Politics
Criminal complaint will be filed in DA's race
By Laylan Copelin, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 4 April 2008
AUSTIN – A consultant to Travis County district attorney candidate Rosemary Lehmberg attacked her opponent, Mindy Montford, anonymously on a political Web site. The Lehmberg campaign then recirculated the attacks to voters without identifying the consultant.
Hutchison coy about 2010 governor's race
By TODD J. GILLMAN, Dallas Morning News, 4 April 2008
WASHINGTON – Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison denied this week that a hush-hush session with Texas policy experts means she has made up her mind to run for governor in 2010.
District 55 candidates trade barbs
By Justin Cox, Killeen Daily Herald, 3 April 2008
TEMPLE – Republican candidates Martha Tyroch and Ralph Sheffield continued to fire shots at one another Wednesday with less than a week to go before the April 8 runoff election in the District 55 race for state representative.
Demos should say farewell to caucuses
Corpus Christi Caller-Times, 3 April 2008
CORPUS CHRISTI – For those who like chaos, confusion and frustration, the place to be on Saturday was the Nueces County Democratic Party convention at West Oso High School.
Early voting welcome, 'ghost' ballots are not
Beaumont Enterprise, 4 April 2008
BEAUMONT – Today is the last day for Texans to vote early for Tuesday's runoff elections. This region has several important runoffs, such as races for county commissioner in Jefferson and Hardin counties and contests for sheriff in Orange, Jasper, Tyler, Sabine and San Augustine counties.
Government
Youth commission could face closure, radical change, lawmakers say
By Mike Ward, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 4 April 2008
AUSTIN – After spending a year trying to reform the Texas Youth Commission, some legislative leaders are discussing a new possibility: a drastic restructuring — and perhaps even shutting it down.
State senator makes case for abolishing TYC
By Lisa Sandberg, San Antonio Express-News, 3 April 2008
AUSTIN – The Texas Senate's leader on prison policy has a novel idea for the state's $235-million-a year system of juvenile corrections: abolish it.
Texas might join suit to void tougher clean-air rules
By SCOTT STREATER, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 April 2008
FORT WORTH – Is Texas preparing to sue the federal government to stop implementation of tough, new ozone standards?
Texas may sue EPA over clean air rules
By Asher Price, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 4 April 2008
AUSTIN – Less than a month after the federal Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would tighten smog standards, Texas could join a lawsuit to stop the change.
IBWC's legal team looking at Chertoff waiver
By Steve Taylor and María González-Escareño, Rio Grande Guardian, 3 April 2008
WESLACO – Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff’s decision to sidestep 36 federal laws and regulations in order to speed up construction of the border wall may have implications for the International Boundary and Water Commission.
Atkinson: Despite Chertoff waiver, we can still work with DHS
By Joey Gomez, Rio Grande Guardian, 3 April 2008
BROWNSVILLE – A Brownsville commissioner says city officials are making progress negotiating with the Department of Homeland Security over the ongoing assessment of land for a proposed border fence.
NYT blasts Chertoff over border wall waiver decision
Rio Grande Guardian, 3 April 2008
BROWNSVILLE – In an editorial posted online today, the New York Times has blasted Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff over his decision to waive dozens of environmental laws in order to speed up construction of a border wall.
Waivers threaten 2 nature preserve
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 April 2008
BROWNSVILLE – The announcement this week that the federal government will waive a number of environmental protection laws to expedite construction of the planned security fence between the United States and Mexico almost certainly means the end for two nature preserves that support a growing ecotourism business in a struggling region.
Detention facility for immigrant kids sued for abuse
Waco Tribune Herald, 4 April 2008
SAN ANTONIO – Eight immigrant teenagers held at a facility for unaccompanied minors filed a federal lawsuit Thursday claiming they were abused and denied access to attorneys.
Nine Texas projects included in 2008 Congressional Pig Book
By BRENDAN MCKENNA, Dallas Morning News, 3 April 2008
WASHINGTON – Nine Texas projects were among dozens of examples of egregious pork-barrel spending cited by a Washington watchdog group Wednesday.
Foster kids find transition to adulthood rocky
By Corrie MacLaggan, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 4 April 2008
AUSTIN – When Trista Miller was a 16-year-old in foster care, she had no interest in a state program designed to teach her skills she'd need to have when she was on her own.
Statewide testing for steroids starts at Carroll, King
By Javier Becerra, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, 3 April 2008
CORPUS CHRISTI – Carroll and King were the first local high schools to be randomly tested for anabolic steroids under the University Interscholastic League's new statewide program.
Border fence waivers show feds' arrogance
San Antonio Express-News, 3 April 2008
SAN ANTONIO – Almost seven years after 9-11, officials are so determined about building a border fence that they are waiving dozens of federal laws to make it happen.
Border fence's partial solution
Dallas Morning News, 4 April 2008
DALLAS – Proponents of a border fence between Mexico and the United States want it taller, thicker, longer.
Bulldozing the laws
Houston Chronicle, 3 April 2008
HOUSTON – When Congress passed the Real ID Act three years ago, it included a little debated provision, section 102, giving the Homeland Security secretary extraordinary power to bypass all laws deemed obstacles to the expeditious construction of a security fence along the southern border with Mexico.
Michael Chertoff’s Insult
New York Times, 3 April 2008
NEW YORK – To the long list of things the Bush administration is willing to trash in its rush to appease immigration hard-liners, you can now add dozens of important environmental laws and hundreds of thousands of acres of fragile habitat on the southern border.
SBOE should consider input from all sides
San Antonio Express-News, 3 April 2008
SAN ANTONIO – The State Board of Education did the right thing in voting to allow teachers and Hispanic experts to provide input on the new English and reading curriculum before a final vote is taken in May.
Teaching the Bible in Texas schools
Dallas Morning News, 4 April 2008
DALLAS – Suppose your teenager's sitting in a course Ms. Jones is teaching on the Bible, which Texas legislators recently said was OK for schools to offer as an elective.
Doctor complaints need faster review from state board
Beaumont Enterprise, 4 April 2008
BEAUMONT – Complaints about mistakes by doctors must be thoroughly investigated. In most cases, that is not something that can be done quickly. Still, the Texas Medical Board has to find a way to resolve more of the allegations lodged against doctors.
News
West Texas wind power lines could cost $5.75B
By ELIZABETH SOUDER, Dallas Morning News, 3 April 2008
DALLAS – The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state power grid, estimates that building enough transmission lines to handle growth in West Texas wind power could cost as much as $5.75 billion.
Ratepayers could pay billions for wind-power lines
Waco Tribune Herald, 4 April 2008
AUSTIN – Building new transmission lines so wind-power turbines can connect to the state power grid could cost ratepayers as much as about $6.4 billion, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
FAA admits breakdown in safety regulation, oversight of Southwest
By DAVE MICHAELS, Dallas Morning News, 3 April 2008
WASHINGTON – Under tough questioning from Congress, top federal regulators admitted Thursday to an embarrassing, years-long breakdown in their oversight of Southwest Airlines.
FAA too lenient, too cozy with airlines, House panel told
By DAVID IVANOVICH, Houston Chronicle, 3 April 2008
WASHINGTON – Southwest Airlines had such influence within the Federal Aviation Administration, safety inspectors told a House panel Thursday, that the Dallas carrier was able to fly aircraft even after cracks had been discovered in a jet fuselage.
Southwest execs apologize for oversights, but insist airline safe
By DAVE MONTGOMERY, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 April 2008
WASHINGTON – Mid-level officials with the Federal Aviation Administration allowed Southwest Airlines to continue flying potentially unsafe airplanes and suppressed efforts by subordinates to correct the problem, a congressional oversight committee was told Thursday.
Southwest Airlines could face another big fine over inspections
By DAVE MICHAELS, Dallas Morning News, 3 April 2008
WASHINGTON – Southwest Airlines could face another big fine from regulators for continuing to fly jets that missed federally required rudder inspections.
FAA braces for hearing on inspection lapses at Southwest
By DAVE MONTGOMERY, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 April 2008
WASHINGTON – Facing a congressional inquiry, the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday strongly defended its performance as the watchdog of passenger safety, releasing a preliminary audit that shows that most airlines are complying with federal safety regulations, although four remain under investigation for possible violations.
Southwest Airlines' partner ATA Airlines halts operations
By TERRY MAXON, Dallas Morning News, 3 April 2008
DALLAS – ATA Airlines, Southwest Airlines' code-share partner, has filed for bankruptcy protection and is ending all service, effective immediately.
Inspectors say jobs threatened after reporting Southwest problems
Waco Tribune Herald, 4 April 2008
WASHINGTON – The whistleblowers who exposed maintenance and inspection problems at Southwest Airlines told Congress their jobs were threatened and their reports of noncompliance were ignored for years.
Telemarketers losing access to Texas crash victims' coveted phone numbers
By TERRENCE STUTZ, Dallas Morning News, 3 April 2008
AUSTIN – Texas drivers involved in accidents will no longer be required to furnish telephone numbers for crash reports under an agreement between two state agencies trying to pull the plug on phone solicitations by telemarketers.
Texas Economy Expected To Outpace Rest Of Nation
Tyler Morning Telegraph, 3 April 2008
TYLER – As the nation is being swept by an economic storm swirling around the housing and financial markets, Texans will have some protective cover minimizing the potential damage in their state.
People
Governor of Tiguas has history of crimes
By Brandi Grissom, El Paso Times, 4 April 2008
AUSTIN – Tigua Gov. Frank Paiz has a nearly two-decade-long criminal history, dating back to when he was 17 and ending about four years ago after he allegedly punched his common-law wife in the face with a beer can.
Ex-candidate Olivarez faces additional bribery accusation
By JEREMY ROEBUCK, McAllen Monitor, 4 April 2008
HARLINGEN – Prominent insurance agent Arnulfo "Arnie" Olivarez faces additional accusations that he paid thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for public contracts.
Lufkin native testifies in tense air safety hearing in Washington
By GERRY SHIH, MARILYN GEEWAX, Lufkin Daily News, 4 April 2008
WASHINGTON – Three months after retiring to his hometown, Phil Thrash left quiet Lufkin to make noise on Capitol Hill.
Three local residents selected for Trans-Texas Corridor committee
By David Doerr, Waco Tribune-Herald, 4 April 2008
WACO – Hillsboro, Lorena and Waco will be represented by a mayor, a university professor and a schoolteacher, respectively, for citizen input on the controversial Trans-Texas Corridor proposed to run parallel to Interstate 35.
HUD chief resigns with questions still lingering
Corpus Christi Caller-Times, 3 April 2008
CORPUS CHRISTI – Almost as when Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, another key Bush appointee has come up short in the midst of a crisis.
