The Evening Brief: May 21, 2012

New in The Texas Tribune:

• Dewhurst Ad Stars Perry; Cruz Call Features Palin: "Gov. Rick Perry is featured in a U.S. Senate campaign ad for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks in an automated phone call for former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz."

• Texas Among Top 3 States in Total Exonerations: "Researchers at two law schools Monday released an unprecedented listing of all the exoneration cases from the last 23 years. Only two states had more exonerations than Texas, according to the report. We have a graph breaking down the exoneration cases in Texas by types of crimes, and we have a list of all the Texas exonerees."

• State's Medicaid Chief Retiring: "Billy Millwee, who oversees the state's giant Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance programs, will retire in August. He has directed the health coverage plans, which account for nearly a quarter of the state's total budget, since early 2010."

• 2 Months After Switching to GOP, Lozano Aims to Show That He Belongs: "State Rep. J.M. Lozano, a freshman Republican from Kingsville who was a Democrat just two months ago, is trying to show that he has GOP credentials and isn't an opportunist."

• Texas University Leaders' Pay High on National List: "In the Chronicle of Higher Education's latest ranking of compensation for public college and university presidents, three of the top 10 earners come from Texas — and they're actually system chancellors."

Culled:

• Ron Paul racks up delegates in Minnesota, supporter wins Senate nomination (The Hill): "Ron Paul backers have secured nearly all of the open delegate slots at Minnesota's state party convention, a coup for the Texas congressman that will strengthen his hand at the Republican National Convention this August."

• Fort Worth case cited as evidence of voter fraud (Fort Worth Star-Telegram): "When a Democratic candidate for precinct chairwoman in Tarrant County was charged with conspiring to arrange an illegal vote, Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott jumped in and spread the word."