The Evening Brief: Aug. 29, 2013

Culled

•    Nixon fires back at Perry: "You don’t mess with folks here in the Show-Me State" (The Kansas City Star): "Gov. Jay Nixon on Tuesday fired a salvo across the good ship Rick Perry with a radio spot airing in St. Louis that all but suggests that the Texas governor is wasting his time pursuing Missouri businesses. Perry is making a trip to Missouri to try to try to encourage businesses here to trasnfer operations to Texas. Nixon is having none of it. His campaign is airing the ad on a St. Louis radio station that says Missouri — not Texas — is the better state for businesses."

•    City Council opposes Texas voter ID law (Austin American-Statesman): "Austin City Council members declared their opposition Thursday to Texas’ recently revived voter-identification law and decided to join lawsuits challenging the photo-ID requirements. A unanimous council, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down portions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 cleared the way for the voter-ID law, directed the city’s lawyers to look into joining a lawsuit already filed U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, as well as any challenges to the voter law by the U.S. Department of Justice."

•    Dan Patrick jumps on GOP anti-ordinance train (San Antonio Express-News): "Sen. Dan Patrick Thursday joined a small chorus of Republican officials slamming a proposed ordinance in San Antonio that would add protections for sexual orientation and gender identity to the city’s nondiscrimination code. 'The proposed San Antonio ordinance runs counter to the Holy Bible and the United States Constitution,' Patrick, who is running for lieutenant governor, said in a written statement. 'I hope the San Antonio City Council considers the harm this ordinance will perpetrate on those who share my faith as well as the inevitable litigation before adopting this politically motivated measure.'"

•    Richard Trumka wants Texas '14 labor push (Politico): "AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says the labor organization is targeting some new states in 2014, namely, Texas. Citing the Lone Star State’s rules prohibiting county fire codes, he called Texas’s working conditions 'concerning,' and suggested more unions were necessary to protect minority workers’ rights."

•    Perot Foundation announces $1 million gift to Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas (The Dallas Morning News): "The Perot Foundation announced a $1 million donation to Planned Parenthood this week, at a time when lawmakers and some charities are distancing themselves from the major provider of women’s health services."

New in The Texas Tribune

•    Health Council Gives Tacit Approval to Abortion Rules: "Despite pleas from reproductive rights advocates to amend proposed rules to enact strict regulations on abortion facilities, the Department of State Health Services’ governing council gave tacit approval to them on Thursday."

•    With Voter ID in Effect, Edinburg Voters Cast Ballots: "The first day of early voting this week in an Edinburg City Council election has only yielded about 400 votes but so far, voter ID hasn't appeared to cause any issues."

•    Potential SD-10 Candidates Await Davis' Decision: "With four Republican candidates already in the race, Democrats are seeking one candidate to unite behind as they fight to keep the Texas Senate seat Wendy Davis has occupied since 2008."

•    Skinner's Lawyer, AG Disagree Over DNA Results: "Lawyers for Hank Skinner say new DNA tests show someone else likely committed the crime for which he was convicted and sentenced to death. But state prosecutors argue the tests show even more links between Skinner and the three victims."

•    The Polling Center: How Holder May Help Abbott in 2014: "Public opinion on voting rights in Texas neither paints a dour picture for gubernatorial hopeful Greg Abbott nor presents a clear path forward for Democrats."

•    Texas Groundwater Districts Face Daunting List of Challenges: "Groundwater managers in Texas have applauded lawmakers' push to fund a comprehensive water plan, but as a water summit this week made clear, money alone won't fix the tangle of concerns facing the state's groundwater authorities."