The school board voted 5-1 to approve the measure, making Pflugerville the first district in the state to offer such benefits.

As many readers are no doubt aware, state senator Dan Patrick has asked attorney general Abbott to rule on whether domestic partner benefits are legal under the state’s 2005 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear two cases involving the constitutionality of same-sex marriage will surely have an impact on Abbott’s decision. The most likely result is that this and other issues relating to same-sex marriage will be put on the back burner until the high Court has made a ruling on constitutionality of DOMA (and other issues involving the right of states to define marriage). In any event, I doubt that Senator Patrick will get the answer he wants.

Tagged: dan patrick, DOMA, greg abbott

“We are going to have to make serious decisions in the future because we can’t keep stretching the nickel,” Patrick said. “How do we fund education long term? I think we should add 2 cents to the sales tax, and dedicate that to education. The reason I think that is: for every penny we bring in, we get $2.5 billion.”

His statement, made in support of more funding for public education, came during a September 1 speech to a Cy-Fair Houston chamber of commerce meeting and was reported in a community newspaper. The huge Cy-Fair school district is one of the fastest growing in the state and has one of the most diverse student cohorts, so he was speaking to an audience that was likely to be receptive instead of horrified. Nevertheless, for someone who clearly has statewide ambitions, it was a bold statement.

The neglect of public education during the Perry governorship will have serious long-term consequences for this state, as sure as night follows day. Those consequences could have been avoided this session by using the Rainy Day Fund, but Perry put his political ambitions ahead of the needs, and future, of the state by refusing to allow lawmakers access to the fund–and then bragging about it in his speeches around the country. What he doesn’t say in his speeches is that we are now in the business of manufacturing adults who don’t have high school diplomas, and we have gotten much too good at it.

I don’t think this is the first time Patrick has come out in favor of more funding for education; I’m pretty sure I heard him mention it in a finance committee meeting this session, and I think he wrote it in an exchange of letters we had some time ago. Of course, Patrick is right. Everyone knows that we have a structural budget deficit due to rising costs, student enrollment growth, and the failure to raise new revenue. Is a structural budget deficit really conservative?

I have to say, though, that Patrick drives me crazy. He is very smart, he knows the score, he has great potential, but he does things–meddling in the speaker’s race, showboating about the sonogram bill–that diminish him. I don’t want to subtract from the importance of what he has done. If he carries through on his concern about the need for more revenue for public schools, he will have earned–in my book, at least–the stature to hold statewide office. In the Perry era, addressing the state’s problems has gone out of fashion. Texas needs public officials who actually care about fixing what is broken instead of spouting ideology. If Dan Patrick wants to be that kind of public official–and I don’t see any other contenders–I’m all for him.

Tagged: dan patrick, rick perry, sales tax increase, structural budget deficit

Once upon a time, not so long ago, in a faraway land called Pennsylvania, a woman named Sarah Palin brought 200 protest cookies to school for children at the Plumstead Christian School – because she had read a report – mistaken as it turns out – that the state was going to ban such sweets from public school parties.

Sarah mocked the policy as a “nanny state run amok.” She was there to fight for the freedom of sweet treats. “Who should be making the decisions on what you eat … in school, choices: Should it be government or should it be the parents?” Sarah asked her crowd. “It should be the parents.”

Oh, no, said I, if this is true, then Texas has three of the biggest nannies in the land: Susan Combs, Todd Staples and Rick Perry. And the Legislature has been nannying up a storm as of late, seeking to impose government dictates on its citizens for their own good.

Let’s start at the beginning, when government was wise, children were wonderful and we all wanted what was best for our future generations.
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Tagged: abortion, dan patrick, nanny state, rainy day fund, rick perry, sarah palin, susan combs

I was sitting in the Senate gallery yesterday, listening to the debate over the sonogram bill, when Dan Patrick said something that got my attention. He said that he had asked Speaker Straus to recommend someone to carry the sonogram bill, and Straus had recommended Geanie Morrison. He repeated this during the course of the debate, two, maybe three times.

This didn’t ring true to me. At the Republican state convention, Morrison had worked with former RPT vice-president David Barton to undermine Straus. During the speaker’s race, Morrison had been aligned with the Paxton forces. Why would Straus suggest an adversary  to carry the bill–especially after Sid Miller, a Straus ally, had stepped forward to put his name on a new sonogram bill with a low (that is, priority) bill number? For that matter, why would Straus get involved in telling any senator whom to choose as the bill’s House sponsor? That decision belongs to House members. It would have been out of character for Straus, who is a hands-off speaker.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one who thought that Patrick’s comment was strange, because e-mails from members started coming into the speaker’s office. After talking to various sources in the House–not including Straus–here is what I think really happened. Sometime last year Patrick went to Straus and told him he would be carrying THE sonogram bill and Geanie Morrison would be the House sponsor. The most likely scenario is that Patrick didn’t ask Straus to recommend a sponsor; he told him who it was going to be. I can’t explain why Patrick repeated the story about Straus suggesting Geanie Morrison as a sponsor during the debate, unless he did it to put pressure on Straus to let Morrison carry the bill. I don’t think it’s going to work.

Tagged: dan patrick, david barton, geanie morrison, Joe Straus

I drove to Houston for the rally yesterday. The event was held at a huge complex called the Richard E. Berry Educational Support center on Barker-Cypress Road in northwest Houston. The surrounding area is entirely outside the Houston city limits and is unincorporated. A colleague at Texas Monthly who lives nearby told me that 800,000 people live in the area. I would say that I can’t verify that, except that she is head of our fact-checking department.

The Berry center is a lavish athletic complex. It was built with the proceeds of a 2001 bond issue for the Cy-Fair school district. The outside of the complex was a handsome red brick building with an impressive facade. Inside, I stepped onto a tile floor with marble squares at regular intervals. Between the building and the street was a parking lot large enough that, had it been grass, could sustain a hunting lease. This was not a monument to the fiscal conservatism that the two main attractions claim to embrace.

The venue for the rally was a rectangular arena with a concrete floor. A basketball court can be placed on top. Two tiers of permanent seating — no benches — rose to the top of the arena on all sides. The school district says that the capacity is 8,300. The seating was around two-thirds full so I would estimate the attendance at around 5,000 to 6,000. Published estimates ranged from 6,000 to 8,000 to 15,000. No way on anything much above 6K. Still, six thousand people — some of whom were already lining up at 9 a.m. on Super Bowl Sunday — is a huge turnout.

Hand-painted banners were taped to the walls. “TEXAS VALUES … PROVEN LEADERSHIP … PROUD OF TEXAS … GOV PERRY TRUE TEXAN … HANDS OFF MY PISTOL … HOME SCHOOLERS 4 PERRY … STOP BAILOUTS,” they read. A band played the theme from “How the West was won.” A woman in the lower seats began to clap in an effort to stir up the crowd. Giant screens on either side of the state flashed instructions on how to tweet, how to follow Perry on Twitter, and how to set up your home headquarters for Perry.

Dan Patrick was the master of ceremonies for the rally. “One thing Governor Perry and I have in common is that we make use of the social media,” he said. He told the audience, “When you leave today, the Perry campaign will be handing out packets with the name of a Republican who hasn’t made up his mind yet. Call them and tell them you are supporting Rick Perry. Then send the results back to the campaign.” Later, the screens advised the audience to “Text “Fired Up” to 95613 for instant messages.”

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Tagged: Bob Bullock, dan patrick, rick perry, sarah palin, Ted Nugent

Senator Patrick e-mailed me a report about Perry’s appearance at the Greater Houston Partnership. I posted it in the comments to “Let them eat Chili.” Readers are invited to read Senator Patrick’s comments and reach their own conclusions.

Tagged: dan patrick

I confess that I didn’t pay a lot of attention to Dan Patrick’s reelection announcement last week, but one thing struck me as very peculiar. Here are the first three paragraphs of the release:

“During the past few weeks there has been speculation I might run for, or be appointed to, higher office. My goal is to return to the Texas Senate to continue to fight for the conservative values and principles in which I and many Texans believe.

“Today, I hereby announce my re-election campaign for the Texas Senate. If an opportunity presents itself to serve in the United States Senate, I will seriously consider it at the appropriate time, but my sights are set on the Texas Senate. I feel honored and blessed each day I walk onto the Senate floor to represent my district and my state.

Does this strike anybody else as a weird way to announce for reelection to the Texas Senate — by declaring one’s interested in serving in the United States Senate?

Could this scenario come to pass: Perry is looking for someone to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison, his Republican primary rival for governor. What is Perry looking for in a replacement? The qualifications are the same that Perry always has: (1) Is he loyal? (2) Can he help me politically?

Who better than a Republican talk radio host with a huge following in Houston? Patrick can be on the radio every day blasting Hutchison and pumping up Perry. Then, after Patrick has done his part of the bargain, Perry holds up his end by appointing Patrick.

Can Patrick hold the seat? That is not a sure thing, but the Republicans ought to be able to raise enough money in Texas and beyond to win. The advantage of Patrick over Dewhurst is that Patrick is closer to the Republican base and can generate pro-Perry (and anti-Hutchison) turnout.

Patrick and Perry have already demonstrated that they can cut a deal together. The financially strapped Cy-Fair school district, third largest in the state, had gotten in financial trouble due to the Perry-approved school finance scheme that strangles the schools, and also because of the district’s own generosity in handing out an optional homestead exemption, as around 200 district do, ranging from poor to rich. Patrick took credit for arranging that extra money be directed to Cy-Fair, but in fact the payment was required by state law, which directs unspent money to be spent on the optional homestead exemption and other needs, such as school districts that are impacted by disasters. When I first read about the Perry-Patrick deal, I thought it was a bailout, but Patrick was only taking credit for something that would have happened anyway as mandated by state law. Meanwhile, Cy-Fair gets to keep its excessive homestead exemption and, assuming that money is available, continue to be bailed out by state tax dollars.

Patrick is largely unknown beyond the boundaries of his radio broadcasts, and there is no certainty that he could hold the seat. It would probably make more sense for Perry to appoint Dewhurst, who can self-fund the race, if necessary.

Yes, I am letting my imagination run wild here, but, you have to admit, Patrick’s deft solicitation for the Senate appointment suggests where his real interest lies.

Tagged: Cy-fair school district, dan patrick, kay bailey hutchison, rick perry, senate

Yesterday’s Senate debate on Sen. Jeff Wentworth’s driver’s ed bill highlighted one of the remarkable stories of the session: Dan Patrick’s transformation into a real player who is having an impact on legislation.

Wentworth’s bill would have required 18 to 25-year-olds to take a driver’s ed course before obtaining a driver’s license, and it was  originally opposed by only six members on the motion to suspend: Eltife, Fraser, Gallegos, Hinojosa, Jackson and Whitmire.  Patrick then offered an amendment narrowing the bill to 18 to 21-year-olds, and 14 members opposed the motion to table: the bill’s original six opponents, joined by Patrick, Averitt, Estes, Nelson, Nichols, Seliger and West.

It wasn’t particularly momentous legislation, but it is illustrative of the dramatic change Patrick has undergone. It’s hard to imagine that the Dan Patrick of last session would have either offered the amendment or won over seven of his colleagues to his position.  This session, it’s happened over and over.  He’s offered solutions, he’s honored requests to hold up bills for further work, he’s forged compromises.

There have been flashes of the old Patrick: he’s been argumentative in committee with witnesses with whom he disagrees and contemptuous of his colleagues during Senate floor debate. But his colleagues — including many Democrats — report being pleasantly surprised at his new willingness to work in a productive way.

I’m also told that in the contentious Senate caucus over the Democrat’s letter to the Secretary of Education, Patrick advocated calm when others were threatening a spectacle of personal privilege speeches denouncing the D’s. The Dan Patrick of last session would never have passed up an opportunity to demagogue on the floor.

I spoke with one senator who remarked how difficult it would be to have two distinct personas: the edgy, angry talk show host one day, a collaborative lawmaker the next.  Somehow, Patrick seems to have figured out how to check his talk show host hat at the door of the Senate chamber.

Tagged: dan patrick, driver's ed, jeff wentworth

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte’s bill permitting teen mothers to get contraception without parental consent to reduce repeat teen pregnancies produced a tie-breaker on an amendment by Dan Patrick which required notification of parents for those teens still living at home.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst was summoned to break the tie, but it was resolved in Patrick’s favor before he arrived. Sen. Kip Averitt returned from the House and cast the deciding vote. (I’m told he joked that he wished he had stayed in the House.)

Sen. Steve Ogden argued that Van de Putte’s bill “makes it easier for statutory rapists to get away with it.” Van De Putte argued that if a young girl has already given birth, no one should be surprised that she is sexually active.

Van de Putte noted that Texas leads the nation in repeat teen pregnancies, and noted that poorly-spaced pregnancies often produce low birth-weight infants.

“I’m trying to reduce the number of abortions and the number of babies in our neo-natal care unit,” she argued.

The bill passed to engrossment.

Tagged: dan patrick, leticia van de putte, parental consent, teen contraception

Doctors would be required to offer ultrasounds to women seeking abortions, and women would have the choice to view or not view the tests, under a compromise accepted today by Sen. Dan Patrick and adopted by the Texas Senate.

“It is really inform and consent. It is women’s health. It is really pretty simple,” Patrick said. “It is to protect women’s health and if that saves lives, that is a wonderful thing.”

But Sen. Wendy Davis pointed out the bill goes further than Patrick’s explanation, and will require information to be communicated verbally to the woman by her doctor about the development of the fetus.  (Current law allows the information to be given in writing.) The bill, Davis argued, “is about a great deal more. it is about shaming a women who is making a difficult decision.”  Patrick retorted that he would ignore her remark.

Sen. Juan Hinojosa also objected, saying the measure intrudes into the “intimate relationship between a doctor and a patient.”

Patrick emotionally recounted the story of a young couple who received an ultrasound at an abortion clinic and were informed the fetus had no heartbeat. They were offered abortion services, though they had not decided to terminate the pregnancy, and they were not shown the actual ultrasound. A second ultrasound at a crisis pregnancy clinic later revealed a heartbeat.  Patrick said his bill would prevent couples from a similar ordeal in the future.

Sen. Eddie Lucio urged his colleagues to be “pro-lifetime” and care for citizens “from moment of conception to moment of death.”

Patrick promised he would “not allow anything radical” to be added to the bill by the House. “I have no intention to have any dramatic changes in this bill,” he said.

Tagged: dan patrick, ultrasound, wendy davis