Secretary of State Hope Andrade today drew the order in which 11 proposals to amend the Texas Constitution from the 81st Legislature will appear on the November ballot.

They are as follows:

The U.S. Department of Education today approved an application from the state of Texas, clearing the path for $3.2 billion in stimulus dollars to pay for new textbooks, $800-raises for teachers, and about $2 billion in general public school funding.

Gov. Rick Perry had this to say: “I’m pleased that the U.S. Department of Education has approved Texas’ application for State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, which will help increase public school funding, providing each school a minimum additional $120 per student. Providing quality education to our state’s school children continues to be a top priority. Texas lawmakers appropriated this money, along with more than $30 billion in state funds, to enhance educational excellence in our state.”

The Texas Public Policy Foundation hosted an 81st Legislative Session recap luncheon July 14 featuring members of its subsidiary conservative advocacy and study groups.

Speakers included: Talmadge Heflin, director of the Center for Fiscal Policy; Kathleen Hartnett White, director of the Anne and Tobin Armstrong Center for Energy and the Environment; Arlene Wohlgemuth, of the center for Health Care Policy; and Bill Peacock, director of the Center for Economic Freedom.

In a decision reached today (July 20), Travis County District Judge Scott H. Jenkins ruled that the city of Friendswood cannot issue debt outside the will of voters, per its own city charter.

The city of Friendswood sought a declaratory judgment that would have allowed the city council to issue certificates of obligation to the tune of $11 million to purchase a 60-acre tract in Brazoria County near Alvin for a park, as well as to fund improvements to the city's animal control facility, repair its records storage building and finance some street repairs.

Since when has NOT setting a record been news? According to ERCOT, it's a headline, as record energy consumption today may have meant widespread brown-outs and other power transmission issues.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) announced today in a press release that peak usage from 4-5 p.m. was 468 megawatts less the all-time record set yesterday (July 13) -- 63,453 megawatts.

House Speaker Rep. Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) announced Monday that he raised $721,050 in June -- which a press release from his staff said may be a record for a Texas Speaker.

The release said his cash-on-hand amount should be in the neighborhood of $1.2 million by the reporting deadling July 15, and that Straus has the support of 123 out of 150 House members -- 62 Republicans and 61 Democrats.

Comptroller Susan Combs announced having $3.8 million in campaign funds, with $512,076 raised between June 22-30, a press release from her re-election campaign reported. The campaign also reports 380 campaign volunteers in 200 counties, and the support of 24 statewide associations.

Ted Cruz today announced a slew of conservative supporters in his run for Texas Attorney General -- a race which so far may be a contest between Rep. Dan Branch and Cruz on the GOP ticket.

Naming a list of conservative power-hitters, Cruz also mentioned that he has the backing of three former U.S. Attorneys General and two former Solicitors General.

Texans for Rick Perry announced it raised $4.2 million from 1,076 donors from June 22-30 -- double the amount raised this time in 2005 (when Perry was not expected to have a serious challenger on the Republican ticket -- he is likely to face U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the 2010 GOP primary).

The Perry re-election campaign plans to report $9.4 million in cash-on-hand to the Texas Ethics Commission, according to a press release.

For those of you just tuning in, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin made the decision to step down today.

Fellow governor and friend Rick Perry had this to say: “Sarah Palin is a good friend and accomplished governor who will continue to be a strong voice of conservatism in American politics ..."