So what's the tie to Campus Carry?AUSTIN, Texas--Two highly placed sources say University of Texas president Bill Powers has been given a choice: resign by the end of the day July 4, or be fired next week. The order comes as a whistleblower has allegedly stepped forward with information tying Powers directly to a growing admissions scandal.
So is keeping the ability to influence which kids get into UT one of the reasons Strauss keeps parking Campus Carry on the shelf?UT Regent Wallace Hall, an appointee of Gov. Rick Perry, has been under fire from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Speaker Straus and other lawmakers friendly with Powers. They are upset that he has been conducting an investigation into legislative clout being used to sway the admissions process and other issues with UT's governance.
UT President Powers and others officials in the UT system are opposed to campus carry. Do read all the linked articles.
One of the linked articles mentions the "forgivable loans to UT Law professors" issue, which I had heard about some time back; it started in 2003 when now-President Powers was dean of the UT Law School. I heard about it when President Powers asked the Dean of the law school to resign for getting himself one of those "forgiveable loans." Interesting.
I had missed the issue of legislators intervening to get kids in to UT Law and UT in general until recently, although this fight has been going on for more than a year. The Campus Carry connection just clicked in my mind today when saw Strauss's name in the article I quoted. I always figured that the academic crowd had a hook in Strauss through either donations or quiet promises not to promote a serious challenger in his district, but it would make sense that letting him have some say in who gets into school would be another way to soften him up when it comes to the university.
Frankly, the charges of impeachment against Regent Hall sound ridiculous, and very pay-back-ish.