Headlines

A coalition of groups favoring gun control laws turned out at the Capitol April 6 for the Rally for Gun Sense. Speakers, including state Rep. Elliott Naishtat and Police Chief Art Acevedo, advocated for universal background checks and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. (Photo by Jana Birchum)

› City Council meets today (April 11) with a spotlight on Austin Energy governance – a pending proposal (first reading only) to create an independent board, and a related resolution to support state legislation. See "Council: Who Rules AE?" and "Then There's This."

› Though they did it with considerably less fanfare than Google, AT&T also announced on Tuesday that they would be bringing a one gigabit network to Austin. The news did little to damper the frenzy of Googlemania.

› More than 80 workers who cut, bagged, and stocked fruit in H-E-B grocery stores across Texas filed a class action lawsuit Wednesday in federal court in San Antonio claiming H-E-B and an affiliated produce company cheated them out of minimum wage and overtime pay. Workers say they earned a piecework rate less than $4/hour for 50-70 hours a week.

› The "Taco PUD" condo development planned for the site of the Taco Cabana at West Riverside Dr. and Lamar got negative recommendations from two city boards this week as it wends its way toward City Council consideration in two weeks; see "PUD Proposal Wins Few Friends."

› The Texas school choice squad may have some support in the Senate, but the Texas House made it clear that Gov. Rick Perry will likely not be signing vouchers into law this session. Rep. Abel Herrero's bill prohibiting the use of public funds for private schools passed in a 103-43 vote during the April 4 budget debates.

› Rep. Patricia Harless may have bitten off more than she could chew with her proposal to shorten the period allowed for early voting. After a strong backlash from the NAACP, the League of Women's Voters, and the Texas Demo­crat­ic Party, Harless shelved the bill.

› In Texas, every dog may not have its day. On April 5, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the owner of a mistakenly euthanized pet could not seek monetary compensation for the sentimental value of his or her best friend.

› Just months after a campus shooting rocked the Houston-area Lone Star College system, its Cypress campus was the scene of more violence Tuesday; 20-year-old student Dylan Quick has been charged with injuring 14 people in a stabbing attack.

› After a reported compromise on background checks – it would extend gun sale background checks to Internet and gun show sales, but exclude sales among family members – the U.S. Senate moved closer to a potential vote on gun regulations, possibly avoiding a filibuster threatened by a group of Republican senators.

› South Congress landmark Fran's Hamburgers closed Sunday – after 40 years, the Frances Junk family owners decided not to renew their lease on the property. That leaves one remaining location of the iconic local chain, on Cameron Road, plus four of ex-husband's Dan's.

› One execution down; three to go. See "Death Watch."