The Mignon Memo

Former Texas State Senator Teel Bivins passed away in Amarillo on Monday. In addition to serving in the Texas Senate from 1988 to 2004, Bivins was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Sweden where he served until 2006. Bivins was 61. Continue Reading »

Sen. Eliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso) announced Friday that he will not seek re-election to his Senate District 29 seat. Shapleigh, who has served in the Texas Senate for the past 12 years, did not rule out a run for higher office. Continue Reading »

Cleburne mayor Ted Reynolds announced that he plans to run in the Republican primary for House District 58, currently represented by Rep. Rob Orr (R-Burleson). Continue Reading »

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst announced the Senate appointments to the Sunset Advisory Commission on Tuesday.  Sen. Glenn Hegar (R-Katy) was named as Chairman.  Other new members include Sen. John Whitmire (D-Houston); Sen. Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville) and Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston). Continue Reading »

Georgetown orthopaedic surgeon Charles Schwertner announced his intention to run for House District 20, the seat currently held by Rep. Dan Gattis (R-Georgetown). Gattis has announced that he will vacate the seat to run for the Senate District 5 seat being vacated by Sen. Steve Ogden (R-Bryan). Continue Reading »

Add Hank Gilbert, an East Texas rancher and former teacher, to the list of Democrats running for governor. He joins a group that includes Tom Schieffer, Kinky Friedman and Mark Thompson. Continue Reading »

Retirements and campaign announcements were the big news around the Capitol this week. In case you are curious, there are 167 days until the March 2, 2010 primary election. Continue Reading »

Rep. Diana Maldonado (D-Round Rock) will face Republican Larry Gonzales in the race for House District 52.

Kinky Friedman has announced that he will run for Governor in 2010 as a Democrat. Friedman made the race in 2006 as an Independent. He is the fifth Democrat in the race, joining Felix Alvarado, Hank Gilbert, Tom Schieffer, and Mark Thompson. Continue Reading »

On Friday, Gov. Rick Perry named Thomas Suehs to head the state’s Health and Human Services Commission.  Suehs, who has served as deputy executive commissioner for financial services since 2003, will replace the retiring Albert Hawkins.  As executive commissioner, Suehs will be responsible for overseeing five agencies, 50,000 employees and an annual budget of $30 billion. Continue Reading »

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Carlos Rubinstein of Austin to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality effective Aug. 31, 2009, for a term to expire Aug. 31, 2015, and appointed Bryan W. Shaw, Ph.D., of Round Rock as presiding officer of the commission effective Sept. 10, 2009. Continue Reading »