NORTH TEXAS – Jack sits down with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to discuss a range of topics, including school choice, casino gambling in Texas and House Speaker Dade Phelan.
Plus, the Texas Supreme Court is considering whether the state’s abortion ban is too vague and Gov. Greg Abbott declines to say whether he’ll call a fifth special session.
Jack covers these stories and more in this week’s edition of Eye on Politics (original air date: Dec. 1).
Every week, CBS News Texas political reporter Jack Fink breaks down some of the biggest political stories grabbing headlines in North Texas and beyond. Watch the latest episode of Eye on Politics in the video player above and stream new episodes live every Thursday and Friday at 6 p.m. on CBS News Texas.
One-on-one with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
In a one-on-one interview with Jack on Friday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick weighed in on a range of topics. Friday was the lieutenant governor’s first day presiding over the Texas Senate after his battle with pneumonia.
During their sit-down, Jack asked Patrick if he supports Gov. Greg Abbott calling a fifth special session after the House stripped taxpayer-funded education savings accounts from a school funding bill.
“I don’t think it would be productive to come back now three weeks before Christmas,” Patrick said. “I think the best day to come back would be February 5th, 30 days before the election.”
Patrick said that’s when he would prefer a fifth special session to be called because it would put the focus on the voters.
Patrick was also critical of House Speaker Dade Phelan and expressed concern about how the Texas Power Grid will hold up this winter.
Watch Jack’s full interview with the lieutenant governor below:
Casinos in Texas?
It’s a story that has gained a lot of attention this week: Mark Cuban is selling a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson and her son-in-law, Patrick Dumont. The family controls the Sands Corporation, which runs casino resort operations internationally.
While casinos are illegal in Texas, Cuban has said he’d like to build a new arena as part of a casino resort in Dallas, even though they are currently illegal in Texas.
A spokesperson from the group Visit Dallas said they support investment in attractions that will surely draw visitors to our city.
A City of Dallas spokesperson said it looks forward to the Dallas Mavericks playing and staying in the city for years to come.
Abortion law challenge
This week, the Texas Supreme Court heard arguments in lawsuits that claim the law is vague and confusing.
The case went to the state’s highest court after a lower state court issued a ruling that would have allowed more exceptions to the abortion ban involving medically complicated pregnancies.
Twenty women and two doctors who sued the state of Texas in March.
At the state Supreme Court, the Texas Attorney General’s Office argued the women have no standing to sue the state, and instead should have filed medical malpractice claims against their doctors.
Beth Klusmann, representing the attorney general’s office, said, “Some of the women appear to have fallen in the exception but their doctor still said no. That’s not the fault of the law, that’s the decision of the doctor.”
Lauren Miller, a plaintiff from Dallas, told reporters outside court that she places the blame firmly on the state. She said her doctor was the wrong person to sue.
“Here’s my doctor,” Miller said. “I don’t know what more they want. She’s standing here along side me, she’s a fabulous doctor.”
