About 1,400 voting members of BSA's national council are to cast ballots Thursday on a resolution that would end a policy that allows youth Scouts to be excluded based only on sexual orientation. Supporters of allowing gay scouts used a political consulting firm and targeted about 120 local Scouting councils that they thought were the most competitive — the "swing districts" where they thought votes could be won. BSA has faced mounting pressure over its exclusion policy as public opinion toward gays and gay marriage continues to evolve. The national executive board decided instead to leave the final decision to a vote of the national council, and BSA launched a listening tour of surveys and focus groups. BSA President Wayne Perry called on voters to approve the resolution overturning the ban, in an opinion piece for USA Today published online Wednesday. While these sponsors include liberal churches opposed to any ban on gays, some of the largest sponsors are relatively conservative denominations that have previously supported the broad ban — notably the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Southern Baptist churches.

NEW YORK (AP) — The nation's record-low teen birth rate stems from robust declines in nearly every state, but most dramatically in several Mountain States and among Hispanics, according to a new government report. In 22 states, teen Hispanic birth rates plunged at least 40 percent, which was described as "just amazing," by the report's lead author, Brady Hamilton of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year, the CDC announced the overall improvement in teen births: a record low of 31 births per 1,000 teens ages 15 to 19. The teen drop in the last five years coincided with an overall decline in births, which experts attribute to a weak economy that dampened enthusiasm for having children. Hispanic women have been part of that trend, possibly due to the economy and to illegal immigration crackdowns in some states that reduce the number of young Hispanic females entering the country from Mexico and other nations, said John Santelli, a Columbia University professor of population and family health. "There is more attention on education, career, and the future," said Dr. Janet Realini, head of Healthy Futures of Texas, a San Antonio-based organization focused on preventing teen and unplanned pregnancies.

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — The driver of a parade float involved in a train wreck that killed four war veterans in West Texas told investigators the oncoming train appeared to be stationary, and that he didn't notice anything was wrong until he saw people jumping from the float, according to documents released Wednesday. [...] he told federal investigators he was focused on his left-side rearview mirror as he crossed the tracks, looking for a bump in the intersection so he could provide the veterans riding on the flatbed trailer a smoother ride, according to documents the National Transportation Safety Board released. The NTSB has said the train was traveling about 62 mph at the time of the collision and that warning lights on the tracks appeared to be working. The flatbed trailer fitted with chairs was carrying veterans and their spouses as part of a three-day weekend of banquets, deer hunting and shopping to honor the troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. Survivors' testimonies given to police detectives minutes after the accident reflect the confusion and panic of the few seconds preceding the impact. According to the report, his right leg had been injured in combat. According to a report from the NTSB shortly after the collision, the first float was exiting the tracks when the warning bells and signals were activated — 20 seconds before the accident. Union Pacific spokeswoman Raquel Espinoza said in a statement Wednesday that the company could not comment on the new documents, but added: "We can say the accident would have been avoided had the truck not proceeded through the red traffic light and active crossing warning signals."

Charges closely followed by civil lawsuit seeking Christopher Dupuy's removal from office GALVESTON - A Galveston County judge has been indicted on eight criminal counts charging him with abuse of office, including retaliation against the attorney representing the judge's wife in a divorce case. The indictments, presented to state District Judge Kerry Neves by attorneys from the Texas Attorney General's Office on Wednesday, accuse County-Court-at-Law Judge Christopher Dupuy of two felony counts of obstruction or retaliation, two misdemeanor counts of official oppression and four misdemeanor counts of abuse of official capacity. The indictments offer few details, but they were presented only hours after a Galveston County attorney filed a civil lawsuit seeking the judge's removal from office. The petition for removal accuses Dupuy of failing to obey an order from a state appeals court, abusing his authority by retaliating against attorneys and threatening the district clerk while attempting to interfere in Dupuy's own divorce case. The indictments also accused Dupuy of official oppression against attorney Suzanne Schwab-Radcliffe; abuse of official capacity against Laird, Schwab-Radcliffe and attorney Greg Enos; abuse of official capacity by using a county fax machine to send legal documents on behalf of his fiance'e; and obstruction or retaliation against Laird and Enos.

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — As protesters made one last stand, the Boy Scouts of America's leadership began a conference Wednesday that was expected to culminate in a long-anticipated vote on whether to allow openly gay Scouts — a decision that, either way, could deeply affect the organization's membership and funding. The three-day meeting is being closely watched because Scout officials have scheduled a vote Thursday on a resolution that would not allow youth Scouts to be excluded based only on sexual orientation. Conservatives and some religious groups have opposed the plan, which is backed by gay-rights supporters. [...] John Wade, a former Eagle from Tennessee who now is a minister, called the possible change an extreme departure from what he described as Scouting's roots in biblical values. Asked about the harm of allowing gays, he talked about his concern with sexual attraction between Scouts, saying that he wouldn't let a boy and a girl sleep in the same tent at camp. Opponents of a change sent mailings to voting members, after fighting to get the names and addresses voters from BSA, by citing a Texas requirement that allowed any voting member to see the full list, said John Stemberger, organizer of OnMyHonor.net. Supporters of allowing gay Scouts used a political consulting firm and targeted about 120 local Scouting councils that they thought were the most competitive — the "swing districts" where they thought votes could be won. Zach Wahls, founder of Scouts for Equality, said earlier this week that they believed to have about 300 "yes" votes confirmed through public announcements and internal conversations, with perhaps 100 or so leaning yes.