A Texas Tribune report on Speaker Joe Strauss’ rejoinder to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s call for Texas National Guard troops to remain at the border beyond their current deployment is somewhat telling as to Strauss’ attitude towards the controversial Lt. Governor.  Straus was interviewed by Jim Henson, a political science professor at UT-Austin,  as part of the  Tribune’s Texas Politics Project Speaker Series. 

Regarding border security, Henson pointed to Straus’ statement Tuesday after Lt. Gov.Dan Patrick’s call for $12 million to maintain a National Guard presence at the border. “I appreciate [Lt.] Gov. Patrick’s remarks, but Gov. Abbott is the commander in chief, and he will decide whether to extend the National Guard’s deployment,” Straus said.

 “I did just state an obvious fact. We only have one governor at a time,” Straus said. “The commander in chief [of the state’s military forces] will make that decision.”