February 16, 2025
NEWS DIGEST
by Brandon Waltens
Good morning,
New committee assignments released by Speaker Dustin Burrows reveal that Democrats continue to wield significant influence in the Texas House.
Under rules passed without debate or amendments last month, House committees are now required to have Republican chairs and Democrat vice-chairs. These same rules also expanded the power of vice-chairs, allowing them to compel bills to be presented in committee hearings.
The vice-chair position reportedly comes with an additional $4,000 in monthly office budget, though Capitol offices remain in the dark regarding the exact numbers. Burrows did not allow a vote on the usual housekeeping resolution that dictates office budgets, leaving many legislators uncertain about their allocations.
As Texas Scorecard reported last month, these restrictions did not apply to the newly created “permanent standing subcommittees,” which can have legislation directly referred to them by the speaker, much like any other committee.
Burrows placed six Democrats as chairs of these subcommittees, effectively preserving their ability to shape legislative outcomes despite rules changes.
Many of Burrows’ selections indicate a return to the status quo of previous sessions.
El Paso Democrat State Rep. Joe Moody has once again been named speaker pro tempore, the second-highest position in the House. Moody—a liberal Democrat—previously held the position but was stripped of it in 2021 by former Speaker Dade Phelan following the Democrats’ quorum-busting trip to Washington, D.C., to block election integrity legislation.
Corpus Christi Republican State Rep. Todd Hunter has been tapped to lead the powerful Calendars Committee, which serves as a gatekeeper for legislation, determining which bills will—and won’t—reach the House floor for a vote. Hunter held this position in previous sessions under former Speaker Joe Straus.
In a 2017 floor exchange, Hunter openly admitted to killing legislation as chair of the Calendars Committee, sometimes at the behest of the bills’ authors, stating bluntly, “that’s what I do.”
Former Speaker Dade Phelan remains in a leadership position, having been placed as chair of the Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee. Meanwhile, State Rep. Brad Buckley will continue as chair of the Education Committee, which now appears to be in a stronger position to advance school choice legislation than in the previous session.
With committee assignments now made, the House adjourned for a long weekend and will return Tuesday afternoon.
Below are the chair and vice-chair positions by party:
Featured
During a firework-filled Senate Finance Committee hearing, Ryan Mindell, the current executive director of the Texas Lottery, was sharply criticized by lawmakers for not answering questions, having a flippant attitude toward correcting issues within his rogue agency, and ignoring allegations that the lottery was used to launder $25 million in 2023.
The Lottery Commission has been embroiled in scandal for the past three years after a $95 million jackpot was rigged with their help. Since then, it has done nothing to alter the perception that it is acting in bad faith, outside the law, while ignoring legislative intent.
Mindell did not help his or the Texas Lottery’s cause. In fact, on multiple occasions, senators not so subtly suggested that the commissioners who oversee the agency should find better help or, at the very least, ignore the agency’s executive director.
Real Texans
On this week's REAL TEXANS episode, State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), the chairman of the Senate Education Committee, talks candidly about the fight to eliminate DEI and reclaim schools that have been weaponized against Texas values.
New interviews with REAL TEXANS every Sunday!
State
Texas Senate Passes Billions in New Property Tax Relief
Senators voted unanimously to send the measure to the House.
Report: Texas Must Secure ‘Critical Infrastructure’
Texans face a rapidly changing battlespace.
New Measure Could End Taxpayer Funding to the American Library Association
The ALA has faced criticism for its opposition to restrictions on inappropriate materials in children’s libraries.
Local
Parents Roasting Allen ISD Over Sexually Explicit Books Goes Viral
Videos of public comments from a school board meeting made international news.
SpaceX’s Home Starbase Could Soon Become an Official City
The vote will take place during the General Election on Saturday, May 3.
Houston Police Search for Honduran Man With History of Child Assault Charges
ICE previously placed a detainer on the man in 2017.
Federal
Brooke Rollins Confirmed as US Secretary of Agriculture
A lifelong Texan, Rollins was a key figure in Trump’s first-term policy team.
Brandon Gill Defends DOGE, Slams Democrat Hypocrisy on Government Waste
The new congressman says his mission is to expose financial corruption and fight back against government waste.
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