LT. GOV. DAN PATRICK WANTS A FLORIDA-STYLE ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL TO BE A TEXAS PRIORITY

FORT WORTH, Texas — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants to pursue a Florida-style “don’t say gay” bill in Texas during the next legislative session, according to a Monday campaign email.

Florida Gov. Ron Desantis signed the bill on March 28. The legislation — called the “Parental Rights in Education” bill but referred to as the “don’t say gay” bill by opponents — bars classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade or “in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”

“I will make this law a top priority in the next session,” Patrick said in the email, which was reported on by several news outlets.

The Star-telegram has reached out to Patrick’s campaign and office for comment but has not received a response.

Patrick’s email took aim at The Walt Disney Co. Disney issued a statement condemning the law the day it was signed, saying it “should

LA CITY COUNCIL BACKS $3 MILLION SETTLEMENT FOR FIREFIGHTERS WHO ALLEGED RETALIATION

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday agreed to pay up to $3 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a group of firefighters who alleged that they faced retaliation after reporting misconduct in the Fire Prevention Bureau.

The council voted 11-0 for the settlement payout. Councilmen Joe Buscaino, Mike Bonin, John Lee and Kevin de León were absent.

In their 2017 lawsuit, about half a dozen firefighters said untrained fire inspectors took part in rushed or incomplete building inspections. These were part of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s “Operation Catch-up” program, launched following a 2015 Los Angeles Times report on the backlog of overdue inspections.

The firefighters’ complaints were also outlined in a 2016 Times article in which they accused Fire Prevention Bureau officials of cutting corners by using poorly trained firefighters who were coaxed by supervisors to relax safety rules and overlook violations while conducting inspections.

The firefighters said they faced harassment and discrimination from the city for speaking out. One said the LAFD made a list of all attendees of a union meeting after a firefighter complained about the inspection process, the complaint states.