Political News Bits

• The Democratic attorneys challenging the legality of Texas' recently-redrawn congressional districts filed a reply brief with the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday. The brief states that Texas violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments by enacting a redistricting law solely to benefit one political party at the expense of another. This brief counters state arguments that say the map was done fairly and with consideration to both political parties. Arguments are set to begin in one week.

• Strayhorn believes that the state's government has let down our children and failed our teachers. She sites poor rankings in per-pupil spending, teacher salaries and higher education. Kinky tells us that we have the 8th largest economy in the world, but we're 1st in drop-out rates and 49th in education spending in the country. What does our current governor say? Perry told the Texas Business and Education Coalition in Austin that Texas has climbed farther up the mountain than most states, but more is expected. Wow.

• Four Democrats and five Republicans are vying to replace state Rep. Terry Keel in House District 47. The Republicans will attempt to hold on to the seat, but Democrats-fueled by Donna Howard's win in the District 48 seat- have renewed hope they can take this seat as well.

• Kinky Friedman is pissed! He says that the secretary of state' s office is hurting his campaign for governor by urging Texans to vote in the primaries.

  "That's just such crap," Mr. Friedman said before speaking to the Press Club of Dallas. Mr. Williams (secretary of state) "is using taxpayers' money to encourage people to vote without explaining that that cancels out their chance to sign my petition."

Image from Texas Politics