The Mignon Memo

New leadership role for Gary Jessee.

Gary Jessee, currently the state Medicaid director, will lead the newly created Medical and Social Services division of the Health and Human Services system. Jessee will become executive commissioner of this new division combining Medicaid/CHIP, eligibility services, and community access beginning September 1, 2016. To read more…

Good bye, Hofheinz Pavilion.

The lawsuit over renaming the University of Houston’s basketball arena, currently named after former Houston mayor Roy Hofheinz, is coming to a close. Instead of Hofheinz Pavilion, a statute will be erected and a street will be named after him. A new name for the pavilion has yet to be announced, but will likely be tied to the donor who is providing $20 million for renovations to the facility. To read more…

School finance team leader named.

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath has named Leo Lopez Associate Commissioner and Chief School Finance Officer for the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Beginning June 27^th, Lopez will oversee the divisions responsible for state funding, financial accountability, and financial compliance.  To read more…

Only in Austin…

Looking for a no frills place to take Dad this Sunday? La Barbecue is one that always tops the best of Austin BBQ lists. Behind La Barbecue’s pit is pit boss John Lewis, who can cook up brisket and ribs like nobody’s business. Lewis once worked at Franklin BBQ and also tended the pit alongside John Mueller before the drama with the Mueller siblings turned into a BBQ turf war. Insiders say ordering the beef ribs, brisket, and sausage is a must! To read more…

Victory Chairman Bush.

The Texas GOP has named Land Commissioner George P. Bush as its 2016 Victory Chairman. As chairman, he will lead efforts to organize and raise money for Texas Republicans in November’s General Election.   To read more…

Zika Preparation.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has announced a $2 million campaign to educate Texans on steps to take to “not give Zika a biting chance.” Funds for the public outreach campaign come from federal public health emergency preparedness funds.  To read more…

Republican recounts.

Last Tuesday’s runoffs resulted in two extremely close races in the Texas House. 23 votes gave Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park) an extremely narrow win over incumbent Rep. Wayne Smith (R-Baytown) in House District 128. Scott Cosper (R-Killeen) also narrowly defeated Austin Ruiz (R-Killeen) with 43 votes in the HD 54 race to succeed Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock. Smith and Ruiz are both pursuing a recount.  To read more…

Only in Austin…

X Games comes to Austin this weekend for its third and final year at the Circuit of The Americas. Official kick off of the X Games takes place with the Moto X competition. Let’s hope the thrill-seeking athletes and spectators are spared x-treme weather. To read more…

Primary Runoff Results Edition…

After the March Primary election, 22 party primary races remained unsettled—16 Republican and 6 Democratic. Last night (most of) that was settled, as two Texas House races are likely to have a recount. New faces will replace retiring elected officials and two will fill the seats of ousted incumbents.

Voter turnout in Texas remains low, particularly in runoff elections. 46,789 voted in the Republican Party Primary Runoff and 19,725 voted in the Democratic Party Primary Runoff. Those totals include early voters.

U.S. House-District 15 (Rio Grande Valley; Democratic and Republican Primary Runoff): Vicente Gonzalez defeated Juan “Sonny” Palacios, Jr. with 65.7% of the vote in the Democratic Primary. Tim Westley defeated Ruben Villarreal with 51.6% of the vote in the Republican Primary. Gonzalez and Westley will face off in November to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Hinojosa.

U.S. House-District 18 (Houston; Republican Primary Runoff): Lori Bartley defeated Reggie Gonzales with 57.8% of the vote and will challenge incumbent Sheila Jackson Lee (Houston) in November.

U.S. House-District 19 (West Texas; Republican Primary Runoff): Jodey Arrington defeated Glen Robertson with 53.7% of the vote and will succeed retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer (Lubbock). No Democrats are running.

Court of Criminal Appeals-Place 2 (Republican Primary Runoff): Mary Lou Keel defeated Ray Wheless with 51% of the vote and will face incumbent Judge Larry Meyers in November.

Court of Criminal Appeals-Place 5 (Republican Primary Runoff): Scott Walker defeated Brent Webster with 57.9% of the vote and will face Democrat Betsy Johnson in November.

Railroad Commission (Statewide-Republican and Democratic Primary Runoff): Republican Wayne Christian defeated Gary Gates with 50.9% of the vote. Democrat Grady Yarbrough defeated Cody Garrett with 53.9% of the vote and will face Christian in November.

Texas Senate-District 1 (Northeast Texas; Republican Primary Runoff): Bryan Hughes (Mineola) defeated David Simpson (Longview) with 69.3% of the vote, and will succeed retiring Republican Sen. Kevin Eltife. No Democrats are running.

Texas Senate-District 24 (24 counties in Central Texas; Republican Primary Runoff): Dr. Dawn Buckingham (Lakeway) defeated Susan King (Abilene) with 61.3% of the vote, and will face Democrat Virginia “Jennie Lou” Leeder in November to replace retiring Republican Sen. Troy Fraser (Horseshoe Bay). This is a solid Republican seat.

Texas House-District 5 (Northeast Texas; Republican Primary Runoff): Cole Hefner defeated Jay Misenheimer with 60.4% of the vote. Hefner will succeed Rep. Bryan Hughes (Mineola) as there is no Democrat running.

Texas House-District 18 (Liberty, San Jacinto, Walker Counties; Republican Primary Runoff): Ernest Bailes defeated Keith Strahan with 67.4% of the vote, and will succeed retiring Rep. John Otto (Dayton). There is no Democrat running in November.

Texas House-District 27 (Fort Bend County; Democratic Primary Runoff): Incumbent Ron Reynolds defeated Angelique Bartholomew with 52.9% of the vote and will face Republican challenger Ken Bryant in November. This is a solid Democratic district.

Texas House-District 33 (Collin and Rockwall Counties; Republican Primary Runoff): Justin Holland defeated John Keating with 50.6% of the vote and will face Democrat Karen Jacobs in November in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Scott Turner (Frisco).

Texas House-District 54 (Bell and Lampasas Counties; Republican Primary Runoff): Scott Cosper defeated Austin Ruiz with 50.4% of the vote. Winning by only 43 votes, this is well within the margin for a recount if requested by Ruiz. Cosper will face Democrat Sandra Blankenship in November in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock (Killeen).

Texas House-District 64 (Denton; Republican Primary Runoff): Lynn Stucky defeated Read King with 65.7% of the vote in the race to replace retiring Rep. Myra Crownover (Denton). Stucky will face Democrat Connor Flanagan in the fall.

Texas House-District 73 (Comal, Gillespie, and Kendall Counties; Republican Primary Runoff): Kyle Biedermann defeated incumbent Doug Miller (New Braunfels) with 55.4% of the vote. No Democrats are running for this seat.

Texas House-District 120 (San Antonio; Democratic Primary Runoff): Barbara Gervin-Hawkins defeated Mario Salas with 55.8% of the vote in the race to replace retiring Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon. No Republicans are running.

Texas House-District 128 (East Harris County; Republican Primary Runoff): Briscoe Cain defeated incumbent Wayne Smith (Baytown) with 50.2% of the vote. Winning by only 23 votes, this is well within the margin for a recount if requested by Smith. No Democrats are running.

Texas House- District 139 (Houston; Democratic Primary Runoff): Jarvis Johnson defeated Kimberly Willis with 53% of the vote in the race to replace now Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. Johnson recently won the special election to serve Turner’s remaining term, ending January 2017. No Republicans are running.

State Board of Education-District 6 (Harris County; Democratic Primary Runoff): R. Dakota Carter defeated Jasmine L. Jenkins with 62.4% of the vote and will challenge current SBOE Chair Donna Bahorich (Houston) in November.

State Board of Education-District 9 (31 counties in East/Northeast Texas; Republican Primary Runoff): Keven M. Ellis defeated Mary Lou Bruner with 59.2% of the vote and will succeed retiring SBOE member Thomas Ratliff (Mount Pleasant).

Texas School Finance System is imperfect, but not unconstitutional.

Friday, the Texas Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Texas school finance system is constitutional while strongly suggesting the need for reform.  The 100-page decision, authored by Justice Don Willett, puts the ball back in the court of the Texas Legislature. To read more…

Early Voting is underway!

Early voting began Monday and lasts through Friday, May 20th for the May 24^th Primary Runoff Election. Remember, a photo ID is required to vote. Make it easy on yourself and early vote at any location in your county. To read more…

RPT platform.

The Republican Party of Texas’ platform was voted on plank by plank by delegates gathered at the convention in Dallas last weekend. All 266 of them. Historically, the platform is voted upon as a whole. Spoiler alert: supporting the state’s right to secede did not make the cut. The Texas Democratic Party meets in San Antonio June 16-18 and will adopt its platform then. To read more…

Only in Austin…

The Texas Chili Parlor has been an Austin favorite since its opening in 1976 and was immortalized in song by the late great Guy Clark in “Dublin Blues.”  In the words of Guy Clark, “Well I wished I was in Austin, hmm, in the Chili Parlor Bar, Drinkin’ Mad Dog Margaritas and not carin’ where you are…” Clearly the margaritas left an impression on him. Next time you’re visiting the Capitol, walk on over, and grab a bowl of their famous chili. To read more…

Special Election Results-Houston

Former city council member Jarvis Johnson (D-Houston) defeated Rickey Tezino (D-Houston), a teacher, in the special election to replace Sylvester Turner with 85% of the vote. Johnson will serve the remainder of Turner’s term, but is also in a May 24th runoff against Kimberly Willis to succeed Turner in the House next session.  To read more…

The elections keep coming in San Antonio.

There will be a special election runoff to fill the seat of Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon as no candidate earned 50% of the vote. The election will likely take place during the summer, and the winner will serve only a few months as the term ends in January at the start of the 2017 legislative session. To read more…

A narrowing field.

As the end of the presidential primary season comes to an end, the field is narrowing. Those unhappy with the presumed Republican nominee, Donald Trump, have been kicking around the idea of a 3^rd party Independent candidate. That possibility (in Texas anyway) is no longer as the deadline for independent candidates to file in Texas passed on Monday.  To read more…

Only in Austin…

Big Medium’s 5th annual West Austin Studio Tour takes place over the next two weekends. West is a self-guided art event where participants are able to view collections and see the artists at work in their studios. To read more…

New HHSC Leadership.

Governor Abbott has appointed Charles Smith as the next executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). Smith will take over from Commissioner Chris Traylor who retires at the end of this month. Cecile Young, HHSC’s current chief of staff, has been promoted to chief deputy executive commissioner.  To read more…

A is for accountability.

Although Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath has said the problems with the most recent STAAR tests are unacceptable, he has declined to adjust the state’s accountability system. The most recent testing results will still be included in state accountability ratings. To read more…

Texas Governors on the move.

Yesterday, the State Preservation Board began the process of moving all 51 portraits of past Texas Governors (and Presidents) one space to the left to make room for Governor Perry’s portrait to be unveiled on Friday. The process is expected to take 2 full days. To read more…

Only in Austin…

What’s better than flowers for Mother’s Day? Acres of flowers at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center. The Center was established to help preserve and restore natural landscapes and beauty. Today, it is one of the country’s most credible research institutions and effective advocates for native plants. A special Flowers for Mom guided garden stroll will be held Sunday. You may also catch a glimpse of a mama owl nesting near the entrance. We did! To read more…

Speaker Sunset Appointees.

Speaker Joe Straus made three new appointments to the Sunset Advisory Commission this week. Rep. Larry Gonzales (R-Round Rock) will serve as Chair. Representative Dan Flynn (R-Van) and Representative Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston), and William Meadows (member of the public-Fort Worth) were also appointed. The Sunset Commission reviews and makes recommendations to help make state agencies run more effectively and efficiently. To read more…

Medicaid Negotiations.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has submitted a request to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for a 15-month extension of the 1115 Demonstration Waiver set to expire on September 30, 2016. The waiver draws down federal Medicaid funds to help Texas hospitals treat uninsured patients. To read more…

Budget woes.

Speaker Joe Straus sent a letter to House budget writers yesterday laying out some priorities and challenges facing the state. A combination of low oil and gas prices, reduced revenue, and additional resources necessary to address child protective services (CPS) and the school finance law suit could make crafting the budget more difficult this session.   To read more…

Only in Austin (or Buda)…

Buda, the Wiener Dog Capital of Texas, is hosting its 19^th Annual Buda Country Fair and Wiener Dog Races this weekend, April 23^rd and 24^th. New this year is the Mixed Breed Wiener Dog racing category. Note: Chi-weenies are considered a mixed breed. Veterinarians will be on site to verify breed characteristics. We’re off to the races! To read more…

HHSC Commissioner Traylor retiring.

Commissioner Chris Traylor has announced he will retire at the end of May. Traylor has led the Health and Human Services Commission since July 2015. His successor has not been announced. To read more… 

Perry’s portrait.

Former Governor Rick Perry’s official portrait will join Texas’ other governors on May 6^th at a ceremony in the Rotunda. No word on if the portrait will include his hip black framed glasses. To read more…

FEMA assistance on its way.

Monday, the federal government granted Governor Abbott’s request for a federal disaster declaration in Fayette, Grimes, Harris, and Parker counties. Assistance will go to help those counties recover and rebuild from recent flood damages. To read more…

Only in Austin…

Eeyore’s Birthday Party is one of Austin’s signature “Keep Austin Weird” events and it takes place this Saturday at Pease Park. Costumes, face painting, maypoles, drum circles, and a real live Eeyore will all be there. The event raises funds for local non-profits through the sale of food and drinks. Visitors are encouraged to bring an open mind and enthusiasm. To read more…

New leadership for child welfare agency.

Governor Abbott has appointed former chief of the Texas Rangers, Hank Whitman, as the new Commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). Kristene Blackstone, a former caseworker, will serve as Assistant Commissioner of Child Protective Services (CPS). Both begin on May 1^st.   To read more…

ETS on academic probation.

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath told the State Board of Education that if Educational Testing Services (ETS) cannot fix a glitch in its administration of the STAAR exam by May, that the contract may be ended. More than 14,000 students lost their exam answers, including 8,800 special education students, because of technical issues.   To read more…

A different kind of border security tactic.

$500,000 from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is going to fund a pilot project to eradicate Carrizo cane along the Texas/Mexico border. The invasive plant can offer natural cover for drug smugglers and mules. The method that will be used is undecided as there are concerns about aerial spraying and possible water pollution. To read more…

Only in Austin…

The Stinson’s banner is beginning to give the El Arroyo sign some competition in the humor department. Pop in for a drink with an election season twist—The Drumpf, The Bern (or Proletariat), a Whitewater Sour, or a Faustus Cubano aka The HP-12C.  To read more…

Guns Up, Raiders. (But not everywhere on campus.)

Texas Tech University has announced its policy on campus carry. The policy, to be reviewed by the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents in April, would ban concealed handguns in the recreation center, chapel, and some dorms, but not classrooms. To read more…

Test Anxiety Reality.

Yesterday, students across the state completed Day #1 of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test. Some students had their worst nightmare become a reality as four Central Texas school districts (Austin, Hays Consolidated, Hutto, and Harper) faced a computer glitch that may have caused answers to be lost. To read more…

It wouldn’t be the TEXAS GOP convention without open carry.

More than 40,000 signatures were collected by gun advocates petitioning the Secret Service to allow guns at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July, but to no avail. However, the Texas GOP confirmed it will allow open and concealed carry at its May convention in Dallas.  To read more…

Only in Austin…

 A new outdoor art installation, Hurlyburly, by Orly Genger, is now open daily at the Waller Delta, next to the Waller Creek Boathouse (74 Trinity), until February 2017. Created using repurposed lobster rope, Hurlyburly is a massive interactive piece of painted and hand-knotted rope. We love art you can climb on! To read more…