Republican Scott O’Grady of Collin County has suspended his campaign for the Texas Senate District 8 seat being given up by Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-Plano).  That leaves Rep. Ken Paxton (R-McKinney) as the front runner in that race. O’Grady has been mentioned as a possible contender for Paxton’s current Texas House seat, District 70, in the Frisco-Allen-McKinney area.

According to statistics from the Texas Education Agency, there are more students in elementary school  classrooms.  The number of classrooms in Texas exceeding the state’s class size limit of 22 students has now jumped to 8,243. In all, 286 school districts have requested waivers that allow them to  put more than 22 students in elementary classes.  Larger classes have been authorized at roughly  36 percent of the elementary schools in Texas.

Liz Geise of Austin was named administrator of the Texas Governor’s Mansion.  Geise, who will be responsible for the operation, use and maintenance of the mansion and its grounds, has more than 10 years of management experience in state government.

Speaking of elections, as of today, the Texas primaries are still scheduled for April 3rd but that could change by the end of the week. Regardless of when the primary takes place, voters in the Republican primary will be asked to weigh in on a few issues important to the party leaders. The State Republican Executive Committee agreed last month to add the following proposition to Republican primary ballots: “The Texas Legislature should redraw the court-imposed lines for Congress and State legislative districts in its upcoming session in order to remedy inequities. Yes or no.” Parties often add questions to their primary ballots as a way of taking a poll of the members of their party. Republicans will also be asked about school choice, public prayer, controlling state spending and repealing federal health care reform.

This week, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed suit against the Department of Justice in an effort to speed enforcement of the state’s new voter ID law. The DOJ has been reviewing the law for the past six months under the Voting Rights Act and has twice asked state officials to supply additional information on the racial breakdown of Texas voters. Fearing further delays, Abbott asked a federal court to intervene and approve the Texas law.

Governor Rick Perry made three appointments to the Texas Medical Board this week. The new members are Carlos Gallardo of Frisco, a senior manager of recruiting at DynCorp International in Ft. Worth; William “Roy” Smythe of Belton, chairman of surgery and medical director for Scott and White Healthcare’s Office of Innovation, and a professor and chair of surgery at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine; and Paulette Southard of Alice, a retired teacher and community volunteer who has also served as secretary-treasurer of the Board.

Austin businesswoman Sheri Krause has been appointed the new chair of the Texas Historical Commission. Krause, the managing partner of JBS Holdings and former development director for The Settlement Home for Children, will replace Jon Hansen, an El Paso businessman. Kraus has been a member of the 17-member commission since 2009.

The most recent fundraising totals are in for the second half of 2011. Officeholders and candidates were required to report contribution and expense totals to the Texas Ethics Commission yesterday. Most reports are already available online at the Texas Ethics Commission website. Happy searching!

Don Green has been named the new chief financial officer of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS). Green will be responsible for budgeting, accounting, purchasing, and building services for TRS, which serves active and retired Texas public education and higher education employees. Green has served in state government for more than 30 years. He was most recently senior advisor to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Previously, he was director of budget and policy for the Office of the Speaker of the House, and chief financial officer of the Health and Human Services Commission.

Lt. Governor David Dewhurst made several appointments in the last week. Dewhurst appointed three new members to the Sunset Advisory Commission. Sen. Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville) will serve as Vice Chair. Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston) and Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury) also join the Commission. Dewhurst also named four members to the Select Committee on Economic Development. During the interim, this 12 member committee will recommend an economic development policy for the state, conduct a study regarding local and state incentives, and develop criteria evaluating the effectiveness of existing state and local programs. The members appointed by Lt. Governor Dewhurst include Sen. Mike Jackson (R-LaPorte); Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-Plano); Drayton McLane, Chairman of the McLane Group, whose interests include a number of convenience store wholesale distribution companies; and Brint Ryan, the founder and CEO of Ryan, a leading tax services firm. Governor Perry and Speaker Joe Straus will appoint the remaining members of the Select Committee on Economic Development.

WFAA-TV and The Dallas Morning News will host a live debate on March 2, 2012 featuring the Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, ESPN analyst Craig James and former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz will all participate in the Dallas debate.

The Texas law enacted last session requiring women to receive pre-abortion sonograms is constitutional and can be enforced, according to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision reversed a finding by U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks that the new law violated the First Amendment by improperly requiring doctors and patients to engage in government-mandated speech. But the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the sonogram law fell within well-established guidelines that allow states to regulate the practice of medicine in ways that do not place an undue burden on a woman’s right to an abortion. The ruling negated a temporary injunction that barred Texas from enforcing the law. The case now moves back to Sparks’ court for a hearing on the request for a permanent injunction.

More news from the redistricting front. Late Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court granted Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s request for a stay on the state legislative and congressional maps drawn by the federal court in San Antonio. A hearing on the stay is scheduled for January 9, 2012. Then on Monday, the federal court in Washington, D.C. that is reviewing the Texas maps for preclearance under the Voting Rights Act announced that it will hold a trial January 17-26, 2012. What this means is the possibility of delayed or split primaries in Texas. The original filing deadline set by the San Antonio court was December 15th but that has changed with the stay of the maps. The filing period has been extended to 6:00pm on Monday, December 19. The court’s order stated that applications for filing may be amended once the maps are finalized. In other words, what a mess!

John Raney (R-Bryan) won a runoff election in House District 14 to fill the current term of former Rep. Fred Brown. Raney collected 3,901 votes, or 58 percent of the vote, compared to his competitor Bob Yancy’s 2,834 votes or 42 percent of the vote.

Former SMU football star and ESPN analyst Craig James is said to be considering joining the race to replace U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Two more lawsuits have been filed in the last week challenging the state’s system of public school finance. A group of property wealthy school districts claim that the current system violates the state constitution because it is inadequately funded and effectively imposes a statewide property tax. In addition, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund also filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the current system. Another legal challenge is expected. All of the cases will be consolidated for trial in Travis County next fall.

Comptroller Combs announced this week an overall improvement in the Texas economy. Combs projected that the state will have available revenue of $82.7 billion by the time the current biennium ends on Aug. 31, 2013. This would give the state a $1.6 billion balance over the $81.1 billion in the two-year budget approved by the 82nd Legislature earlier this year. Those funds may be used to partially offset a $4.8 billion shortfall in Medicaid.

Rumor has it that the Texas Senate committee assignments and interim charges may be released in the next few days before the holidays. Lt. Governor David Dewhurst is expected to shift some committee chairs due to the fact that certain chairs are not running for reelection. Stay tuned.

Speaker Joe Straus appointed Paul Hobby to the Texas Ethics Commission. Hobby currently serves as managing partner for the private equity firm Genesis Park, L.P. and is also the chairman of the Houston branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Now is the time to stock up on those holiday spirits. Under Texas law, package stores (liquor stores) are required to close on Sundays. When Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on a Sunday, as they do this year, those stores are also required to be closed the following Monday.

House Speaker Joe Straus has appointed Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston) and Rep. Walter “Four” Price (R-Amarillo) to the Sunset Advisory Commission. They take the place of two members whose terms expire – Rep. Linda Harper-Brown (R-Irving) and Rep. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood). The three other House members of the commission are: Commission Chairman Rep. Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton), Rep. Rafael Anchía (D-Dallas) and Rep. Byron Cook (R-Corsicana).

Today is the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Many Texans forget that we have a fabulous museum in our state devoted to the Pacific Theater of World War II. The National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas is worth a visit. Operated by the Admiral Nimitz Foundation, the museum includes the two year old George H.W. Bush Gallery and a beautiful Japanese garden. For more information, follow this link to the museum’s website: http://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/

Two more Texas House members are calling it quits. Rep. Burt Solomons (R-Carrollton), the chairman of the House Redistricting Committee, and Rep. Aaron Pena (R-Edinburg) have decided not to seek reelection next year. If you are keeping a count, there are now 24 state representatives who have announced they will not run for reelection. Add in the four state senators retiring and you have a minimum of 28 new members next session.

The Texas Supreme Court has issued a decision in the Allcat Claims case regarding the constitutionality of the state’s franchise tax. The Court found that the tax is not a net income tax on the partners and does not violate the state constitution. This decision will not, however, affect a separate challenge to the franchise tax that was filed by Nestle USA Inc. and two other companies. That case involves concerns regarding the application of the tax rather than its constitutionality. The revamping of the franchise tax looks to be a major focus for the next legislative session in 2013.

The filing period for March’s party primary elections in Texas has been shortened to the period between November 28th and December 15th, as ruled by a three-judge federal panel in San Antonio last Friday. The delay allows judges time to review proposals for interim boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts. Meanwhile, a federal court in Washington D.C. ordered a trial on the state’s new redistricting plan for the state House, state Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives. In an order denying the State of Texas’s motion for summary judgment, the federal court indicated that it would hear from lawyers representing the state as well as opposing counsel from the U.S. Department of Justice as it considers the issue of pre-clearance of the maps. The redistricting process is never simple.

Two veteran members of the Texas State Board of Education announced they will not seek reelection to their seats. Republican Bob Craig of Lubbock and Democrat Mary Helen Berlanga of Corpus Christi will end their service on the Board next year.

Rep. Joe Driver (R-Garland) has been charged with abuse of official capacity, a third-degree felony.
According to court documents, Driver used campaign money to pay for travel expenses from September 2005 to August 2010. The Travis County District Attorney’s Office in Austin said he then requested reimbursements from the state for the same travel. Driver has repaid his campaign nearly $50,000 from his personal account.
Driver previously announced that he would not seek reelection and would retire when his terms ends in 2013.

Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp announced the appointment of two new vice chancellors following approval by the Board of Regents during its regular meeting last week. Guy K. Diedrich was named vice chancellor for federal and state relations and Dr. Frank B. Ashley III was named vice chancellor of recruitment and diversity. Dr. Stanton C. Calvert, current vice chancellor for governmental relations for the A&M System, was granted the title of vice chancellor emeritus. He will begin serving as a special advisor to the chancellor.

Don’t be alarmed this afternoon. The noise you hear is the very first simultaneous nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, the system the federal government uses to report crucial information during a national emergency. This test is different than the ones you have seen and ignored over the years so news outlets are making sure the public knows about the test that will be broadcast by radio, television, and cable stations. This test will occur today, Wednesday, Nov. 9th, at 1 pm CST or 2pm EST.

Filing for the state’s primary elections is scheduled to begin on November 12th but that may change, depending on the actions of the federal court in San Antonio considering the redistricting cases. As the three-judge panel decides whether to construct interim maps to take the state through at least the next election cycle, the panel could change the filing deadlines. The filing period could be pushed back to run from December 1st through the 15th but no final decisions have been made.

Early voting ends Friday for the November 8th general election. The ballot contains 10 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution and in some cases, bond proposals. There is also a special election in House District 14, a seat open due to the retirement on former Rep. Fred Brown (R-Bryan).

Interim hearings are ongoing at the Texas Capitol. The focus this week was on the state’s drought as the Senate Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Agriculture Committee, and the House Natural Resources Committee heard testimony from various stakeholders. With no good news in terms of weather forecasts, the committees are trying to ensure that the state is prepared in terms of water resources as the drought continues.

Governor Rick Perry has appointed Jeff Austin III of Tyler to the Texas Transportation Commission for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2013. Austin is vice chairman of Austin Bank and Texas NA.

Victor Vandergriff will continue to serve as chairman of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and as a director of the North Texas Tollway Authority instead of running for the Senate District 9 seat being vacated by Sen. Chris Harris (R-Ft. Worth). Former Texas House member Toby Goodman is said to be considering running for the seat. Rep. Rodney Anderson (R-Plano) is the only declared candidate at this point.

San Antonio attorney Tina Torres has joined the list of Democrats that will compete in the March primary for House District 117 currently represented by Rep. John Garza (R-San Antonio).

Plano attorney Jeff Leach will compete in the Republican primary for House District 67 currently represented by Rep. Jerry Madden (R-Plano).