Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan said in September that if he’s reelected as speaker, he would appoint the same proportion of Democratic committee chairs for the next session. Story by TexasTribune.
Republican supporters of the status quo argue it did not stop conservatives from achieving long-sought policy wins last year, including a near-total abortion ban and permitless carry of handguns.
Phelan’s predecessor, Dennis Bonnen, appointed 12 Democratic committee chairs when he was speaker in the 2019 legislative session, similar to the proportion that Phelan has picked. That year, Bonnen faced intraparty criticism for putting Democrats in charge of two committees that traditionally hear gun-related bills, angering Second Amendment activists who had been pushing for permitless carry of handguns.
In the House, Republicans enjoy leadership positions on the most coveted and powerful committees, like those that control spending and taxes. Democrats chair some of the less prominent committees, like the Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee and the Pensions, Investments and Financial Services Committee.
At least 20 new or returning members have expressed support for at least partially limiting committee chairmanships to the majority party. That includes members who backed two proposed amendments to the rules last year that were unsuccessful, plus members who promised during their latest campaigns to oppose Democratic committee chairs.
Opponents of Democratic committee chairs worked hard to make the March primaries a referendum on the issue, fielding challengers who sought to put incumbents on defense over the status quo. Their arguments were given new relevance by theThey also got a boost from a nonbinding proposition on the Republican primary ballot that asked voters about ending Democratic committee chairmanships. It passed with 81% of the vote.
It remains to be seen how many new members will make good on their campaign-trail rhetoric against Democratic committee chairs. One of them, Rep.-elect Richard Hayes from North Texas, said Tuesday his opposition to the practice had not changed.
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