Naked City

Williamson Co. Commissioner Mike Heiligenstein (l), Chair of the Clean Air Force of Central Texas, Austin Mayor Will Wynn (center), and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Chairman Robert Huston discuss the compact among local officials to develop a Clean Air Action Plan to prevent the area from reaching non-attainment of federal air quality standards. (See "Austin Stories," left) (Photo By Shuronda Robinson Parks)

Quote of the Week: "I always say that representing Texas is like having a child in jail. There's a crisis every minute." -- U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, celebrating 10 years of having a child in jail -- uh, we mean, representing Texas in D.C. (Is this her way of saying she won't run for governor in 2006?)

Let's all say it together: Mayor. Will. Wynn. Kinda rolls off the tongue, eh? The new era began this week (see Elect No More: Wynn Is In).

Children's Hospital of Austin now officially belongs to Seton Healthcare Network -- and the campaign for a health-district election begins in earnest (see Children's Changes Hands and Austin at Large).

Four years of madness ended this week with the release of 12 inmates convicted in the notorious 1999 Tulia drug bust (see Songs of Freedom in Tulia).

Love among the Republicans: Gov. Rick Perry says that if Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn doesn't certify the state budget by Sunday, we have to do the whole thing over again. Strayhorn says this is not true, and she's working as fast as she can. Stay tuned!

On Wednesday, as the Chronicle went to press, Gov. Rick Perry officially called a legislative special session to begin June 30 -- for the primary purpose of congressional redistricting.

Orange Alert! UT has become the first NCAA school ever to be in the Associated Press football year-end Top 10, the Final Four, and the College World Series in the same year. (Oh, and the Spurs won, too.)

Defending your marriage? Blame Canada! Since last week, same-sex marriage has been legal in Ontario; federal leaders announced this week plans to make it legal throughout the country. Canada places almost no restrictions on foreigners wishing to marry; it's inevitable that both U.S. federal and state "defense of marriage" laws will soon be challenged by Canadian newlyweds.