The Mignon Memo

Things to know this week:

• Brandon Creighton defeated Steve Toth in the special election for Senate District 4 with 67.4% of the vote. SD 4 includes The Woodlands, Conroe, and Montgomery County. Both Toth and Creighton served in the Texas House of Representatives.

• Gov. Perry has started a federal political action committee (PAC), RickPAC. The PAC’s purpose is to raise money for campaigns of Republican congressional candidates across the country.

• At a Legislative Budget Board meeting yesterday, the Texas Comptroller’s office testified that the ending balance for the Rainy Day Fund for 2015 will be $8.4 billion. This figure includes the possible passage of the constitutional ballot measure authorizing $1.7 billion to go to the state highway fund.

• Texas’ tax free weekend is this weekend, August 8-10. For more information, click here.

Only in Austin…

There are plenty of burger options in Austin, but a favorite since 2010 is Hopdoddy Burger Bar, named for the native cow of Aberdeen, Scotland. Black Angus beef is ground fresh daily in-house, buns are baked from scratch, and the French fries are hand cut.

Hungry? Right now, you can get the Ghostland Burgatory special with ghost peppers, serranos, and habaneros. But you’ll have to sign a waiver first…

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Things to know this week:

• Governor Perry has set September 9, 2014 as the special election date for Senate District 28, which encompasses Lubbock, San Angelo, and Childress. This Senate seat is being vacated by Sen. Robert Duncan (Lubbock), who will soon be Texas Tech’s new chancellor.

• Lt. Gov. Dewhurst has appointed three new Senate committee chairs. Sen. Charles Schwertner (Georgetown) is the new chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. He succeeds Sen. Jane Nelson (Flower Mound), who was appointed chair of the Senate Finance Committee (formerly chaired by Sen. Tommy Williams). Sen. Craig Estes (Wichita Falls) has been named chair of the Senate State Affairs Committee (formerly chaired by Sen. Duncan) and Sen. Kevin Eltife (Tyler) has been appointed chair of the Senate Business & Commerce Committee (currently chaired by Sen. Carona, who will not return next session).

• Lt. Gov. Dewhurst has appointed Sen. Craig Estes and Sen. Kevin Eltife to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB). The LBB oversees the development of the budget and makes recommendations on appropriations to state agencies.

• Yesterday, the University of Texas System named Admiral William H. McRaven as the sole finalist to be the next chancellor of the system. He is expected to take over as chancellor at the beginning of 2015.

 
Only in Austin…

Photo Credit: www.thelongcenter.org

The Long Center opened on the southern shore of Lady Bird Lake in 2008. Its mission is to showcase local talent and art. Over 80% of performances come from local artists. There is something for everyone at the Long Center—ballet, symphony, opera, Trailer Food Tuesday, children’s theater, and special community events like Sound & Cinema.

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Things to know this week:

• Texas House Speaker Joe Straus has appointed Representatives Drew Darby (San Angelo), John Otto (Dayton), and John Zerwas (Simonton) to serve on the Legislative Budget Board until the Legislature convenes. They are replacing Representatives Dan Branch (Dallas), Harvey Hilderbran (Kerrville), and Jim Pitts (Waxahachie), who are not returning for the next legislative session.

• Admiral William H. McRaven, commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, and Richard Fisher, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, have been named as the two remaining candidates for Chancellor of the University of Texas System.

• Last week President Obama dined on John Mueller’s barbecue in Dallas and on Franklin’s in Austin. He isn’t the only president that seems to enjoy barbecued goodness. Check out Texas Monthly’s BBQ blog “Commanders In Beef (and Pork): Barbecue and the Presidents.”

• Happy National Corn Fritters Day! What’s a corn fritter, you ask? A tasty bite-sized snack of fried or baked corn batter. Not your style of food? Don’t fret, National Peach Ice Cream Day is tomorrow, July 17th.

Only in Austin…

The University of Texas-Austin is home to two telescopes, a 16-inch one housed in Robert Lee Moore Hall and a 9-inch one housed in Painter Hall. Public viewing is available throughout the year, schedule depending upon the season. For specifics on when stargazing is available, click here.

Photo credit: http://outreach.as.utexas.edu/

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 Things to know this week:

• Today, President Obama and Governor Perry will meet in Dallas for a roundtable discussion with local elected officials and faith leaders on the topic of immigration. The President will then travel to Austin for scheduled engagements.

• Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Dora G. Alcala of Del Rio to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for a term to expire Aug. 31, 2015. The board sets policies and coordinates efforts to improve higher education in Texas.

• Texas Monthly has a new editor-in-chief, Brian Sweany. He most recently served as the senior executive editor for Texas Monthly’s political coverage.

• Franklin’s Barbecue reopens this week, revealing its grand expansion. Perhaps in the future it will only be a 2 hour wait for some delicious BBQ instead of the average 5 hours.

Only in Austin…

Photo credit: austintheatre.org

The Paramount Theatre, Austin’s oldest surviving theatre, will soon celebrate its 100th birthday. Back in 1915 it delighted visitors with vaudeville and variety shows. Today, The Paramount continues to entertain through film, live music, comedy shows, and presidential speaking engagements!

If you’re a classic movie buff, you’ll love the Paramount Summer Classic Film Series going on now!

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Photo credit: Austin Women’s Magazine

Things to know this week:

• 50 years ago today, Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The LBJ Library has put together a great list of “10 Ways Things Are Completely Different Because of LBJ and the Civil Rights Movement.”

• Musician Phil Collins recently donated his collection of artifacts from the Texas Revolution to the General Land Office. If you missed the big press conference where the lead singer of Genesis and Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson hug it out in front of the Alamo, you can watch it here.

• Looking for a laugh? Check out Texas Monthly’s “Meanwhile in Texas…” where you can read about some of the craziest things that have happened in the state over the last 30 days. A cross-dressing mini-skirt arsonist? You can’t make this stuff up!

Only in Austin…

Photo credit: Byrne Construction Services

The Bullock Texas State History Museum tells the “Story of Texas” to its millions of visitors through three floors of interactive exhibits, special-effects films, and an IMAX theatre. And because everything is bigger in Texas, a 35-foot-tall bronze star sculpture greets visitors by the entrance. Every Friday in July, you can catch a live music concert under the star.

Have a safe and Happy Fourth of July!

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Things to know this week:

• Tuesday, a U.S. Senate panel hearing kicked off the beginning of the confirmation process for Julian Castro, current mayor of San Antonio, to become Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The full Senate will likely vote on Castro’s confirmation at the end of the month.

• Sul Ross State University named William Kibler as the sole finalist in its search for a new president. Kibler comes from Mississippi State University where he served as vice president for student affairs.

• Texas politics will soon make another appearance on the small screen. God Save Texas, a political drama, will soon film its pilot for HBO. House of Cards meets Texas politics?

Only in Austin…

Every third Thursday of the month, the Blanton Museum of Art hosts “Third Thursdays”.  Not only can you check out the largest art collection in Central Texas (for free), but you can also take part in specially scheduled activities like yoga in the gallery, musical performances, and special tours. If you have a chance, check it out tomorrow!

Photo credit: Blanton Museum of Art

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Things to know this week:

• Natalia Luna Ashley has been named the new executive director of the Texas Ethics Commission.

• Former University of Texas coach, Mack Brown, will join ESPN as an analyst for the upcoming college football season.

• Carrollton police and the Texas Rangers have recovered more than $6,000 pairs of cowboy boots in a $1 million boot bust!

What do you think of the new look?

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The primary runoff results are in. Voter turnout was very low with Democratic turnout less than 2% and Republican turnout less than 6%. Here is a final recap of the 2014 Texas primary runoff election results. Six races were at stake in the runoff election—four on the Republican primary ballot and two on the Democratic primary ballot. If you want to see how the votes added up by county, see the Texas Secretary of State’s website: http://www.sos.state.tx.us.

U.S. Senate seat

David Alameel defeated Kesha Rodgers in the Democratic primary and will face Sen. John Cornyn in the general election.

Congressional races

CD 4 (north of Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, includes Rockwall and Collin counties): John Ratcliffe defeated Ralph Hall and will face a Libertarian and an Independent opponent in the general election.

CD 23 (covers as far west as El Paso and as far east as San Antonio): Will Hurd defeated Francisco “Quico” Canseco in the Republican primary and will face Democrat and current Congressman Pete Gallego in the general election.

CD 36 (southeast Texas, including parts of Harris, Liberty, Chambers, and Hardin counties): Brian Babin defeated Ben Streusand and will face Democrat Michael Cole in the general election.

Other Statewide Races

Lieutenant Governor
Current state senator Dan Patrick defeated incumbent Lieutenant Governor
David Dewhurst in the Republican primary and will face fellow state senator Leticia Van de Putte in the general election.

Attorney General
Ken Paxton defeated Dan Branch and will face Democrat Sam Houston in the general election.

Agriculture Commissioner
Jim Hogan defeated Richard “Kinky” Friedman in the Democratic primary and will face Republican Sid Miller who defeated Tommy Merritt in the Republican primary.

Texas Railroad Commission, Place 2
Ryan Sitton defeated Wayne Christian and will face Democrat Steve Brown in the general election.

Texas Senate

SD 2 (Greenville, Rockwall, Kaufman): Bob Hall defeated incumbent Bob Deuell and will face Libertarian Don Bates in the general election.

SD 10 (Fort Worth, Colleyville): Konni Burton defeated Mark Shelton, M.D. and will face Democrat Libby Wills in the general election.

Texas House

Republican primary runoffs:

HD 10 (Waxahachie, Ennis): John Wray defeated T.J. Fabby. *no general election opponent

HD 16 (Conroe, Montgomery): Will Metcalf defeated Ted Seago. *no general election opponent

HD 53 (Kerrville, Crockett): Andrew Murr defeated Rob Henneke and will face Libertarian B.W. Holk in the general election.

HD 58 (Burleson, Cleburne): Dewayne Burns defeated Philip Eby and will face Democrat Greg Allen Kauffman and Libertarian Jesse Pistokache in the general election.

HD 66 (Plano): Matt Shaheen defeated Glenn Callison and will face Libertarian Ian Santorella in the general election.

HD102 (Richardson, Addison): Linda Koop defeated incumbent Stefani Carter and will face Democrat George M. Clayton in the general election.

HD 108 (Dallas—University Park and Highland Park): Morgan Meyer defeated Chart Westcott and will face Democrat Leigh Bailey in the general election.

HD 129 (southeast Houston, Clear Lake): Dennis Paul defeated Sheryl Berg and will face Democrat John Gay in the general election.

HD 132 (Katy): Mike Schofield defeated Ann Hodge and will face Democrat Luis Lopez in the general election.

Democratic primary runoffs:

HD 76 (El Paso): Cesar Blanco defeated Norma Chavez and will face Libertarian J. Alexandro Lozano in the general election.

HD 105 (Irving, Grand Prairie): Susan Motley defeated Terry Meza and will face Republican Rodney Anderson in the general election.

State Board of Education

SBOE-11 (parts of Tarrant, Parker, and Dallas counties): Patricia Hardy defeated Eric Mahroum in the Republican primary and will face Democrat Nancy Bean and Libertarian Craig Sanders in the general election.

SBOE-13 (parts of southern and central Dallas and Tarrant counties): Erika Beltran defeated Andrea Hilburn in the Democratic primary and will face Libertarian Junart Sodoy in the general election.

Although summer doesn’t officially begin until the solstice on June 21st, the Mignon Memo is beginning its summer vacation. The Memo will appear in your inbox when there is news to report, but probably not every Wednesday. The Memo will return to its regular schedule after the Labor Day holiday with exciting news about the November election and the upcoming 84th Legislative Session.

Only in Austin: Mount Bonnell along Lake Austin has been a popular tourist attraction in Austin since the 1850s. The location is a great spot to see the lake, surrounding hills and even a view of downtown Austin. Wear your walking shoes to climb the significant stairs up to the top!

Early voting continues until Friday for the Texas primary runoff elections.  Election Day is next Tuesday, May 27^th so next week’s memo will include the election results.

Texas Tech University System officials named Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock) as the sole finalist to become the new chancellor.  Duncan was elected to the Texas Senate in 1996 after serving two terms in the Texas House.  Once Duncan is named chancellor, the governor’s office will call a special election to fill the senate seat for the rest of his term, which ends in 2017.

During the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, Texans get a break from state and local sales tax if they purchase certain energy efficient products.  The 2014 ENERGY STAR sales tax holiday begins Saturday, May 24^th and ends on Monday, May 26^th.  The products qualifying for the exemption include air conditioners priced at $6,000 or less; refrigerators priced at $2,000 or less; ceiling fans; incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs; clothes washers; dishwashers; dehumidifiers; and certain programmable thermostats.

Only in Austin: When the temperature rises, the best way to beat the heat in Austin is a visit to Barton Springs Pool.  Located in Zilker Park near downtown Austin, the pool measures three acres in size, and is fed from underground springs with an average temperature of 70 degrees. Barton Springs Pool was originally in the hands of private owners but was deeded to the City of Austin in 1918.   Since the Springs serve as home to the endangered Barton Springs Salamander, they are listed as a federally protected habitat.  Don’t plan a visit for Thursdays since that is the regularly scheduled cleaning time!