Top Stories

• Farrar, House Dems’ leader, predicts Straus will ‘feel the repercussions’ – Robert Garrett, Trail Blazers Blog
  Not so thinly-veiled threats from House Democrats. Threatening Straus is probably their only play, but it’s unlikely to work.
• Regents’ meeting could be defining moment for UT System chancellor – Ralph Haurwitz, Statesman
  Cigarroa has set himself up as a defender of the status quo. Not exactly where I’d want to be in an industry being revolutionized by technology. See the next link.
• What will College Look Like in a Decade? – Jeff Sandefer, Transforming Education
• Texas school systems hang on to big-bucks reserve funds while laying off teachers – Lynn Walsh and Steve Miller, Texas Watchdog
  Really good public-interest journalism from the Watchdog crew (much more compelling than the tired “sky is falling” stories overloaded with scare quotes from special interests that we’ve seen from so many news outlets).
• Despite Uproar, TX Lawmakers Pursue Medicare Overhaul – Emily Ramshaw and Marilyn Werber Serafini, Texas Tribune
  Interesting story. We also recommend the new Texas Healthcare Report, which looks to keep a close eye on this and other healthcare issues in Texas.

President Obama hits the Texas ATM (while billing taxpayers for a partisan speech)

• Obama talks immigration in El Paso after visiting the Texas liberal ATM machine in Austin – Milan Simonich, El Paso Times
  

  America must open its doors to a new wave of immigrants because it is smart business and humane public policy, President Barack Obama said Tuesday in El Paso.

  Quick reminder: Every time Obama has had an opportunity to pass immigration reform — whether as a senator or president — he favored kicking the can down the road in order to try to use it for political purposes.

• Obama rallies faithful, talks immigration – Jason Embry, Austin American-Statesman
  

  Obama stood at the U.S.-Mexico border for the first time since winning the White House and declared it more secure than ever.

  This tells you all you need to know about why Obama came to Texas.

• Obama refuses tour of wildfire damage; too busy fundraising – Peggy Fikac, Chron Texas Politics
• Obama's Austin stumping offers taste of his 2012 campaign – Joe Holley, Houston Chronicle
  

  “He did say he would be back — and with good reason, said Democratic political consultant Jason Stanford of Austin.

  “The reason a Democratic presidential candidate comes to Texas is to go home with a big bunch of checks,” Stanford said, “although that being said, Obama feels a special affection for Austin because of an early rally in 2007 that helped get the Obama phenomenon going.”

  “That’s what Democrats do,” said Chris Elam, a spokesman for the Texas Republican Party. “They know they can’t win the state, but they treat it is a great opportunity to fundraise.”

  Even Dem consultants concede it’s all about the Texas ATM.

• Obama's Lone Star long shot – Glenn Thrush, Politico
  

  “I hope they do spend all of their money and time on Texas so they can divert it from Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Mexico and Michigan,” said [Karl] Rove.

  “Texans aren’t hyphenated; they are just Texans. … Plouffe and Messina must think that south Texas is the South Side of Chicago and that north Texas is the North Shore [of Chicago]. These guys need a geography lesson.”

• Cougar killed wandering around downtown El Paso – AP
  Gotta love Texas. And just for the record, it was a mountain lion.

Recommended

• Libertarians should join conservatives in opposing proposed gambling bills – Weston Hicks, AgendaWise Reports
  

  [Proposed gambling] is because it’s crony capitalism, a closed system that you and I cannot enter. . . bound up with government.

  We made a similar point a few weeks ago:

  If we’re going to do gambling, can we choose not to create a huge sinecure for whatever well-connected political donor gets the license?

• House Gives Initial OK to Windstorm Insurance Reform – Emily Ramshaw, Texas Tribune
• Newest felony: Misrepresenting a fish – Grits for Breakfast
• Democrat Ricardo Sanchez to announce Senate run Wednesday – Henry Jackson, AP
  

  Two Democratic sources with direct knowledge of Sanchez’s plans said he will announce his run Wednesday on Facebook, then file campaign paperwork in San Antonio. The sources would speak only on condition of anonymity before the announcement.

• Fierce Immigration Debate Among Conservatives – Scott Braddock
• Democrats struggling in GOP-controlled House – Patricia Kilday Hart and Gary Scharrer, San Antonio Express-News
• The hunt for more money: fiscal matter bills are not good policy – Peggy Venable, Americans for Prosperity
• Texas Gov. Rick Perry says many are overreacting to needed changes under consideration for flagship universities – Christy Hoppe, Dallas Morning News
  The story is behind the North Texas community newspaper’s paywall, but the headline makes the point.
• A&M Chancellor Mike McKinney Stepping Down – Reeve Hamilton, Texas Tribune
• Wendy Davis upset that mapmakers didn’t give her a safe Dem seat – Dave Montgomery, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
  For Texas Democrats, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) means that all redistricting must draw favorable districts for Democrats. And…she had city councilmen write a letter supporting her VRA interpretation! No, we’re not making that up.