The Midday Brief: April 20, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "As I see it, Trump is borrowing from Rick Perry’s Texas playbook. Perry was the first extremist to emerge in this political cycle, the first to understand how virulent the right’s anger had become, the first to understand the power of the tea party, the first to openly contemplate secession and nullification; the first to embrace state’s rights, the first to fight every move of the Obama administration–the first, in short, to realize that the Republican constituency had radically changed." — Trump card, BurkaBlog

• "Sometimes, those crazy Senate budget writers are like siblings who've been locked into the family minivan for way, way too many hours. As in real life, they start gnawing on one another." — Senators, under pressure over budget cuts, have revealing moments, Trail Blazers

• "Senators will return to the Finance Committee this afternoon to vote on a school finance bill that reduces the state’s obligation to school districts by $4 billion." — School finance bill set for afternoon committee vote, Postcards

• "An epidemic of obesity, bringing higher medical costs and shorter life spans, has prompted a diverse mix of Texas legislators to target junk food and sugary sodas as enemies in the battle of the bulge." — Lawmakers seek to crack down on junk food as obesity epidemic worsens, Austin American-Statesman

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "House lawmakers will get another day to pore over redistricting maps, after Democratic members vehemently opposed an effort to change the deadline for submitting amendments." — Representatives Move Back Redistricting

• "House lawmakers considered a bill this morning that would direct emergency services personnel to perform life-sustaining treatment on a patient without reviewing a written directive or living will first." — Lawmakers Consider Resuscitation Bill

• "Two University of Texas legends from the NFL appeared before lawmakers this morning to testify for a bill that would allow people certified in so-called 'muscle activation technique,' or MAT, to practice without a massage therapy license." — NFL Players Testify for Muscle Therapy Licenses