Your afternoon reading:

• “The Senate Finance Committee today voted to draw $3.9 billion from the state’s rainy day fund to cover the deficit in the current budget.” — Senate pulling more rainy day money for current deficit, Postcards

• “The real question about retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez‘s entry into the US Senate race in Texas is whether the national Democratic Party will follow through with money and support. Texas is a big state where winning the Senate will cost millions.” — Will national Democratic Party really support Sanchez for Senate? Really?, Trail Blazers

• “Amid growing opposition to a proposal to divide Austin among four state Senate districts, Sen. Kirk Watson today proposed a new map that would leave Travis County mostly in one district.” — Watson proposes new Austin Senate boundaries, Postcards

• “Campaign aides say Texas Rep. Ron Paul will run for president for a third time. Aides said Paul will announce those plans on Friday while in New Hampshire. He formed a campaign exploratory committee last month.” — Aides say Texas Rep. Ron Paul will make a third bid to be president, The Associated Press

New in The Texas Tribune:

• “A controversial bill that would require parental permission before school administrators are allowed to paddle unruly public school children passed the House today after failing on Wednesday.” — “Spanking” Bill Passes After Being Reconsidered

• “In an apology issued Thursday morning, The Monitor announced that, in response to reader complaints, it will remove public school district salary data it posted earlier this week.” — Complaints Lead Valley Paper to Pull Salary Data

• “Texas’ Women’s Health Program may be circling the drain. Sen. Bob Deuell says he doesn’t have the votes in the Senate to bring up a bill to renew the family planning and preventative care program — and Rep. Garnet Coleman says his House bill is stuck.” — Women’s Health Program Circling the Drain?

• “At a meeting of the University of Texas System Board of Regents in Austin Thursday, UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa won unanimous support after laying out his ‘framework for advancing excellence throughout the university system.'” — UT Regents Unanimously Support Chancellor’s Vision

• “Nobody wanted to think about it in January. But as the middle of May approaches, with little more than two weeks left of the 82nd legislative session, a growing chorus of voices is asking: What happens if lawmakers can’t agree on school finance reform?” — What Happens if There’s No School Finance Bill?

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