The latest Dan Patrick news from The Texas Tribune.
On this week's Tribcast, Alexa talks to Matthew, Alex and Ross about Texans' role at the Democratic National Convention, a new front in the local control fight and what election mail concerns could mean for Texas. Full Story
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The state's three top elected leaders also fiercely criticized the Austin officials who plan to cut up to one-third of their police department's budget, largely through reorganizing divisions out from under law enforcement. Full Story
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Senate Democrats want the symbols taken down, but Patrick said that the party is not committed to a “sincere” or “serious conversation” about the future of the monuments. Full Story
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“The Texas Constitution requires a separation of powers, and that separation leaves policy-making decisions with the Texas Legislature,” argues a lawsuit from five of the Legislature’s most conservative members. Full Story
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Nielsen said earlier this summer that he would forfeit the job amid condemnation for sharing a graphic on Facebook that juxtaposed a Martin Luther King Jr. quote with a banana. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will instead chair the Texas delegation to the pared-down convention later this month in North Carolina. Full Story
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The incoming chair, Keith Nielsen, had faced calls to give up the position last month after sharing a Facebook post juxtaposing a Martin Luther King Jr. quote with a banana. Full Story
The governor would face real competition if he were on the ballot this year — even in a Republican Party primary. His response to the pandemic has opened him to political attacks from the left and the right alike. Full Story
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While Gov. Greg Abbott has been responding to the twin crises on his plate, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s been stirring the pot — at the governor’s expense. Full Story
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In this edition of TribCast, Emma talks to Matthew, Aliyya and Ross about the state's latest efforts to mitigate spread of the new coronavirus, and the State Board of Education’s ongoing debate over Texas’ sex ed curriculum. Full Story
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While collections from restaurants were depressed, Comptroller Glenn Hegar said that take-out and delivery sales, along with online purchases, helped buoy revenue in the restaurant and retail sectors. Full Story
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Fauci and other top medical leaders have flagged Texas as a COVID-19 hot spot, but Patrick said the infectious disease doctor has “been wrong every time on every issue.” Full Story
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The pandemic has been with us since late winter, but state leaders seem to have forgotten something they already know from other disasters: You can get ready when a storm is coming, or wait until it blows your roof off. Full Story
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A new ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court makes clear that it violates federal law to fire an employee on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. Now Texas lawmakers want to guarantee similar protections for LGBTQ Texans in housing, health care and other spheres. Full Story
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On Friday morning, five GOP county chairs were facing backlash for sharing racist social media posts. The Texas Tribune identified seven other GOP county chairs across the state who shared similar posts. Full Story
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Speaking to Fox News, Patrick acknowledged that “we have racism in this country,” adding that, “We need a culture change to address this racism, [and] you cannot change the culture of the country until you change the character of mankind.” Full Story
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"Significant declines in sales tax receipts were evident in all major economic sectors, with the exception of telecommunications services," Comptroller Glenn Hegar said in a statement. Full Story
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Texas' top Republican officials call absentee voting a recipe for fraud and are fighting efforts to expand it during the coronavirus pandemic. But the governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general have all used the option. Full Story
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Texas is locked in a legal battle over whether it must expand voting by mail. Full Story
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Some state agencies are exempt from the cuts, including the Department of State Health Services, the Texas Workforce Commission and the Department of Public Safety. Full Story
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