The Midday Brief: April 7, 2010

Your afternoon reading:

• “Combs said the declines have moderated and she expects a return to revenue growth later this year.” — State sales tax $1.5 behind for budget year — Postcards

• “An antagonistic history stretching back more than a quarter-century between U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, and former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, is entering a new chapter today with Gramm coming to Waco to speak on behalf of Bill Flores — a GOP candidate seeking to unseat Edwards.” — Former Sen. Gramm to campaign for Edwards opponent, renewing long feud — Waco Tribune-Herald

• “South Texas is rife with agents from local political camps who prosper by organizing mail-in ballot fraud, elections administrators and other observers in the region say, even after a state-level push to curb the wrongdoing.” — Voter fraud persists in South Texas as enforcement efforts fail — Texas Watchdog

• “The chairman of the Texas Forensic Science Commission, citing a scheduling conflict, has declined an invitation to appear before a legislative oversight hearing today, angering two lawmakers and prompting one of them to suggest that he should be subpoenaed to appear.” — Texas Forensic Science Commission chairman won't appear at oversight hearing — Fort Worth Star-Telegram

New in The Texas Tribune:

• “Texas continues to lag behind other states in its response U.S. Census mail questionnaire, but the rate varies widely by region, according to the latest figures.” — Counting the Counties — The Texas Tribune