Overview
- Patrick’s office named a seven-member committee, announced Monday, with Sen. Phil King as chair, Sen. Angela Paxton as vice chair, and Democrat Sen. César Blanco as the lone minority member.
- The lieutenant governor said the panel will teach Texans about First Amendment protections for faith practice and is expected to hold hearings and draft legislation.
- Patrick also leads a federal Religious Liberty Commission created by President Donald Trump, which was sued in February by the Interfaith Alliance for alleged unlawful imbalance and violations of federal advisory laws.
- The lawsuit cites the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which sets rules for how federal advisory panels are formed and balanced, along with claims under the Administrative Procedure Act and the Mandamus Act.
- Earlier in February, Patrick removed a member of the federal panel after her remarks during a hearing on antisemitism, and a Muslim member resigned soon after; most appointees to the new Texas panel are Republicans and largely identify as Protestant Christians, with two Roman Catholics.