4.4.22
“Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Trying To Protect Children from LGBTQ and CRT Lies”
From Donna Garner
COMMENTS FROM DONNA GARNER:
QUESTION? Can a clearly unapologetic, conservative Lt. Gov. of Texas win in a six-way primary?
ANSWER: “Dan Patrick received more raw votes in the March 2022 Republican Primary than any statewide candidate in Texas history, and he did it in the middle of a contested six-way primary. Dan Patrick received more Republican votes than any contested or uncontested primary ballot candidate in Texas history.”
I hate to break it to Brian Lopez (leftist journalist for the Texas Tribune), but the voters of Texas are solidly behind Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick who has been outspoken from Day One about passing similar legislation in Texas as that passed in Florida which prohibits teachers from teaching sexual orientation or gender identity to young children in K - Grade 3. Patrick strongly supported legislation in Texas during the last legislative session that would have made gender modification for adolescents unlawful.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has just released his interim charges to the Texas Senate (https://www.ltgov.texas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-Interim-Charges.pdf). His intent is to direct the 2023 legislative session to be even more conservative than the 2021 session.
Below are excerpts relating to education:
EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Parent Empowerment: Review Texas’ existing parental rights and responsibilities in current law. Evaluate current public school practices toward parental and community engagement related to: curriculum and learning materials, campus and district management, governance, accessibility to school officials, and data usage and privacy. Make recommendations to enable parents to exert a greater influence on their child's learning environment, including enacting meaningful change at their public school campus or district, and affirm parents as primary decision-makers over their child's schooling options.
School Library Advisory Council Review: Assess current standards adopted by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, the State Board of Education, and public school policies and practices related to materials in campus libraries or servers. Assess current adoption, placement, and review structures for library materials and make recommendations to ensure: 1) materials are grade, age, and developmentally appropriate; 2) publicly searchable and accessible; and 3) parents and the public are given a prominent role in the process.
HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Strengthening United States History Requirements: Examine current course requirements for students in United States History, and ensure elements of Critical Race Theory are not currently included in course curriculum. Consider and recommend methods to ensure students receive accurate historical information related to the founding and establishment of the United States. Examine the current role of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in the development and oversight of the core curriculum requirements and recommend any necessary changes. Examine current authority of boards of regents over teaching faculty and make recommendations on changes to law to ensure boards of regents have appropriate approval authority related to course content and instruction.
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4.4.22 – Texas Tribune
“Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants Texas version of Florida law that critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” bill”
The Florida law prohibits teachers from teaching sexual orientation or gender identity to kids below the fourth grade.
By Brian Lopez
Excerpts from this article:
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Monday he will prioritize passing Texas legislation that mimics the recently signed Florida bill referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” law.
That state’s controversial law prohibits classroom lessons on sexual orientation or gender identity for kids below the fourth grade or any instruction that is not “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate” for older students…
While Texas’ next legislative session doesn’t start until January, the issue will be addressed in Education Committee hearings before then, Patrick said in a campaign email.
“I will make this law a top priority in the next session,” he said.
Enforcing Florida’s law falls to parents, much like Texas’ restrictive abortion law, Senate Bill 8, which empowers private citizens to sue anyone who “aids or abets” an abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy.
A parent can sue a school district for damages if they believe it has broken the law. If they win, parents will receive money and recoup attorney fees. In Florida, the law’s supporters portrayed it as a way to give more rights to parents…
Florida’s law also requires school districts to notify parents about health services offered at the school and the option to decline such services. Schools must also inform parents of any health-related questionnaires or health screening forms that may be given to any kindergarten through third grade student.
Patrick’s announcement comes on the heels of a Republican-led spree to limit what can be taught in schools about race and American history, restrict what books about race and sexuality appear on library shelves and criminalize gender-affirming health care for transgender children, even treatment medical experts support.
…Critical race theory is the study of how race has influenced not only human behavior but shaped laws and policies…
Disclosure: Texas Freedom Network has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.