The Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments has a new presiding officer with Gov. Greg Abbott’s appointment of Andrew Kim, superintendent of Comal ISD. Stacy Hock was also named to the commission. The panel is developing recommendations on new systems of student assessment and public school accountability, which are due Sept. 1.

Texas Tech University has named John Opperman as its interim president while it searches for a permanent replacement for Duane Nellis, who announced his resignation last week.

Republican Texas Railroad Commission hopeful Weston Martinez announced several Tea Party endorsements, including Cathie Adams, president of the Texas Eagle Forum; Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values; Joann Fleming, head of the Grassroots America – We the People PAC; and Ray Myers, a local Tea Party activist.

Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is backing Republican Rick Green in the race for the Texas Supreme Court Place 5. Green, a former two-term state representative, also announced an endorsement from Walker, Texas Ranger himself — Chuck Norris.

SD-1 GOP candidate Bryan Hughes won on Monday the endorsement of the Texas Association of Realtors’ political action committee.

Joe McBride, owner of McBride’s Guns, endorsed Republican candidate Dawn Buckingham in the race to replace state Sen. Troy Fraser in SD-24.

The political arm of the Texas Farm Bureau announced on Friday its endorsement of Jay Dean in the open GOP primary to represent the East Texas-based HD-7.

The Independent Texans PAC endorsed Republican incumbent state Rep. John Cyrier of HD-17, highlighting Cyrier’s passing of legislation that protects groundwater district board members from lawsuits while performing their duties.

Lorne Liechty won the backing of the political arm of Texans for Life, the pro-life group led by Kyleen Wright, in his bid to win the open GOP primary in HD-33.  On Monday, Liechty won an endorsement from former state Sen. Bob Deuell.

State Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, has endorsed Mike Lang in the GOP primary race for the open HD-60 seat.

HD-73 incumbent Doug Miller, R-New Braunfels, announced Friday that he has earned the endorsement of the political arm of the Texas State Rifle Association.

The Texans for Life PAC endorsed former state Rep. Bennett Ratliff to win back the HD-115 seat he lost to Matt Rinaldi by 92 votes two years ago, as well as the re-election bid of Jason Villalba in HD-114.

House Speaker Joe Straus has been awarded the Guardian of Small Business award by the National Federation of Independent Business/Texas, the state’s leading advocacy group for small business owners.

Republican candidates for HD-126, Kevin Roberts, and HD-130, Tom Oliverson, received endorsements this week from the Houston Police Officers’ Union.

Valoree Swanson, a Republican challenging eight-term incumbent Debbie Riddle in the Harris County-based HD-150, picked up endorsements this past week from Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Texas Right to Life and SREC District 7 committeeman Mark Ramsey.

The University of Texas at Austin announced Monday that Maurie McInnis has been appointed to the post of provost. She comes to UT-Austin from the University of Virginia, where she was vice provost for academic affairs.

Deaths: Royal Masset, former political director for the Republican Party of Texas. During his 15 years at the party, he is one of those most credited for helping direct the party's explosive growth in the 1980s and 1990s. He is also credited with helping develop the Optimal Republican Voter Strength index, which gauges the partisan leaning of legislative districts and is a valuable tool in assessing a candidate's chances to win in a district.

Disclosure: The Texas Association of Realtors, the Texas Farm Bureau, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University are corporate sponsors of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.