Analysis: With a wingman like Dan Patrick, who needs critics?
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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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick spoke to Tarrant county Tea Party supporters in Grapevine for the Spread the Red event on Oct. 17, 2018.]()
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TribCast: Early voting begins as coronavirus surges in Texas and a debate over sex ed curriculum
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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![Pharmacy technician Ashley Perez passes a self-swab coronavirus test to a patient at a drive thru testing site at a Walmart in McKinney on Tuesday, June 29, 2020.]()
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Texas sales tax revenue declined 6.5% versus last June as state reopened for business
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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![Downtown Dallas on March 19, 2018.]()
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Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says Dr. Anthony Fauci “doesn’t know what he’s talking about”
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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Analysis: Governing in reaction mode, and always a beat or two behind
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 line of about 100 cars formed at Barbara Jordan Elementary School in Austin at a COVID-19 testing site. June 26, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers want to add more LGTBQ safeguards after U.S. Supreme Court guarantees workplace protections
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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![Members of Austin's LGBT community gather on the steps of the capitol to celebrate the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots on June 28, 2017.]()
Credit: Austin Price for The Texas Tribune -
Conspiracy theories and racist memes: How a dozen Texas GOP county chairs caused turmoil within the party
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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![The Republican Party of Texas office in downtown Austin.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says America must turn to God to heal racism
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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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at the dais on the Senate floor on May 25, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas sales tax revenue dips 13.2% in May, the largest year-over-year decline in a decade
"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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![Brentwood Social House cut its hours of operation, closed its dine-in services and asked its customers to order and wait outside the coffee shop. Taken on March 23, 2020.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Three top Texas GOP officials who oppose expanding mail-in voting have each used it
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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![From left: Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.]()
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"This is a scam": Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick calls it laughable for people under 65 to fear voting in person
Texas is locked in a legal battle over whether it must expand voting by mail. Full Story
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott instructs state agencies to trim budgets by 5% to prepare for "economic shock"
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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![Gov. Greg Abbott announced a strike force in charge of laying steps to re-open the Texas economy at a press conference in the capitol on April 17, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: In spite of it all, a Texas government that’s running full-steam ahead
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
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen brief reporters during a press conference on a Domestic Terrorism Task Force roundtable held at the capitol on Jan. 7, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas tiptoes down the road to normal
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
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![Bar and Restaurant.]()
Credit: Anneke Paterson for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: If reopening the economy is risky, who’s getting protection?
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
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![Social distancing signs mark tables as the Cleburne Cafeteria prepares to reopen for business.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas voters overwhelmingly approve of business closures, stay-at-home orders despite blow to state's economy, says UT/TT poll
The poll results come as Gov. Greg Abbott prepares to announce his plans for reopening a wide range of Texas businesses. Full Story
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![Shuttered restaurant in Waco on March 25, 2020.]()
Credit: Angela Piazza for The Texas Tribune -
Everything we learned from the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll
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
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Harris County latest to mandate face masks as criticism mounts that the requirement is "government overreach"
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
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![The streets of downtown Houston during the coronavirus pandemic.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott's task force to reopen the economy is packed with top business leaders — and donors
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
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![Vodka Street Global Bistro and Bar in downtown San Marcos has temporarily closed its operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Taken on April 10, 2020.]()
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Dan Patrick says “there are more important things than living and that’s saving this country”
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
Credit: Nick Wagner/POOL via American-Statesman
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