This Week in Texas: September 7th, 2011

Posted September 7, 2011 in The Mignon Memo

Rep. Pete Gallego (D-Alpine) will run for Congressional District 23, currently represented by Congressman Francisco “Quico” Canseco (R-San Antonio).

Rep. Larry Taylor (R-League City) will run for Senate District 11. Sen. Mike Jackson (R-LaPorte) has announced that he will run for a newly created congressional seat instead of the SD 11 seat he currently holds. Meanwhile, Dr. Greg Bonnen, a neurosurgeon in Galveston County and brother of Rep. Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton), will run for the House District 24 seat currently held by Rep. Taylor. Trucking company executive Rhett Eubanks will also compete in the Republican primary for House District 24.

House District 106, an open seat in Denton County has attracted two candidates so far. Amber Fulton, a former member of the Lewisville school board who lives in The Colony, will run for the seat. Patrick Fallon, who lives in Collin County but serves as a city councilman and mayor pro tem in Frisco, has also announced his interest in the seat.

Texas Legislative Budget Board Executive Director John O’Brien announced that he will retire in April, 2012. O’Brien has served as Director since November of 2006.

John Barton, formerly deputy director, will head the Texas Department of Transportation on an interim basis while the board looks for a permanent replacement for Amadeo Saenz, who retired August 31, 2011. Saenz had announced his plans earlier in the year but stayed through the legislation session and the end of the fiscal year.

Howard Baldwin has been named the temporary commissioner of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Baldwin replaces Commissioner Anne Heiligenstein who is retiring at the end of the month.

Brian Guthrie is the new executive director of the Teacher Retirement System. Guthrie replaces Ronnie Jung who retired.

For those of you interested in the proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution that will be on the ballot on November 8th, the Texas Legislative Council has published their guide to the amendments. Follow this link for more information:
http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/pubsconamend/analyses11/analyses11.pdf