The Evening Brief: Oct. 9, 2013

New in The Texas Tribune

•    Abbott Gets Boost From National Republicans in Effort to Reach Hispanics: "Attorney General Greg Abbott, the GOP front-runner for governor, is getting help from the Republican National Committee to reach Hispanic voters in Texas."

•    Battleground Texas Beefs Up in Cowtown for Wendy Davis Campaign: "Battleground Texas says it's focused on resurrecting the moribund Texas Democratic Party over the long term. The group's focus on helping Wendy Davis in her race for governor shows how much those hopes rest on her candidacy."

•    TxDOT May Get Extra Money for Damaged Roads: "State lawmakers are expected to give the Texas Department of Transportation an extra $250 million for work in counties affected by the drilling boom, but that likely won't stop some paved roads from being converted to gravel."

•    Texas Drops Two Spots in National Business Tax Ranking: "Texas dropped two spots, from ninth to 11th, on the Tax Foundation's widely cited State Business Tax Climate Index. But the index did not factor changes lawmakers made to the franchise tax this year."

•    Revisiting Immigration Study a Popular Idea in Comptroller's Race: "The state of Texas last performed a study on the economic impact of undocumented immigrants in 2006. The majority of the candidates running for comptroller in 2014 say it's time for that analysis to get an update."

Culled

•    At water event, Perry cites poll slamming Congress (Austin American-Statesman): "A press conference Wednesday on the shores of a parched Lake Travis focused mostly on elected officials’ desire to pass a statewide ballot proposition to fund water projects across the state. But the most memorable part of the event had nothing to do with Proposition 6, which is on the Nov. 5 ballot. Before wrapping up the event, Gov. Rick Perry left reporters and others with a doozy of quote about Congress when he was asked about how federal officials should get past the impasse that led to the partial governmental shutdown. 'Americans are really — they are frustrated with Washington right now. I think there was a poll that was just out that said … witches and hemorrhoids and jury duty were better thought of than members of Congress. Not particularly a high bar there for you.'"

•    Rep. Hensarling, Sessions part of GOP group to meet with Obama (The Dallas Morning News): "Dallas Reps. Jeb Hensarling and Pete Sessions are among 18 negotiators House Republicans are sending to meet with President Obama tomorrow. Both sides hope the meeting will yield a solution to the government shutdown. Both Hensarling and Sessions hold influential slots. Hensarling chairs the Financial Services Committee and Sessions chairs the Rules Committee and serves in the GOP leadership."

•    Documents: Think tank supplied blueprints for Texas to fight Obamacare (The Dallas Morning News): "A major conservative think tank supplied the blueprints for Texas bills aimed at fighting Obamacare, according to documents ordered released by the attorney general. The Center for Media and Democracy, a Wisconsin-based government watchdog group, requested the documents from Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth. They were sent to her by the American Legislative Exchange Council, known as ALEC, in July."