Daily Dispatch 5/13/24: Dan Patrick Wants Theocracy In Texas, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick told a Christian talk show this weekend that he thinks Christian theology should provide the basis of government in Texas: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/05/13/lt-gov-dan-patrick-says-christianity-is-needed-more-than-ever-in-texas-politics/

Houston-area U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls is under investigation by the U.S. House Ethics Committee for apparantly paying himself rent from his campaign funds: https://www.khou.com/article/news/politics/national-politics/rep-troy-nehls-ethics-campaign-funds/285-f04829af-59d1-4635-80b2-5b0a9160f409

An 18-year UT Austin instructor has been arrested and fired over his participation in pro-Palestinian protests on that campus last month: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/10/texas-ut-lecturer-arrested-fired-palestinian-demonstration/

...Another protest followed Saturday night's commencement exercise at UT: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/education/graduation/2024/05/12/university-of-texas-graduation-ceremony-followed-by-pro-palestine-protest-calling-for-ut-divestment/73611801007/

Steven Monacelli exposes a scheme by a Collin County school district to establish its own voucher program: https://x.com/stevanzetti/status/1788021731434623001?t=9V-Y0Wfp-8B3NyBMwGXpkg&s=03

...The elaborate details: https://christackett.substack.com/p/the-complex-voucher-scheme

The tiny Panhandle town of Clarendon's City Council has unanimously rejected a proposed abortion travel ban: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/10/texas-panhandle-abortion-travel/

For the second year running, Texas leads Forbes' ranking of the worst states in the U.S. for mental health care: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/worst-states-for-mental-health-care/

A public forum will be held on May 20 by the Texas Medical Board on proposed exceptions to Texas' near-total ban on abortion: https://x.com/hannahnorton89/status/1785054901661216800?s=12&t=Bt_w1MN2AlTfFkWGHJiOJg

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