House Adopts New Rules With Republican Chairs, Dem Vice Chairs

The Texas House on Thursday voted 116-23 to adopt new rules that will see all committees chaired by Republicans with Democratic vice chairs. The rules were adopted as drafted by Corpus Christi Republican Rep. Todd Hunter with no amendments.

The new rules also will give vice chairs more power and stipulate that chairs must work with them to set the committee’s agenda. Vice chairs will have the authority to designate witnesses to be invited to public hearings, to designate “measures or matters” for public hearings and to order the composition of impact statements on any subject.

For newly elected House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, those committee changes balanced pressure from the Texas Republican Party and far-right Republicans in the House, who had been pushing him to ban Democrats from chairing any committees, with Democrats’s desire for influence, after 49 Democrats voted to elect Burrows speaker.

Six standing House committees from last session will be abolished under the new rules and merged with new or existing committees. Two new standing committees will be established, along with a dozen new permanent standing subcommittees.

Hunter defended the changes on the floor on Thursday under questioning from colleagues. Many hardline Republicans criticized the rules for giving more power to Democrats, while some Democrats bristled at their exclusion from chairing committees.

“Yes, we do encourage vice chairs and chairs to work together,” said Hunter. “What’s wrong with that?”

All but one of the representatives who voted against the resolution were Republicans. Houston Democrat Harold V. Dutton Jr. voted against the proposal after questioning Hunter on his motivation for not allowing Democrats to chair committees.

The 22 Republicans who voted against the resolution were, alphabetically:

• Ben Bumgarner, R-Flower Mound

• Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park

• Mark Dorazio, R-San Antonio

• Caroline Harris Davila, R-Round Rock

• Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian

• Richard Hayes, R-Denton

• Andy Hopper, R-Denton

• Carrie Isaac, R-Dripping Springs

• Mitch Little, R-Lewisville

• A.J. Louderback, R-Victoria

• David Lowe, R-Fort Worth

• J.M. Lozano, R-Kingsville

• Shelley Luther, R-Sherman

• Brent Money, R-Royse City

• Mike Olcott, R-Graford

• Katrina Pierson, R-Rockwall

• Keresa Richardson, R-McKinney

• Nate Schatzline, R-San Antonio

• Alan Schoolcraft, R-Schertz

• Joanne Shofner, R-Nacogdoches

• Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington

• Wes Virdell, R-Kerrville

In a press conference after the vote, Rep. Gene Wu, the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said that the elimination of Democratic chairs will reduce the party’s power.

The House united … on a set of rules that, while it has hurt Democrats and reduced our power, but at least gives us some ability to interact in the process and have our constituents’s needs met.” said Wu.