Relations between leaders of the Texas Senate and House off to rocky start

AUSTIN – The Dallas Morning News reports that shortly after Lubbock Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows was elected Texas House speaker, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick questioned the legitimacy of his victory and issued a legislative challenge. Perhaps it was a threat. Pass conservative measures or else, Patrick suggested in a social media post and news release. That approach is similar to the disdain he showed Beaumont Republican Dade Phelan, who declined to seek a third term as speaker after clashing with Patrick and grassroots Republican activists who accused Phelan of giving Democrats too much influence. It’s Groundhog Day in the Texas Legislature. Patrick, who presides over the Senate, is miffed because Burrows needed crucial support from Democrats to best Mansfield Republican Rep. David Cook, who was endorsed by the House Republican Caucus.

Needing help from Democrats in the Republican-dominated House, Patrick said, makes Burrows a “counterfeit speaker.” The Patrick-Burrows relationship, already off to a rocky start, will determine if the House and Senate can smoothly pass conservative priorities, or if some sought-after conservative legislation is lost through acrimony. Policy disagreements used to be an accepted part of the American political discourse, but this era stresses allegiance by party members and discourages fraternization with the other side. Based on Patrick’s social media to-do list for Burrows, there’s a strong chance for the House and Senate to be on the same page. The priorities he outlined for Burrows include school choice, a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying, bail reform, posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms, banning critical race theory and “multiple election integrity bills.” “Each of these bills will be passed again by the Texas Senate,” Patrick said in the statement. “The voters will hold our new speaker accountable to keep his promise of being the most conservative speaker in Texas history.” Many House Republicans share the same priorities. They want to fortify the state’s power grid, make sure the state meets the demand for water and deliver another property tax cut. Most Republican lawmakers are also on the same page with other issues, including curbing illegal immigration and making sure Texas has the nation’s toughest anti-abortion laws.