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Top Morning Stories November 9, 2010

The next Texas legislative session starts in January. Some bills already filed are to crack down on illegal immigration.
Ben Philpott/KUT
The next Texas legislative session starts in January. Some bills already filed are to crack down on illegal immigration.

President Bush Kicks Off Book Tour

Former President George W. Bush will be at a Borders bookstore near his Dallas home today to sign copies of his newly released book "Decision Points".  In the book, President Bush writes about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Hurricane Katrina.  

He recently spoke very candidly about his life in a video interview with the TODAY show's Matt Lauer.  Bush said his mother's miscarriage when he was young helped bring them closer together. 

Texas Lawmakers File String of Immigration Bills

Yesterday was the first day lawmakers could file bills for the 2011 Texas legislative session.  Some of the first bills focus on illegal immigration.  State Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, filed a bill similar to Arizona's controversial immigration law.  Elise Hu of KUT's political reporting partner, The Texas Tribune, compiled a list of of some of the immigration bills.  Here's more about Riddle's HB17:

Allows police to check the immigration status of Texans on “reasonable suspicion” and arrest those who are illegal for violating criminal trespassing laws. State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, filed a companion bill in the Senate that gives arresting officers immunity from resultiing lawsuits.  

HD 48 Stays in Democratic Hands

Democratic Incumbent Donna Howard was named the winner in Texas House District 48.  She beat her Republican challenger, Dan Neil, by just 16 votes after provisional and overseas ballots were counted.  Travis County election officials released the unofficial results last night.  On Election Day, Howard was ahead by 15 votes.  But the race may not be over; Neil still has time to request a recount. 

ACL Tapes Last Show in Original Studio

Last night was the final Austin City Limitsrecording in KLRU-TV's Studio 6A on the UT campus.  Lyle Lovett was the last artist to perform in the beloved venue in front of the iconic, yet outdated backdrop of Austin's skyline.

More than 800 artists have taped ACL shows in Studio 6A.  ACL is now moving to its new location at The Moody Theatre in Downtown Austin.  Fans called the night "bitter sweet" as they bid farewell to a piece of Austin music history.  Texas Music Matters' David Brown gave us an inside look at the final performance in his feature storyduring 'Morning Edition' today.

Cowboys Will Finish the Season Under New Leadership

The Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach.  Wade Phillips was fired yesterday and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was chosen to replace him.  The Austin-American Statesman's sports columnists, Kirk Bohls and Cedric Golden, weighed in on the firing.  Here's what Bohls had to say:

Jerry Jones had no other choice. Sure, the Cowboys are a sinking ship, but the owner is always conscious of what the fans are thinking and he wasn't ready to ditch half the season to risk a half-empty Cowboys Stadium before national TV audiences 

 

And on whether Garrett was the right man for the job, here's Golden:

Yes. The Cowboys aren't going to get better overnight, but Garrett has eight games to show Jerry that he can handle being the head coach of one of the most high-profile organizations in sports