The latest Dan Patrick news from The Texas Tribune.
The lieutenant governor said Thursday he still does not have the votes to bring the proposal to the floor of the upper chamber, but he believes that will change by next week. Full Story
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The governor broke his silence Tuesday on the legislation that has been building momentum at the Texas Capitol. Full Story
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After the House passed a measure last week that would allow permitless carry of handguns, the Senate is feeling the heat to take up the cause. Full Story
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"I plan to meet with law enforcement who oppose permitless carry and with the [National Rifle Association] and [Gun Owners of America] who support it to see if we can find a path that a majority of senators will vote to pass,” Patrick said. Full Story
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Thursday's vote in favor of the bill showed there was a bipartisan appeal for a cause long championed by conservative activists. Now all eyes are on the Senate. Full Story
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House Bill 1927 would nix the requirement for Texas residents to obtain a license to carry handguns if they’re not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a gun. Texans under current state law must generally be licensed to carry handguns, either openly or concealed. Full Story
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An outraged Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick castigated those implying that GOP efforts to restrict Texas voting are racist. But the state has a history of marginalizing voters of color, and many business leaders, voting rights advocates and Democrats see it taking another step down that path. Full Story
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10 of the 13 Texas Senate Democrats voted in favor of the "Star Spangled Banner Protection Act," which Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick named a legislative priority after the Dallas Mavericks stopped playing the national anthem before games. Full Story
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Collier was the 2018 Democratic nominee against Patrick and lost by 5 percentage points. Full Story
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The effort comes as Abbott and some Texas legislators are pushing a proposal to punish social media companies for “canceling conservative speech.” Full Story
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The slate of bills must still go to the House for approval. Full Story
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The wide-ranging proposal includes a number of reforms that have been floating around the state Capitol since last month’s deadly winter storm left millions without electricity during freezing temperatures. Full Story
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“The governor of Texas is a very powerful person,” Patrick said at a Capitol news conference, ramping up his dayslong campaign to get Abbott to intervene. “He can do anything he wants.” Full Story
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Speculation that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick might want to be governor someday underestimates his current advantages over the current occupant of that office, Gov. Greg Abbott. Full Story
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One way to check the political mood when the Texas Legislature is meeting is to watch the state's top three leaders — and how their Wednesday breakfasts are going. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the House "stood for big business" after Speaker Dade Phelan signaled skepticism about reversing billions of dollars in charges for wholesale electricity during last month’s winter storm. Full Story
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Senate Bill 2142, sponsored by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, had not even been filed when the day started Monday, but lawmakers suspended their rules to hastily push it through the Senate. Full Story
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An unusual appearance by the lieutenant governor at a Senate hearing looked like a tough session for one of Gov. Greg Abbott's appointees — and raised speculation about political tension between the state's top two elected officials. Full Story
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This timeline tracks COVID-19’s rampage through Texas over the last year: the growing death toll, the policy decisions made in response to the pandemic that often influenced its course, and the stories of some of the Texans claimed by the virus. Full Story
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Abbott has previously directed much of the blame for the storm’s power outages on the state’s electrical grid operator. Full Story
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