Dan Patrick's Government Knows Best (About Your Kid's Classroom)
SB 12 lets the state micromanage what teachers can say and what clubs kids can join. So much for "parents' rights" and small government.
The bill that "trusts parents" by overruling them
Senate Bill 12 cleared the Patrick-run Texas Senate in the 89th Legislature, got signed by the Governor, and took effect September 1, 2025. Don't take our word for it — that's the verbatim status line on the state's own bill page.
The official caption (again, verbatim from Texas Legislature Online) says SB 12 is:
"Relating to parental rights in public education, to certain public school requirements and prohibitions regarding instruction, diversity, equity, and inclusion duties, and social transitioning, and to student clubs at public schools."
Read that twice. A bill sold as parental rights spends its energy on state-level prohibitions about what schools may teach and which student clubs kids may form. That's not handing power to parents. That's handing it to Austin.
"Local control" — except when Dan disagrees
The Lt. Governor loves to lecture about keeping government out of your business. But SB 12 is the state telling your local school board, your local teachers, and your local kids what's allowed in their own classrooms and clubs. If a Denton parent wants their child in a particular student club, this law — not that parent — gets the final say.
You can't claim to be the small-government guy while writing a law whose own caption brags about "requirements and prohibitions" for every public school in Texas.
Who actually presides over this
Dan Patrick presides over the Texas Senate, where SB 12 originated and passed. That's his chamber, his priority list, his record. (See the Texas Tribune directory entry.) This isn't a stray bill — it's the agenda.
The alternative is on the ballot
If you're a Texan who actually believes teachers and local communities should run local schools — not a Lt. Governor scoring culture-war points — there's a name worth knowing: Vikki Goodwin, who represents Texas House District 47. Real parental rights means parents and local schools deciding, not the state dictating.
Ban Dan. Vote Goodwin. Vote them out.
Sources
Meet the alternative: Vikki Goodwin
Texas has a choice. State Rep. Vikki Goodwin is running for Lieutenant Governor on a platform of fully funding public schools, protecting the grid, and keeping government out of small businesses it doesn't understand. If you're tired of Dan Patrick's priorities, there's somewhere else to put your vote.