The Midday Brief: May 18, 2011

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "The House was expected to take up two controversial fiscal matters bill today, but from the start representatives were not sure the lower chamber was prepared to pass them. The apparent holdup? Whether some of the revenue measures amount to the 'accounting gimmicks' that the governor warned against Tuesday." — Disarray Over Fiscal Bills Causes Delay, Confusion

• "They won’t give names, nor will they engage in a game of hypothetical vote counting, but Senate Democrats will say the coalition forming against the state’s proposed sanctuary cities bill isn’t what observers would expect." — Will the Sanctuary Cities Bill Survive the Senate?

• "The Texas Senate today passed a bill that would finally compensate Anthony Graves for the 18 years he spent behind bars convicted of grisly murders he did not commit." — Senate Approves Anthony Graves Compensation Bill

• "After a public display of harmony last week, controversy continues to surround UT System Board of Regents. Does a request made by regent Alex Cranberg amount to the kind of micromanaging critized by the system's chancellor? Cranberg insists it is no such thing." — UT System Regent's Request Stirs More Controversy

Your afternoon reading:

• "He’s not on the ballot for 2012, but Texas Gov. Rick Perry strongly impressed a gathering of top Republican officials here Tuesday, with many high-ranking GOP officials saying the governor would be their top choice if he entered the presidential race." — Perry performance fuels talk of 2012 draft, The Washington Times

• "The latest shuffling of GOP presidential contenders has produced another round of signs that Republicans wish they had another candidate, in the form of renewed speculation about Chris Christie, Paul Ryan, and Rick Perry. I’d take the prospect of a Perry candidacy very seriously. Christie and Ryan — not so much." — Take Rick Perry seriously. Ignore Chris Christie and Paul Ryan., The Washington Post

• "The Texas Senate this afternoon unanimously approved a bill that will impose new eyewitness identification procedures for police departments across Texas, a key reform recommended to prevent wrongful convictions." — Eyewitness ID bill gets final OK, Postcards

• "Although his name has arisen as a possible successor to retiring Texas A&M University System Chancellor Mike McKinney, state Sen. Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) doesn’t appear to be in the running, at least not yet." — Wentworth says he’s not in running for A&M Chancellor, The Texas Independent