[UPDATED] The head of the state police is out after women in the agency complained to the board about his behavior. Col. Stan Clark, interim director of the Department of Public Safety since September of last year, is resigning at the end of the month after 36 years with the agency. Col. Lamar Beckworth was chosen by the board to act as director until a permanent leader is hired. Allan Polunsky, chairman of the Texas Public Safety Commission issued a terse statement. The agency later issued a copy of a complaint against Clark.

"This is an elite law enforcement agency. We expect all our employees to demonstrate the highest degree of professionalism. The director must set the example for all employees in their workplace communications. Col. Clark has acknowledged his failure to adhere to those high standards and has chosen to retire at the end of this month. We are disappointed by this matter, and we are committed to moving on in our search for a director."

In which we present a debate transcript featuring Reps. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, at the back microphone in the House, and Democrats Rafael Anchia of Dallas, Jose Menendez of San Antonio, and Mark Strama of Austin at the front mike. The setup: Anchia is presenting a bill for Strama, who wasn't in the room when his bill came up on the calendar. Reps. Menendez and Patrick Rose of Dripping Springs had non-speaking roles. Pictured in order:

Riddle (questioning Anchia about his bill): Rep. Strama? I haven't had a chance...

Anchia: I'm Rep. Menendez. I'm sorry.

Riddle: I'm sorry. Forgive me. Do you know, is there... Rep. Menendez, I was looking at Strama here. I know the difference. Is there a... is there a... is there a fiscal note with this?

Anchia: Let me look.

Riddle: This is a serious bill and I have a serious question.

Anchia: Yes, it is.

Anchia (to Mendendez, walking by): Thank you, Mr. Anchia.

Anchia (to Riddle): I'll tell you what. Here it is. It says there is no fiscal implication to the state, nor local government.

Riddle: Do you know if they're going to be working with the non-profit 501c3 organizations like the Reed Commission and like Houston-Harris County Literacy Advance and other organizations like that?

Anchia: They are able to work with any of those groups, however, the membership, just to be clear, of the interagency literacy council is TEA, HECB, and TWC.

Anchia (referring to Strama, beside him): Hold on. Let me turn it over to Rep. Rose. Hold on.

Speaker Joe Straus: The chair recognizes Rep. Strama.

Strama: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize. Rep. Riddle, what's your question? Sorry.

Want to watch it? Go here and start at 24:24.

John Malcolm Bales of Nacogdoches is the new U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, replacing Rebecca Gregory, a Bush Administration appointee who's going to work for Texas AG Greg Abbott. Bales has been first assistant and chief of the criminal division in that office.

Bryan Shaw was confirmed for a spot on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, but only after a handful of senators blasted him and the agency for being too close to the industries they regulate. Shaw, a Texas A&M engineering professor, won a term on the board on a 20-7 vote.

Ross Melinchuk will head the natural resource divisions as the new deputy executive director of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission. He's been with Ducks Unlimited since 1992.

Gov. Rick Perry has revved up the appointments office, naming these folks to boards and such:

• Joe Shannon Jr. will be Tarrant County's district attorney until the 2010 elections. Perry named Shannon, an assistant DA to the late Tim Curry and a former state lawmaker to serve the rest of Curry's term.

• Attorney Robert Fillmore of Plano to the 5th court of Appeals, replacing Amos Mazzant of Sherman, a Perry appointee who moved up to a federal magistrate appointment.

• George "Trey" Henderson III to the Texas Ethics Commission, replacing Raymond "Tripp" Davenport III. Henderson is president of Angelina Hardwood Sales Co. of Lufkin.

• Mary Baty of Humble, Bill Birdwell of Bryan, Whitney Hyde of Midland, and Rudy Ramos Jr. of Houston to the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners. Baty is a dental hygienist. Birdwell and Ramos are dentists. And Hyde is a court administrator.

• Patti Johnson of Canyon Lake, owner of Patti Kaykes Enterprises, to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

• Lori McCool of Boerne, a CPA and a principal of WoodWay Associates, to the Finance Commission of Texas.

• Christina Martin of Mission, Imogen Papadopoulos of Houston, and Scott Rosenbach of Amarillo to the Department of Family and Protective Services Council. Papadopoulos, an attorney, is being reappointed. Martin owns and runs a travel agency. Rosenbach is pastor of administration at Trinity Fellowship Church.

• Glenda Kane of Corpus Christi, Lewis Foxhall of Houston, and Nasruddin Rupani of Sugar Land to the State Health Services Council. Kane and Foxhall are being reappointed. Rupani, president of World's Gold and Diamonds, is new to the board.

• Diego Demaya of Houston, Berkley Dyer of Austin, and Mary "Jody" Unruh of Houston to the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services Council. Demaya is a human resources educator and legal specialist with the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System. Dyer is a community volunteer. And Unruh is a self-employed pastoral counselor and property manager.

• Bill Strawn, a retired executive recruiter from Austin, to chair the Judicial Compensation Commission, and added Cruz Hernandez of Burleson and P. Bane Phillippi of Cedar Creek to that board. Hernandez is a teacher's aide; Phillippi is an attorney.

Dr. William Fleming is the new president of the Texas Medical Association and the first African-American to hold that position. He's a clinical assistant prof of neurology at the UT Medical School in Houston.

Deaths: Retired Houston Chronicle political reporter Jane Ely, a wonderful, wonderful old-school journalist, from respiratory illness. She was 69.