The Evening Brief: April 24, 2013

Culled

•    Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush Speak In Dallas On Eve Of Library Dedication (The Associated Press): "Former Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush urged the nation to change its immigration and education systems to ensure a robust American economy in remarks Wednesday before the World Affairs Council in Dallas. A suburb away, former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was delivering her first paid speech since leaving the helm of the State Department earlier this year."

•    Preparations underway for President Obama’s DNC dinner (The Dallas Morning News): "President Barack Obama is due to land at Dallas Love Field just after 6:30 p.m. … The president will dine with 60 or so donors who paid $10,000 to $32,400 each. The Democratic National Committee stands to collect $1 million and perhaps much more."

•    Czech Republic approves $200,000 in aid to West (Fort Worth Star-Telegram): "Government leaders in the Czech Republic approved a donation that amounts to nearly $200,000 on Wednesday to help the town of West after a fertilizer plant explosion killed 15 people, according to an embassy press release. The country's ambassador to the United States, Petr Gandalovic, said two days after the explosion that his country was exploring a way to financially assist the small Texas town with strong Czech roots."

•    In Dallas, Jeb Bush talks immigration, school testing (Fort Worth Star-Telegram): "Former Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush gave the kind of speech Wednesday that wins elections. But he said he was only interested in one campaign. 'To be honest,' he told the Dallas-Fort Worth World Affairs Council, 'I'm focused on the land commissioner race in 2014.'"

New in The Texas Tribune

•    House Approves Continuation of Lottery Commission: "Despite voting a second time in favor of continuing theTexas Lottery Commission on Wednesday, the majority of House members made clear that they would like to study how to wind down the agency."

•    Oil Lobbyists Overseeing Protection of Threatened Lizard in Permian Basin: "The oil industry vigorously opposed efforts to list the threatened dunes sagebrush lizard as an endangered species. But three oil company lobbyists were given day-to-day oversight of the effort to save the reptile."

•    Interactive: Tracking Texas' Gun Legislation: State lawmakers have filed roughly 100 gun bills this session — many drafted in the wake of the deadly December shooting in Newtown, Conn. Use our interactive to review the measures by subject and see which are getting the most traction in the Capitol.

•    Perry's Rainy Day Policy Fueled by Credit Ratings: "As lawmakers debate how much money to leave in the state's Rainy Day Fund, Gov. Rick Perry is relying on a very specific figure: 7.5 percent."

•    Despite Concerns, TEA Moving Forward on A-F School Ratings Plan: "Against the recommendation of school leaders and amid skepticism from some lawmakers, the Texas Education Agency will continue working toward a transition to a public school accountability ratings system with grades of A through F."