The Midday Brief: July 23, 2010

Your afternoon reading:

"The balance of the State Board of Education tipped Friday in favor of using money from Texas’ public school endowment to finance charter school facilities." — Charter school investment plan gets approval, Postcards

"Texas is one of the least highly educated states in the country, according to a study released Thursday by the College Board — the company that administers the SAT and AP tests." — Texas ranks low in college benchmark study, Texas on the Potomac

"Gov. Rick Perry will be heading to Richmond, Va. on Aug. 16 for a campaign fundraiser that will be held at the corporate headquarters of Altria — parent company of Phillip Morris. Hey, smoke 'em if you got 'em. Perry spokesman Mark Miner said the event is being headlined by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. Perry and McDonnell have become friends through the Republican Governors Association, where Perry also met and established close ties with fellow conservatives Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal and Haley Barbour." — Rick Perry: Virginia is for lovers of campaign cash, Trail Blazers

"Tom Leppert said Thursday that he's still mulling over whether to run for re-election, but would make a final decision, perhaps in late fall." — Leppert to make a decision on political future by year's end, Trail Blazers

New in The Texas Tribune:

"Reversing its decision as a committee Thursday, the State Board of Education voted on Friday to allocate half a percent of the $23 billion Permanent School Fund to finance charter schools facilities, contingent on a favorable opinion from the attorney general or 'express legislative authority.' The allocation is part of an overall long-term strategic investment plan for the fund." — TribBlog: In Reversal, SBOE Passes Charter Financing

"The former San Antonio mayor and HUD Secretary on what Bill White has to do to win the Latino vote, what Rick Perry should say about the Arizona immigration law and how Julián Castro's star can continue to rise." — Henry Cisneros on Immigration and the Latino Vote

"For the final part of his three-part series, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune sat down with Hispanic student leaders to find out whether Texas Democrats and Republicans can attract first-time voters in November." — Hispanic Student Leaders Talk About Party Efforts

"John Bradley said this morning the Texas Forensic Science Commission's jurisdictional memo was 'not intended to stop' the Cameron Todd Willingham investigation." — Forensic Science Commission Narrowing Its Jurisdiction?