The Midday Brief: April 26, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "When Texas congressman Ron Paul announces his presidential exploratory committee later today, it will inevitably spark a discussion about whether the Republican will be able to convert his enthusiastic support into votes in the 2012 primaries." — Can Ron Paul convert enthusiasm into votes in 2012?, USA Today

• "Suggesting that Comptroller Susan Combs should resign for her role in exposing the personal information of 3.5 million Texans, two Austin lawyers have petitioned a state district court for permission to question Combs as part of their investigation into the incident." — Attorneys seek to question Texas comptroller over exposed info, Houston Chronicle

• "With time ticking away in the legislative session, advocates for a ban on smoking in the workplace are bringing in big names to make their case to lawmakers." — Smoking ban advocates try to win over lawmakers, Trail Blazers

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "Holdup? What holdup? Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, says he's got the votes to send abortion sonogram legislation back to the House — but the timeline for doing it depends on how quickly the Senate passes the budget." — Patrick: No Holdup on Abortion Sonogram

• "After a spate of bullying related suicides in Texas schools, state lawmakers introduced more than 15 bills this session to address the issue. Today, the Senate approved one of them — SB 205 from Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston." — Anti-Bullying Bill Gets Early OK From Senate

• "Harris County paid a forensic psychologist who was reprimanded earlier this month more than $300,000 to test defendants for intellectual disabilities from 2002 until 2008." — County Used Doctor After Methods Challenged