This Week in Texas: June 27, 2012

Posted June 27, 2012 in The Mignon Memo

Texas charter school advocates filed a lawsuit claiming that disparities in funding and a cap on new charter schools violate the state constitution. The lawsuit, filed in Travis County, is separate from the larger public school finance litigation brought by hundreds of traditional school districts as well as some charter school supporters. However, the new case is expected to be added to the larger case because it relates to the same constitutional issues. That case is set for trial in October.

Texas A&M University plans to buy the Texas Wesleyan School of Law for close to $25 million. The school, located in downtown Fort Worth, will be called the Texas A&M School of Law at Texas Wesleyan University. Texas Wesleyan President Frederick G. Slabach and A&M System Chancellor John Sharp said the universities plan to work together to build a top-tier law school. The school currently has about 674 students.

Texans who are eligible to vote, but not yet registered have one week left to register to vote in the July 31, 2012 Primary Runoff Elections. Voter registration applications must be postmarked no later than Monday, July 2, 2012. Voters who cast ballots in one of the major party primary elections on May 29, 2012 will vote in the runoff election for the same party in which they cast their primary ballot.  Early voting for the July 31, 2012 Primary Runoff Elections will begin Monday, July 23, 2012 and end Friday, July 27, 2012.

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Jeff Moseley of Houston to the Texas Transportation Commission for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2017. The commission oversees the Texas Department of Transportation. Moseley is self-employed and a consultant for Opportunity Houston. He is also former president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, past executive director of the Economic Development and Tourism Department for the Office of the Governor and a former Denton County Judge.