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Perry to Veto Integrity Funds Unless Lehmberg Resigns

Gov. Rick Perry will veto financing for the public integrity unit — the state's ethics enforcement division — unless embattled Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg resigns, an official close to the governor said Tuesday. 

The Austin American-Statesman reported Monday night that Perry would use a line-item veto to cut funding for the unit unless Lehmberg, who was convicted and served jail time for drunken driven this past spring, steps down.

So far, Lehmberg has declined to do that, and Democrats are concerned that if she does, Perry would be able to choose her replacement.  

"Ultimately this is Rosemary’s decision," said state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin. "If she decides to resign, I will work with the governor's office to make sure that whoever is appointed to that position is someone who represents Travis County appropriately.” 

The deadline to veto bills, including line items in the state budget, is this weekend. Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle said the governor's office is "going through the budget line by line, and the governor has deep concerns over the integrity of the Public Integrity Unit." 

Some Republicans have raised concerns for years that the public integrity unit is in Travis County, a Democratic stronghold. They've accused it of being a politically charged operation, and its funding has been a political football under both Lehmberg and her predecessor,Ronnie Earle

In the last legislative session, repeated efforts by some lawmakers to move the public integrity unit from Travis County to the Texas Attorney General's office gained little traction. 

Emily Ramshaw investigates state agencies and covers social services for KUT's political reporting partner, the Texas Tribune. Previously, she spent six years reporting for The Dallas Morning News, first in Dallas, then in Austin. In April 2009 she was named Star Reporter of the Year by the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors and the Headliners Foundation of Texas. Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, she received a bachelor's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
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