Politics
Collin County Democrats' convention violated Texas law
By GROMER JEFFERS Jr., Dallas Morning News, 31 March 2008
DALLAS – Collin County Democrats apparently violated state law by holding their convention Sunday, and as a result, their delegation to the state Democratic convention could be in danger of losing its seats.
Texas Democrats: Tweak, don't kill caucus system
By WAYNE SLATER and GROMER JEFFERS JR., Dallas Morning News, 1 April 2008
DALLAS – Texas Democrats said Monday that the party's lengthy, sometimes-chaotic caucus system for picking delegates needs to be changed but shouldn't be scrapped.
Delegate totals baffle some Obama backers
By COLIN GUY, Beaumont Enterprise, 1 April 2008
BEAUMONT – Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama earned a majority of elected delegates at Saturday's Jefferson County Democratic Party convention. He split at-large delegates selected by committee almost evenly with Hillary Clinton.
Clinton supporters want lawsuit filed following chaotic county convention
By Steve Taylor, Rio Grande Guardian, 31 March 2008
McALLEN – Consuelo Leal is just the kind of at-large delegate Hidalgo Democrats were supposed to be looking for to send to the State Convention in Austin in July.
Obama supporters file complaint over handling of Webb County Convention
By María González-Escareño, Rio Grande Guardian, 31 March 2008
LAREDO – Webb County's Barack Obama supporters have filed a complaint with the Texas Democratic Party, alleging Democratic Party County Convention rules were not followed by the book at the Webb County Convention held Saturday
Local GOP pushes to the right
BY BJ LEWIS, VICTORIA ADVOCATE, 31 March 2008
VICTORIA – A grassroots effort by local conservative Republicans brought changes at the Republican county convention Saturday. And they say that’s just the beginning.
Recount doesn't sway District 73 candidate
By ROGER CROTEAU and PEGGY FIKAC, Houston Chronicle, 31 March 2008
AUSTIN – Despite a recount showing him losing by 17 votes, state Rep. Nathan Macias refused to concede his House District 73 race against Doug Miller on Monday, saying he is going to court to try to get a new election.
Macias seeks new election in Republican race for House seat
Austin American-Statesman, 1 April 2008
AUSTIN – A Central Texas Republican legislator who lost his re-election bid by a handful of votes filed an election challenge on Monday, saying illegal votes contributed to his defeat, and asked a judge to order a new election.
House runoff race heats up
By JANET ELLIOTT, Houston Chronicle, 31 March 2008
AUSTIN – A candidate in the Republican runoff race for House District 144 filed a police report Monday accusing his opponent of identity theft over the disclosure of his Social Security number on a mailer.
Early voting gets under way in District 55 runoff
By Justin Cox, Killeen Daily Herald, 1 April 2008
KILLEEN – With the polarizing nature of the District 55 state representative's race grabbing the attention of voters throughout the county, this could be an unwelcome reminder to many readers: only those who voted in the Republican primary on March 4, or those who didn't vote at all, may cast a ballot for Martha Tyroch or Ralph Sheffield during early voting this week.
Travis DA candidates seeking to define themselves
By Steven Kreytak, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 1 April 2008
AUSTIN – The race to replace outgoing Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle is heating up as the candidates in next week's Democratic primary runoff try to define themselves in part by taking shots at each other.
Smaller turnout from March 4 expected
By Erica Molina Johnson, El Paso Times, 1 April 2008
EL PASO – Although the number of voters who will settle the remaining Democratic races is expected to be much lower than the droves who cast ballots in the March 4 primary, candidates are still out trying to sway as many voters as possible.
Democracy gets messy in Texas
Austin American-Statesman, 31 March 2008
AUSTIN – Rough and tumble democracy broke out all over Texas last weekend as thousands of primary voters attended their state senate district conventions.
Can Demo Party work out kinks in caucus?
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, 1 April 2008
LUBBOCK – Based on the level of confusion the process has generated this year, is it time to revise the Texas caucus system for selecting presidential nominating delegates?
Dems confused but happy over turnout for weekend conventions
By Carlos Guerra, San Antonio Express-News, 31 March 2008
SAN ANTONIO – "I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat." — Will Rogers
Dale Henry is runoff pick
San Antonio Express-News, 31 March 2008
SAN ANTONIO – Numerous local runoffs are on the ballot, but Texas has only one statewide runoff.
Government
Supreme Court won't hear 7 killers' appeals
By BENNETT ROTH, Houston Chronicle, 1 April 2008
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the appeals of seven Mexican-born prisoners condemned to die in Texas, including two who had committed murders in Houston in the 1990s.
State whistleblower suit gets partial win
By Lisa Sandberg, San Antonio Express-News, 31 March 2008
AUSTIN – A former employee of the Texas Lottery Commission who filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the agency after being fired for criticizing it has won partial relief in a U.S. appeals court.
Reyes proposal would increase bridge security
El Paso Times, 1 April 2008
EL PASO – U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, on Monday introduced a bill to address understaffing at ports of entry like El Paso's international bridges, Reyes said.
Years after state agencies change names, the old ones live on
By Corrie MacLaggan, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 31 March 2008
AUSTIN – At a building on Rutherford Lane in Northeast Austin where Austinites apply for food stamps and Medicaid, the big sign outside says "Texas Department of Human Services." But for four years, there has been no such state agency.
Don't cut highway maintenance
Lufkin Daily News, 1 April 2008
LUFKIN – Texans want the state to upgrade the highway system and maintain roads and bridges, not one or the other.
News
State audit of Pedernales co-op in jeopardy
By Claudia Grisales, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 1 April 2008
AUSTIN – Hours after Pedernales Electric Cooperative officials testified last week that the state could play a supervisory role in checking the financials at the troubled utility, a deal was in the works that could diminish prospects for a full-fledged state audit.
People
Dallas' Alphonso Jackson resigning as U.S. HUD chief
By TODD J. GILLMAN, Dallas Morning News, 31 March 2008
WASHINGTON – For the White House, there's never a good time for a Cabinet member to be under scrutiny by the FBI, an inspector general, a federal grand jury and Congress.
Bush accepts HUD resignation 'with regret'
By Dave Montgomery, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 March 2008
WASHINGTON – Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson announced his resignation Monday amid accusations that he displayed political favoritism in the awarding of federal contracts.
Bush Library's home on Web is unsettled
By KAREN BROOKS, Dallas Morning News, 1 April 2008
AUSTIN – While President Bush's advisers were taking offers on an ideal spot for his library and museum, they probably should have paid more attention to the virtual real-estate market.
Senate probe of 'prosperity preachers' reports progress
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 March 2008
FORT WORTH – Another deadline passed Monday in a Senate committee's investigation into a half-dozen Christian ministries that preach a gospel of prosperity, with one group signaling a new willingness to cooperate, another promising information and two more remaining defiant, a Senate aide said.
Connolly asks for DA's recusal in election code violation case
By James Muñoz, KENS 5 Eyewitness News, 1 April 2008
SAN ANTONIO – Public relations man T.J. Connolly wants Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed to recuse herself from his case.
Gorden named to I-69/TTC advisory committee
By GARY WILLMON, Lufkin Daily News, 1 April 2008
LUFKIN – Lufkin Mayor Jack Gorden has been selected by the Texas Transportation Committee to serve on a citizens' advisory committee for putting together information regarding the proposed Interstate 69/Trans-Texas Corridor.
