SCHWERTNER GIVES UP POWERFUL COMMITTEE CHAIR

  

An embattled Texas state senator has given up a highly-coveted committee chair.

State Senator Charles Schwertner of Georgetown has asked Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick not to reappoint him as chairman of the powerful Health and Human Services Committee for the upcoming legislative session, scheduled to begin Tuesday.

Schwertner is fighting allegations that he sent a sexually explicit text message and image to a University of Texas graduate student.

In a prepared statement, Schwertner says he’d like to spend more time with his family.

Patrick said in a statement that he was already planning on removing Schwertner as chairman.

Schwertner won re-election in November in Senate District 5 and has resisted calls for his resignation.

UT last year launched an investigation into Schwertner after a student reported receiving unwanted messages from the senator, whom she had met at a university-affiliated event.

The school’s investigation was dropped late last year, for what officials say was Schwertner’s refusal to cooperate.