The Midday Brief: June 21, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

"At Perry's behest, state lawmakers will take up the so-called "anti-groping" measure targeting airport security screeners during their ongoing special session. The federal government has threatened to cancel flights if it passes." — Texas pat-down ban may spark new fight with feds, San Antonio Express-News

"Is a 2012 presidential run for Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the works? Many hope so, including CNN’s James Carville, but for different reasons than the GOP faithful."— Carville on Texas Gov. Rick Perry: ‘He talks a lot and he’s not very bright’, The Daily Caller

"I am honored and humbled by this invitation," said Gutierrez, 33, founder of the Gutierrez Group/GGPR communications agency. "I never expected something like this. I look forward to representing the issues that I believe in as well as representing my community." — El Pasoan invited to White House to discuss future of gay and lesbian rights, El Paso Times 

“The departures of fundraising director Jody Thomas and fundraising consultant Mary Heitman were the latest blow for the former House speaker who watched 16 top advisers abandon his campaign en masse earlier this month, partly because of what people familiar with the campaign spending described as a dire financial situation.” — Gingrich campaign fundraisers quit, Associated Press

New in the Texas Tribune:

“In what may initially seem like a surprise, polling data from the May 2011 UT/Texas Tribune poll suggest that the social groups in Texas that are most dissatisfied with their U.S. representatives are not racial or ethnic minorities but ideological minorities: liberal and moderate whites.” — The Polling Center: Race, Ideology and Redistricting

“The state’s $5 “pole tax” on strip club patrons can’t seem to avoid controversy. This time, it’s an effort to direct all the proceeds to sexual assault victims, as opposed to sharing the money with a low-income health insurance pool.” — Strip Club Fee Back on Center Stage

“The bill, which Gov. Rick Perry signed Friday, establishes new regulations to prohibit sexually explicit images in text messages from being exchanged between minors.” — Perry Signs, Abbott Lauds Sexting Bill