The Midday Brief: Jan. 24, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "Texas Senate leaders have decided to delay until tomorrow the expected politically charged debate over Voter ID." — Voter ID debate put off a day, Postcards

• "Texas Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones will officially begin her campaign for Senate Tuesday morning in Dallas. She has an announcement planned for 7:45 a.m. at the Dallas County Republican Party headquarters, located 10100 North Central Expressway." — Elizabeth Ames Jones to begin Senate campaign in Dallas, Trail Blazers

• "Kay Bailey Hutchison says she's got plenty of support from tea party types who rejected her bid to unseat Rick Perry. And she says she could have had another term in the Senate if she'd wanted one." — Kay Bailey Hutchison: The tea party likes me, really likes me!, Trail Blazers

• "Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay still fights with former Texas colleague Dick Armey, regrets a lifetime of political arrogance, continues to defend earmarks, and vows to appeal his convictions on money-laundering and conspiracy charges all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary." — 'The Hammer' Lets Up, Ever So Slightly, National Journal

• "Professor Al Armendariz did not become the top federal environmental regulator in Texas to work on the margins. He did not leave the classroom to sit back and enjoy the view from his downtown office, impressive though it may be. In the 14 months since his appointment, Armendariz has challenged the unique way Texas regulates industrial air pollution, pushed dozens of oil refiners and chemical and plastics makers to get new permits and picked fights over water quality." — In his EPA job, former academic is the most feared environmentalist in the state, Houston Chronicle

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "Our insiders have David Dewhurst as the runaway favorite to succeed U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison at this early point in the game, and they think the top three influences in the race will be money, conservative Republicans and Barack Obama." — Insiders on the 2012 U.S. Senate Race

• "If you were $10 billion in the hole, would you fork over $6 million for a chance at billions in savings? That’s the modest proposal that businessman and former chairman of the UT System regents is offering the state’s public education system." — Former UT Regent Has Plan for Saving Billions

• "A proposal by the Obama administration that would grant Mexican truckers greater access to Texas roadways would be a boon for business in the state, supporters say, since three of the top five ports for trade between the U.S. and Mexico are Laredo, El Paso and Houston. But unions contend the plan would cost American jobs. 'This cheap-labor program comes at too high a risk and at too large a cost to middle-class American workers who work long, hard hours to help maintain a safe commerce system in our nation,' says a spokesman for the Texas AFL-CIO." — Cross-Border Trucking Program Could Begin Again