Politics
Attorney general gives Perry OK to pardon dead man
By Jeff Carlton, ASSOCIATED PRESS, 7 January 2010
DALLAS — Gov. Rick Perry can pardon a man wrongly convicted of rape who died in prison nearly a decade before he was cleared of the crime, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said Thursday.
Texas attorney general's opinion clears way for long-sought pardon of Tim Cole
By DAVE MONTGOMERY, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 January 2010
AUSTIN — The family of Timothy Cole, who died in prison after being wrongly convicted of rape in 1985, was jubilant Thursday after learning of state Attorney General Greg Abbott’s opinion that governors have the power to grant posthumous pardons, a goal of the family since Cole was exonerated last year.
Hall challenger Steve Clark not afraid to spend
By TODD J. GILLMAN, The Dallas Morning News, 8 January 2010
WASHINGTON – One of the challengers trying to topple Rockwall Republican Rep. Ralph Hall in the March primary is vowing to match the 86-year-old incumbent dollar for dollar.
No friendly wager for anti-gambling governor of Alabama
By ROBERT T. GARRETT, The Dallas Morning News, 8 January 2010
AUSTIN – Plenty of money, and even a little meat, will change hands as a result of wagers on Thursday's national championship game.
Perry would pardon inmate who died in prison
By PEGGY FIKAC, Houston Chronicle, 8 January 2010
AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry announced Thursday he would pardon Timothy Cole, a Fort Worth man who died while serving time in prison for a rape he did not commit, as soon as he receives a recommendation from the state Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Gov. Perry urges budget mandate in US Constitution
JUAN A. LOZANO, Associated Press, 8 January 2010
HOUSTON -- Gov. Rick Perry, saying federal spending is out of control, on Thursday called for the passage of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to require Congress to balance the federal budget.
Health industry members air their concerns
By Elizabeth Allen, San Antonio Express-News, 8 January 2010
As Congress gets closer to finalizing a health care bill, health professionals are fretting over what that will mean.
Hays County election run-down
By Patrick George, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 7 January 2010
SAN MARCOS — Like the barbecue at the Salt Lick or the Mexican food at Herbert's Taco Hut, election season in Hays County is shaping up to be plenty spicy.
Bad business compounds bad politics at CPS
by Scott Stroud, San Antonio Express-News, 8 January 2010
Through much of last year, it was easy to think CPS Energy officials were terrible at politics but good at business.
Government
2 of 13 youth detention centers found with high rates of sex abuse are in Texas
By DEVLIN BARRETT and DENA POTTER, The Associated Press, 8 January 2010
WASHINGTON — Nearly 1 in 3 youths at 13 juvenile detention facilities has reported some type of sexual victimization, according to a government study issued Thursday that found widespread reports of youth sex abuse at correctional centers.
Cracked
by Renée Feltz, The Texas Observer, 8 January 2010
Despite a U.S. Supreme Court ban, Texas has continued to send mentally retarded criminals to death row. WIll a Mexican immigrant's case correct this injustice?
Fighting for Security
by Brandi Grissom, The Texas Tribune, 8 January 2010
It's taken Maria, a Mexican immigrant, a decade to build a life in the United States. Now a single arrest after a fight with her boyfriend could force her to abandon him and their children.
Sexual Abuse in State Lock-ups
by Emily Ramshaw, The Texas Tribune, 8 January 2010
Three years after a sexual abuse scandal rocked the Texas Youth Commission, one in five juvenile offenders in Texas youth lock-ups report being forced into sexual acts with staff or other inmates, according to a federal report released today.
New smog limits put Austin area at risk of U.S. penalties
By Asher Price, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 7 January 2010
In an effort to improve air quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency laid out stricter smog standards Thursday, putting the Austin area and other parts of Central Texas in jeopardy of violating clean air rules.
Environmental Protection Agency to get tougher on standard for ozone
By Erica Molina Johnson, El Paso Times, 8 January 2010
EL PASO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing tougher smog restrictions, and El Paso stands to slip further from meeting pollution standards if they are approved.
S.A. may be facing tougher air rules
By Colin McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 8 January 2010
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed a stricter standard on smog, which likely will lead to vehicle emissions testing in San Antonio.
City officials around the state gear up for attempt to remove jail time from Open Meetings Act
By DAVE LIEBER, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 January 2010
When Lucille Drain resigned in November from the Newark City Council, she was 96 years old and the oldest serving public official in Texas. But her age wasn’t what did her in.
Youth agency addresses study
Austin American-Statesman, 7 January 2010
The Texas Youth Commission says it will make use of findings from a national study that showed two Texas facilities have high rates of reported sex abuse. But the agency says it already takes sexual misconduct allegations seriously.
Stricter smog standard will be challenge for North Texas
By RANDY LEE LOFTIS, The Dallas Morning News, 7 January 2010
Thursday's announcement by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson that she will lower the national limit on smog renews a North Texas debate: How can a metro area of 6.5 million people clean up its air?
Texas faces a huge funding gap on transportation, agency chief warns
By MICHAEL A. LINDENBERGER, The Dallas Morning News, 8 January 2010
AUSTIN – Texas needs more money – hundreds of billions of dollars more – to maintain its roads and bridges and build the new ones needed to serve the state's growing population, the Texas Department of Transportation's executive director said Thursday.
EPA versus smog — here we go again
By MATTHEW TRESAUGUE, HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7 January 2010
The federal government proposed a tougher limit on ozone pollution Thursday that will force Houston to make deeper emissions cuts just as the former smog capital met the previous standard for the first time.
News
Without McCoy, Horns comeback falls short
By Ben Wear, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 8 January 2010
PASADENA, Calif. Texas' quarterback of the future became the quarterback of right now Thursday in a thrilling if improbable national championship game.
Figures on jobless claims point to an easing of layoffs
By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER, Associated Press, 8 January 2010
WASHINGTON — A government report Thursday on claims for unemployment aid signaled that layoffs are easing and that the economy could be on the verge of posting the first monthly gain in jobs in two years.
Immigrant legalization viewed as a boon
By Gary Martin, San Antonio Express-News, 8 January 2010
WASHINGTON — Legalizing the status of the roughly 12 million unauthorized immigrants living in this country would create jobs, increase wages and boost the sagging U.S. economy, an academic study released Thursday says.
Man executed in police officer's murder
Associated Press, 7 January 2010
HUNTSVILLE — A man convicted of gunning down a Dallas-area police officer during an attempted bank robbery in 1997 was put to death Thursday in the state's first execution of the year.
Texas executes Garland cop killer Kenneth Mosley
By SHERRY JACOBSON, The Dallas Morning News, 7 January 2010
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – In the end, Sheila Moore decided to witness the execution of her husband's killer – just in case, she said, he wanted to ask for forgiveness.
People
Journalist, family seek political asylum
By Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times, 8 January 2010
EL PASO -- A Juárez radio journalist and his family are seeking political asylum in El Paso after two of the journalist's nephews were killed last month.