Politics
Primary results still being sorted out
By CAROLYN FEIBEL, Houston Chronicle, 12 March 2008
HOUSTON – Voter confusion and enthusiasm in last week's primary has left county officials sorting through a record number of provisional ballots and hundreds of instances in which it appeared voters cast ballots twice.
Election count continues
By LAURA B. MARTINEZ, Brownsville Herald, 13 March 2008
BROWNSVILLE – On Wednesday, Cameron County elections officials counted 40 Republican primary ballots that never made it to the county's central count during the March 4 primary election.
Black, Hispanic precincts show election favorites
By MATT STILES, Houston Chronicle, 12 March 2008
HOUSTON – While presidential hopeful Barack Obama handily won last week's Democratic primary over Hillary Rodham Clinton in Harris County, a review of key precincts exposes a highly polarized electorate in some heavily black and Hispanic neighborhoods.
In Williamson County, high turnout caused problems for election workers
By Melissa Mixon, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 13 March 2008
AUSTIN – Last week's Texas primary drew a huge number of Democrats to the polls, and heavily Republican Williamson County was no exception.
Two GOP candidates endorse Hobbs in runoff
By Laylan Copelin, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 13 March 2008
AUSTIN – Two candidates who ran third and fourth in the March 4 Republican primary to replace retiring Rep. Mike Krusee have endorsed Williamson County prosecutor Dee Hobbs.
Quips on campaign trail kept primary season lively
By W. Gardner Selby, Austin American-Statesman, 13 March 2008
AUSTIN – Campaigns leading to the March 4 primaries yielded ample twists outside of the shoving between U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Change Texas caucus system
Dallas Morning News, 12 March 2008
DALLAS – Texas had waited decades to have a deciding role in a presidential primary.
Lone Star State's big caucus vote must be counted
Beaumont Enterprise, 13 March 2008
BEAUMONT – At a time when most elections suffer from low turnout, the Texas Democratic Party's caucuses on March 4 happily experienced the reverse.
Government
Texas 121 bonds selling slowly for toll authority
By GORDON DICKSON, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 March 2008
PLANO – The North Texas Tollway Authority has sold only a portion of the bonds needed to pay for the Texas 121 toll road north of Grapevine because of a volatile bond market.
Delaying fed REAL ID program drops cost in Texas
By PEGGY FIKAC, Houston Chronicle, 12 March 2008
AUSTIN – Increased federal security requirements for driver's licenses would cost $107 million in Texas over the next two-year budget period, according to a preliminary estimate given to the state Public Safety Commission on Tuesday.
Border wall protestors urging landowners to join class-action lawsuit against DHS
By Joey Gomez, Rio Grande Guardian, 12 March 2008
MISSION – As they walk from Roma to Brownsville in protest against a border fence, students and teachers are telling local landowners that could be affected by the proposed barrier to seek out pro-bono legal advice.
Illegal immigrant program stretches U.S. marshals to the limit
Dallas Morning News, 13 March 2008
DALLAS – Richard Tracy used to help ensure that Southwest Airlines Co. planes stayed on schedule.
News
Insurers' profits in Texas prompt calls for lower rates
By TERRENCE STUTZ, Dallas Morning News, 12 March 2008
AUSTIN – Texas insurers were virtually untouched by the slowing economy in 2007 as they recorded one of their most profitable years of the decade, prompting new calls for tougher state action on homeowner rates.
Southwest Airlines grounds dozens of jets after safety probe
By DAVE MICHAELS and TERRY MAXON, Dallas Morning News, 13 March 2008
DALLAS – Southwest Airlines pulled 38 jets from service Wednesday, causing the carrier to cancel 126 flights, after discovering that the planes may have missed required safety inspections.
Southwest grounds 38 jets for inspection
By BILL HENSEL Jr. and BRAD HEM, Houston Chronicle, 12 March 2008
HOUSTON – Southwest Airlines grounded 38 jets Wednesday after finding what it called an "ambiguity" in their inspection maintenance records.
PEC still owes full disclosure
Austin American-Statesman, 12 March 2008
AUSTIN – The fundamental concern about a tentative settlement in the lawsuit against Pedernales Electric Co-operative Inc., based in Johnson City, is this: Will it cut off the flow of information that proved to the co-op’s members the need for long-needed reforms?
People
Federal prosecutor to replace Rosenthal
By BRIAN ROGERS, ALAN BERNSTEIN and CLAY ROBISON, Houston Chronicle, 12 March 2008
HOUSTON – Gov. Rick Perry plans to name Kenneth Magidson, an assistant U.S. attorney in Houston, as the new Harris County district attorney, provided the U.S. Department of Justice signs off on the temporary deal, a source close to the process said.
Perry picks Dallas lawyer to lead workforce commission
By CHRISTY HOPPE, Dallas Morning News, 12 March 2008
AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry appointed GOP stalwart and Dallas lawyer Tom Pauken chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission on Wednesday, which drew immediate criticism from state labor leaders.
Good choice
Houston Chronicle, 12 March 2008
HOUSTON – Nearly a month has passed since Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal resigned his post.
