The Evening Brief: Aug. 26, 2013

New in The Texas Tribune

•    Documents Still Show No Evidence of Excrement at Abortion Debate: "More than a month after the Texas Department of Public Safety announced that people during the July 12 abortion debate had attempted to bring urine and feces to the Capitol, official documents show no proof the items existed."

•    MALC Asks State to Pay Fees for Capitol Staffer: "A legislative staffer is claiming the state owes him thousands of dollars in legal fees for his role in a redistricting lawsuit he worked on for up to 16 hours a day while still collecting a salary as a full-time state employee."

•    Video: Hilderbran Targets IRS in First Campaign Spot: "In his first campaign video since launching his campaign for comptroller, state Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville, says the comptroller's office should get more involved in addressing allegations that the IRS is targeting certain political groups."

•    Options for Full-Time Online Instruction Expand in Texas: "The number of full-time cyber schools serving public school students will double in the upcoming year despite a history of lackluster performance and a new law limiting how many online courses students can take at the state’s expense."

Culled

•    Greg Abbott says San Antonio shouldn’t pass ordinance protecting gays (The Dallas Morning News): "GOP governor’s candidate Greg Abbott is panning a proposed ordinance that would prohibit discriminating against gay and transgender people. Abbott joins the three Republican candidates vying to replace him as attorney general in opposing the ordinance, which prohibits discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Those two categories would be added to a list of groups protected by city code."

•    AG candidates rip ordinance (San Antonio Express-News): "Three Republicans vying to become Texas' next attorney general say an anti-discrimination measure proposed in San Antonio would discriminate against 'people of faith' by suppressing their views about gay people. The candidates — state Sen. Ken Paxton of McKinney, state Rep. Dan Branch of Dallas, and Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman — have expressed opposition in recent weeks to the proposed updates to a San Antonio ordinance through letters to city officials, online petitions and media interviews."

•    In Austin, Pelosi praises Wendy Davis but doesn’t pressure her to run for governor (Austin American-Statesman): "The minority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives was in Austin on Monday to attend a conference on the status of women in society and politics, but she did not press the state’s most popular female Democrat to run for Texas’ highest political office. … Pelosi, a favorite target of the Republican base, said Davis wouldn’t have any trouble raising the needed cash — about $30 million to $40 million — to run for governor. 'I don’t think that will be an obstacle,' Pelosi told reporters, adding that she thinks Davis is 'brilliant' and 'courageous.' But the congresswoman from San Francisco said she hasn’t pressured Davis make the run for governor. 'I believe that people have to make their own decision,' Pelosi said. 'I think she knows how much we all respect her, but it’s not really about what anybody outside the state thinks. It’s about what she thinks is possible.'"