This Week in Texas: Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Posted July 20, 2016 in The Mignon Memo

A new Senator for Senate District 13.

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Rep. Borris Miles (D-Houston) has been selected by a majority of SD 13 precinct chairs to succeed Senator Rodney Ellis and will run unopposed in November. Now the precinct chairs of House District 146 will decide who will replace Miles on the ballot for the House race. This will happen sometime in August.  To read more…

 

Another commissioner leaving the Texas Ethics Commission.

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Commissioner Paul Hobby has sent his letter of resignation to House Speaker Joe Straus, effective July 31st. Speaker Straus must now make an appointment from a list yet to be provided by House Democrats. Hobby had already served past the end of his term. To read more…

 

La Reina de Tex-Mex.

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A wax statue of Selena will debut at Madame Tussauds in Hollywood at the end of August. 10,000 fans signed a change.org petition lobbying for a statue to memorialize the late Tejano singer. Madame Tussauds has valued the wax figure at roughly $350,000. To read more…

 

Texas delegates deliver votes.

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Yesterday at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, states officially delivered votes for the party’s nominee. For the first time in 40 years, the majority of Texas’ votes went to a candidate who is not the GOP nominee. The breakdown of Texas votes: 104 to Sen. Ted Cruz, 48 to Donald Trump, and 3 to Sen. Marco Rubio. The final tally for Trump was 1,725 and 475 for Cruz. To read more…

 

Only in Austin…

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Since January, Austin has been home to the world’s largest bouldering gym. The 50,000 square foot facility offers 23,000 square feet of climbing surface with 250 different configurations that are rotated every seven weeks. Yoga and fitness classes are also offered. Masterminds behind the design of the Austin Bouldering Project are architect Dylan Johnson and interior designer Lilianne Steckel. To read more…