The Evening Brief: Oct. 30, 2012
Your evening reading: Republican calls on Straus to explain redistricting process; Perry to campaign with Pennsylvania Senate candidate; outside group hits Gallego over support from environmentalists Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Lawmakers Discuss Ways to Fight Prescription Drug Abuse
At a Senate panel hearing Tuesday on prescription drug abuse, doctors called upon the Legislature to provide "better education to physicians" about “how addictive these drugs are.” Full Story
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Judge in Anderson Inquiry: Testimony Will Be Public
The judge presiding over the court of inquiry of Williamson County State District Judge Ken Anderson denied a request Tuesday to allow Anderson's lawyer to depose Michael Morton's lawyers before a Dec. 10 public hearing. Full Story
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![Williamson County State District Judge and former prosecutor Ken Anderson at the first hearing in the court of inquiry investigating his role in the 1987 wrongful conviction of Michael Morton]()
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Inside Intelligence: On the Ballots, Now and in Two Years ...
For this week's nonscientific survey of political and governmental insiders, we asked about the top statewide races on the ballot next month, and some that might be on the ballot in 2014. Full Story
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Updated: Whistleblower Helps Texas Settle $20M Fraud Case
Private whistleblowers have helped put Texas at the top of the list when it comes to Medicaid fraud settlements with pharmaceutical companies. Texas settled a case with a Swiss-based company on Tuesday for $19.9 million. Full Story
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Republican Says Straus Should Explain Redistricting Tactics
Speaker Joe Straus defended the House's redistricting work and said they'll continue their legal fight after a second Republican — Bill Zedler of Arlington — joined Democratic inquiries about how Straus' staff handled those political maps in 2011. Full Story
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![Rep. Bill Zedler R-Arlington speaks with Rep. Jim Murphy R-Houston on May 24th , 2011]()
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Third-Party Ad Attacks CD-23 Candidate's Third-Party Support
The Congressional Leadership Fund's new spot attacks state Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, for his support from environmental groups that, according to the CLF, have a "job-killing agenda." Gallego is challenging U.S. Rep. Francisco "Quico" Canseco , R-San Antonio, in CD-23. Full Story
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News App: Campaign Finance Database Adds Recent Expenditures
We've updated our campaign finance database to reflect state contribution and expenditure data reported by candidates and committees 30 days before Election Day. Use our tool to find out how much money was being spent in the final weeks of the 2012 election cycle. Full Story
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Battle Lines Forming Over School Vouchers
State leaders may be reluctant to tackle school finance in next year's legislative session because of a major lawsuit. That leaves room for legislators to fight over school vouchers, a controversial issue already stirring fierce debate. Full Story
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UT/TT Poll: Most Texans Say U.S. on Wrong Track
Most Texans believe that the country is on the wrong track but that the state is headed in the right direction, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll conducted this month. Full Story
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Drilling Regulators Using Old Technology as Industry Booms
Oil and gas drilling continues to buoy the state's economy, but the Railroad Commission, the agency charged with regulating the industry in Texas, is struggling with what one commissioner called technology "stuck somewhere in the mid-'90s." Full Story
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Credit: Dave Fehling NPR StateImpact / KUHF Houston Public Radio -
Updated: Lawmakers Discuss School Discipline Methods
At a Tuesday hearing, lawmakers discussed giving more discretion to teachers, law enforcement and judges when it comes to dealing with disciplinary violations at schools. Full Story
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![National Honor students Zach Calkins and Aaron Gonzales, seniors at Brandeis High School, read to kindergarten students in a crowded classroom at Wanke Elementary School in San Antonio on March 9, 2012.]()
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The Brief: Oct. 30, 2012
Most Texans still aren't optimistic about the future of the country, according to a new University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. But a deep partisan divide underlies the data. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman