The Midday Brief: Top Texas Headlines for Feb. 14, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "When the U.S. Census Bureau releases its first detailed report on Texas later this week, the numbers will describe the state's surge of young Latinos, its aging Anglo population and the continued exodus of people from West Texas. But a series of reports by the Office of Inspector General raises questions about the accuracy of the data and even suggests that one of the major bragging points for Census Director Robert Groves is less clear-cut than it seems." — Did national head count overlook too many people?, Houston Chronicle

• "Texans have paid $11.5 billion more for residential electricity than the national average under deregulation in 'a massive drain' on the economy, two consumer groups claim in a report that raises troubling questions about how the state’s power supply is managed." — Report: Texans Overpay for Electricity, NBC DFW

• "Lawmakers are considering a two-year budget proposal that does not cover $10 billion owed to school districts under current law, which would amount to a 14 percent reduction in total state and local education spending." — Rural schools, communities suffer in the face of Texas' budget cuts, Austin American-Statesman

• "Public university tuition in Texas could rise by more than $1,000 a year under state budget proposals by GOP Gov. Rick Perry and Republican legislative leaders, a Democratic lawmaker from San Antonio said today." — Lawmaker warns of tuition increase, Postcards

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "The latest chapter in the feud between Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett over $830 million in federal money for education unfolded Tuesday, when, in his State of the State address, the governor called out a 'certain Texas congressman' for singling out Texas 'for punishment in pursuit of his own agenda.'" — Perry, Doggett and Their $830 Million Feud in Texas

• "Hey, Texplainer: You always hear that the Texas governor's powers are weak. If that's true, why can't the Legislature overrule Rick Perry's decision to reject $830 million in education funds from the federal government?" — Texplainer: Can the Lege Overrule Perry on Education Money?

• "They’re surely facing the worst budget cycle any of them have experienced. Yet in hours of testimony before lawmakers — flanked by the school children and people with disabilities who will be hit hardest by the cuts — the commissioners of Texas’ social services and education agencies appear largely unruffled. Critics say it’s because the agency chiefs are being 'good soldiers,' appointed by a Republican governor determined to meet the budget shortfall without new revenue." — Facing Massive Budget Cuts, Agency Chiefs Remain "Good Soldiers"