A controversial, unprecedented hearing on the constitutionality of the death penalty may take place after all. The Harris County district attorney's office had asked the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to halt the proceedings of a case challenging the death penalty as it's administrated in Texas, and the high court intervened on Tuesday. Both sides were directed to file responding briefs with the court within 15 days while the case against accused murderer John Edward Green Jr. — who defense lawyers say is at risk of being wrongfully executed — remains on hold, pending the appeals court's decision.

• Democratic state Rep. Donna Howard appears to have held onto her Travis County seat following a recount, ending Republican hopes for a supermajority in the House. Official recount figures showed Howard winning by 12 votes, four fewer than the 16 by which she'd been previously leading. Republicans had hoped pull out a supermajority of 100 representatives if Howard's opponent, Republican Dan Neil, had prevailed, but will now have to settle with 99.

• Thirty-seven newly elected members of the House visited the Capitol for a crash course on procedures and issues they'll be tackling in January. Briefed on pressing topics like the budget shortfall, redistricting and public and higher education, the freshmen — most of them Republicans — also discussed their backgrounds and their goals for the upcoming session.

• U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's unpopularity among some of the noisiest conservatives could be a liability for her if she decides to run for another term. Conservatives and Tea Party activists are becoming vocal about opposing Hutchison, who also angered some voters by promising to step down when running for governor and then remaining in office. Tea Party members complain that Hutchison is insufficiently conservative and has been in Washington too long.

• Because of formula changes, Texas stands to lose about $1.2 billion in Medicaid funding late next year on top of a reduction in the percentage funded with stimulus dollars, which will expire in June.

• The Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency order to protect homeowners in Parker County from a possible explosion. After chemical components of natural gas were found in drinking water there, the federal agency issued an order under the Safe Drinking Water Act requiring the drilling company it deemed responsible, Range Production Co., to identify the source of the leak and to provide two homeowners whose wells are contaminated with potable drinking water. The Texas Railroad Commission is still investigating who is responsible and whether the procedure popularly known as fracking caused the natural gas to leak into the water supply.

• State leaders have again asked all state agencies to slash an additional 2.5 percent from their budgets. Sales tax revenues have continued to fall short of projections, leading to a predicted shortfall of up to $28 billion in the next budget cycle. Programs that have been immune from previous cuts are suddenly on the chopping block, including college financial aid and prison funding.

• Texas consumers got a boost from state Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin, who issued an order banning discretionary clauses from insurance policies, calling them unjust and deceptive. Most commonly found in long-term disability policies and health care policies, the clauses have already been banned in 22 other states. The new rule goes into effect after Feb. 1 for disability claims and July 1 for all other types.

• State Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Van, told the Associated Press he'll do an audit on himself after being asked why he sought reimbursement for the same expenses from the state and from his campaign. Flynn's a former bank examiner.

Tom DeLay's sentencing was put off until next month (the day before the legislative session, January 10), but state Rep. Kino Flores, D-Palmview, is scheduled to be sentenced next week. Flores was accused of leaving things off of his legally required personal financial disclosure forms. He was convicted on charges of perjury and tampering with government records. He didn't seek reelection, but hasn't resigned, either.

• Fundraising stops this week for state officeholders and will remain closed until after the legislative session. Their next reports on spending and contributions are due in mid-January. There are loopholes: Lawmakers can raise money while they're passing laws for charities and nonprofits, and state officials seeking federal office can raise money for their federal accounts in spite of the ban on fundraising for their state campaign treasuries.

DREAM Act supporters have a few more days to cross their fingers following a decision by the U.S. Senate to postpone its vote on the measure, which would grant legal status to undocumented students brought to the country illegally as children.

The U.S. House gave DREAM Act supporters — including several Texas college students on a hunger strike — hope after it passed the measure Wednesday. After the vote, U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, had this to say: "Today's vote by the U.S. House of Representatives not only corrects a fundamental injustice that has existed for far too long in this nation, it also strengthens the ability of our law enforcement to focus on those undocumented individuals who may pose a security risk to the United States. This legislation is long overdue, and I commend my colleagues in the House for taking decisive action to address this longstanding problem that has adversely impacted thousands of young people living in the shadows."

The Senate postponed its vote until next week, but Texas' Republican U.S. senators, John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, will be part of the body opposing the measure. In a statement, Hutchison, previously seen as a potential swing vote, said: "I will not support the Dream Act legislation brought before the Senate because it expands the scope of the bill beyond the intended individuals who were brought here as children and grew up and were educated in the United States."

In a conference call with reporters, Cornyn said, "I have a lot of sympathy for these children who were brought to this country through no fault of their own. But this is the wrong way and the wrong time to try to move this one component of immigration reform through the Congress."

Insiders split down the middle this week when asked whether lawmakers ought to be paid full-time salaries instead of the $600 per month they make now. The insiders divided that pie carefully: 48 percent favor paying lawmakers a full salary, while 51 percent would leave things as they are (the other 1 percent was undecided).

Two-thirds believe officeholders should be required to disclose more details about their personal income and assets than they do now. That's been in the news, with state Rep. Kino Flores, D-Palmview, set for sentencing next week on convictions related to his financial disclosures. Only 30 percent of the insiders say current disclosure laws are enough.

Their comments were pretty interesting. We got responses from 156 people this week, and they jumped right into the open question, which went like this: "Several Texas lawmakers have been in trouble in recent months over issues related to personal income and ethics — using their public positions for personal gain. Should state law be changed to make that harder to get away with, or to make it less attractive in the first place?" The full set of answers is available in our Files section. But here's a sampling:

• "In theory, yes. However, I don't trust this incoming legislature to be able to pass legislation to address the issue, so it should be left for a saner time."

• "No, you can't legislate ethics."

• "There needs to maximum transparency and significant penalties. Too many people now believe that all politicians are corrupt and that has to change if we are ever going to restore faith in government."

• "We need to have full-time salaries and tougher disclosure laws on income outside the legislature. Otherwise we will continue to have bought members as we have for over a century."

• "Part of the reason they get in trouble is because it's difficult to make a living and be a legislator"

• "No"

• "Let's face it, being a Texas legislator is a full-time job. It is hard to make a living and be in the legislature. This leads officials to cut ethical corners. So, we should pay them properly and demand full and complete disclosure. No more loopholes, no more gimmicks."

• "Changed to what? The same problems exist in every legislative body, from Congress to the local city council. It's called "human nature." I'm still trying to figure out how it is that legislators only make $600/month, yet I've rarely seen one leave the Capitol poorer than when he came in..."

• "No. We already have provisions to deter conversion to personal use. And campaign researchers still need them to make these dumb decisions so we have something to use against them when they run for reelection."

• "Pay should be increased, not so much so as to get away from the citizen legislator, but enough to warrant a more stringent reporting of political activities and to ensure separation of business and state interests."

• "Generally yes, but it depends on the proposal. Establishing a penalty of capital punishment would make it less attractive. Not sure that is a good idea."

• "I have always felt that there is too much emphasis on minor reporting mistakes and not enough emphasis on how legislators make their money. I think Title Companies and local consulting contracts are a current area of concern."

• "I think we're between a rock and a hard place on this issue. We're stuck between this 1700's nostalgia about citizen legislators and 2010's reality about what is required to guide this state through a budget shortfall and toward 40 million people. If increased scrutiny discourages potential officeholders, then we didn't need them to start with. "

• "How they can get away with representing a client in front of a state agency is beyond me."

• "I'd like to make the radical suggestion that current laws be enforced."

Our thanks to this week's participants: Sylvia Acevedo, Cathie Adams, Brandon Aghamalian, Victor Alcorta, James Aldrete, Clyde Alexander, George Allen, Matt Angle, Christian Archer, Doc Arnold, Jay Arnold, Jim Arnold, Kip Averitt, Louis Bacarisse, Charles Bailey, Tom Banning, Walt Baum, Eric Bearse, Leland Beatty, Dave Beckwith, Luke Bellsnyder, Tom Blanton, Hugh Brady, Andy Brown, Terri Burke, Lydia Camarillo, Marc Campos, Snapper Carr, Janis Carter, Corbin Casteel, William Chapman, George Cofer, Rick Cofer, Lawrence Collins, John Colyandro, Harold Cook, Hector Deleon, Kate Doner, Scott Dunaway, David Dunn, Jeff Eller, Craig Enoch, Alan Erwin, Ryan Erwin, John Esparza, John Fainter, Jon Fisher, Terry Frakes, Kyle Frazier, Neftali Garcia, Bruce Gibson, Machree Gibson, Scott Gilmore, Daniel Gonzalez, Jim Grace, Thomas Graham, Michael Grimes, Jack Gullahorn, Anthony Haley, Wayne Hamilton, Bill Hammond, Sandy Haverlah, Albert Hawkins, Susan Hays, Jim Henson, Steve Holzheauser, Shanna Igo, Deborah Ingersoll, Richie Jackson, Cal Jillson, Jason Johnson, Karen Johnson, Robert Kepple, Richard Khouri, Tom Kleinworth, Sandy Kress, Tim Lambert, Nick Lampson, Pete Laney, Dick Lavine, James LeBas, Donald Lee, Randy Lee, Luke Legate, Leslie Lemon, Richard Levy, Lance Lively, Susan Longley, Ruben Longoria, Vilma Luna, Matt Mackowiak, Phillip Martin, Bryan Mayes, Richard McBride, J. McCartt, Dan McClung, Scott McCown, Carol McDonald, Mike McKinney, Kurt Meacham, Robert Miller, Lynn Moak, Michael Moore, Bee Moorhead, Steve Murdock, Craig Murphy, Keir Murray, Todd Olsen, Gardner Pate, Bill Pewitt, Jerry Philips, Tom Phillips, Royce Poinsett, Kraege Polan, Jay Propes, Ted Melina Raab, Bill Ratliff, Karen Reagan, Tim Reeves, Chuck Rice, Carl Richie, Kim Ross, Luis Saenz, Mark Sanders, Jim Sartwelle, Stan Schlueter, Steve Scurlock, Jennifer Shelley-Rodriguez, Christopher Shields, Kevin Shuvalov, Carol Sims, Ed Small, Martha Smiley, Terral Smith, Todd Smith, Tom Smith, Larry Soward, Jason Stanford, Keith Strama, Bob Strauser, Colin Strother, Frank Sturzl, Russ Tidwell, Trey Trainor, Lisa Turner, John Weaver, Ken Whalen, Darren Whitehurst, Chad Wilbanks, Christopher Williston, Michael Wilt, Alex Winslow, Lee Woods, Eric Wright, Peck Young, Angelo Zottarelli.

That steady drip, drip, drip in the biennial Scare the Speaker thing has been plugged for the moment. Scratching around for other amusements, we came upon a congressional map for Texas showing who's got too few and too many people in their congressional districts.

That steady drip, drip, drip in the biennial Scare the Speaker thing has been plugged for the moment. Scratching around for other amusements, we came upon a congressional map for Texas showing who's got too few and too many people in their congressional districts.

Six districts come up short of the numbers they need, meaning they'd have to scratch around for more population: Three in West Texas and one each in Dallas, Harris, and Bexar counties. Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, has the most underpopulated district. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, the biggest, with almost a million people in it.

The artists at the Texas Legislative Council used the 2009 Census estimate of the state's population: 24,782,302. And they assumed Texas is getting three new seats, bringing the total in the delegation to 35. That would mean 708,066 people in each district (a state's congressional districts have to be the same size; legislative districts are allowed some deviation).

The other undersized districts are currently occupied by Gene Green, D-Houston, Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, Michael Conaway, R-Midland, and Charlie Gonzalez, D-San Antonio. Everyone else in the delegation would lose population to the flyweight incumbents or to one of the three new districts.

The most overpopulated districts, after McCaul, are held by Michael Burgess, R-Flower Mound, Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, Sam Johnson, R-Plano, John Carter, R-Georgetown, and Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio.

Louie Gohmert's district is closest to the right size; he'd need to lose only 2,348 people to come in line with the new numbers.

If Texas gets four seats instead of three, only four districts would start off with too few people, but the number of districts that have to lose people would rise accordingly.

Population estimates for Texas House and Senate districts aren't available — the Census folk work for Congress, so that's who gets the numbers. The actual population numbers that'll be used for redistricting will be available in April at the latest. If the total population number is right (it's not), the standard Senate district next time will have 799,429 people and the average House district will have a population of 165,215.

The state has a new solicitor general: Jonathan Mitchell will replace James Ho, who held the job for three years. That's the title for the state's top appellate lawyer. Mitchell graduated from the University of Chicago's law school and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and most recently was teaching law at George Mason University. That's not the only change at the state attorney general's office. AG Greg Abbott named David Mattax his director of defense litigation; assistant AG Jeff Graham will fill Mattax's old job as acting chief of the financial litigation division. Still more: Ruth Hughes, who held the job Mattax is taking, is on her way back to the private sector after six years with the state. And Don Clemmer will take the title of acting deputy AG for criminal justice. That had been the purview of Eric Nichols. And last: David Maxwell, who's been a Texas Ranger (the gun-toting kind — not the bat-toting kind) for the last 20 years, joins the AG as deputy director of law enforcement.

State Rep. Allan Ritter, D-Nederland, is telling associates he will switch to the Republican Party next week. Ritter was not immediately available for comment. He says in a statement that he'll announce the switch on Tuesday: "In order to best reflect the views of the majority of the people of District 21, I have decided to change my party affiliation. I believe this will allow me to more accurately and effectively represent my constituents while addressing the challenges facing our state. There will be a formal announcement this Tuesday in Austin."That will give the GOP a 100-member super-majority in the Legislature's lower chamber — a number that allows them to pass constitutional amendments and other matters without seeking support from the Democrats. Ritter's switch will also give Speaker Joe Straus another vote in the House Republican Caucus, which could turn out to be the forum where the next speaker is chosen. Straus foes within the GOP say they want a leader who can win the post without depending, as Straus did two years ago, on support from the minority party. Straus says he has the majority of the Republicans on his side; a vote inside the caucus would prove it. Ritter, who would have been a candidate two years ago had the Democrats had a majority, is now with Straus. The East Texan is in a conservative district; in fact, after the Republican sweep in the latest election, his is the most conservative seat in the House represented by a Democrat. He was one of the survivors in the elections last month, a result that might have been different if the Republicans had found a candidate to run against him. Ritter isn't alone. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, has been considering a switch a for more than a week. It's been a year since state Rep. Chuck Hopson of Jacksonville jumped the fence and became a Republican. He won his reelection by a larger margin than he ever produced as a Democrat.