Texas state Sen. Kip Averitt retiring for health reasons [1]

Fort Worth Star-Telegram, March 10, 2010

Averitt said in January that he would not serve another term, citing health concerns. But it was too late to take his name off the March 2 primary ballot, and he easily outdistanced his only challenger, Burleson insurance agent Darren Yancy.

White criticizes Perry for pressuring agencies to trim spending [2]

By Jay Root, ASSOCIATED PRESS, March 10, 2010

Democrat Bill White criticized Republican Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday for pressing state agencies to cut their spending by 5 percent, calling the approach "Soviet-style" budget management.

Primary Post-Mortem [3]

BY JORDAN SMITH, Austin Chronicle, March 12, 2010 edition

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct has dismissed a complaint made by former Austin state Rep. Glen Maxey against 3rd Court of Appeals Judge Jan Patterson, who he argued had misrepresented herself and misused her position in connection with a bid to get Gov. Rick Perry to appoint her to an open Travis County judgeship. An additional complaint by Maxey, related to Patterson's campaign activities, remains pending.

Get Ready for More Elections [4]

BY RICHARD WHITTAKER, Austin Chronicle, March 12, 2010 edition

If Travis County voters thought they'd be getting a break from the ballot box until the Nov. 2 general election, they might want to check their calendars.

White takes aim at Perry over budget management [5]

Staff and Wire Reports, Austin American-Statesman, March 9, 2010

Democratic challenger Bill White criticized Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, on Tuesday for pressing state agencies to cut their spending by 5 percent, calling the approach "Soviet-style" budget management.

Ain't No Sunshine When He's Gone [6]

By Texas Observer Staff, March 09, 2010

We won't have Farouk Shami to push around anymore. The father of hair-straightening was plowed under by his gubernatorial opponent, former Houston Mayor Bill White, on March 2. All that money spent, all that hustling around the state saying the most quotable and occasionally admirable things. Then—poof—it’s over.

U.S. working to resolve border trucking dispute [7]

By RICHARD S. DUNHAM, Houston Chronicle, March 9, 2010

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said Tuesday the Obama administration is working aggressively behind the scenes to resolve the yearlong border trucking dispute that has led to painful Mexican sanctions against American agricultural producers.

Critics say state ed board could use a lesson in history [8]

By GARY SCHARRER, Houston Chronicle, March 9, 2010

As the State Board of Education sits down this week to review proposed social studies standards, critics say the board could stand a history lesson of its own before setting the standards for public school students.

Critics blast Metro's $2.6 billion bond plan [9]

By BRADLEY OLSON and MIKE SNYDER, Houston Chronicle, March 9, 2010

The Metropolitan Transit Authority intends to issue an estimated $2.6 billion in bonds in the next four years to help pay for five new light rail lines, about four times the debt capacity voters authorized in a 2003 referendum, Metro officials confirmed Tuesday.

Consultant, lottery operator did not improperly share information, official says [10]

By KELLEY SHANNON, The Associated Press, March 9, 2010

Bidding for a lucrative Texas lottery contract should move forward because there's no evidence that state consultant Gartner Inc. and the lottery's current operator, GTECH Corp., improperly shared information about the process, a lottery official said Tuesday.

Houston judge rescinds death penalty ruling [11]

By BRIAN ROGERS, Houston Chronicle, March 10, 2010

A Houston judge who ruled last week that the proceedings surrounding the Texas death penalty are unconstitutional rescinded his ruling Tuesday morning to schedule a hearing for lawyers on both sides to submit arguments on the issue.

Texas gained half as many jobs in January as was thought [12]

By SCOTT NISHIMURA, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, March 9, 2010

Texas gained 14,800 jobs in January, not the 30,300 reported Friday, the Texas Workforce Commission said Tuesday, citing technical problems with data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Houston district judge rescinds controversial executions order [13]

By Juan A. Lozano, ASSOCIATED PRESS, March 10, 2010

A Texas judge criticized for declaring the death penalty unconstitutional took back his controversial ruling Tuesday but scheduled a hearing for next month to hear evidence on the issue.

Texas ed board set to take 1st vote since primary [14]

By April Castro, Associated Press, March 9, 2010

Texas' state education board is set to take a vote on a new social studies curriculum that could reverberate in classrooms nationwide.

Defeated Republican U.S. House candidate Wilson endorses Flores for runoff [15]

By Michael W. Shapiro, Waco Tribune-Herald, March 10, 2010

Recently defeated U.S. House hopeful Chuck Wilson on Tuesday came out in support of former opponent Bill Flores, a Bryan Republican locked in a runoff with Waco’s Rob Curnock.

Dewhurst promotes new jobs program [16]

By Kiah Collier, San Angelo Standard-Times, March 9, 2010

Local employers flocked to Workforce Solutions of the Concho Valley Tuesday to hear from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst about a state program that promises to provide them with $2,000 compensation if they hire someone who has been unemployed for at least four months.

S.A. is urged to look to gulf for more water [17]

By Colin McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, March 10, 2010

A desalination plant on the Gulf of Mexico is the solution to San Antonio's future water needs, a longtime member of the Texas Water Development Board said at a forum Tuesday.

Texas' influence on textbooks could wane [18]

By Kate Alexander, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, March 9, 2010

As a giant in the textbook market, Texas and its education officials have left fingerprints on the classroom readers used far beyond the Red River.

Dallas diverts Trinity bond funds to levee repairs [19]

By RUDOLPH BUSH, The Dallas Morning News, March 9, 2010

Dallas has shifted tens of millions of dollars in Trinity River bond funds to study and repair its substandard levee system but so far has declined to use money set aside for the stalled Trinity toll road project.

Census advocates hold workshop [20]

By JAZMINE ULLOA, The Brownsville Herald, March 9, 2010

Be counted. If you find a 2010 U.S. Census questionnaire in your mailbox in the following weeks, do not throw it away — fill it out.

Firings illegal, lawsuit claims [21]

By John Lowman, The Brazoria Facts, March 10, 2010

Brazoria County officials will vigorously fight allegations from two former Brazoria County juvenile probation employees who claim the county violated their civil rights and fired them after they claimed a judge sexually harassed them.

Hiring of jobless workers focus of state program [22]

By Jaime Adame, Abilene Reporter-News, March 9, 2010

A new state-funded program will offer employers up to $2,000 per employee if they hire and retain people receiving unemployment benefits.

Hearings begin on Sabine-Neches oil spill [23]

By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI, The Associated Press, March 9, 2010

The captain of an 800-foot tanker that collided with a tugboat in a Gulf of Mexico waterway, causing the worst Texas oil spill in 15 years, was apparently unaware until moments before the crash that his ship was too far off course to prevent the collision, according to testimony Tuesday at a Coast Guard hearing.

Tech law advocacy program top in U.S. [24]

By Matthew Mcgowan, LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL, March 10, 2010

The Texas Tech School of Law's advocacy program is officially considered the best in the country, a tally released Tuesday shows.

Suicidal teen tasered by deputies after standoff near Abernathy [25]

By Robin Pyle, LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL, March 10, 2010

A standoff Tuesday morning between a suicidal teenager with a butcher knife and sheriff's deputies ended when they stunned him with a Taser.

Relieving traffic on Interstate 35 through Waco remains priority for state officials [26]

By Michael W. Shapiro, Waco Tribune-Herald, March 10, 2010

Plans to relieve traffic on Interstate 35 with the Trans-Texas Corridor were put to bed last year in the face of a chorus of public criticism that centered around the use of eminent domain to make way for the ill-fated project.

Woman with San Angelo ties arrested in terrorist plot [27]

By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press, March 9, 2010

A suburban woman “desperate to do something” to help suffering Muslims has been accused of using the Internet to recruit jihadist fighters and help terrorists overseas, even agreeing to move to Europe to try to kill a Swedish artist, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Jury almost seated in FLDS member's trial [28]

By Matthew Waller, San Angelo Standard-Times, March 9, 2010

Lawyers are in the final stages of seating a jury for the trial of Merril Leroy Jessop, 35, a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints charged with sexual assault of a child.

Death Row Case Evidence May Never Be Tested [29]

BY JORDAN SMITH, Austin Chronicle, March 12, 2010 edition

Unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes, it is likely that 47-year-old death row inmate Hank Skinner will be executed on March 24 without key pieces of physical evidence in his case ever having been tested.

Eco-Currents ... [30]

BY NORA ANKRUM, Austin Chronicle, March 12, 2010 edition

Students at both UT-Austin and Texas A&M voted last week to establish green funds for financing campus sustainability efforts – even though those funds will require increases in students' fees ($5 for Longhorns; $3 for Aggies).

UTMB warns more patients about ID theft [31]

By Laura Elder, The Galveston Daily News, March 10, 2010

The University of Texas Medical Branch this week began mailing letters to another 1,200 patients whose personal information might have been compromised by a woman charged with identity theft.

Security added at Capitol [32]

By Mike Ward, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, March 9, 2010

But a plan to install metal detectors and X-ray machines in the building is still under discussion and is expected to be talked about at a legislative hearing later this month.

FBI informant's firm files civil suit over Dallas City Hall corruption case [33]

By JASON TRAHAN, The Dallas Morning News, March 9, 2010

The first civil suit seeking millions in damages as a result of the bribery and extortion in the Dallas City Hall corruption case has been filed in a county civil court.

Oil exec's body pulled from river [34]

By Mary Foster, ASSOCIATED PRESS, March 10, 2010

A body pulled from the Mississippi River near the French Quarter on Tuesday was that of a missing Texas oil company executive, police said.

Sylvia Handy submits resignation in Weslaco [35]

By JARED JANES, The McAllen Monitor, March 9, 2010

Handy’s resignation was expected after she pleaded guilty in federal district court Monday to one count of tax evasion and another count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.