(The Center Square) – Members of the Texas House elected their new speaker Tuesday, state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock.
They did so after the former speaker, state Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, announced he wasn’t seeking the office, The Center Square reported.
After members of the House were sworn into office, they elected their next speaker by a vote of 85 to 55. Burrows received the support of 49 Democrats and 36 Republicans. Nine members voted present; one was marked absent.
There are 150 members of the Texas House; 88 Republicans hold the majority; 76 votes are needed to elect the speaker.
After winning the speakership, Burrows said, “The duty bestowed upon me today as Speaker of the Texas House is one of immense responsibility and honor, and I thank each of my colleagues for their trust and vote of confidence. As Speaker, I stand ready to support every member as we collectively navigate the most pressing issues facing Texans today – issues ranging from improving education to providing additional property tax relief, bolstering water resources, fighting for safer communities, and everything in between.”
“While the majority will guide our course,” he said, referring to Republicans, “the House’s strength lies in its diversity, and my leadership will be dedicated to ensuring every voice is heard and every district represented this session.”
At the top of his priorities were property tax reform, water infrastructure, school funding and terrorist threats.
The battle for speaker was a contentious one for over a month with campaigns sending out texts and emails in support of candidates. Unlike previous legislative sessions, this year anonymous users, political pundits and non-Texans weighed in on social media attacking Burrows, prompting many to ask who was funding their efforts.
Despite holding a majority in the state legislature, Republican infighting has existed for years, intensified by those who supported or opposed the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton. Both House Republicans who ran for speaker voted to impeach Paxton. Their voting records are also similar, The Center Square reported.
Burrows, and his Republican supporters, voted for some of the most conservative bills ever passed by the Texas legislature, including passing the Heartbeat Act, permitless carry of handguns, property tax relief, banning gender transition surgery for minors, and allocating more than $11 billion for border security, among other issues.
Burrows, a co-author of the Heartbeat Act, was sued 13 times in one morning in September 2021. He also received credible death threats that were investigated by the FBI, he said at the time. Burrows also advocated for a Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance to pass in Lubbock, which passed.
The Republican Party of Texas, which campaigned against Burrows, said its executive committee would meet in two weeks to pass a censure resolution to punish House Republicans who voted for Burrows and eventually change party rules to prevent them from running for reelection as a Republican. Such actions are expected to result in multiple lawsuits. Burrows’ Republican opponents also threatened that those who voted for him would be primaried in two years.
Similar threats were made against House Republicans who voted to impeach Paxton. Of those who chose to run for reelection, the majority of House Republicans who voted to impeach Paxton easily won their primaries and were reelected, The Center Square reported.
The majority of turnover in the Texas House last year was by Republican House candidates who defeated incumbents or filled open seats based on their commitment to pass a school choice bill Gov. Greg Abbott says is a top priority for the legislative session.
