Should Republicans go ahead and add Supreme Court Justices to head off Democrats

Gov. Perry deploys Texas Guard troops, Austin taking 5,000 evacuees

Austin American Stateman:

Gov. Rick Perry on Friday deployed 1,000 Texas National Guard troops around the state as tens of thousands of hurricane refugees from Louisiana entered the state.

With officials in Austin and Corpus Christi each agreeing to take 5,000 evacuees and other cities taking smaller amounts, education, health and workforce officials attempted to make state services available.

Fifty-six shelters have been set up across Texas, and in Houston officials estimated as many as 55,000 people who fled the hurricane were staying in area hotels.

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Perry also announced that the Internal Revenue Service will allow refugees from Louisiana to use about 18,000 vacant apartments and other housing units in the state, paid for with federal vouchers for people who qualify.

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The Texas Education Agency reported more than 6,000 new students enrolling in public schools, a number that might reach as high as 20,000.

Agency spokeswoman Suzanne Marchman said students have enrolled all over the state, from Houston to Midland. Children from Louisiana should be put in the same classes as Texas residents, she said. Officials are trying to determine how to give schools money to handle the growth.

"Right now our biggest concern is that these kids get enrolled in school," Marchman said.

• The state Health and Human Services Commission reported that more than 14,000 families from Louisiana had received federal food-stamp benefits in Texas.

• The Texas Workforce Commission has set up stations and is providing extra staff on phones to help Louisiana residents receive unemployment assistance. Regional workforce officials, meanwhile, are organizing job fairs around the state.

There is much more. The national media is missing a huge story that is happening in Texas while they concentrate on the ones left in New Orleans.