Inside Texas Politics: Mud and Memorial Day

On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics, I talked with host Jason Whitely and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy about proposed tuition hikes at campuses in the University of Texas System — regents tapped the brakes after getting a letter from Gov. Rick Perry. The UT System came up in another context, as well: Three days after a legislative committee said there were grounds to impeach Wallace Hall, Paul Foster, the chairman of UT’s board of regents, called on the embattled regent to resign. 

We also talked about several state newspapers' endorsement of incumbent Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in his runoff against state Sen. Dan Patrick, and whether that matters much with conservative voters; Perry's staff's request to bypass the public entrance to get to the grand jury — made to Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg; what impact Memorial Day next Monday might have on the runoff election the next day; whether recent revelations of ethical violations by GOP candidate for attorney general Ken Paxton and ensuing defections from police groups in his senatorial district are giving a boost to his runoff opponent, Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas; U.S. Rep Ralph Hall, R-Rockwall, the oldest member of the U.S. House, who finds himself in a tight race against John Ratcliffe as Hall seeks one last term; and, finally, the runoff in HD-108 between Morgan Meyer and Chart Westcott, which has taken a muddy turn as Wescott's campaign has stepped up the negative ads.

Also: Jason and Bud talk to the Quorum Report's Scott Braddock, who first reported about Patrick's decades-old hospitalization and treatment for depression, sent to media outlets all over the state by Land Commissioner (and defeated lieutenant governor candidate) Jerry Patterson; Katrina Pierson on the negative tone in many races around the state; and the question of whether the latest hearings on Benghazi are motivated by a search for truth or political gain is debated.