The Evening Brief: Nov. 26, 2012

New in The Texas Tribune:

•   Perry Taps Chief of Staff for Texas Supreme Court: "Gov. Rick Perry has named Jeff Boyd, his chief of staff, as his choice to replace Texas Supreme Court Justice Dale Wainwright, who resigned from the state's highest civil court earlier this year."

•   Perry's $10,000 Degree Challenge Spreads to Florida: "Even in gubernatorial circles, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Just ask Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who recently announced a $10,000 degree challenge modeled after the approach of his Texas counterpart, Gov. Rick Perry."

•   Court of Inquiry in Michael Morton Case Delayed: "The court of inquiry for Ken Anderson, the prosecutor who oversaw Michael Morton's wrongful murder conviction, has been delayed to February. Lawyers for the man accused of committing the murder are seeking a delay of his January trial."

•   Texas Democrats Gained, if Only a Little, in 2012: "Texas Democrats don't hold any statewide offices, and they are terribly outnumbered in the state Legislature. But they were the only gainers in this year's elections."

Culled:

•   State lawmakers stick to no-tax pledge (Austin American-Statesman): "U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, and U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-New York, are two of the biggest names in Congress to turn away from anti-tax activist Grover Norquist and his no-tax pledge. But here in Texas, signers of a similar no-new-taxes pledge don’t seem to be having second thoughts."

•   Study: Texas to pay more for Medicaid, even if it adds no adults (The Dallas Morning News): "Texas will spend about $4 billion more in state funds on Medicaid over the next decade, even if it adds no adults under Obamacare, according to a new study conducted for the Kaiser Family Foundation."