The Evening Brief: Aug. 6, 2013

New in The Texas Tribune

•    Complaint: Legislator Illegally Released Inmate's File: "The Travis County district attorney’s office’s Public Integrity Unit is reviewing evidence that suggests a state lawmaker illegally released an inmate’s disciplinary file to a victims’ rights advocate in an effort to prevent a high-profile convicted murderer’s release from prison."

•    Davis Hints at Governor's Race, Fuels Excitement: "The last time Democrats won statewide office in Texas, Bill Clinton was in the White House, John Paul II headed the Vatican and Twitter was the chirping noise birds made. Breaking that losing streak, now almost 20 years in the making, won’t be easy."

•    Inside Intelligence: About Those Political Maps...: "For all of the speculation about what high office Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, ought to seek in 2014, nearly half of our insiders say she ought to stay put. About a fifth (22 percent) said she ought to run for lieutenant governor in 2014, and 16 percent said she should run for governor."

•    UT-Austin Cancels Regent's Records Request: "Kevin Hegarty, the chief financial officer and custodian of records for the University of Texas at Austin, informed the University of Texas System on Monday that all pending records requests from embattled Regent Wallace Hall are considered 'cancelled, effective immediately.'"

•    Proxy Marriage Restrictions End Inmate Weddings: "New limitations on proxy marriage in Texas — a measure legislators passed last session to prevent benefits and insurance fraud — will also rule out tying the knot for people who are incarcerated."

Culled

•    George W. Bush has heart surgery for blocked artery (USA Today): "Former president George W. Bush is in "high spirits" after heart surgery Tuesday morning, his office said. During a physical examination Monday, doctors found a blockage in an artery of the former president's heart, said Bush spokesman Freddy Ford."

•    Challenges to Obama's post-West order on chemical safety probably would fail, scholar says (The Dallas Morning News): "Last week, President Barack Obama signed the 165^th executive order of his presidency. And if history is an indicator, chances are this proclamation — calling for improved chemical safety and security through an overhaul of best practices, data-sharing and emergency response – will see little opposition in Washington."

•    Broker says Manziel was paid $7,500 (ESPN.com): "An East Coast autograph broker told ESPN on Tuesday that Johnny Manziel was paid $7,500 for signing approximately 300 mini- and full-sized helmets on Jan. 11-12 while he was attending the Walter Camp Football Foundation event."

•    Hasan: 'We, the mujahedeen, are imperfect Muslims' (San Antonio Express-News): "A long-awaited trial for the Army psychiatrist accused of being the gunman in a rampage here nearly four years ago began Tuesday morning, with prosecutors saying that Maj. Nidal Hasan methodically gunned down 12 soldiers and a civilian for one purpose — to wage holy war."