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Patrick Wants Texas Lawmakers To Focus On School Vouchers

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick - R

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants the Legislature to study implementing school voucher programs that have so far stalled in Texas, despite support from top conservatives.

Patrick oversees the Texas Senate and promotes "school choice." On Monday, he unveiled a third set of issues he'd like emphasized before lawmakers reconvene in January 2017.

Patrick backs giving parents state funding to remove their kids from struggling public schools and send them to private and religious alternatives.

Last session, Senate plans offering tax breaks to corporations that funded "school-choice scholarships" for low-income Texans fizzled.

House Democrats and rural Republicans generally oppose vouchers, fearing they'll bleed more funding from already cash-strapped public schools.

Patrick's other priorities for next session include religious liberty protection laws, which sparked national outcry when approved in other states.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.