Texas GOP taking aim at parts of Gov. Rick Perry's legacy

AUSTIN — As he gears up for a possible second presidential run, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is crisscrossing the country extolling a business-first philosophy he says made his state’s economy white-hot — and can work for the rest of America too.

But back home, members of Perry’s own party seem poised to dismantle key parts of his legacy. The longest-serving governor in state history isn’t seeking re-election and may see two of his achievements — distributing hundreds of millions of dollars to attract top employers to Texas and stockpiling a rainy day fund robust enough to bankroll infrastructure projects — swept away not long after he moves out of the governor’s mansion.

Also likely doomed is a Perry-backed program extending in-state university tuition to the children of immigrants in the country illegally, a nod to Texas’ Hispanic population that’s long been championed by top business leaders clamoring for a softer approach to immigration.

The rebuff to Perry, who was once known as one of America’s most conservative stalwarts, reflects the grassroots surge that has seen the tea party seize almost total control of the state’s political and social agenda in the last two years and push it to his right.

More at http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/state-politics/20140604-texas-gop-taking-aim-at-parts-of-gov.-rick-perry-s-legacy.ece .