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OVERNIGHT : Clinton has edge over Trump on range of issues, according to AP-GfK poll, per Julie Pace and Emily Swanson. “Even when asked which of the two candidates would be best at ‘making American great’ — the central promise of Trump’s campaign — Americans are slightly more likely to side with Clinton, according to the poll.”

(Article by Bobby Cervantes, republished from http://www.chron.com/politics/texas-take/article/Texas-Take-April-11-2016-7240640.php)

“The survey does reveal some potential trouble spots for Clinton. Trump is nearly even with her on whom Americans trust to handle the economy, which voters consistently rank as one of the top issues facing the country. Clinton is trusted more on the economy by 38 percent of Americans, while 35 percent side with Trump. And despite Americans’ overall preference for Clinton on a host of issues, just 20 percent say she represents their own views very well on matters they care about, while 23 percent say somewhat well.”

— TRUMP this week seeks to reshape campaign, by the AP’s Jonathan Lemire and Jill Colvin. “For nearly a year, the celebrity businessman had kept away from the trappings of a more conventional campaign operation. But days after the Wisconsin loss, he relented on that front as he tried to recapture his momentum and gear up for a potential general election race against likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

“Trump is bringing in new staff, including a seasoned Washington operative to run his efforts at the convention, where the nomination appears more likely than ever to be decided. He also plans to place new focus on policy. His team is making more strategic decisions as to how to make best use of Trump’s time — the campaign’s most valuable asset — starting with a refocused effort to run up the score in the April 19 primary in his home state of New York.”

— MUST READ >> 4-year-old Leiliana Wright needed Dallas CPS. It failed at every turn, records show, by The Dallas Morning News’ Dave McSwane. “A chain of errors, incompetence and systemic problems at Child Protective Services prevented the agency from protecting Leiliana from savage abuse with which her mother and her boyfriend are charged, agency documents obtained by The Dallas Morning News reveal. The Grand Prairie child’s March 13 death already has prompted firings, resignations and finger-pointing at the agency, which has been plagued by mismanagement and high turnover of experienced caseworkers.”

>> Jeff Leach on the story: “@leachfortexas: Time for all of us in the #txlege to band together to fix this. These children cannot wait & they shouldn’t have to.”

— Sid Miller used state funds for trips tied to rodeo, by the Chron’s Brian Rosenthal. “Miller spent nearly $2,000 in state and campaign cash on the three-day trip to Jackson, Mississippi, in February 2015, in the middle of last year’s legislative session, records show. He used a Texas Department of Agriculture credit card for airplane flights and a campaign account card for a hotel room and a rental car. … During the trip, Miller spent two days competing in calf-roping events at the horse show at the Dixie National Rodeo, according to the Mississippi Quarter Horse Association. He won $880.”

— ICYMI: Former Texas GOP chair hired by RNC to prep for contested convention, by the Chron’s Dylan Baddour. “As the vast majority of delegates are yet to be elected by state conventions, Munisteri is reaching out to the chairmen and directors of state Republican Parties to establish open lines of communication and ensure that questions are met with answers. He cited an example: if only part of the delegate assembly is present for a vote, does a vote require 50 percent of those present or 50 percent of all delegates? Answer: 50 percent of everyone.”

— Keep this on your radar: “The Syrian government’s recent release of a U.S. citizen detained in the war-ravaged country since fall 2012 has encouraged those working to free journalist and Houston native Austin Tice. The U.S. State Department announced Friday that Kevin Patrick Dawes, a 33-year-old from San Diego alternately described as a freelance photographer and a war zone adventurer, left Syria for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow on April 1,” per the Chron’s Mike Morris.

>> A good read you may have missed over the weekend (h/t Scott Braddock): “Why I refuse to send people to jail for failure to pay fines,” from Texas Municipal Courts Association President Ed Spillane.

CAPITOL DAYBOOK

10:00 a.m.: Coastal Barrier System [ Texas A&M University at Galveston, Room 142 ]

SPEED READ

Texas Take: The not-so-new reality for Texas governors, Houston Chronicle

H-E-B executive gives student a wake-up call, Houston Chronicle

Grimes: Our democracy is in a state of incompetency – Can someone call a grown-up? Texas Observer

Grissom: What Abbott’s attention to Dallas crime rise says about political priorities, The Dallas Morning News

Paul Ryan, a mirage candidate, wages a parallel campaign, The New York Times

Cruz faces NJ eligibility challenge from write-in candidate, The Dallas Morning News

State government faces growing technology deficit, Quorum Report

Caseworks, kids trapped in collapsing foster system, The Texas Tribune

Miller used state, campaign funds on trip to compete in rodeo, Houston Chronicle

Texas county to fight to retain gun ban at courthouse, Austin American-Statesman

Obama can appoint Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court if the Senate does nothing, The Washington Post

Republicans pick Texan to help smooth way for national convention, San Antonio Express-News

Cruz tries to pick off delegates on Trump’s home turf, San Antonio Express-News

New approaches improve Children’s Court outcomes, San Antonio Express-News

Top cartel leader appeared to find temporary haven in Texas, Associated Press

QUOTE TO NOTE

“You go to these county conventions, and you see the Gestapo tactics — the scorched-earth tactics.”

— Donald Trump’s convention manager, Paul Manafort, on Sunday’s “Meet the Press”

RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE

— Polls: Trump, Clinton up big in NY and PA, by Politico’s Nick Gass. “In a general election-matchup between Clinton and Trump, registered New York voters supported the former secretary of state to the tune of 53 percent to 37 percent, while Sanders leads Trump by a similar margin, with 54 percent to 35 percent. Among likely Republican primary voters in Pennsylvania, who will head to the polls on April 26, Trump leads Kasich 48 percent to 22 percent, while Cruz finished close behind with 20 percent and 8 percent said they did not know.”

— Past cases suggest Hillary won’t be indicted, by Politico’s Josh Gerstein. “The examination, which included cases spanning the past two decades, found some with parallels to Clinton’s use of a private server for her emails, but — in nearly all instances that were prosecuted —aggravating circumstances that don’t appear to be present in Clinton’s case.”

— After Black Lives Matter dust-up, the Clintons shore up support with black voters, by WashPost’s Abby Phillip. “The episode launched a thousand reprises of the debate over whether the Clintons were truly contrite about the unintended consequences of the crime bill, which some blame for codifying a culture of mass incarceration that has decimated African American families. So the former president made his pilgrimage to three black churches, pillars of the black community in Harlem, on Sunday morning.”

Read more at: http://www.chron.com/politics/texas-take/article/Texas-Take-April-11-2016-7240640.php