Voter ID Tried in Local Elections, Not Yet in a Big One

Voter identification requirements
Voter identification requirements

EDINBURG — The true test of how voter ID will affect voters — and whether it will sway elections — won’t come next month after a special election in Edinburg.

And it might not even come this year.

That’s the assessment of at least one opposition leader, Chad Dunn, an attorney with Houston-based Brazil and Dunn who represents plaintiffs in a current lawsuit seeking to block the law. It requires voters to furnish one of several specified forms of ID before casting a ballot, the most common being a state-issued driver’s license or ID card.

It’s hard to determine the effect before next year's state elections, Dunn added, because turnout for local elections is paltry. Elections have been held in Galveston and are ongoing in the Rio Grande Valley, but the true test will be a statewide or heavily contested election in a toss-up or majority-minority district.

“I don’t expect the law to be enjoined by the primary in March, or whenever it gets moved back because of redistricting,” Dunn said, linking voter ID and another volatile issue, the Legislature’s redistricting efforts, which are also tied up in litigation. The court battle makes it possible the primary elections could be delayed.

Former state Rep. Aaron Peña, an Edinburg native who switched parties in 2011 and championed ballot-box integrity after becoming a Republican, said turnout here is a legitimate test to gauge the effects of the law.

“I know my town, I grew up here. It’s not as big an issue as has been portrayed by the left,” he said. “I am curious to see if there is anyone who does statistics on this election. If there’s a sizeable issue, I am going to be one of the first to say something.”

Peña said he could support is expanding the pool of allowed credentials to include student IDs. But for now, he added, the system is working.

Also at play is how election officials handle complaints or missteps, Dunn said. In Bexar County, he said, officials are likely to resolve issues quickly regardless of political allegiance, race or any other factor. In others, not so much.

“In counties like Harris, which is completely on the voter suppression bandwagon, whatever problems there are, aren’t getting worked out,” he said.

There is also a new twist with respect to the state’s free IDs, the election identification certificates. Those documents can be used only in an election and are given to voters who furnish proof of eligibility, like a birth certificate. Opponents of voter ID say that although the ID itself is free, the costs associated with obtaining the underlying documents needed to get one is the same as a modern-day “poll tax.”

The state is considering waiving the $22 it charges to obtain a new birth certificate, provided applicants show they need it to get the free ID to vote.

DSHS spokesman Chris Van Deusen said the agency  has posted the proposed change to the rules and asked for public comment. Van Deusen said he didn’t know if anyone for or against voter ID approached the office about initiating the change. A final decision could come in November.

. Van Deusen said he didn’t know if anyone for or against voter ID approached the office about initiating the change. A final decision could come in November.

As of late July, the Texas Department of Public Safety had issued only six of the documents, which Attorney General Greg Abbott marked as proof of the state’s argument that most people already have IDs. Next year's elections will probably offer some evidence on that, too.

Combs' Legacy Not a Presence in Comptroller's Race

GOP candidates for state comptroller. Clockwise, from top left: former gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina, former state Rep. Raul Torres, state Sen. Glenn Hegar and state Rep. Harvey Hilderbran.
GOP candidates for state comptroller. Clockwise, from top left: former gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina, former state Rep. Raul Torres, state Sen. Glenn Hegar and state Rep. Harvey Hilderbran.

An effective campaign pitch to voters usually needs to answer one crucial question: How will you differ from the current officeholder?

For incumbents, the answer is usually “not much.” For someone challenging an incumbent or running for an open seat, candidate responses can range from “more of the same” to “a complete 180.”

More than six months ahead of the 2014 primaries, three of the statewide Republican races already have the entire incumbent-performance-review spectrum covered. In another, the contestants scarcely mention the current officeholder.

At the extremes are the races for attorney general and lieutenant governor. While Attorney General Greg Abbott runs for governor, those vying to replace him are vowing to continue “Abbott’s legacy.” The lieutenant governor’s race, meanwhile, is an early contender for nastiest primary of the election cycle, as state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston; Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples; and Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson take turns mocking Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and conveniently ignoring any of their own past praise of his leadership.

Then there’s the race to succeed Comptroller Susan Combs. She announced her retirement from public office in June after deciding against a long-planned entry into that crowded race for lieutenant governor. In her seven years as comptroller, Combs has given antagonists a lot to talk about. She made life easy for critics in 2011, when a data breach by the agency exposed 3.5 million Texans to potential identity theft. She also has fought back allegations of cronyism related to the awarding of millions of dollars in tax incentives and questions of her competence related to a revenue estimate ahead of the 2011 session that missed the mark by billions of dollars.

Yet thus far, the four Republicans hoping to replace Combs are avoiding any mention of her, focusing instead on keeping Texas’ economy humming along. When asked recently to rate her performance, their answers were all positive, though perhaps carefully worded.

“She’s done a lot of good things, transparency in particular,” said state Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville. “I think we have a pretty good office; that’s been the case for many years over a number of comptrollers. There’s always things you can improve.”

The other three candidates echoed Hilderbran in praising Combs’ work in making the state’s finances more accessible to the public.

“I think she has really got to be commended on the work she’s done on transparency,” said former gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina.

“I think that was, without question, an important step in our evolution in state government and she’s due credit for that,” added former state Rep. Raul Torres.

State Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, defended Combs’ 2011 revenue estimate, pointing to the erratic nature of the state’s oil and gas industry.

“As someone who lives in the industry corridor and knows how volatile that market is, it is sometimes hard to forecast and know ahead of time those ups and downs,” Hegar said. “She’s got a hard job to get the most true and accurate numbers that she can.”

Some of this praise and defense of Combs is undoubtedly due to the fact that she is retiring and in a position to endorse a successor. Yet her past missteps may take a larger role in the race as the primaries inch closer. Many Texans do not fully understand the comptroller’s duties, and much of what they do know is tied to instances when the office has drawn controversy.

Getting primary voters excited about one candidate over the others may require talking about all those things not getting talked about right now: data breaches, subsidies, revenue forecasts — and Combs’ role in all of it.

Video: Newsreel: Waiting and Watching and Calling

In this week's Newsreel: Gov. Rick Perry dons fashionable new glasses, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz says he will renounce his Canadian citizenship, state Sen. Wendy Davis keeps her supporters waiting and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst tries to spring a relative from jail.

Inside Intelligence: About Those Special Moments...

Texas politics has had more than its share of head-scratching moments lately, so we asked the insiders what they think of the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the U.S. attorney general and the state’s junior senator.

We started with a question about Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s call to the Allen Police Department on behalf of a relative accused of stealing groceries. The first question was whether he should have done anything at all to try to get her out of jail, and 50 percent said he should have while 45 percent said he should not have acted. Now that the tape of his conversation with the police has been made public, we asked about the damage. On a scale of one to five, where one is the most political damage and five is the least, almost half of the insiders rated the call as a one or a two. Only a quarter gave it a four or a five.

Attorney General Greg Abbott, along with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, is suing to block the merger of American Airlines with US Airways, saying it would lower competition and raise prices. That’s an unpopular idea with the insiders — 64 percent say the state shouldn’t interfere.

They disagree with Holder on another count, too: 54 percent said the federal government shouldn’t be trying to block the state’s voter ID law.

Finally, we asked about U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s statement that he would renounce the dual Canadian citizenship he acquired by being born in that country. He (and many independent experts) say he would be eligible to run for U.S. president, but just to be sure, he has said he’ll dump the official Canada connection. Half of the insiders agree with that; 31 percent said he shouldn’t renounce.

We sought comments, as always, and the full set of answers is attached. Here’s a sampling:

.

Should David Dewhurst have done anything to help get his relative out of jail in Allen?

• "Family is family, but..."

• "Have a lawyer, staffer, or friend call like every other public official does."

• "You should take a good look at yourself if you are one that is pounding on the Dew for helping his relative. There is something wrong with those that are not willing to help a relative because of the political consequence it will present."

• "Helping a relative is not the issue. How he went about it is the issue."

• "Remember Lt Gov Rick Perry leaning on the DPS officer during the traffic stop to let his suburban just 'get on down the road?' Elected officials should delegate police issues to friends, staff or attorneys . . . and stay out of it personally."

• "This guy was in the CIA?"

.

On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is a big deal and 5 is nothing at all, how damaging — politically speaking — is Dewhurst's taped phone call with City of Allen Police?

• "Just the latest slice in his political death by a thousand cuts."

• "Wouldn't have been so bad if Dewhurst hasn't had such bad luck over the last few years. Just seems to reinforce the idea that he can't do anything exactly right and things never seem to go his way."

• "The recording was a political gift personally wrapped by Dewhurst and delivered to his opponents. I seriously doubt he can recover from all of his political mistakes. The odds of him making it to a run-off is slim to none."

• "I'm not sure anyone is truly surprised by a lapse of judgment by a politician. I think the surprise would be learning that someone didn't capitalize on their officeholder status."

• "Who calls 911? Why not call his staff and find a lawyer or someone that could help."

• "Another blow. They add up."

.

Should Attorney General Greg Abbott be trying to stop the American Airlines merger?

• "In a GOP primary, how does siding with Eric Holder and the Obama Justice Department help him?"

• "The proper question should be: Should the State of Texas be trying to stop the AA merger. Abbott's not acting in his personal capacity, he's doing it as the top lawyer for the state, so the question should be whether the State has a dog in that fight, and clearly it does--anti-trust, competition, etc. issues galore!"

• "It's probably not good for the airline industry to reduce competition at this point -- anyone familiar with American's underwhelming service and take-it-or-leave it attitude is afraid of the carrier gaining the market share it will with the merger. While I am frankly surprised that Abbott is fighting it, it's the right thing to do."

• "Perfect chance for Wendy Davis to demonstrate her commitment to the Texas economy."

• "It does not help him win support in N. Texas."

• "Let the free market determine the winners and losers. Competition will be there with or without the merger."

• "He's on the wrong side of the issue. Anytime you side with the Obama DOJ, you're on the wrong side of the issue."

.

Should the U.S. Department of Justice be suing Texas to block its voter photo ID law?

• "No brainer. Texas is a poster child for blatant, intentional discrimination. Even Abbott's defense of partisan redistricting explicitly acknowledged that race was considered, even if as a proxy for party."

• "Seriously? Of course it should. The Straus-led House has repeatedly voted for voter suppression measures and will continue to do so until stopped. The open secret is that Republicans need to reduce minority turnout while maximizing white turnout to succeed electorally."

• "My grandparents and parents were poorer than poor in Mexico, yet they had their voting ID card (credential) and did not miss a vote. It's time for Democrats to stop playing the victim and stop demeaning the poor."

• "Passing the Voter ID law was much more symbolism than substance; the Obama lawsuit against Texas Voter ID is much more symbolism than substance."

• "If it is okay for the R's to play politics with voter laws, why not the D's."

• "No. Stay out of our business. I have to show my driver's license for everything. That being said, Texas should have allowed other forms of picture ID, like school IDs, to be used."

.

Should Ted Cruz renounce his Canadian dual citizenship?

• "Given his political persona, he needs to, but in the real world it’s just entertainment."

• "I mean, only if he wants to be elected in the United States."

• "This entire ordeal is foolishness, just like the Obama birther argument."

• "From a legal standpoint, I don't think an elected U.S. official should have dual citizenship. From a comedic one, it has been great to observe the actions and comments coming from the same people who questioned the current White House occupier's status."

• "It's a distraction. He is smart to get it out of the way."

• "Could he go back to Canada?"

Our thanks to this week's participants: Gene Acuna, Cathie Adams, Brandon Aghamalian, Jenny Aghamalian, Victor Alcorta, Clyde Alexander, George Allen, Jay Arnold, Louis Bacarisse, Charles Bailey, Tom Banning, Dave Beckwith, Rebecca Bernhardt, Andrew Biar, Allen Blakemore, Tom Blanton, Hugh Brady, Chris Britton, Raif Calvert, Kerry Cammack, Thure Cannon, Janis Carter, Corbin Casteel, William Chapman, Elizabeth Christian, Elna Christopher, Kevin Cooper, Addie Mae Crimmins, Beth Cubriel, Randy Cubriel, Denise Davis, Hector De Leon, June Deadrick, Nora Del Bosque, Tom Duffy, David Dunn, Richard Dyer, Jeff Eller, Jack Erskine, John Esparza, Jon Fisher, Robert Floyd, Wil Galloway, Norman Garza, Dominic Giarratani, Bruce Gibson, Stephanie Gibson, Kinnan Golemon, Daniel Gonzalez, John Greytok, Jack Gullahorn, Clint Hackney, Anthony Haley, Wayne Hamilton, Bill Hammond, John Heasley, Ken Hodges, Laura Huffman, Deborah Ingersoll, Cal Jillson, Jason Johnson, Bill Jones, Mark Jones, Robert Jones, Lisa Kaufman, Robert Kepple, Richard Khouri, Tom Kleinworth, Ramey Ko, Sandy Kress, Nick Lampson, Pete Laney, Dick Lavine, James LeBas, Luke Legate, Richard Levy, Ruben Longoria, Matt Mackowiak, Luke Marchant, Bryan Mayes, Suzi McClellan, Dan McClung, Robert Miller, Bee Moorhead, Mike Moses, Steve Murdock, Keir Murray, Keats Norfleet, Pat Nugent, Todd Olsen, Nef Partida, Gardner Pate, Robert Peeler, Jerry Philips, Tom Phillips, Wayne Pierce, Richard Pineda, Allen Place, Kraege Polan, Gary Polland, Jay Pritchard, Jay Propes, Brian Rawson, Karen Reagan, Tim Reeves, Patrick Reinhart, Kim Ross, Grant Ruckel, Jason Sabo, Andy Sansom, Stan Schlueter, Bruce Scott, Robert Scott, Steve Scurlock, Christopher Shields, Jason Skaggs, Ed Small, Todd Smith, Larry Soward, Dennis Speight, Tom Spilman, Bill Stevens, Bob Strauser, Colin Strother, Michael Quinn Sullivan, Sherry Sylvester, Jay Thompson, Russ Tidwell, Gerard Torres, Trey Trainor, Vicki Truitt, Corbin Van Arsdale, Ware Wendell, David White, Darren Whitehurst, Christopher Williston, Seth Winick, Alex Winslow, Peck Young, Angelo Zottarelli.

The Calendar

Friday, Aug. 30

  • Bexar County GOP Keep Texas Red reception (with keynote address by George P. Bush); Petroleum Club, San Antonio (5:30-7 p.m.)

Tuesday, Sept. 3

  • Town hall meeting with U.S. Rep. Bill Flores; McLennan Community College, Waco (5:30-6:30 p.m.)
  • Fundraiser for Rep. Travis Clardy; Austin Club (4:30-6 p.m.)

Thursday, Sept. 5

  • Flores town hall meeting; Rudder High School, Bryan (5:30-7 p.m.)
  • Fundraiser for Sen. Sylvia Garcia; Rainbow Lodge, Houston (6-8 p.m.)

Guest Column: Shut Down Obamacare, Not the Government

Texas’ junior senator in Washington, D.C., is causing quite a stir. This is nothing new, considering Ted Cruz has been doing just that since being sworn in January. Cruz has not followed the advice that freshman senators are there to be seen, not heard. And I, along with many other Texans, am glad he is defying conventional wisdom.

He now finds himself in the eye of the storm regarding the upcoming debate on the federal government’s continuing resolution — which will allow the federal government to operate for a bit longer (it appears D.C. has all but given up actually passing a budget during the Obama presidency).

At issue is Cruz’s advice to defund Obamacare as part of the package to keep the federal government running. This idea has been met with consternation, ridicule and outrage. (And I’ll get to the Democrats response later!) The basic argument against the defund strategy goes like this: If Republicans choose to defund Obamacare, then the federal government will shut down. If the federal government shuts down, the Republicans will be blamed for it. If the Republicans are blamed for it, then the disastrous consequences of the mid-1990s shutdown will be repeated. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the government going and live to fight another day, on another issue.

There are decent people on that side of the argument. However, I prefer Cruz’s strategy. First of all, the scenario he has proposed is not analogous to the shutdown in the mid '90s. The senator has posited that Republicans should fund all of the government except Obamacare. In the mid '90s, the entire federal budget was held ransom to the shutdown. Secondly, as one close Obama advisor put it, “Never let a crisis go to waste.”

What we are seeing every day out of D.C. is the inability of the Affordable Care Act and its caretakers to properly implement (or understand) the law. U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., presciently stated, “We have to pass the bill to know what is in it.” Unfortunately, the more we come to know what is in it, the more the American people do not like what they see. This past week provided a perfect snapshot of the effect Obamacare is having on the country.

In the past few days we learned that UPS will no longer cover spouses for health care. Delta Airlines has said that its health care costs would skyrocket $100 million in 2014. The Nevada AFL-CIO admitted that Obamacare hurts full-time employee prospects. And retailer Forever 21 has announced reduced hours for employees because it cannot bear the weight of the costs associated with Obamacare.

Add to these items the president’s unconstitutional decision to postpone the employer mandate until after mid-term elections in 2015, congressional staffers and aides doing all they can to obtain a waiver from the bill many of their bosses helped write, and the fact the Obama administraton has failed to meet any meaningful deadline for implementation of the behemoth health care bill, and it is easy to see why Cruz is calling for the defunding of the legislation.

The bill was so ill-conceived and rushed through Congress that Americans have no idea of what this legislation will look like in six months, let alone six years. Now, Cruz is taking the bold step and calling for its complete defunding. What is so alarming is the opposition he is facing in his own party from elected officials who have denounced Obamacare with ferocity but are unwilling to take the steps necessary to fix the problem.

The senator has presented a sensible solution. Fund the federal government except Obamacare. Then President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., will be forced to make the decision to defund the president’s signature piece of legislation or shut down the government (my guess is on the latter). Then, as Cruz has said, conservatives will have to do something they have not done in a while — win the argument. But, it can happen with articulate and knowledgeable men such as Cruz and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, leading the charge. And now is the perfect time to make that move. Obamacare continues to be deeply unpopular, its policies wildly unpredictable, and its effects incredibly harmful to the economy and our nation as a whole.

If this is not the issue to fight on, what is? I applaud Cruz’s efforts and join in his desire to “defund it.”

Krause, R-Fort Worth, represents District 93 in the Texas House.

Guest Column: Shutdown is Good Theater, but a Bad Idea

A few days ago, Dallas was at the front line of the ongoing effort to stop Obamacare. The conservative group Heritage Action for America was joined by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on a bus tour proclaiming "defund Obamacare or shut down the government." While it may garner political attention, it’s not a viable solution to our shared challenges.

Cruz claimed that the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare, is “hurting the economy and it is a disaster for working people and their families.”

Yet the No. 1 cause of bankruptcies in our country is staggering medical bills that overwhelm families when they are most in need, either after catastrophic accidents or when they are uninsured. Dallas County has the fourth highest number of uninsured residents of any county in America, and Texas leads the nation in the rate of uninsured. More than one out of every four Texans does not have health insurance. Last year, the cost to taxpayers to care for the uninsured was $582 million in Dallas County. People with health coverage live longer, happier lives while lessening that cost.

The Affordable Care Act builds on what works in our health care system, as it also works to fix what is broken. With the new health insurance marketplaces, people will be able to access insurance plans that fit their budgets and are dependable with defined essential health benefits. And those with insurance are already seeing benefits under the new law. Annual checkups for adults and children, vaccinations, yearly women's health exams and other preventative visits no longer have co-pays, and young adults can now stay on their parents' insurance plans until the age of 26. Lifetime caps on coverage are banned, and individuals are no longer denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions and are not discriminated against on their premiums based on gender.

What we saw here in Dallas is the definition of political theater. Focused on appealing to a small sliver of the overall population that makes up a big chunk of Republican primary voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, Cruz and his allies continue to talk tough about shutting down the government to dismantle the law. But what they won’t be talking about are the new protections and benefits they hope to take away from hardworking Americans.

Dissent is healthy and reasonable minds differ, but what is missing in Congress is an ability to transcend partisan politics to find workable solutions for real people. The senator’s "my way or the highway" threat to shut down government because he disagrees with current law does nothing to achieve that goal.

The Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act, and it is the law of the land. The ACA offers more than 506,000 Dallas County citizens currently without health coverage their best chance to purchase affordable insurance. More insured citizens means better public health, lower taxpayer burden to cover the uninsured at the county’s Parkland Hospital and a stronger community.

In Dallas County, we have built broad, community-wide support for helping sign up our uninsured residents for health insurance they can afford when the marketplace opens on Oct. 1. Among my responsibilities is to promote public health and sound stewardship of county tax dollars; implementation of the ACA does both.

After all, everyone deserves access to affordable health care. The ACA helps protect you and your family. Political bus tours and government shut downs do not.

Jenkins, a Democrat, is the Dallas County Judge.

 

The Week in the Rearview Mirror

State Sen. Wendy Davis, the Democrats' best hope to run for Texas governor, said this week she is postponing the announcement of her decision so she can help care for her sick father. “I had hoped to make public my decision about that next week, but with everything that’s going on with my dad, I won’t be doing that,” she said. “It’s likely it will be late September before I do.” Davis’ father, Jerry Russell, has been in critical condition at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth following complications from abdominal surgery. In a Facebook post, Davis said Russell, who has been battling pneumonia, was “continuing to show small but positive steps toward improvement” but was “not out of the woods” yet.

As Texas Democrats await word from on whether Davis is running for governor, some say Democrats eyeing statewide races are too chicken to jump in without the expected money and national attention that a Davis candidacy could bring. Consultants said running isn’t easy and that it takes lots of money to do it right. So if you’re considering a race for comptroller, you want to know if Davis is going to be the standard bearer for the party. Especially, they said, when your party doesn't have a Plan B.

For help with its ongoing investigation of Regent Wallace Hall, the House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations has turned to prominent Houston attorney Rusty Hardin, who'll serve as its special counsel. The committee has held multiple informational and planning meetings to better understand its charge and the state's impeachment process, which has rarely been used and never for a university system regent.

As groundwater managers from across the state met this week to discuss the numerous challenges they face, talk of legislative changes to water financing and a campaign to convince voters to allow more of it was eclipsed by more pressing issues. The meeting of the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts made clear that money won’t fix many of the problems confronting the state's groundwater districts, which are facing some of the worst drought conditions in state history and increasing pressure due to population growth, oil and gas drilling activity, and environmental concerns. And news of a ruling issued by a state appeals court on a closely watched case involving the Edwards Aquifer Authority also stirred concerns of the murky waters the districts must tread.

Documents released by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s provided no new evidence that officers found one jar of urine and 18 containers of feces at the Capitol before a July 12 debate on a controversial abortion bill. DPS released a press statement the day of the debate that said officers had discovered one jar suspected of containing urine and 18 jars suspected to contain feces. After initially resisting requests for additional information about the reported discoveries, DPS released 144 pages of documents about the alleged incident. But the documents contain no official reports of the findings, and several DPS officers said they had not seen any of the suspected items.

Political People and their Moves

Blaine Brunson is on his way to New York, to train for a year with Morgan Stanley before returning to Texas to open a bond office for the company next year. He was most recently chief of staff to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and before that worked on state budgets and finance issues for a variety of bosses.

Miguel Romano Jr. is leaving the Associated Republicans of Texas, where he was executive director, to become senior development officer at American Bank’s Austin office. 

David Reynolds is opening his own consultancy after several years as head of the Texas Medical Association’s affiliated political action committee. His new outfit is called Reynolds Solutions.

Gov. Rick Perry appointed:

Tonya Spaeth Ahlschwede of Junction as district attorney for Edwards, Kimble, McCulloch, Mason and Menard counties. She has her own private practice and was an assistant DA before that.

Robert Hofmann of Mason as judge in the 452nd judicial district, made up of those same five counties. Hofmann is former Mason County attorney and is currently presiding judges of the child protection court of the Hill Country.

David Stith of Corpus Christi as judge of the 319th judicial district court. He’s a private practice attorney and a former county court at law judge.

Darrell Davila to run his appointments office. Davila, a former assistant Tarrant County DA, has been handling judicial and legal appointments for Perry. He’ll replace Bech Bruun, named a couple of weeks ago to the Texas Water Development Board. 

Quotes of the Week

I think it is likely that I am going to stay out of incumbent primaries across the country, either supporting incumbents or opposing incumbents.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, on why he is not endorsing Senate colleague and fellow Texan John Cornyn's bid for re-election

I know Wendy Davis, and I don’t think she stands a chance running for statewide office.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, speaking to a Republican group, quoted in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

People wanting me to run for lieutenant governor is nothing new. But the phone calls and conversations have increased since Wendy Davis' filibuster.

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, quoted in The Dallas Morning News

There is no way of knowing whether this is indicative of an election statewide, but if this trend continues, it means that voter ID is not a big deal.

Bill Sargent, a Galveston County elections official, to the Houston Chronicle on a special election in Galveston on Tuesday conducted under the state's newly implemented voter ID law

What this has become is a tug-of-war between two guys who want to be lieutenant governor, and they are using public schools as the rope. And I'm tired of them being the rope.

SBOE member Thomas Ratliff, on a school curriculum issue and the rivalry between Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Sen. Dan Patrick

Obama is taking the US to war with Syria and Russia so he can support his friends from Al-Qaeda in Syria.

Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, in a tweet on Wednesday

Make no mistake, our businesses aren’t going to Texas. 

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, in a radio ad criticizing Gov. Rick Perry's job-poaching trip to his state