89th Texas Legislature | |||||
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![]() The Seal of Texas | |||||
Overview | |||||
Legislative body | Texas State Legislature | ||||
Jurisdiction | Texas | ||||
Term | January 14, 2025 – June 2, 2025 | ||||
Election | 2024 general election | ||||
Senate | |||||
Members | 31 | ||||
President of the Senate | Dan Patrick (R) | ||||
Party control | Republican | ||||
House of Representatives | |||||
Members | 150 | ||||
Speaker | Dustin Burrows (R–83) | ||||
Party control | Republican | ||||
Sessions | |||||
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The 89th Texas Legislature is the meeting of the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Texas, composed of the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives. The regular session is scheduled to until June 2, 2025. [1]
All 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives and 15 seats in the Texas Senate were up for election in November 2024, with Republicans continuing their majority in both chambers.
On September 10, 2024, prior to the 2024 election, 48 house Republicans who opposed Phelan unanimously chose David Cook [3] of the 96th district as the reformer-endorsed candidate in the next speakership election. [4] [5] Phelan was expected to seek support from Democrats in order to remain as speaker, but ultimately opted out of seeking a third term as speaker. [6] [7] Dustin Burrows of the 83rd district, an ally of Phelan, sought the speakership, relying on the support of Democratic representatives and Republicans who defeated primary challengers. [8] On January 14, 2025, Burrows was elected Texas House Speaker after 49 Democrats joined 36 Republicans to back him in the second round of voting, defeating Cook by a vote of 85 to 55. [9]
On July 21, 2025 the legislature began a special session called by the Governor to address several issues including natural disaster relief, THC regulation, restricting abortion medication, and congressional redistricting. [10] On August 3, Texas House Democrats left the state in order to prevent a quorum from meeting and voting on a new congressional map that heavily favored the Republican party. [11] On August 4th, when the roll call showed that the chamber lacked a quorum, a call of the house was issued and the Speaker signed civil arrest warrants to try and secure the return of the absent members. [12] Since the absent members were not within the state, the warrants were mostly symbolic. Due to rules enacted after the last quorum break in the 87th Legislature, the absent members were subject to $500 a day fines. [13] On August 7, Senator John Cornyn announced that the FBI had agreed to assist in reestablishing quorum. [14]
Republican leadership in the state have initiated lawsuits against the missing Democrats. They argue that by leaving the state, the absent members have vacated their seats. [15] [16] The Supreme Court of Texas is currently examining the question, but a ruling is not expected until after the first called session is complete. [17]
Given the national implications of the proposed congressional maps in the 2026 midterm elections, other states have threatened to also redraw their maps in partisan retaliation. Democratic leadership in California and New York have signaled their intent to counteract Republican gains. [18] [19] Republican leadership in Missouri and Florida have also discussed their plans to join in the redistricting push. [20] [21]
The quorum break ended on August 18. The House Democrats returned to the capitol after the first called session was ended, and California committed to introducing redistricting legislation to offset the partisan gains of the new Texas congressional maps. [22] [23] In order to ensure that a quorum would be present in order to allow a vote on the new maps, the members who had participated in the break had to sign a permission slip to leave the building. Once they left the building, they would be escorted by a state trooper who would make sure they return. At least one member, Nicole Collier, refused to agree with the police escort and had to remain in the building overnight. [24] After the House voted out the new maps on August 20, the call of the house expired and members were able to move freely without the escort.
At the end of the second called session, the House changed its rules to further increase the penalties incurred on lawmakers who break quorum. These new penalties include increased fines, prohibitions on political fundraising, and potential loss of seniority and committee positions. [25]
Affiliation | Party (shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | Vacant | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Republican | ||||
End of previous legislature | 12 | 19 | 31 | 0 | |
Begin (January 14, 2025) | 11 | 20 | 31 | 0 | |
Latest voting share | 35.48% | 64.52% |
Affiliation | Party (shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | Vacant | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Republican | ||||
End of previous legislature | 64 | 86 | 150 | 0 | |
Begin (January 14, 2025) | 62 | 88 | 150 | 0 | |
Latest voting share | 41.3% | 58.7% |
Listed by chamber and then alphabetically by committee name, including chair and vice-chair.
On January 17, Dan Patrick, the President of the Texas Senate, announced the standing committee assignments. [26]
Committee | Chair | Vice-chair |
---|---|---|
Administration | Bob Hall (R-2) | Adam Hinojosa (R-27) |
Border Security | Brian Birdwell (R-22) | Pete Flores (R-24) |
Business and Commerce | Charles Schwertner (R-5) | Phil King (R-10) |
Criminal Justice | Pete Flores (R-24) | Tan Parker (R-12) |
Economic Development | Phil King (R-10) | Kevin Sparks (R-31) |
Education K-16 | Brandon Creighton (R-4) | Donna Campbell (R-25) |
Finance | Joan Huffman (R-17) | Juan Hinojosa (D-20) |
Health and Human Services | Lois Kolkhorst (R-18) | Charles Perry (R-28) |
Jurisprudence | Bryan Hughes (R-1) | Nathan Johnson (D-16) |
Local Government | Paul Bettencourt (R-7) | Mayes Middleton (R-11) |
Natural Resources | Brian Birdwell (R-22) | Judith Zaffirini (D-21) |
Nominations | Donna Campbell (R-25) | Brent Hagenbuch (R-30) |
State Affairs | Bryan Hughes (R-1) | Angela Paxton (R-8) |
Transportation | Robert Nichols (R-3) | Royce West (D-23) |
Veteran Affairs | Kelly Hancock (R-9) | Tan Parker (R-12) |
Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs | Charles Perry (R-28) | Kelly Hancock (R-9) |
Prior to the 89th Legislature, the Texas House had a longstanding tradition of granting a number of committee chairmanships to members of the minority party. However, during the campaign for Speaker of the House David Cook and other Republicans campaigned on the issue of requiring committee chairmanships to go to members of the majority party. [27] The compromise solution implemented by the newly elected Speaker Burrows was in addition to the banning of minority party chairmen all vice-chairs were to be members of the minority party. There were also newly created permanent standing subcommittees which did not have the same restriction on leadership membership. [28]
On February 13, Burrows announced the assignments for the following standing committees. [29]
Committee | Chair | Vice Chair |
---|---|---|
Agriculture & Livestock | Ryan Guillen | R. D. "Bobby" Guerra |
Appropriations | Greg Bonnen | Mary E. González |
Calendars | Todd Hunter | Toni Rose |
Corrections | Sam Harless | Venton Jones |
Criminal Jurisprudence | John Smithee | Gene Wu |
Culture, Recreation & Tourism | Will Metcalf | Lulu Flores |
Delivery of Government Efficiency | Giovanni Capriglione | Salman Bhojani |
Elections | Matt Shaheen | John Bucy III |
Energy Resources | Drew Darby | Eddie Morales |
General Investigating | Keith Bell | Erin Gámez |
Higher Education | Terry Wilson | Donna Howard |
Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs | Cole Hefner | Ray Lopez |
House Administration | Charlie Geren | Sheryl Cole |
Human Services | Lacey Hull | Christian Manuel |
Insurance | Jay Dean | Hubert Vo |
Intergovernmental Affairs | Cecil Bell | Erin Zweiner |
Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence | Jeff Leach | Ann Johnson |
Land & Resource Management | Gary Gates | Suleman Lalani |
Licensing & Administrative Procedures | Dade Phelan | Senfronia Thompson |
Local & Consent Calendars | Jared Patterson | Rhetta Bowers |
Natural Resources | Cody Harris | Armando Martinez |
Pensions, Investments & Financial Services | Stan Lambert | Mihaela Plesa |
Public Education | Brad Buckley | Diego Bernal |
Public Health | Gary VanDeaver | Liz Campos |
Redistricting | Cody Vasut | Jon Rosenthal |
State Affairs | Ken King | Ana Hernandez |
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development | Angie Button | James Talarico |
Transportation | Tom Craddick | Mary Ann Perez |
Ways & Means | Morgan Meyer | Trey Martinez Fischer |
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