Gov. Rick Perry should not be excused from all hearings leading up to his felony trial because the governor is no different than "any other citizen of Texas," the special prosecutor in the criminal case said in a motion filed Wednesday.

Terri Langford reports: http://trib.it/1sYx1I5

The Travis County district attorney's office investigation into whether state Sen. Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for Texas attorney general, committed a crime when he violated the Texas Securities Act will not proceed until after the Nov. 4 election.

Terri Langford reports: http://trib.it/1tZO1Sx

The stories in our Shale Life Project need to be told. Support our crowdfunding project and help the Tribune provide sustainable reporting that you won't get anywhere else.

Learn more: https://www.beaconreader.com/projects/the-shale-life-project

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is considering a plan to build the Lower Bois d'Arc Creek Reservoir in Fannin County — a reservoir that could be one of the last to be built in the state in the coming decades. Northeast Texas residents have raised concerns, and regulators will consider whether to refer any of those concerns to an administrative law judge.

Neena Satija reports: http://trib.it/1ogZwPR

The Brief: Pre-trial elbows thrown in Perry case; Regulators weigh plan for northeast Texas reservoir; Perry not first to link abortion regs, Rivers death.

John Reynolds with The Brief for Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014: http://trib.it/1yqbJf4

Today in TribTalk:
Why Texas women have turned away from Democrats, by Cari Christman http://trib.it/1qru3Kn

Several conservative writers had made a connection between the death of comedian Joan Rivers and Texas' regulation of abortion clinics before Gov. Rick Perry's comment on the matter Sunday.

Aman Batheja: http://trib.it/1slgQdK

State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, pledged on Wednesday to stop using money intended for transportation for other programs.

Neena Satija reports: http://trib.it/1xhujEA

Following opposition from gun rights organizations, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission this week dropped proposed rules changes that would have allowed alcohol sales alongside gun sales.

Bobby Blanchard reports: http://trib.it/1xhsxTX

Reeve and Ben are joined by a slew of special guests, including Maggie Haberman, Dave Weigel, Donna Howard and Jason Villalba, at The Texas Tribune Festival's live TribCast taping last Sunday. There was also live music from the Jason Roberts Band!

Listen: http://trib.it/1prjeIa

In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: rains fall on Central Texas, a new plan is in place to manage water from the Highland Lakes and an interview with Jennifer Walker of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.

http://www.texastribune.org/plus/water/

Subscribe today — it's free! http://www.texastribune.org/subscribe/

Join us tomorrow in San Antonio for a lunchtime conversation with U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and Tribune CEO and Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith. Free and open to the public! RSVP: http://trib.it/1tast4V

Details:
A Conversation With U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Conversation begins at noon
UTSA Downtown Campus
501 W. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78207

In their efforts to regulate the wells that hold Texas' oilfield waste, state officials have found a surprising ally in the federal Environmental Protection Agency, long a political punching bag in Texas.

Jim Malewitz reports: http://trib.it/XPaN2H