The Evening Brief: Oct. 12, 2012

New in The Texas Tribune:

• Shelton Hits Davis on Ethics, Legal Contracts in New Ad: "In a new campaign ad, state Rep. Mark Shelton, R-Fort Worth, accuses his SD-10 opponent, incumbent Democrat Wendy Davis, of violating ethics rules and hiding details about her public sector legal clients."

• Express-Lane Voting: It's Fast, but Problematic: "One obvious problem with straight-ticket voting is that the parties don’t really vet their candidates. The people at the tops of the tickets have been through the wringer; you might not like them or support them, but you know most everything about them. That’s not the case down the ballot. Dallas County elected a Democrat to its top job — county judge — a few years ago and nobody in the party initially knew who he was. He was, among other things, a beneficiary of the straight ticket."

Culled:

• Texas U.S. representatives and senators call for action, aid on West Nile outbreak (The Dallas Morning News): "Twenty-one members of Texas’ U.S. congressional delegation today signed a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden, urging 'immediate action to address the West Nile Virus outbreak in Texas' and throughout the United States."

• UT joins to schools in offering innovative online courses (Associated Press): "The announcement comes as Gov. Rick Perry steps up his campaign demanding that public universities offer $10,000 degrees, including books. Texas leaders have cut funding for higher education in recent years and Texas colleges have raised tuition. Many have called for cheaper online courses that offer the same education as formal classes."

• What Are The Mangrove Trees Telling Us About The Texas Coast? (KUHF) "The coast-line of Texas is changing. But this isn't a story about rising sea levels. What's changing is what's growing along the Gulf Coast. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling has more on what scientists are finding."

• Fikac: This time around, Perry wants to talk (Houston Chronicle): "Gov. Rick Perry, who skipped editorial board meetings in his last race for re-election, is sweet-talking them as he looks toward the upcoming legislative session and the possibility of another bid."