from the grave?

Chuck Norris AND Charlton Heston? Tremble, ye mortals, and beware! Stutz reports:

The website for Green's campaign includes a long list of endorsements, such as actor Chuck Norris and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Scott Brister. But perhaps the most interesting listing is a picture showing Green shaking hands with Heston, who died two years ago.

5 former justices endorse Lehrmann for Texas Supreme Court

Stutz reports on 5 former justices... vs. Chuck Norris:

AUSTIN – In a hotly contested judicial race where endorsements are important, Republican Debra Lehrmann won the backing of Tom Phillips and four other former justices Thursday in her bid for a spot on the Texas Supreme Court.