The Midday Brief: Top Texas Headlines for Feb. 28, 2011
Your afternoon reading: Pitts bill draws on Rainy Day Fund; forensic science chairman approved; freed man sues state of Texas Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Exoneree Sues to Clear Name, Get Compensation
Anthony Graves, who was freed from jail this year after spending 18 years behind bars for brutal murders he did not commit, sued the state of Texas today to officially clear his name and to force the Texas comptroller to pay him for the time he was wrongfully imprisoned. Full Story
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![Anthony Graves]()
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Forensic Commissioners Answer to Legislators
The Senate Nominations Committee voted 4-2 today to recommend approval of the state forensic board Chairman John Bradley's appointment. Sens. José RodrÃguez and Kirk Watson voted against Bradley's nomination. Full Story
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![Williamson County DA John Bradley during his Senate Nomination Committee to the Forensic Science Committee. February 28th, 2011]()
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To Block Gay-Straight Alliance, School Keeps Clubs Off Campus
Corpus Christi's Flour Bluff ISD has blocked extracurricular clubs from meeting on campus to make sure it's complying with federal law after denying approval of a gay-straight alliance. Full Story
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The Brief: Top Texas News for Feb. 28, 2011
The deck may already be stacked against Tom Leppert. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Berman Leads Charge From GOP's Right Flank
In 2009, state Rep. Leo Berman's bills — like the ones restricting illegal immigrants to certain geographical regions and denying them access to higher education — failed to gain traction. But with a Republican supermajority now in control, this could very well be the session of Leo. Full Story
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![Former state Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, is shown in 2011.]()
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For Republicans, the Hazards of Red Meat
The growth of the state’s Hispanic population and the rise of immigration as a political issue put Texas Republicans in a tight spot — especially the ones with statewide aspirations. Full Story
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![Demonstrators stand in front of the Texas Capitol on Feb. 22, 2011 to show their opposition to immigration legislation.]()
Credit: Jacob Villanueva -
Inside Intelligence: Gambling Will Be...
For the latest installment of our nonscientific survey of political and policy insiders on issues of the moment, we asked whether lawmakers will finally approve new forms of gambling to soften the blow of massive budget-cutting. Full Story
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Berman: "There Are 'Birthers' All Over Texas"
State Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, wants all presidential and vice presidential candidates to show their birth certificate to the Texas Secretary of State in order to get on the ballot. Full Story
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Ask a Texan
Who would have thought that of all of the big, nasty, thorny things in front of the Legislature this year that redistricting might be the least dangerous? Full Story
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Farouk Shami to Appear on "Celebrity Apprentice"
Texans know Farouk Shami as a former long-shot candidate for governor, the head of a hair care empire, and the inspiration for perhaps the greatest campaign song of all time. Soon, Shami will add another job to that list: guest judge on Celebrity Apprentice. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
In Dallas, "Big D" May No Longer Fit
Big D may need a new nickname. Despite a surging state population, the city of Dallas grew by a paltry 1 percent in the last decade — a rate lower than any of the 20 largest cities in Texas. Full Story
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![Gilberto Saucedo tends to a grill during a family barbecue in Oak Cliff's Kidd Spring Park.]()
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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
The best of our best content from Feb. 21 to 25, 2011. Full Story
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The Week in Texas Politics Recap: 2/21 to 2/25
No time to follow every twist and turn of the Texas Legislature? We've made it easier for you with our weekly recaps of the action under the dome. Full Story
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Tom Leppert: "Why I'm Running"
Exiting Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert has released a lengthy (as in, more than three minutes) video on YouTube explaining why the Republican is running for U.S. Senate. Full Story
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![Tom Leppert, former mayor of Dallas]()
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The Midday Brief: Top Texas Headlines for Feb. 25, 2011
Your afternoon reading: Perry defends Wisconsin governor; terror suspect appears in Lubbock court; Leppert announces Senate run Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Tom Leppert Announces Senate Bid
It's official. Republican Tom Leppert, who stepped down as mayor of Dallas this week, told a Dallas TV station that he is joining the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in 2012. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Perry, O'Malley Talk Wisconsin, Jobs at Governors Meeting
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the Republican Governors Association chairman, squared off with Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, the Democratic Governors Association chief, this morning. Here's the video, courtesy of Politico. Full Story
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TribLive: A Conversation About Health Care
For our latest TribLive event, I talked about federal health care reform with state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, Anne Dunkelberg of the Center for Public Policy Priorities and Tom Banning of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, at TribLive on February 23, 2011.]()
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Months After Spill, Another Look Into the Gulf
With the one-year anniversary of the BP oil-rig explosion approaching, Ian Crawford of KUT News spoke with Carter Smith, executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, about the state of the Gulf and why researchers may be studying its effects for decades. Full Story
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![Response boats work to clean up oil where the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig sank on April 22, 2010.]()
Credit: United States Coast Guard
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