Who's who at the Texas Capitol

Each legislative session features a mix of returning members of the House and Senate, and new faces, eager to make their mark on state politics; this session is no different. After school vouchers were defeated last session, Gov. Greg Abbott followed through on his threats to challenge Republicans who voted against the measure during primary season, and most of the challengers he supported were successful in ousting incumbents. In the Senate, a handful of senators opted not to run for reelection, and only one was defeated, so the body’s makeup is mostly the same.

TCTA focuses primarily on the activities of the education- and finance-focused committees in each chamber, so the members of those committees are of particular interest to our team as we work to shape policy at the Capitol.

Here are some of the state leaders to watch as the session develops:

Gov. Greg Abbott

Fresh off his successful ouster of a number of Republican House members who defied him last session, Abbott will likely be more influential this session in pressuring members to support school voucher legislation.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick

Patrick leads the Texas Senate and has almost unilateral control of legislation moving through the chamber. With only a fifth as many members as the House, Patrick’s influence in the Senate is immense. He has voiced his full-throated support for school voucher legislation, and has also indicated support for teacher pay raises. 

House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock)

Much of the drama leading up to the session revolved around an uncharacteristically contentious race for speaker of the House. Burrows represents the more establishment wing of the Republican party, evidenced by his support from former Speaker Dade Phelan. His opponent, Rep. David Cook, was considered to have more of a D.C.-style, highly partisan approach, squelching influence from the Democrats in the chamber and more likely to work closely with Lt. Gov. Patrick rather than asserting the House’s independence. On the first day of the session, the House elected Burrows as speaker, setting the tone for the chamber and quelling the seemingly rising tide of the Cook wing. Burrows has indicated his support for voucher legislation this session.

Senate Finance Committee Chair Joan Huffman (R-Houston)

Returning to her post at the head of the committee is Joan Huffman, a veteran senator and ally of Lt. Gov. Patrick. Last session, she shepherded TRS benefits enhancements through Senate Finance, implementing a cost-of-living adjustment for retirees, as well as a 13th check to bolster retirement payments. She will play a key role in any education-related legislation because her committee chooses whether and how to fund any bills that pass elsewhere. Notably, the number of senators in the committee has decreased this session.

House Appropriations Chair Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood)

Bonnen returns to lead the largest committee at the Capitol, the House Appropriations Committee. With 27 members, managing the budget for the House is no small task, and this being his third time chairing the committee, Bonnen has the experience to do so. Like the Senate Finance Committee, House Appropriations has a wide range of responsibilities to plan how to allocate the state’s budget. 

Senate K-16 Education Committee Chair Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe)

Creighton returns to chair the renamed K-16 Education Committee, which will handle all education-related legislation for the Senate. During the 88th Regular Session, Creighton’s SB 8 was the primary school voucher bill, but it died in the House before being resurrected in various forms during later special sessions. He will be shepherding a number of major education bills through the Senate this session, including SB 2 (school vouchers), SB 26 (teacher pay raises), and a teacher bill of rights.

House Public Education Committee Chair Brad Buckley (R-Killeen)

Another returning committee chair, Buckley led the House Public Education Committee last session. He is the author of HB 1605, an omnibus instructional materials bill that ended up as the flagship education bill last session. During the final special session in 2023, Buckley’s voucher legislation was dramatically defeated on the House floor by a coalition of Democrats and rural Republicans. Like Creighton, he has filed a number of major education bills this session, including HB 2 (education finance), HB 3 (school vouchers), and HB 4 (student assessments).