The Midday Brief: May 13, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "Gov. Rick Perry has entered the growing legislative fight to get the House version of the state budget approved, angry senators said today." — Upset Senate: Perry’s trashing our budget in phone calls, Postcards

• "The Senate Redistricting Committee approved the GOP-drawn redistricting plan for the state Senate, as expected, despite the vociferous objections of state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, the Laredo Democrat whose new district would run from river to river, the Colorado to the Rio Grande. The plan now goes to the full Senate, where it will be considered next week." — 'A chitty-chitty bang-bang' way of operating, Texas Politics

• "Rejecting pleas to keep most of Travis County in a single Senate district, the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting this morning approved a plan that will divide the capital city into four senatorial districts." — Panel sticks with 4 senators for Austin, Postcards

• "The Texas House of Representatives late on Thursday approved a bill that would make invasive pat-downs at Texas airports a crime, after a former Miss USA said she felt 'molested' at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport last month." — Texas House passes bill banning TSA airport "groping," Reuters

• "A strongly fiscally conservative Austin think tank has taken its TV ad campaign against padding the state budget with accounting tricks and rainy-day dollars to. ... Tyler-Longview. That's home to Sen. Kevin Eltife, who's probably been this session's most outspoken Republican lawmaker in advocating greater use of the rainy day fund to ease very big cuts to public schools and social programs." — Fiscal hawks take their TV spots to Tyler, where 'Easy E' isn't fazed, Trail Blazers

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "The mission and jurisdiction of the ever-controversial Texas Forensic Science Commission would get some clarification under a bil the Senate approved today." — Senate OKs Forensic Science Commission Bill

• "A bill allowing a chunk of funding for colleges and universities to be dedicated to 'outcomes-based' funding passed through the House today and is headed to the Senate." — House Passes Outcomes-Based Higher Ed Funding Bill

• "This session, Texas Democrats are a frustrated bunch. From sanctuary cities to the state budget, they have so far lost every battle they've waged against the GOP. Texas Politics Project Director Jim Henson analyzes the struggle between the majority and the minority." — Video: Outnumbered Democrats Struggle Through Session

• "This morning on ABC's Good Morning America, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Surfside, formally announced that he plans to run for president in 2012." — Ron Paul Announces for President