The Evening Brief: May 27, 2013

New in The Texas Tribune

•    Dewhurst: Perry About to Announce Special Session: "With the ink barely dry on the bills passed during the regular 2013 session, Gov. Rick Perry will announce Monday he will call lawmakers back into an immediate special session, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said. Dewhurst said the session would begin at 6 p.m. Calls placed to the governor's office were not immediately returned."

•    Dewhurst Calls for Conservative Priorities in a Special Session: "Saying he heard a special session would be called Monday evening, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is urging Gov. Rick Perry to include a variety of conservative issues, such as the 'fetal pain' and campus-carry measures, on the call. After officially adjourning Sine Die, Dewhurst told the Senate, 'I just got word that we’re going to be called back for a special session at 6 p.m.' Before adjourning, he assigned a select committee on redistricting — the only item certainly on the special session agenda — to be chaired by Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo."

•    Lawmaker Transparency Bills Got Little Traction: "Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst on Monday urged Gov. Rick Perry to call lawmakers back into special session and include new abortion limits, gun bills, school choice and other key conservative issues on the agenda."

•    Interactive: Bills Sent to the Governor's Office: Hundreds of bills that have been signed by both the House and the Senate are arriving at Gov. Rick Perry's office. Use our interactive to see which measures he has signed, which he has vetoed and which have become law without his signature.

•    Best & Worst Lawmakers: Your Turn to Choose: Texas Monthly's list of the best and worst legislators of the 83rd session doesn't come out until June 12, but why should Paul Burka and his colleagues have all the fun? Use this interactive between now and 6 p.m. Tuesday to select your own personal list.

Culled

•    Anchia bemoans lack of action on comprehensive immigration reform (The Dallas Morning News): "Somebody is still thinking about policy today. Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, is passing around a press release blasting the House for not taking up comprehensive immigration reform — what he called one of biggest issues facing Texas and the nation."

•    Progressive coalition grades state budget: mediocre (The Dallas Morning News): "A group of unions, education groups, disability rights activists, social-justice interfaith groups and health care providers and advocates said Monday that lawmakers at best deserve middling to poor marks for the two-year, $197 billion state budget they passed."

•    Texas Firm Highlights Struggle for Black Professionals (The New York Times): "The Supreme Court is poised to rule as early as this week on whether the University of Texas can continue to consider race as one of many factors in its admissions policy. It is a case that could have a profound impact on race-based affirmative action programs across the nation and has reignited a discussion of how much progress minorities, African-Americans in particular, have made in integrating into some of the most sought-after professions, especially since the recession."