The Evening Brief: Sept. 17, 2013
Your evening reading: former SBOE chairman urges "final blow to the teaching of evolution"; Van de Putte takes issue with Dewhurst remark at debate; Texas again has nation's highest uninsured rate Full Story
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![Former State Board of Education members Don McLeroy and Cynthia Dunbar at a meeting in March 2010.]()
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A Third Legal Challenge to Texas Voter ID Law
On the eve of the first statewide election in which Texans will have to show photo IDs to vote, groups representing minority voters and officeholders sued to block the state’s new voter ID law. Full Story
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Evolution, Textbook Review Focus of SBOE Hearing
A past Texas State Board of Education chairman and outspoken creationist urged his former colleagues on Tuesday to approve high school biology textbooks he said would "strike a final blow to the teaching of evolution." Full Story
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![Rally outside the TEA building where the Texas State Board of Education will be hearing public testimony on proposed new science textbooks on September 17th, 2013]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Austin Gets High Marks for Energy-Efficient Policies
Austin is among the large U.S. cities doing the most to conserve energy, according to a study released Tuesday by a national group that promotes energy efficiency. Full Story
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![A view of downtown Austin from River Street.]()
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Inside Intelligence: About Those Power Lines...
For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in politics and government, we asked about expectations of the aftermath of next year’s elections: where power will fall and rise and who’ll be most influential. Full Story
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TribLive: A Conversation With Tom Pauken
Full video of my 9/16 TribLive conversation with Tom Pauken, a Republican candidate for Texas governor in 2014. Full Story
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Faculty Pay Grows With Enrollment at Sul Ross
Faculty and staff at Sul Ross State University are looking forward to a 3 percent salary bump after the school hit its enrollment goals this year, a sign the university may be bouncing back from a slump. Full Story
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One-Third of Criminal Appeals Court Leaving
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judges Cathy Cochran, Tom Price and Paul Womack confirmed that they will not run for re-election in 2014. The news sets the stage for the court's biggest change in recent memory. Full Story
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Book Excerpt: How the Public Got Behind Texas Wind Power
The renewable-energy epiphany that launched Texas wind power came through an unexpected channel: public opinion polls in the mid-1990s. An excerpt from The Great Texas Wind Rush. Full Story
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Districts Weighing School Marshal Program
Under a law passed this year, Texas school districts can choose to allow trained employees to carry concealed handguns on campus. But some districts that already employ their own peace officers have no plans to implement the program. Full Story
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![Austin Police Officer Cory Ehrler monitors the entrance to Ridgetop Elementary School after classes start on the Monday following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. As the 83rd legislative session approaches, Texas lawmakers are considering making firearms more available to teachers and other school personnel.]()
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For Texas, Colorado Floods a Reminder to Plan Ahead
Environmental experts say the severe flooding in parched Colorado proves that just because drought-stricken states like Texas haven't seen that kind of weather in years doesn't mean it's gone for good. Full Story
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![A view downstream from the headwaters of the San Marcos River. Water from the Edwards Aquifer flows from San Marcos Springs into the San Marcos River.]()
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The Brief: Sept. 17, 2013
Gov. Rick Perry has added more fuel to his fight with the federal government over Obamacare. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry speaks at the Star of Texas Awards ceremony on Sept. 12, 2013.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Border Democrats See Window Closing on Immigration Reform
Congressional border Democrats still seeking progress on immigration reform said on Monday that time is slipping away and the issue could be on hold until next year or beyond. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville]()
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The Evening Brief: Sept. 16, 2013
Your evening reading: Abbott distances himself from adviser's tweet about Davis; Navy Yard shooter identified as Texas man; civil rights groups want reimbursement for redistricting fight Full Story
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![Attorney General Greg Abbott speaks at the National Right to Life convention on June 27, 2013.]()
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Perry Directs HHSC to Pursue Block Grant
In a letter to the state's health agency on Monday, Gov. Rick Perry laid out his plan to request a federal waiver to reform Medicaid as Texas sees fit — without expanding eligibility. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry speaks to media after the groundbreaking ceremony of the Teletón USA children's rehabilitation center in San Antonio on Aug. 6, 2013.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Committee Plans Hearings in UT Regent Impeachment Probe
The Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations on Monday began outlining its plans to investigate whether a University of Texas regent should face impeachment. Full Story
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![Transparency in State Agency Operations Co-Chair, Rep. Dan Flynn, speaks to UT Law representatives during committee hearing on March 12th, 2013]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Clinic Closures Spark Debate Over Access to Health Care
Abortion-rights groups say the recent closure of several clinics will hurt women seeking general health care services. Anti-abortion activists say there are still plenty of alternatives available. So who's right? Full Story
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![Cadence King of Bryan stands at the gate of the now closed Bryan Planned Parenthood clinic.]()
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TribLive: Pauken on School Finance
At Monday's TribLive conversation, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Pauken talked about his plan to reduce property taxes and increase sales taxes to pay for public education. Full Story
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Abbott Distances Himself From Adviser's Tweet
Attorney General Greg Abbott, the leading candidate for Texas governor, distanced himself from a controversial tweet by his top campaign adviser, who repeated a blogger's line that Democrat Wendy Davis was "too stupid to be governor." Full Story
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![Greg Abbott speaking to supporters at the American Wind Power Center in Lubbock on July 17, 2013.]()
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UT Scientists Measure Methane Emissions From Fracking
University of Texas at Austin researchers have released new estimates of methane emissions from the production of natural gas wells. The data could affect regulations on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. Full Story
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Credit: Louis Vest