After serving two terms as Texas House speaker, Rep. Dade Phelan remains firm in his decisions, despite facing significant political backlash. Speaking at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs in an interview with Evan Smith, co-founder of The Texas Tribune, Phelan asserted that he stood by his handling of the most controversial issues of the 2023 legislative session.
Phelan, who was reelected to his seat in Southeast Texas but chose not to seek another term as speaker, addressed three major decisions that contributed to his falling out with a large portion of his party: awarding committee chairmanships to Democrats, leading the House impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton, and refusing to strong-arm members into supporting a school voucher program.
Despite criticism from conservative factions, Phelan defended the long-standing practice of giving some committee leadership roles to Democrats, emphasizing its importance in fostering bipartisanship. He also reaffirmed his stance on Paxton’s impeachment, stating that had he been a juror in the Senate trial, he would have voted to convict.
On school vouchers, Phelan explained that while he personally supported aspects of the 2023 proposal, it was clear that the votes did not exist to pass it in the House. He pushed back on the notion that he deliberately obstructed the measure, instead emphasizing that members made their own decisions, as first reported by The Austin American-Statesman.
“The votes just were not there,” Phelan said. “It wasn’t some secret agenda by the speaker’s office to block school choice.”
The Road Ahead
With the Texas House recently voting to end bipartisan committee chairmanships, while still allowing Democrats to hold vice chair positions, Phelan acknowledged that the compromise at least preserved some level of bipartisan cooperation.
Looking ahead, the House appears more receptive to passing a school voucher plan than during Phelan’s leadership, aligning more closely with Gov. Greg Abbott’s long-standing push for the policy.
Rep. Dustin Burrows, who secured the Texas House speakership with backing from House Democrats, has taken a more decisive stance on school vouchers than his predecessor. Phelan, while privately supportive of school choice in 2023, did not publicly commit to it. Now, Burrows has made his position clear, signaling a shift in leadership dynamics.
Recently, Burrows reinforced his commitment to passing school vouchers by directly responding to former President Donald Trump’s call for the Texas House to act. After Trump urged lawmakers to approve school choice, praising Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Sen. Brandon Creighton for advancing the Senate’s education savings account bill, Burrows simply replied, “I will.” His unequivocal endorsement underscores the House’s shifting stance on the issue.
