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Becky Harding (left), Becky Roberts, and their daughter Claire protest the so-called Defense of Marriage Act at the Capitol on Tuesday. The DOMA makes gay marriage, already illegal in Texas, even more illegal. Do all of you married heteros feel safer now?
Becky Harding (left), Becky Roberts, and their daughter Claire protest the so-called Defense of Marriage Act at the Capitol on Tuesday. The DOMA makes gay marriage, already illegal in Texas, even more illegal. Do all of you married heteros feel safer now? (Photo By John Anderson)

Quote of the Week: "We cannot see where there may be any consumer confusion, as these Anglo males, although extremely popular, are not offering themselves for sale." -- state Reps. Rick Hardcastle, R-Vernon, Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, and Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, responding to the WD-40 Co.'s cease-and-desist letter over the use of the product name as slang for rural Texas Democrats. See "Beyond City Limits."

As Killer D fallout coalesced into a minor scandal, the Legislature managed to craft a budget deal but still hasn't broken a House-Senate deadlock on tort reform and hasn't come close to addressing school finance. See "Beyond City Limits" and "Capitol Chronicle."

The Place 5 City Council contest between Brewster McCracken and Margot Clarke got more polarized -- seemingly against the candidates' wishes. See "With Friends Like Mike Levy ..." and "Austin@Large"

Seton Healthcare Network presented its proposed deal with the city -- to be considered and approved in less than three weeks -- for a new Children's Hospital at the old Mueller Airport. See "Seton Asks City to Move Fast on Children's Proposal."

Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday signed the Texas Defense of Marriage Act, making gay marriage even more illegal than it already was.

Is SOS dead again? On Tuesday night, the Senate adopted an amendment by Sen. Ken Armbrister, D-Victoria, that would grant the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality "exclusive" right to regulate ground-water quality -- superseding not only Austin's Save Our Springs Ordinance but local laws throughout the region. Late Tuesday, Armbrister -- whose real target was the Edwards Aquifer Authority in San Antonio -- said that he hadn't intended to overrule SOS and would be willing to change the amendment. Stay tuned.

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