Enlarge Bob Daemmrich

Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, debates changes that would affect the so-called "two-thirds rule" in the Texas Senate on Jan. 21, 2015.

State Sen. Kirk Watson of Austin is stepping down as chairman of the Senate Democratic caucus, he announced Thursday.

Watson said in a statement: "I've served as Democratic Caucus Chair for two sessions (plus a little time before the first one and now a little after the second one). I'm ready to pass the baton to the next Chair and want to do it so that the new Chair has plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming election year, convention, and then the next session.  

"I deeply appreciate the honor my colleagues have given me letting me serve as caucus chairman."

It was not immediately clear when the election to replace him would be held.

*****

Jon Cobb will no longer attend Konni Burton’s controversial Senate District 24 forum, citing the Bell County Republican Party’s disapproval of the event.

Last month, Burton announced her plan for the forum, which is set to take place Oct. 15. That's about a month before the start of the candidate filing period, a decision that the Bell County GOP opposed.

The forum was planned and candidates were invited before local parties, including Bell County’s, were notified. Local parties later received notification about the event, according to Burton’s campaign manager Cathy Scott. 

In response, the Bell County Republican Party Executive Committee issued a resolution formally stating their disapproval of the forum. The party said in its resolution that participation in the forum indicates “a candidate’s disinterest in serving the voters of SD-24, and will necessitate the Bell County Republican Party to actively oppose such candidates.”

Cobb took notice of this action by the party and left the forum, though his campaign said he had never committed to attending.

“My stated commitment is to serve the people of this district and no one else, therefore I am honoring the wishes of the folks from Bell County and will not be attending this forum,” Cobb said to Burton in an email on Wednesday.

So far, CJ Grisham and Brent Mayes have said they are attending.

According to Scott, Burton still plans to go through with the forum as planned, despite the backlash.

“I, the voters of SD 24, and those who will watch the event online are excited to learn more about the candidates who will be in attendance,” Scott said in an email to the Tribune.

*****

Texas political operative Brendan Steinhauser tells the Tribune that he has joined up with U.S. House Rep. Michael McCaul's re-election campaign. 

Steinhauser was a key player in U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's 2014 re-election campaign. A longtime operative for FreedomWorks, he also has extensive tea party ties. Steinhauser will also help with McCaul's national communications strategy.

The congressman is the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. He is running for his seventh term next year in the Republican-heavy 10th District that stretches from Austin to the Houston suburbs.

Enlarge Patrick Svitek

Presidential contender and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks with a supporter at the opening of his first Iowa office in Urbandale, Iowa on Sept. 26, 2015.

Ted Cruz's presidential campaign now has county chairmen in all 171 counties that make up the first four early voting states.

The Texas Republican senator broke the news during an interview Monday on Michigan radio, saying no other candidate has built the same level of organization yet.

"We're the only campaign that has a county chairman in every county in the first four states," Cruz said, referring to Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

*****

Cruz, meanwhile, is ratcheting up his travel to Iowa as his presidential campaign puts a new focus on the early voting state. 

Cruz's team unveiled a schedule Tuesday that has the Texas Republican senator making 20 stops in the Hawkeye State over six days this month. The itinerary includes a previously announced trip that includes 12 events over three days starting Monday. 

Cruz is then scheduled to return to Iowa from Oct. 23-24 for seven more stops. He is set to be back in the state on Halloween to speak at a forum hosted by the Iowa GOP in Des Moines. 

Cruz's packed Iowa itinerary is the latest sign he is ramping up his campaign in the state after a relatively slow start. He opened his first campaign office in the Hawkeye State last month and is adding to his paid staff there.

*****

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, is officially returning to the campaign trail for Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

Her campaign announced Thursday that Castro will stump for Clinton, the former secretary of state, on Sunday in early voting Nevada. He is scheduled to attend two events in Las Vegas: a canvass launch and "Latino phone bank," according to the campaign. 

Clinton's team had previously said Castro would campaign for her in the Silver State ahead of the first Democratic presidential debate, which is being held Tuesday in Las Vegas.

Castro first hit the campaign trail for Clinton in August in Iowa, the first early voting state. His twin brother, U.S. Housing Secretary Julian Castro, is rumored to be on Clinton's shortlist for running mates.

*****

Clinton is also set to raise money for her campaign while visiting Texas next week. 

The former secretary of state will appear at a fundraiser Oct. 15 in Houston, according to a top Clinton ally in Texas. 

Her campaign had previously announced she would speak the same day in San Antonio as part of a month-long push to shore up support among Hispanic voters.

*****

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum is using a speech next week in Texas to unveil a "sweeping tax reform proposal," his campaign announced Wednesday.

The former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania is scheduled to roll out the plan during an address Monday to the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Ft. Worth. 

Santorum is set to speak later Monday at a meeting of the NE Tarrant Tea Party, whose leader, Julie McCarty, is helping lead his campaign's efforts in Texas.  

Santorum will be back in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Oct. 18, when he is one of six GOP hopefuls who have confirmed for a forum at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. 

*****

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is coming to Texas to raise money for his presidential campaign later this month.

The GOP hopeful is holding a fundraiser Oct. 20 in Dallas, according to an invitation. The event will take place at the home of Jane and Bud Smith, and it costs at least $1,000 to attend.

The fundraiser also falls two days after the Plano forum for White House hopefuls at Prestonwood Baptist Church. Kasich has not yet confirmed for the event.

Enlarge Callie Richmond

Texas barbecue.

There is a lot at “steak” for this year’s Red River Rivalry.

Gov. Greg Abbott bet Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin that the University of Texas would beat the University of Oklahoma in their annual football showdown. The wager? Barbecue.

The losing state will donate barbecue to a food bank in the winning state. 

If the Longhorns lose, Abbott has opted to donate food from Railhead Smokehouse BBQ in Fort Worth — which is owned by state Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth — to City Rescue Mission in Oklahoma, a partner of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. If the Sooners lose, Fallin will supply 600 meals from Head Country Bar-B-Q to the Capital Area Food Bank in Austin.

Despite the absence of UT’s mascot, Bevo, at Saturday’s game, Abbott is confident UT will come out on top.

“The friendly rivalry between the State of Texas and the State of Oklahoma runs deep, especially when it comes to football,” Abbott said in a press release. “In the history of the Red River Rivalry, the Texas Longhorns have come away with more victories than Oklahoma ever has, and I expect this Saturday to be no different. In the unfortunate event the Sooners pull off a win, the Oklahoma City Rescue Mission will receive some of the finest barbecue Texas has to offer — a prize valued far more than any trophy.”

Fallin believes otherwise. 

“I felt a little bad about accepting this bet because UT doesn’t stand a chance,” Fallin said in the release. “The Sooners are going to bring home a win, and a lot of barbecue from Texas for the City Rescue Mission.”

The wager will be settled on the field Saturday, in the Cotton Bowl at Fair Park.

*****

The Texas Center for the Book will move to the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building in Austin. The Texas Center for the Book was established by the Dallas Public Library in 1987 to promote public interest in reading.

“We are very excited at the prospect of using the Center for the Book as a statewide platform to inform the public of the importance of books and reading and to urge Texans to take advantage of the huge resource for education, lifelong learning, and cultural enrichment offered at their local libraries and archives,” said Mark Smith, director of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, in a statement.

“We thank the Dallas Public Library for their excellent work with the Center since its inception and look forward to maintaining the tradition of excellence that they have established.”

*****

The Texas General Land Office launched a new website Tuesday featuring updated graphics, a mobile-friendly layout and less photos to improve speed.  

“At the General Land Office we work hard everyday to serve Texas veterans, protect our state’s rich history, defend the coast and maximize revenue sources to ensure we’re serving future generations of Texans through the Permanent School Fund," said Land Commissioner George P. Bush in a statement. "Now, you can see how and what we’re doing in real time, all the time.”

*****

The BLM is holding a series of public workshops next week seeking input on “draft alternatives” for a Resource Management Plan it’s updating for Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas — designating how public lands will be used for the next 15 to 20 years. This includes 90,000 Red River acres that the agency claims but that some Texas families have laid claim to for themselves.

One of the workshops is Oct. 13 in Fort Worth, the agency announced Thursday. 

The meeting is just the latest step in a drawn out process expected to last until 2018, but an agency spokesman calls it important and expects it will draw plenty of concerned Red River-area landowners to Fort Worth.

“This process is still going and public involvement is a critical part of it,” Paul McGuire, the spokesman, told The Blast. 

The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Fort Worth Library’s Ella Mae Shamblee branch. It’s expected to last roughly 2 hours.

Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin is a corporate sponsor of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.

Enlarge

For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about the impacts of the Oregon college mass shooting and a petition from UT-Austin professors on implementation of campus carry in Texas.

We kicked off this week's survey by asking the insiders to go back and evaluate Texas lawmakers' approach to relaxing regulations on carrying firearms on campus. Nearly half thought lawmakers went too far in their efforts while another 30 percent thought the finished product turned out about right.

We then asked about the effects of a couple of recent events on the progress of implementation of campus carry. Three in four of the insiders did not think the Oct. 1 mass shooting on an Oregon college campus will cause any slowdowns in implementing the Texas law.

More than half of the insiders thought a petition against campus carry signed by more than 380 UT-Austin professors would spread to other campuses while just one in five thought the petition effort would prove an isolated happening.

The vast majority of the insiders, though, felt lawmakers remain the dominant voice on campus carry. Just 11 percent said students are the most influential voice on campus carry while 9 percent cited parents and 2 percent cited professors.

We collected comments along the way, and a full set of those is attached. Here’s a sampling:

Enlarge Emily Albracht

.

Evaluate Texas lawmakers' approach to relaxing regulations on carrying firearms on college campuses.

• "The fact that lots of folks think they went too far, while at the same time lots of folks think they didn't go far enough, tells me their approach is about right."

• "Have you ever seen an angry student? Usually, worked up over an issue in class or it's the A student who received a B+ that I fear the most."

• "Sure, put more guns on campus and let the SWAT team figure out who the bad guys are."

• "Didn't Whitmire say that the bill wasn't as bad as some folks fear and not as good as some folks think it'll be? Seems to sum it up pretty well."

• "This whole campus carry thing is a high-stakes experiment with human life. There are bound to be some tragic results, but maybe some offsetting heroic events, too. It will be a decade or more before even an objective person can definitively say whether it was a good idea."

Enlarge Emily Albracht

.

Does the most recent mass shooting at the college campus in Oregon cause a pause in implementation of campus carry?

• "In 2013 (during session no less!!) a person stabbed at least 14 people at a Lone Star College campus outside Houston. I don't recall anyone calling for a ban of knives on Texas campuses as a result, so why would implementation of campus carry be put on hold?"

• "This has been said too many times: people who want to kill others are not going to follow a law saying you can't carry a gun. They're already not following the law saying you can't kill others."

• "People in support of looser handgun laws (the Legislature) are not about to allow a slower implementation."

• "Were I a student, it would make me want to carry on campus. Perhaps these cowardly madmen would consider that they won't have an easy path to carry out their mayhem."

• "Those who want to ban guns on campus will use Oregon as a motivating factor. Those who want to have guns on campus will use Oregon as a motivating factor."

Enlarge Emily Albracht

.

Evaluate the impact of the 320-plus UT-Austin professors who signed a petition to ban guns in their classrooms.

• "320 out of over 2,000 faculty members is impressive, but if they wanted to shape policy they should have been at the Capitol during session."

• "Nobody will care though. Although I liked my professors in college, it is hard to deny that they were relatively out of touch with reality."

• "All the professors want to ban guns in their classrooms. But here's a newsflash: they've probably taught a class where guns were in the classroom and nobody knew."

• "It will have the same impact as similar petitions during the Vietnam war and investing in South Africa during apartheid."

• "Let's talk to them after there is a shooting and they are sitting there with nobody or no way to defend themselves. Last time I checked, CHL carriers are some of the most responsible gun owners and carriers period."

Enlarge Emily Albracht

.

Which group has the most influence in campus carry debate?

• "Only one of these groups actually writes laws... they're clearly the most influential."

• "Lawmakers in Texas vote with whoever gives them the most money. If the professors, parents and students were all billionaires, then what they think would matter."

• "Unfortunately, the NRA has the most influence."

• "The real answer is 'voters.'"

• "None of the above. The correct answer is the 5 percent of the electorate who vote in Republican primary elections."

Our thanks to this week's participants: Gene Acuna, Cathie Adams, Clyde Alexander, George Allen, Jay Arnold, Charles Bailey, Andrew Biar, Allen Blakemore, Tom Blanton, Chris Britton, Raif Calvert, Lydia Camarillo, Kerry Cammack, Corbin Casteel, Elna Christopher, Harold Cook, Kevin Cooper, Randy Cubriel, Beth Cubriel, Denise Davis, June Deadrick, Nora Del Bosque, Glenn Deshields, Tom Duffy, David Dunn, Richard Dyer, Jack Erskine, Tom Forbes, Dominic Giarratani, Bruce Gibson, Eric Glenn, Kinnan Golemon, Jim Grace, Bill Hammond, Ken Hodges, Steve Holzheauser, Kathy Hutto, Deborah Ingersoll, Mark Jones, Robert Kepple, Richard Khouri, Tom Kleinworth, Sandy Kress, Dale Laine, Pete Laney, Dick Lavine, James LeBas, Luke Legate, Ruben Longoria, Matt Mackowiak, Matt Matthews, Steve Minick, Bee Moorhead, Mike Moses, Gardner Pate, Jerod Patterson, Bill Pewitt, Jerry Philips, Wayne Pierce, Allen Place, Gary Polland, Jay Pritchard, Jay Propes, Patrick Reinhart, David Reynolds, A.J. Rodriguez, Grant Ruckel, Andy Sansom, Stan Schlueter, Robert Scott, Steve Scurlock, Ben Sebree, Christopher Shields, Nancy Sims, Jason Skaggs, Ed Small, Martha Smiley, Mark Smith, Larry Soward, Dennis Speight, Tom Spilman, Jason Stanford, Sherry Sylvester, Sara Tays, Trey Trainor, David White, Darren Whitehurst, Seth Winick, Angelo Zottarelli.

Enlarge Todd Wiseman

Friday, Oct. 9

• State Reps. Cindy Burkett, R-Sunnyvale, and Kenneth Sheets, R-Dallas, fundraiser; Bridewell Room, 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (9-10:15 a.m.)
• State Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, fundraiser; 2323 Victory Ave., Suite 700, Dallas (10-11:30 a.m.)
• State Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-N. Richland Hills, Fourth Annual Piano Brunch fundraiser; Library Bar, 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.)
• State Rep. Eric Johnson, D-Dallas, 6th Annual TX/OU Weekend Birthday Fundraiser; 3102 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.)
• State Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Richardson, fundraiser; 2010 Flora St., Dallas (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.)
• Attorney General Ken Paxton TX/OU Luncheon fundraiser; Oak Lawn Terrace, 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (12-1:30 p.m.)
• State Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas, fundraiser; 2520 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas (12:30-2 p.m.)
• State Rep. Ramon Romero, D-Fort Worth, fundraiser; 3102 Oak Lawn Ave, Dallas (1-4 p.m.)
• State Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, fundraiser; 500 Crescent Court, Suite 165, Dallas (1:30-3 p.m.)
• State Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, fundraiser; 3908 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas (2-5 p.m.)
• State Sen. Van Taylor, R-Plano, fundraiser; 3180 Welborn St., Dallas (2-5 p.m.)
• State Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, fundraiser; 4152 Cole Ave., Dallas (2-4 p.m.)
• Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick TX/OU Weekend "Pick Me Up" fundraiser; 3819 Maple Ave., Dallas (2:30-4 p.m.)
• State Reps. Four Price, R-Amarillo, and John Kuempel, R-Seguin, fundraiser; Landmark Room, 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (3:30-5 p.m.)
• State Reps. Sarah Davis, R-W. University Place, Marsha Forney, R-Georgetown, and Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, fundraiser with special guest Speaker Joe Straus; Bridewell Room, 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (3:30-5 p.m.)
• Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller fundraiser; The Presidential Suite, 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (4-6 p.m.)
• Railroad Commission Chairman David Porter fundraiser; The Presidential Suite, 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (4-6 p.m.)
• State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, and state Rep. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, fundraiser; Terrace Room, 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (4-6 p.m.)
• State Reps. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, DeWayne Burns, R-Cleburne, Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth, Linda Koop, R-Dallas, Brooks Landgraf, R-Odessa, Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas, Andrew Murr, R-Junction, Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, Ron Simmons, R-Carrollton, and John Wray, R-Waxahachie, fundraiser with special guest Speaker Joe Straus; 3 Willowood, Dallas (4-6 p.m.)
• State Reps. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, and Doug Miller, R-New Braunfels, fundraiser; Cedar Springs Room, 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (4-6 p.m.)
• State Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Parker, fundraiser; 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (4-6 p.m.)
• State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, fundraiser; 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (4-6 p.m.)
• State Rep. Scott Sanford, R-McKinney, fundraiser; 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (4-6 p.m.)
• State Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano, fundraiser; Ballroom, 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (4-6 p.m.)
• State Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, TX/OU "Fun" Raiser; 3102 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas (4-7 p.m.)
• State Reps. Oscar Longoria, D-Mission, and John Raney, R-College Station, fundraiser; 3800 Stratford Ave., Dallas (4:30-6:30 p.m.)
• State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, fundraiser; 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., Suite 225, Dallas (4:30-6:30 p.m.)
• State Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, Night in Monte Carlos fundraiser; 307 Pearl Parkway, San Antonio (7-11 p.m.)

Saturday, Oct. 10

• State Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, "Uresti Invitational" Top Golf tournament; 5539 North Loop 1604 West, San Antonio (10 a.m.-2 p.m.)

Sunday, Oct. 11

• State Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, fundraiser with special guest Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price; 2900 Montgomery, Fort Worth (5-7 p.m.)

Monday, Oct. 12

• Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum speech at the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Ft. Worth; 306 W. Seventh St., Fort Worth (11:30 a.m.)

Tuesday, Oct. 13

• 2015 Annie's List Dallas Luncheon with special guest speaker U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; 2201 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas (12-1:15 p.m.)

Wednesday, Oct. 14

• Center for Public Policy Priorities 2015 Legacy Luncheon honoring Ambassador Ron Kirk; 110 E. Second St., Austin (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.)
• State Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin, fundraiser with special guests state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and former state Rep. Glen Maxey; 301 W. Riverside Drive, Austin (5:30-7 p.m.)

Thursday, Oct. 15

• The Texas Conference for Women; 500 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.)
• Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) quarterly luncheon; 1062 FM 117, Dilley (12-1 p.m.)
• Latinos for Hillary grassroots organizing meeting with special guest speaker Hillary Clinton; 1174 E. Commerce St., San Antonio (12:30 p.m.)
• State Rep. Armando "Mando" Martinez, D-Weslaco, fundraiser; 110 E. Ninth St., Austin (4-6 p.m.)
• Support Girls Inc. 6th Annual Be Bold Margarita Competition; 2200 Texas Ave., Houston (6 p.m.)
• SD-24 candidate forum hosted by state Sen. Konni Burton, R-Colleyville; 3303 N. Third St., Temple (6:30-8 p.m.)

Sources told the Tribune that U.S. Reps. Bill Flores, R-Bryan, and Mike Conaway, R-Midland, are considering bids for the gavel after U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy withdrew from the speaker’s race on Thursday.

Following in the footsteps of two Texas counties, the state announced Thursday it is suing Volkswagen in connection with the German automaker's admitted use of software that allowed its vehicles to circumvent emissions limits.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Thursday began to detail interim charges for the Texas Senate, signaling he would like members to revisit some unfinished business from the most recent legislative session.

A Washington-based interest group is setting up shop in Texas to try and persuade lawmakers — and the people who usher them into office — to change their tone on U.S.-Cuba relations

The Obama administration announced late Wednesday that it "strongly opposes" a repeal of the crude oil export ban, legislation that many Texans are trying to push through Congress.

With Vice President Joe Biden apparently closer than ever to a decision about running for president in 2016, some top Texas Democrats say he would have a hard time blunting Hillary Clinton's advantage in the state.

Some State Board of Education members are dismissing a backlash against a textbook that describes African slaves as immigrant “workers," with one Republican saying the ordeal would "make for a great Jerry Seinfeld episode: something out of nothing.”

The state's highest criminal court ruled Wednesday that a Texas law banning defacement of the U.S.and state flags is unconstitutional.

A decades-long ban on crude oil exports is up for repeal, legislation that is expected to glide through the U.S. House at the end of the week. While there is little doubt that the House will pass the repeal, it still faces serious obstacles before becoming law.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday granted requests by both Rick Perry and the Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney to determine whether the indictment against Perry should stand. The court set oral arguments for Nov. 4.

As cities worldwide struggle to balance the fast growth of vehicle-for-hire apps with traditional taxi services, three Texas markets are providing a test of the regulatory breaking points for Uber and Lyft. Fingerprinting drivers can be a deal-breaker.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal says GOP presidential opponent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has "enabled" frontrunner Donald Trump by failing to call him out for his liberal positions.

It will get harder for Texas public school students to pass standardized tests this year, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams announced Tuesday, but the state will ease into the tougher passing standards more slowly than originally planned.

The U.S. Supreme Court is back in session, and the upcoming term will feature at least two cases from Texas — if not more. The justices will look at voting rights, UT-Austin admissions and — maybe — the state's new abortion restrictions.

A furor involving a small-town Texas police department and national secular organization has reached the state attorney general's office, and may well wind up in court after that. At issue: Does slapping "In God We Trust" stickers on police patrol cars violate the U.S. constitution?

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a request from a coalition of abortion providers to take up their legal challenge to the state’s strict abortion restrictions.

Texas and four other Gulf Coast states have reached a final settlement with BP stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, the U.S. Department of Justice and states announced Monday.

Former Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst says he is finally paying off the nearly $1 million in debts owed to campaign consultants and vendors since his lopsided loss to Ted Cruz in the 2012 U.S. Senate race.

Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin, BP, Lyft and Uber are corporate sponsors of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.

Jennifer “Jenny” Downing Yoakum of Longview, Rebecca “Suzette” Tijerina of Castle Hills and Isaac “Chip” Thornsburg of San Antonio were named by Gov. Greg Abbott to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy for terms to expire Aug. 31, 2021.

President Barack Obama announced on Monday that he’s nominated a Texan to be the nation’s next ambassador to Ecuador. The nomination of Todd C. Chapman, who is a career member of the Foreign Service, is subject to approval by the Senate.

UT-Austin President Gregory Fenves announced Tuesday that UT Astronomy Department Chair Daniel Jaffe will serve as UT’s vice president for research starting in January.

In a surprise announcement, TxDOT leader Joe Weber, who has logged 18 months on the job, said he is stepping down at the end of the year.

Jodey Arrington, a former vice chancellor at Texas Tech University, and Slaton businessman and oilfield worker Jason Corley both plan to enter the race for the open Congressional District 19 seat in West Texas.

James K. "Red" Brown, who has acting deputy commanding general at Fort Bragg on his resume alongside a stint as a Lindale ISD school board member, has decided to run for the Republican nomination in the contest for the open Senate District 1 seat in East Texas.

Sen. Konni Burton, R-Colleyville, announced Tuesday she has hired Elliott Griffin, who previously served as external affairs director for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, to serve as her chief of staff. He succeeds Art Martinez de Vara, the former mayor of Von Ormy, who was hired as Burton's chief of staff in late 2014.

Hudson ISD’s chief executive, Mary Ann Whiteker, was named the 2015 Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Association of School Boards.

John Scott has been selected to serve as the next chair of the political arm of the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists. Scott has served on the TSAPAC board since 2010 and has held the title of vice chair since 2014.

The Texas Civil Justice League's political arm announced Thursday their endorsement of Debra Lehrmann in her run for re-election to the Supreme Court. She is running for against Michael Massengale, who has sat on the First Court of Appeals since 2009.

Jim Wheeler, the majority whip in the Nevada Assembly, has endorsed Ted Cruz for president. Wheeler had co-chaired Scott Walker's campaign in the early voting state before the Wisconsin governor dropped out of the presidential race last month.

The Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Texas affiliate announced Wednesday its endorsement of Dawn Buckingham, who is one of several candidates running for the open Senate District 24 seat.

Andrew Piel, who is challenging incumbent Tony Tinderholt for the GOP nomination in the Tarrant County-based House District 94, announced an endorsement from Arlington ISD School Board President Jamie Sullins.

Former HD-115 representative Bennett Ratliff announced that the majority of board members in Coppell ISD and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD are endorsing him in his run to regain the seat, including the districts’ presidents — David Apple of Coppell ISD and James Goode of Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD.

Kevin Roberts, a Republican candidate in the Harris County-based House District 126 race, announced Tuesday that he has received the support of more than 90 business and community leaders.

Dan Wolterman, president & CEO of the Memorial Hermann Health System, has decided to retire as CEO in the second half of 2016. He's held that title since 2002.

Vincent Harding was selected on Sept. 30 to be the next chairman of the Travis County Democratic Party. He is the party’s youngest chair and second African-American to hold the position.

Bunni Pounds, Republican fundraiser and campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Dallas, announced Monday she is launching a fundraising company that will cater to conservative candidates for national and state office. Her initial client list includes Hensarling as well as state Sens. Van Taylor, R-Plano, and Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood.

Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin, Texas Tech University and the Texas Association of School Boards are corporate sponsors of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.