kvue's Political Junkie - blogging Texas politics with Elise Hu

June 2009
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Recently in People and Places Category


The Governor Endorses Bike Helmets

9:44 AM Wed, Jun 10, 2009 |

Governor Rick Perry says he'll be back in the office after breaking his collarbone in a mountain biking accident last night. We know this because he broadcasted the message from his computer using social-networking program, Twitter.

perrytweet-1.jpg

...

Governor Breaks Collarbone in Mountain Biking Accident

9:57 PM Tue, Jun 09, 2009 |
Mayor White and Mark StramaPerry in his athletic gear, 2005

Governor Rick Perry took a tumble on a mountain bike ride Tuesday night and broke his r...



Sorry, I'm Awake Now

10:43 AM Tue, Jun 09, 2009 |

I have nothing but post-session depression to blame for my lack of posts. It's a phenomenon that I battle, sometimes after particularly interesting election cycles as well. Someone joked it was like being released from your captors after having developed Stockholm Syndrome.

A couple of news items for ya, if you haven't already seen them elsewhere.

**State Rep. Wayne Christian, who was publicly sandbagged by Land Commissioner Jerry Patte...



Austin's Senator Ranks, Now What?

10:04 AM Fri, Jun 05, 2009 |

In his first term in the Texas Senate, state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, took home Texas Monthly magazine's 'Rookie of the Year' prize. His sophomore year (despite the bizarre ending) was arguably even stronger, and Watson landed on the magazine's "Ten Best" legislators list in its July issue. Said Paul Burka and Patti Kilday Hart of Watson (the rest is available at Texas Monthly):

He's the Galápagos penguin of the Texas Legislature. That rarest of birds--an effective liberal--Watson has adapted...

In Case You Forgot About Susan Combs...

4:14 PM Tue, Jun 02, 2009 |

The current state comptroller will announce what she wants to do next with her career, in a press event Wednesday morning. The media advisory notes Combs has been elected statewide three times, made state spending more transparent and showed other tall women that standing tall is nothing to be ashamed of. (OK I made up that last one. But that would be a good accomplishment.)

The Combs presser will take place at Austin's Four Seasons at 10am Wednesday.

Combs has previously served as Commissioner of Agriculture, as a state representative from Austin, and as an assistant district attorney in Dal...



The Morning After Mess

12:17 PM Tue, Jun 02, 2009 |

Despite House Speaker Joe Straus' efforts to avoid "blame gaming" after the sudden Senate meltdown on the closing day of the session, the back-and-forth between the Senate, House and Governor's office continues on this morning after.

"If I understood what happened last night, I would be an absolute genius. I thought I was watching an episode of Lost. I don't understand what they [the senators] were thinking," said Governor Rick Perry, in his post-session press conference.

Perry says he worked with Straus mid-afternoon Monday to come up with the resolution idea that allowed state agencies to stay ali...



Speaker Straus Calls Dems "Obstructionists"

4:00 PM Mon, May 25, 2009 |

It's on, y'all. House Speaker Joe Straus has had enough of people questioning his leadership, and he's not going to take it anymore.

After calling Democrats who slowed down the passage of routine Local and Consent calendar bills "obstructionists", he defended his role in moving things along.

"All session long when we've succeeded in a very closely divided House... it's when members have put their differences aside and worked things out themselves. It wasn't because I...



Weighing The Chairman's Chances

9:34 PM Thu, May 21, 2009 |

Just what are State Board of Education Chairman Don McLeroy's chances for winning re-nomination next week by the full Senate? He was already resurrected by committee in a party line vote on Wednesday. Now he needs two-thirds of the Senate to approve him to keep his job as chairman of the controversial SBOE.backed teaching "weaknesses" of evolution.

McLeroy >> Continue reading: Weighing The Chairman's Chances



Morning Reading

9:53 AM Mon, May 18, 2009 |

Couple of links to point you to this Monday morning, as I fight another "case of the Monday's".

First, Newsweek invites Austinite (and UT Prof) Bill Minutaglio to write a piece on Bush's simpler, post-presidency "afterlife" here in Texas. I've linked to the full story, but a sample:

When Bush last lived here full time, he was a media darling with sky-high approval ratings. Karl Rove had conducted a "front-porch campaign," inspired by the candidacy of William McKinley. Governor Bush waited for national GOP leaders to come to him at the stately whit...

Cover Girl

11:19 AM Thu, May 14, 2009 |

State Senator Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, makes an appearance on the cover of 360 West, a lifestyle magazine that brands itself as a "full circle view of where we live". It looks like the accompanying article is for subscribers-only, so I won't be able to link that to you. But for the more visually-oriented of you out there, here's the cover shot of the lawmaker.

360west.jpg >> Continue reading: Cover Girl



Elise Hu is KVUE's Political Reporter and your dedicated blogger. There's too much politics in Texas to fit into a newscast, so the fun continues here. Email your ideas and feedback to ehu@kvue.com.

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