Conservatives take aim at tenure for university professors
When Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked Texas colleges to disavow critical race theory, the University of Texas faculty approved a resolution defending their freedom to decide for themselves how to teach about race. “Maybe we need to look at tenure,” Patrick said at a news conference in November. The indefinite academic appointments that come with tenure — the holy grail of university employment — have faced review from lawmakers or state oversight boards in at least half a dozen states, often presented as bids to rein in academics with liberal views.
news.yahoo.comAngered by ‘The 1619 Project,’ state leaders respond with the ‘Texas 1836 Project’
Texas leaders were not pleased with The New York Times’ highly controversial and Pulitzer Prize-winning “The 1619 Project,” so they […] The post Angered by ‘The 1619 Project,’ state leaders respond with the ‘Texas 1836 Project’ appeared first on TheGrio.
news.yahoo.comAbbott asks Tex. legislature for ‘special’ committees on school safety
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) asked state lawmakers to convene a pair of “special legislative committees” to address the issues of school safety and mass violence in the wake of the shootings that left 19 children and two teachers dead inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Tex.
washingtonpost.comBeto O’Rourke confronts Gov. Abbott in Uvalde: ‘You’re doing nothing’
“Someone needs to stand up for the children of this state, or they will continue to be killed," O'Rourke told Abbott, before security escorted him out of the building. The two will face off in the race for Texas governor in November.
washingtonpost.comEnding Tenure For College Faculty: Texas Lt. Gov. to Target New Public Hires
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pledged to end tenure for new faculty hires at the state’s public universities and colleges when the Texas Legislature reconvenes next year. Patrick’s Feb. 18 attack on tenured college professors came days after the University of Texas at Austin Faculty Council passed a resolution Feb. 14 defending professors’ academic freedom, particularly […]
news.yahoo.comAbbott, other Texas Republicans urge court to reverse ruling on voter fraud prosecutions
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) and state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) have urged the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to reverse its ruling that Paxton cannot unilaterally prosecute voter fraud.Both Abbott and Patrick issued separate statements on Tuesday criticizing the court for undermining their push for "election integrity," a move that critics have called voter suppression for minorities who tend to vote Democratic,...
news.yahoo.comTexas GOP Lt. Gov. Patrick offered $25,000 for election-fraud tips. The first payout was for a Republican’s illegal vote.
After the 2020 election, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, said he would pay rewards to tipsters who found voter fraud. The first reward went to a Democratic poll watcher.
washingtonpost.comTexas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick paid out his first voter fraud bounty to a progressive poll worker in Pennsylvania who caught a Republican voting illegally
The poll worker who received the prize said he was told he only received the minimum reward as larger ones were reserved for "bigger fish."
news.yahoo.comTexas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says 'African Americans who have not been vaccinated' are driving covid surge
When Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was asked about the surge in coronavirus cases during a Thursday night appearance on Fox News, the Republican said "African Americans who have not been vaccinated" are "the biggest group in most states" contributing to the spike. Laura Ingraham had asked Patrick to respond to criticism from Democrats that covid-19 cases and deaths were on the rise in Texas due to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's policies. The governor has resisted public health mandates aimed at miti
news.yahoo.comTexas GOP's strict voting bill on the verge of final vote
The Texas Legislature is on the verge of signing off on some of the most restrictive voting measures in the U.S. A vote was expected Sunday in the GOP-controlled Texas House that would send Republican Gov. Greg Abbott a raft of election changes that would eliminate drive-thru voting and empower partisan poll watchers.
Republican wants to require national anthem in Wisconsin
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban agreed to play the national anthem after the NBA reiterated its policy to require the song. “This tradition traces its roots back more than a century – even pre-dating the song’s adoption as the national anthem. No matter the scope, there is no penalty for violating the requirement, so even if the bar league softball team skipped the national anthem, there would be no repercussion under the law. Dan Patrick has said that requiring the national anthem at all Texas venues that receive public funding will be among his top legislative priorities this session. Although playing the national anthem before games is a staple of American sports at the professional and collegiate levels, it is far less common in other countries.
Texas takes on Biden but Republicans keep distance from AG
FILE - This Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks in Washington, at a rally in support of President Donald Trump. That’s the real litmus test,” said Republican state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, who pointed toward the deportation lawsuit and challenges last year to mail-in ballot applications around his Houston district. Paxton's budget requests may yet force Republican lawmakers to consider the exodus from his office. Greg Abbott — who has previously said the accusations raise “serious concerns” — and Paxton did not respond to questions. He has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he defrauded investors in a tech startup before becoming attorney general.
Sacrifice the old to help the economy? Texas officials remark prompts backlash
Dan Patrick faced a backlash Tuesday for suggesting that fellow seniors should risk their health for the sake of the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those of us who are 70-plus, well take care of ourselves, but dont sacrifice the country, said Patrick, who turns 70 next week. More than a dozen Texas cities and counties have announced stay-home orders, including Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio. Austin Mayor Steve Adler said hed like to see a uniform state and federal plan to combat the virus spread. AdvertisementPeople are going to be very careful about how we move back to the lives we used to have.
latimes.comGunman in Texas church had trained worshippers to shoot: state prosecutor
(Reuters) - The gunman who opened fire in a Texas church on Sunday, killing two before dying from gunshot wounds, owned a shooting range and had taught its parishioners how to shoot, the Texas Attorney General said on Monday. The incident took place in White Settlement, a suburb northwest of Fort Worth, at the West Freeway Church of Christ. Two more people sustained minor injuries as they ducked for cover inside the church, Trusty said. Slideshow (2 Images)Patrick said a new state law allowing concealed carry in places of worship enabled the parishioners to stop the gunman. I do hope that through this tragedy, more churches will prepare the way this church did, not just in Texas but really across the nation, Paxton said.
feeds.reuters.comPolice: Parishioners kill man who fatally shoots 2 at church
WHITE SETTLEMENT, TX – A man pulled out a shotgun at a Texas church service and fired on worshippers Sunday, killing two people before he was shot to death by congregants who fired back, police said. Authorities at a Sunday evening news conference praised the two congregants who opened fire as part of a volunteer security team at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement. Authorities said there were more than 240 parishioners in the West Freeway Church at the time of the shooting. And in 1999, a gunman killed seven people in Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth before detonating an explosive device and killing himself. Sunday's shooting in Texas was also the second attack on a religious gathering in the U.S. in less than 24 hours.