The Evening Brief: Aug. 20, 2013

Culled

•    Obamacare critic Rick Perry seeks cash from law (Politico): "Gov. Rick Perry wants to kill Obamacare dead, but Texas health officials are in talks with the Obama administration about accepting an estimated $100 million available through the health law to care for the elderly and disabled, POLITICO has learned. Perry health aides are negotiating with the Obama administration on the terms of an optional Obamacare program that would allow Texas to claim stepped-up Medicaid funding for the care of people with disabilities."

•    Senator Cruz may have to wait eight months to stop being Canadian (Reuters): "U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who says he recently discovered he is likely a Canadian, must win security clearance from Canada's spy agency, fill out a four-page form and then wait up to eight months to sever his ties to America's northern neighbor."

•    Elisa Chan defends anti-gay remarks as free speech (San Antonio Express-News): "Councilwoman Elisa Chan said Tuesday in her first public remarks since news broke last week about her homophobic comments that 'political correctness will not win the day' as she stood by what she said."

•    AG candidate to Mayor Castro: Drop LGBT ordinance (San Antonio Express-News): "The firestorm surrounding San Antonio's proposed non-discrimination ordinance is spreading from local government into state politics. State Rep. Dan Branch, a Dallas Republican campaigning for attorney general, sent a letter to Mayor Julián Castro on Monday asking that he withdraw the proposed city council ordinance that would ban discrimination of employees based on sexual orientation."

New in The Texas Tribune

•    Hilderbran Launches Campaign for Comptroller: "State Rep. Harvey Hilderbran is entering the comptroller's race. He's the fourth Republican to enter the race after state Sen. Glenn Hegar, former state Rep. Raul Torres and former gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina."

•    Cruz Looking for Like-Minded GOP Candidates: "Tea Party firebrand Ted Cruz saw his fortunes rise after picking up endorsements from like-minded conservatives in Washington. Now Cruz, eight months into his first term, is a hot commodity himself — not only as a potential 2016 presidential candidate but as a potential kingmaker in other Senate races."

•    Stealth Dorms Move In and Families Move Out: "College towns across Texas are seeing a rise in so-called stealth dorms, where several students cram into homes in residential areas. Some are calling on cities to limit the number of students allowed to live in residential homes."

•    Poor Texans' Electric Bills to Dive, Then Go Back Up: "The Legislature ensured that a fund to help poor Texans with their electricity bills went to its intended purpose. But it also agreed to empty the fund by 2017."