Texas elections chief resigns, here's what Texas lawmakers achieved: Your Tuesday morning roundup

 [Morning roundup]( 05/28/2019 By Nataly Keomoungkhoun and Carla Solórzano Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌥️ Weather: Partly cloudy, breezy, warm and humid. High of 89 degrees. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [her]( Interim Texas Secretary of State David Whitley pauses during an interview on Monday, February 25, 2019 at the Texas state capitol in Austin. (Ashley Landis/Staff Photographer) POLITICS [Report: Embattled Texas elections chief David Whitley resigns]( Interim Secretary of State [David Whitley is officially out of a job.]( Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Whitley, a former top aide, to the position in December after the previous secretary of state resigned. But just before lawmakers finished the 2019 session Monday afternoon without confirming him, the embattled elections chief resigned "effective immediately." "I am forever indebted to Texas for all it has done for my family and me," Whitley wrote, according to the letter, which was first published by the Austin-American Statesman. "Thank you again for this incredible chance to make it a better place."  Pain & Profit: Texas' Medicaid system hurt vulnerable people as insurers got rich. [Now major reforms head to Gov. Abbott.](   Commentary: [Texas Republican lawmakers exit Austin with a smile and high hopes for 2020](.  ADVERTISEMENT TEXAS LEGISLATURE [From schools and taxes to medical marijuana and Chick-fil-A: Here's what Texas lawmakers did for you]( New money for schools. Raises for teachers. Cuts to property tax rates. The Legislature largely delivered on its top priorities in what some are calling a historically successful, policy-driven, mostly drama-free session -- one that ended with thank-you speeches and bear hugs rather than [the shouting matches and threats of the previous session](. "In one session the House and the Senate have addressed property taxes, recapture, school finance reform, school reform, teacher pay, and in another bill, teacher retirement," said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate. "One of those bills would have been a lot for any one session." But of course, there were flare-ups. Despite a commitment to meat-and-potatoes tax policy, in the final weeks of the session, contentious debates centering around LGBTQ discrimination, voting rights and access to abortion took center stage.  No looting: Texas just passed a bill [to let people carry guns for a full week after natural disasters.](   Analysis: [The 2019 Legislative session was incredibly boring]( and that's just how state leaders wanted it, writes Gromer Jeffers, Jr.   ADVERTISEMENT EDITORS' PICKS - Economic snapshot: Here's why the Texas approach to health care [isn't so healthy.]( - Boy found: A 4-year-old boy who was reported missing from a McDonald's in Pleasant Grove[was safe with his mother when an Amber Alert was issued for him]( night, police say. - Compassionate care: [How a young doctor is facing the reality of modern medicine.]( Baylor head coach Art Briles on the sidelines during an NCAA football game against the SMU at Ford Stadium on Friday, Sept. 4, 2015, in Dallas. (Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer) FINALLY... [Here's what's most puzzling about Mount Vernon's hiring of Art Briles as high school football coach]( From sports columnist Tim Cowlishaw: I'm not going to pretend to know the history of Mount Vernon football. I can only tell you this is the second time the team has been placed on the national stage, although the first time around -- recalled as the high school home of "Dandy" Don Meredith -- was a lot more fun. I also don't find it necessary to spend 750 words moralizing on the curious decision to hand Art Briles the reins of this program. Most of it is all too obvious. [How do you decide having this man walking the halls of your high school is a great look?]( The announcement that the ousted Baylor coach had taken the Mount Vernon job came late Friday afternoon, perhaps someone's hope that by the time everyone returned from Memorial Day weekend, they would have moved on to bigger things. We already had seen that Briles' connection to the sexual assault scandal at Baylor had rendered him an impossible hire at the professional level (the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats pursued him, then backed off under pressure) and in the college game (he was briefly discussed for Southern Miss' offensive coordinator job before outrage from school supporters killed it). If this is the case -- if the man is viewed as someone you don't want tied to pros or college athletes and their programs -- how is it that seven members of the Mount Vernon school board decided unanimously that this was a really good idea?  👋 That's all for this morning! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. Share the love! If you like this newsletter, please forward this email to a friend and [check out our other newsletters here](. Do you have feedback? Send your thoughts, questions, praise and corrections to [newsletters@dallasnews.com](mailto:newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com?subject=). 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