Patrick creates Texas religious liberty committee as he leads similar Trump panel

FILE -- Dan Patrick joins Pres. Trump for National Day of Prayer

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick joined President Donald Trump for a National Day of Prayer event on May 1, 2025.

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Monday he is creating a state Senate committee focused on religious liberty.

Patrick said many Texans "do not fully understand" their religious liberty rights as guaranteed by the First Amendment.

What they're saying:

"Today, I am appointing the Senate Select Committee on Religious Liberty to find ways to educate Texans on their religious liberty rights and to make sure Texans do not have those rights infringed upon," Patrick said in a written statement.

The Texas committee will be chaired by state Sen. Phil King, a Republican from Weatherford, Patrick said. The vice-chair of the committee is state Sen. Angela Paxton, the wife of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Only one Democrat – state Sen. Cesar Blanco, of El Paso – is part of the seven-member panel.

President Donald Trump and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick hake hands during a speech at the White House on May 1, 2025. (FOX Local)

Up for reelection

Patrick, a Republican, is running for a fourth term as Texas lieutenant governor and has made religious liberty a cornerstone of his platform.

His Democratic opponent will be either Vikki Goodwin or Marcos Velez. That will be decided by a May runoff.

Commission criticism

Patrick also chairs a federal Religious Liberty Commission created by President Donald Trump.

The commission was sued in February by the Interfaith Alliance. The group maintains that the federal panel – made up of Protestant, Catholic and Jewish people – lacks religious diversity.

A member of the commission was removed by Patrick in February after comments she made during a hearing on antisemitism.