The Midday Brief: Top Texas Headlines for March 14, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "Tom DeLay's co-defendants will get a new judge because of comments DeLay's judge made about them during a break at a January sentencing hearing for the former U.S. House majority leader, according to several sources." — Sources: DeLay judge's recusal came after he suggested plea bargains, Austin American-Statesman

• "Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin … introduced legislation last week to prevent sitting members of Congress from funneling federal funds toward projects with their names attached." — Rep. Michael McCaul seeks to disassemble lawmakers' "monuments to me," Texas on the Potomac

• "California state Treasurer Bill Lockyer made it abundantly clear that California doesn't want to be Texas. 'Clearly, there's more commitment to environmental protection here than there seems to be in Texas,' he [said]." — California v Texas: The hits keep on coming, Trail Blazers

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "The state's budget outlook is improving and lawmakers will have more money to spend than they thought, Comptroller Susan Combs said in a letter to legislative leaders today." — Combs Raises Estimate of State Revenue

• "The Travis County District Attorney's Public Integrity Unit has concluded Thomas Ratliff has not committed a crime in serving on the State Board of Education while employed as a lobbyist." — DA OK's SBOE Member's Lobby Connections