The latest Dan Patrick news from The Texas Tribune.
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/94e3b05fe8af9e85b0128ac800069822/Sine%20Die%20Weekend%20Saturday%20MG%20TT%2016.jpg)
"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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c4745b2d03560dee31fe97941383b486/Brentwood%20Social%20House%20EG%20TT%2002.jpg)
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/51437d3098d562fd2080887c776ef45a/Abbott_Patrick_Paxton%20TT%2001.jpg)
Texas is locked in a legal battle over whether it must expand voting by mail. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/fa19848f4df8951af678dbb59647e005/.badpatrick)
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d991f7519bd8d75ecee830ed5ad321ec/Abbott%20April%2017%20Presser%20MG%20TT%2005.jpg)
The pandemic has devastated the Texas economy. The state comptroller says that will mean billions of dollars less than expected for the current budget. But state agencies haven't received any orders to cut their spending. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1d7cb263878f1ad69064d6df8d21d44f/Domestic%20Terrorism%20Task%20Force%20Abbott%20MG%20TT%2001.jpg)
As some pandemic doors are slowly opened, others are getting kicked in. Either way, individual choices are quickly replacing the weeks of government instructions about what and what not to do. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d52eb3c1f0e6b7c2f30cee22fabf5858/Bar%20Resturant%20AP%20TT.jpg)
Top officials say it's safe to reopen at least some of the economy, but they're also pushing for "blanket immunity" for businesses, should anything go wrong. That leaves some people out. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/012b5af584475451ca41b84b2efcbfdd/Cleburne%20Cafeteria%20MS%20TT%2003.jpg)
The poll results come as Gov. Greg Abbott prepares to announce his plans for reopening a wide range of Texas businesses. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/02abff13348bdc5e8659e69cc1e90e10/Waco%20COVID%20Closures%20AP%20TT%2009.jpg)
President Donald Trump leads Democrat Joe Biden by 5 points in the race for president in Texas, but voters give the president mixed grades on his handling of the pandemic and the economy. They think Gov. Greg Abbott is doing a better job. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8700a98bff726a66629345935141281a/UT%20TT%20Poll%20Leadership.jpg)
GOP officials called it "tyranny" and "government overreach," taking issue in particular with the $1,000 fine associated with violating the mask requirement. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ab9055c379a1e9bca90cb7b7eb148598/Houston%20COVID%20File%20MS%20TT%2020.jpg)
The task force features some of the most prominent and politically powerful business executives in the state. They'll advise Abbott with the help of medical experts. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/df4038a1651a0097fd3a55872c7f2e91/San%20Marcos%20COVID%20File%20EG%20TT%2035.jpg)
Patrick went on Fox News on Monday evening to defend comments he made last month where he said he would rather die from the widely spreading coronavirus than see the economy destroyed for his children and grandchildren. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/704faf4b3a4113eb8f3c4983c1ea717a/.BadPatrickPhoto)
Abbott’s approach has helped keep the peace across levels of government handling the response in Texas but has also raised questions about whether he’s being aggressive enough in responding to a virus that threatens thousands of lives. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4657c8c38848bdc105d8ac9e6c0e54e3/Abbott%20Trump%20Harvey%20Presser%20REUTERS%20TT.jpg)
The threat to the economy is important, but it's also secondary. The worst of the new coronavirus has not yet been visited upon us. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d69442f8229b4e1733780cd5feaad226/Austin%20COVID%20Quarantine%20JV%20TT%2005.jpg)
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told Fox News on Monday that he would rather perish from the new coronavirus than see the economy destroyed for his grandchildren by overreaction to the disease. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/fe1e2a3b8326eacc2c2126c5c21b8964/Patrick%20Kolkhorst%20Conroe%20SB%20678%20MG%20TT%2003.jpg)
Restaurant owners say that delaying sales tax payments could help them ride out the pandemic. State officials, however, say that those revenues help keep hospitals and emergency services running. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/cdb748e2ad71b44b74b367b68e34a6ea/Austin%20COVID%20Quarantine%20JV%20TT%2018.jpg)
McGinty, the CFO of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, will lead an embattled agency of nonpartisan budget analysts who have been without an executive director since October 2018. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/748ad4cfb33e1510c56d65e56e84bbd9/Capitol_Building_AP_TT.jpg)
On paper, Texas senators have it better than their counterparts in the Texas House, but why would a Democrat want to work in a place where Republicans are fully and completely in control? Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/05/10/__BDD9478_Senate_IGR.jpg)
It's not a new contradiction, but it's persistent: Texas voters think that property taxes are too high and that school spending is too low, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3482764483e3f8b159061ad73388ef63/TEXAS%20UT%20TT%20Poll)