Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick likes to say Texas dedicates 52 percent of its budget to education, but ... not only is that a meaningless number, it’s also a historic low.

Adequately funding education costs whatever it costs. But historically, Texas has allocated much more of its budget to education. Back in 1998-99, Texas dedicated 61 percent of its budget to education, according to PolitiFact Texas, which crunched the numbers.

This is for K-12 and public colleges and universities.

The state needs a central clearinghouse for vetting proposed programs to expand higher education.

Allowing each university system to proceed with its own expansion plans, and the continued reduction in state funding could undermine the future of higher education in Texas.

BRYAN — State officials heaped praise Wednesday on a new center at Texas A&M University aimed at making roads, pipelines and other critical systems operate better — and more cheaply — while also speeding up recovery time from pounding storms.

“This is an investment,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said during the debut of the Center for Infrastructure Renewal, jointly operated by the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

The second letter writing campaign coordinated by the Recover Lake Houston movement wrapped up April 3 with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's tour of the Lake Houston area.

Recover Lake Houston was launched by the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with area officials and community members.

It’s been estimated more than 90,000 visitors descended on San Antonio for the Final Four this year.

Many of them came to our fine city by way of the great states of Kansas, Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania. They toured the River Walk, visited the Alamo, dined at The Pearl, cheered for their teams and, we hope, explored the nooks and crannies that make San Antonio a special and wondrous place.

According to the Interim Report to the 86th Texas Legislature from the House Select Committee on Economic Competitiveness, some things need to change if the state wants to stay competitive.

A second flood-related letter writing campaign is up-and-running in an effort to promote flood mitigation measures for the Lake Houston area.

AUSTIN — The popular big-hat-wearing rodeo cowboy who roped himself into a string of controversies in his first term took the lead among early voters in the Republican Party primary race for agriculture commissioner Tuesday, winning approval over a challenger promising to restore integrity to the office.

Good conservativesIn a recent speech, Sen. Ted Cruz said that “the left is going to show up. They will crawl over broken glass in November to vote.”Well, Sen. Cruz, take heed! I am a lifelong Republican who is very disillusioned with the tea party takeover of my party.People like you, Sen. Cruz, as well as Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick, Chris Fails and Donald Trump, are giving conservatives a very bad name.When you give up civility and statesmanship in exchange for racism and bills against the LGBT...

AUSTIN - President Trump blessed the re-election campaigns of Texas’ top four officeholders Tuesday, but he didn’t voice support for two of his backers who are trying to fend off fierce Republican primary challenges.

Land Commissioner George P. Bush and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller weren’t mentioned in a tweet in which Trump gave his enthusiastic backing to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton.

President Trump tweeted an endorsement for the Texas candidates who face the earliest primaries on the election calendar.

"I want to encourage all of my many Texas friends to vote in the primary for Governor Greg Abbott, Senator Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton. They are helping me to Make America Great Again! Vote early or on March 6th," Mr. Trump tweeted.

It didn’t take long for Carlos Uresti’s political career to unravel after he was convicted Thursday on 11 counts of felony fraud charges.

Within hours of the jury’s verdict, friend and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick took steps to strip Uresti of plum committee assignments, “effectively immediately,” and Senate Democrats called on him to resign. The Senate could expel him with a two-thirds majority vote.

In the GOP primary for lieutenant governor, we recommend businessman and former Rockwall City Councilman Scott Milder. We recommend Mike Collier, certified public accountant and former comptroller candidate, on the Democratic side.

Miles away from the Super Bowl media and fan frenzy at Mall of America, a safe distance from the throngs of fans on Nicollet Mall, sports television hosts Dan Patrick and Rich Eisen appear to have the best seats in the house — and maybe the state, at least until Sunday.

Bob Costas isn't not hosting the Super Bowl because he said football 'destroys people's brains'

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When NBC broadcasts a sporting event as big as the Super Bowl, you expect to see Bob Costas front and center.

That won't be the case next week at Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis, where "Football Night in America" studio hosts Dan Patrick and Liam McHugh will handle pre-game duties.

Recently, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to clarify the state’s position on whether or not congregants can pack heat at their places of worship.

Patrick seems to think they can, unless their respective church, synagogue, temple or mosque posts a sign telling them otherwise.

Ryan K. Patrick, a former state district judge, has been sworn in as the 23rd presidentially appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.

Patrick was sworn in this morning by Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal in Houston and has begun his duties immediately.

The Southern District of Texas includes courts in Brownsville, McAllen, Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi and Laredo.

Ryan K. Patrick, a former state district judge, has been sworn in as the 23rd presidentially appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.

Patrick was sworn in this morning by Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal in Houston and has begun his duties immediately.

The Southern District of Texas includes courts in Brownsville, McAllen, Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi and Laredo.

The San Jacinto County Republican Party is ready to host this year's annual Reagan Dinner on Feb. 17 with guest speaker Jason Chaffetz.

The Reagan Dinner is the San Jacinto County Republican Party's annual fundraiser that invites visitors to hear from political leaders, some of whom are involved in Texas.

"We basically raise the funds for the party to operate for the year," said San Jacinto County Republican Party Chairman Dwayne Wright. "A lot of the big counties do that as well."

Recent revisions to the sexual harassment policies of the Texas House are a step in the right direction, but they are not nearly enough.

Much work is still necessary at the Capitol to eliminate this type of boorish behavior and establish an atmosphere of zero tolerance.

For starters, the new rules apply only to the Texas House.

So, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick needs to launch an immediate review of the polices in place for the state Senate and also strengthen those.

Perhaps it was inevitable, since the state land commissioner is an elected position, that the Alamo, which the General Land Office administers, should threaten to become a political football as another election year approaches.

Inevitability, however, does not equal desirability.

As we head into the holiday season and you gather with friends and family, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas from my family to yours.

Here are five things happening around your state this month:

Long-suffering Philadelphia Eagles fans are finally being rewarded for their patience as their beloved Birds have dominated nearly every opponent to date, and currently enjoy a 10-1 record.

However, the NFL’s top team begins a serious two-game challenge this Sunday when it steps into the national spotlight to face quarterback Russell Wilson and his Seattle Seahawks, the 2014 Super Bowl Champion.

The Seahawks (7-4) kick off the “Sunday Night Football” action at 8:30 p.m. on NBC.

The election season is heating up with local state lawmakers Mark Keough and Will Metcalf filing official candidacy paperwork for the 2018 election, while Kingwood resident Mike Collier filed his candidate papers for the Democratic nomination to try to unseat Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick.

AUSTIN — Scott Milder, a former two-term city councilman from the Dallas area, is mounting a primary run against Republican Lt. Gov Dan Patrick, who he calls a “ big bully” and “polarizing” figure.

“Somebody’s got to step up and give voters a choice,” said Milder, who officially announced his campaign Thursday. “He’s offended, he’s insulted, he’s alienated just about everybody across the state of Texas … If we don’t confront the bully, he is never going to stop.”