The Evening Brief: Sept. 13, 2012

Culled:

•   3 GOP Electoral College members say they may not vote for Republican ticket of Romney/Ryan (The Associated Press): "At least three Republican electors say they may not support their party’s presidential ticket when the Electoral College meets in December to formally elect the next president, escalating tensions within the GOP and adding a fresh layer of intrigue to the final weeks of the White House race. The electors — all supporters of former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul — told The Associated Press they are exploring options should Mitt Romney win their states. They expressed frustration at how Republican leaders have worked to suppress Paul’s conservative movement and his legion of loyal supporters."

•   Statement by Gov. Perry on QE3: "Gov. Rick Perry issued the following statement regarding the Federal Reserve's announcement of a third quantitative easing: 'Today's announcement of open-ended asset purchases by the Federal Reserve is shocking, even by Washington standards. In yet another round of so-called "quantitative easing," Chairman Bernanke brazenly proclaims the Federal Reserve will buy up assets and take other actions "until such improvement is achieved." In other words — indefinitely. Mr. Bernanke is doubling down on more of the same failed policies which he himself has repeatedly noted are not a "panacea for the country's economic problems.'"

•   State Health Dept warns of missing radioactive device (The Dallas Morning News): "Turns out Halliburton folks have lost track in West Texas of a certain oil field device that is radioactive. Not highly radioactive, but they really discourage prolonged exposure. I guess you could consider it West Vial Disease. Anyhow, here’s an excerpt from the somewhat alarming press release: 'The Texas Department of State Health Services is looking for piece of equipment containing potentially dangerous radioactive material that was lost Tuesday by an oil and gas crew in a rural part of West Texas.'"

•   Dems hit listing of ‘dead voters' (San Antonio Express-News): "Texas Democrats blasted the secretary of state Wednesday for generating a list of presumably dead voters that contained the names of many living voters, potentially including thousands in Bexar County."

•   Ron Paul makes watchdog group’s list of ‘most corrupt members of Congress' (Houston Chronicle): "Ron Paul, a longtime champion of government accountability, was given a 'dishonorable mention' by a government watchdog group in its annual list of 'Most Corrupt Members of Congress' released yesterday. The report from the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington highlights allegations of unethical behavior by members of  Congress. CREW blew the whistle on the 12-term Republican representative from Lake Jackson for allegedly double-billing travel expenses between Washington, D.C., and his home district on Texas’s Gulf Coast."

New in The Texas Tribune:

•   Industry Leaders Want Action on "Payroll Fraud": "Tycoons in commercial construction and homebuilding — industries often pegged as harbors for undocumented workers — are urging state lawmakers to close a loophole that guards employers against knowingly hiring illegal immigrants."

•   Advocacy Groups Target Private Prisons for Immigrants: "A coalition of advocacy organizations has issued a report arguing that federal immigration policy is leading to a surge in the population of private prisons, where conditions raise human rights questions."

•   Tribune Insider: Death Row Donors, Political Consultants, Paul Sadler: In this week's edition of the Insider: death row organ donors, the future of Texas political consultants, wind power, a new concussion law and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Paul Sadler.