The Texas legislative session started today, and the first order of business was electing a new speaker. And despite the strong Republican majority, the Democrat backed Dustin Burrows was still able to win easily over David Cook who won the Texas GOP caucus, 85-55, with 9 PNV's (present, not voting).
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released a statement that said:
The removal of the disgraced and corrupt Dade Phelan as Speaker of the House is a positive step for Texas. His close ally, Dustin Burrows, was elected with the support of most Democrats after he refused to honor the rules of the Republican Caucus.
Texas Republican voters made it clear they want conservative legislation to pass this session. It is now important that Speaker Burrows and his leadership team pass every conservative legislative priority in a timely manner to make our state more secure and more prosperous. That is what Texas Republicans expect.
I’ve been fighting to reform the Texas House for over two decades and will not stop. We have made incredible progress in the past two years and must remain steadfast and hold our representatives responsible for their actions this session.
On the flipside, far left radical Democrats were overjoyed with the Burrows win, as many of them voted for him. Here was their statement, from chair Gene Wu:
“Thanks to a bipartisan coalition of Democrats and principled Republicans, the Texas House of Representatives will not be auctioned off to the highest bidder, handed over to Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick, and Ken Paxton, or surrendered to their billionaire donors who seek to dismantle our democratic foundations. Even in these divided times, the Texas House has demonstrated they understand the difference between true leadership and extremism.
“This House cannot function without Democratic participation and leadership. While Speaker Burrows and our caucus may not see eye to eye on every policy issue, we stand united in rejecting the control of political extremists and protecting the integrity of the People’s House. We look forward to working with Speaker Burrows to address the real challenges facing Texas families: fully funding neighborhood schools, expanding access to healthcare, fixing our failing electrical grid, and building a better future for all Texans.
“The voters of Texas sent us here to serve their interests — not to bow to the demands of extremists or their wealthy backers. Today's vote ensures that every duly elected voice in our chamber will continue to be heard, regardless of party affiliation. That’s not just a Democratic value — it’s a Texas value.”
The Chairman of the Texas GOP, Abraham George, said earlier in the day that he thought that most of the people in Dustin Burrows' camp were "reconsidering."
George also warned that they might be kissing their seat in the legislature goodbye if they didn't vote for David Cook, "If they're not gonna get behind the Republican nominee, the primaries are coming. The party is not gonna stand back and just put up with this kind of politics in Austin anymore."
George went on to say that the GOP representatives were sent to Austin with a mandate, and they need to fulfill it. He said, "They're sent there for a reason. And they need to do their job. I don't think they need to be stuck on these personalities and internal politics; they need to move forward."
We'll see now how the 89th legislative session moves forward, with a Democrat speaker.