Sen. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, will give up his seat after just two years in the Senate for a shot at attorney general. He announced he is joining Republicans Dan Branch and Barry Smitherman in that primary next March. He was joined by almost a dozen conservative leaders and by 23 members of the Texas House, where he served before winning his Senate spot last year.

Branch, meanwhile, announced endorsements from several former deputies to current Attorney General Greg Abbott.

House Speaker Joe Straus, who pushed for money for water infrastructure this session, and Rep. Allan Ritter, R-Nederland, who carried the legislation, filed papers this week creating Water Texas, a new PAC that will raise money and campaign for passage of the water money on November's constitutional amendment ballot. A source familiar with their plans said Ritter will be treasurer and that Straus will take a leading role in raising money and attention for the water measure.

Another group, H2O4TEXAS, is also mounting a campaign in support of the water amendment. Its honorary co-chairs are Sens. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, and Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands.

Gregory Fenves will be the new executive vice president and provost of the University of Texas at Austin. He is currently dean of the engineering school at UT.

Ray Martinez is the new chancellor of WGU Texas, an online university launched in 2011. He was most recently the government relations officer at Texas A&M International University.

Deaths: George Mitchell, hailed as the developer of The Woodlands, the father of modern hydraulic fracking, as an environmentalist and philanthropist. He was 94.

Colin Coe, chief of staff to Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, after a bout with cancer. He was 63.