The Midday Brief: Top Texas Headlines for Feb. 15, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "State Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, on Tuesday breathed some new life into a proposal to enact a statewide school property tax to address Texas’ persistent education funding woes." — Duncan renews call for statewide school property tax, Postcards

• "Rep. Ron Paul responded to criticism from Donald Trump who said that he had 'zero chance of getting elected.' Paul came out swinging on Monday during an interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe." — Paul fires back at Donald Trump for CPAC swipe, Trail Blazers

• "Texas school districts already bracing for massive funding cuts fear they might be forced to scale back pre-kindergarten classes." — Texas school districts worry about proposed funding cuts to full-day pre-kindergarten, The Dallas Morning News

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "At a state Senate hearing this morning on Texas's rolling blackouts earlier this month, ERCOT released the first list — albeit a very partial one — of power plants that failed during the Feb. 2 crisis." — Senators Express Incredulity at Rolling Blackouts Hearing

• "Comptroller Susan Combs says Amazon owes $269 million in sales taxes. The company says it will close its warehouse and fire its Texas employees if the state doesn't back down. The two sides are in the early stages of a legal fight over the money and the bigger question about who's required to collect taxes in Texas. State officials say Texas is losing $600 million annually on taxable items purchased online. And as they work to close a budget gap of up to $27 billion, they're chasing every penny." — What's at Stake in the Texas-Amazon Fight Over State Sales Taxes?

• "In an interview with KRLD's Scott Braddock in Dallas, David Anthony, the departing superintendent of the state's third largest school district, said districts are in a 'difficult situation' as they try to meet new student achievement measures while coping with cuts." — Cy-Fair Superintendent on Education Cuts