GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott's decision to have shock rocker turned Second Amendment advocate Ted Nugent join him in a couple of events to kick off early primary voting injected another controversial note into the race for the Governor's Mansion. By the end of the week, the story had gone national thanks to footage of Abbott avoiding questions from a CNN reporter and the decision of Rick Perry, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul to weigh in on the issue, with each taking varying degrees of exception to Nugent's description of President Obama as "subhuman mongrel."

Conservative activist James O'Keefe released another clandestine video that purportedly showed Battleground Texas volunteers collecting phone numbers while registering voters. O'Keefe said that is against Texas law, and the office of Secretary of State Nandita Berry suggested that voter registration practices by Battleground Texas might rise to a “potential level of offense” of state election law. Battleground said it did nothing wrong.

The dozen Republicans vying to replace Steve Stockman in Congress are looking for ways to stand out in a crowded field when more unites them than divides them. One candidate, though, stood out by saying that he did not want to represent Harris County if elected because "they have plenty of congressmen." Lumberton lawyer Chuck Meyer said afterward that he "clearly misspoke."

Word emerged this week that Perry is quietly lobbying for Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek to be the next chancellor of the University of Texas System. The post is open after the current UT System leader, Francisco Cigarroa, announced he is leaving to devote his time again to his surgical career.

The Senate Health and Human Services committee at a hearing on Thursday discussed Texas’ efforts to expand access to women’s health services across the state. Outside the hearing, abortion rights advocates held a rally to protest last year's law that imposed new regulations on abortion facilities.

To address shortfalls in Medicaid financing and billions in annual uncompensated care costs, Ted Shaw, president and chief executive of the Texas Hospital Association, issued a call to action to hospitals on Friday. The proposal was short on specifics, but one priority would be to find a solution that distributes available Medicaid financing more equitably than the current system.