Rep. Ruben Hope has to sit on the runway for a little while longer. The Conroe Republican is in line for a district judgeship that would open up because of a widely rumored but as yet announced resignation. Judge Olen Underwood has let the governor and others know he'll give up his spot on the bench but will stay on as presiding judge of the state's 2nd judicial administrative district. Hope would get the robes and the 284th court, and his seat would open up for a special election. That started its own round of speculation about who might and might not run. Hope, in an effort to cork the talk, sent a letter to Gov. Rick Perry and House Speaker Tom Craddick, copied to everyone in the House, saying he's not ready to leave. "It is my intention to complete this session," he wrote. He didn't say whether he'd stick around for a special session, but then nobody has officially said there will be such a thing. Among other things, that means Hope will remain the chairman of the House Republican Caucus for the rest of the regular session, and with big bills passing with one- and two-vote majorities in place, it means Craddick and other Republican leaders will hang onto a much-needed likely vote for the next nine weeks.

Who's the star here?U.S. Sen. John Cornyn plans a Dallas fundraiser after the Easter break that features guest of honor George P. Bush (nephew of George W., son of Jeb). And the invite includes a tidbit about federal campaign finance law, where contribution limits now move from year to year. "Cornyn Circle" members are being asked to give $8,000 per couple to the senator's campaign; the limits now are $2,100 per election per person. That translates to $4,200 per person for each election cycle: $2,100 for the primary election, and $2,100 for the general election. Carl Reynolds, the general counsel for the Texas Department of Corrections, is leaving that gig for the smoother waters at the Office of Court Administration, where he'll work for Wallace Jefferson, chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Reynolds has worked for the prison system for 11 years. Marc Levin is taking a part-time gig -- in real life, he's a lawyer -- setting up the "Center for Effective Justice" at the Texas Public Policy Institute. That Austin-based think tank is moving into criminal justice issues and Levin will be executive director of that operation. Gov. Rick Perry appointed three to the Texas Tech University System's board of regents: Larry Anders of Plano, Mark Griffin of Lubbock, and Dan Serna of Arlington. Anders is the top guy at Summit Alliance Companies, an insurance concern, and a Tech graduate. Griffin is president and general counsel of Rip Griffin Truck Service Center, L.P., serves as president of Pro Petroleum, Inc., and is president of the Lubbock ISD board. He got his law degree at Tech. Serna, a former Arlington city council member, founded and now heads Serna & Company, a CPA firm. He's an alum. The U.S. Senate okayed Jeffrey "Clay" Sell of Amarillo as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. Sell, who was chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, for four years, moved to DOE from the White House, where he was working in legislative affairs.