CORPUS CHRISTI — Corpus Christi voters last November sent three Republicans to Austin — two of them for the first time — on a wave of support for conservative Tea Party groups calling for fiscal overhaul and transparency in government. They arrived in Austin confronted with a gaping budget deficit, a politically charged redistricting process and a laundry list of emergency items from Gov. Rick Perry. Led by Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, as chairman of the influential Calendars Committee, Coastal Bend lawmakers succeeded in passing several state and local bills before the regular session ended Memorial Day.{read more}
