Perry Inauguration Today
Texas Governor Rick Perry will be officially sworn in to his third term in office today. The swearing-in ceremony is at 11 a.m. on the south steps of the Capitol. That event is open to the public. The Governor is scaling back the festivities. He's having a barbeque on the Capitol grounds followed by a private inaugural evening party instead of a grand inaugural ball.
The events will close down some downtown streets near the Capitol, click here for a map of closures. Also, the Governor's Office's website will be streaming some of the events live. The Dallas Morning News reports donors and corporate interests are footing the nearly $2 million bill for the inauguration.
What the Budget Shortfall Means for Texas Jobs
House budget writers will release their first draft budget today. Some state leaders have begun to warn that the state’s dire fiscal situation will lead to the loss of several thousand state jobs. We’ll get a better idea of just what those lost jobs could be later today. But as Ben Philpott reported this morning for KUT News and the Texas Tribune, the thousands of state jobs expected to be cut might just be the beginning. Listen to the story below.
http://media.kut.org/sounds/news_00023794/WEB_Philpott_Budget_Job_Cuts_MIX.mp3
Former Longhorn Jerry Gray Returning to Coach
Former Texas Longhorn Jerry Gray has been named assistant head coach/defensive backs coach at UT. Head Coach Mack Brown made the announcement yesterday. Gray spent 23 years in the NFL as a player and coach. He replaces defensive backs coach Duane Akina who resigned to take a similar position at the University of Arizona. In a press release, Gray said he's excited to come back and play at his alma mater and that coaching with Mack Brown is a dream come true.