The Evening Brief: Feb. 24, 2012

Culled:

• Rick Santorum raises money in Austin (Austin American-Statesman): "GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, made an appearance in Austin today for a private fundraiser. Santorum, whose campaign has gone from lackluster to blockbuster, didn’t make any public appearances in the capital city. He also didn’t speak to reporters, as he whisked in and out of the underground garage of the Chase Building downtown early this morning."

• Cruz campaign worker speaks to gay-Republican group Monday (Austin American-Statesman): "At a forum earlier this week for Republican U.S. Senate candidates, former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz criticized former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert for marching in a gay-pride parade. But one of Cruz’s own campaign workers will be the featured speaker Monday at the monthly meeting of the Metroplex Republicans Dallas, which is a group for gay (and straight) Republicans."

• Cornyn declines to comment on Cruz's refusal to support his GOP whip bid (The Dallas Morning News):"Sen. John Cornyn refused to join the fray Friday surrounding Senate candidate Ted Cruz's recent unwillingness to support his bid to become the No. 2 Senate Republican. 'I not really going to comment on that or the candidates because I really feel like that would be presumptuous of me,' Cornyn said, citing his pledge to stay out of contested primary races. 'The primary voters are going to be the one who makes that choice.'"

New in The Texas Tribune:

• In Fifth School Finance Suit, A Focus on Efficiency: "A group of parents in Texas filed the fifth school finance lawsuit in Austin today, focusing not on whether the state adequately pays for schools but rather if the way it distributes money is efficient and equitable."

• Texas Supreme Court Hands Victory to Landowners in Landmark Water Case: "In a case with potentially vast implications for groundwater rules, the court has unanimously ruled in favor of two farmers in the San Antonio area who challenged a local aquifer authority's restrictions on their well use."

• If Perry Runs Again, Then What Happens to Abbott?: "Greg Abbott is all set to run for governor, but now Rick Perry might be in his way. It feels similar to 2010, when many thought Perry was a lame duck, but he ran again."

• Preparing to Outsource Services, A&M System Tells Employees Not to Worry: "Chancellor John Sharp is preparing for a massive privatization of services at Texas A&M University, from food service to grounds maintenance. But officials say that does not mean employees need to worry about their jobs."

• Texas' Coal-Fired Power Fell Sharply in January: "The amount of Texas electrical power produced by coal plunged in January compared with a year earlier, and cheap natural gas appears to be the cause. Wind power production, meanwhile, has soared."