Voice of the Conservative Vote: Dennis Bonnen

Representative Dennis Bonnen serves the 25th Legislative District in the Texas House of Representatives representing southern Brazoria County and all of Matagorda County. First elected to the Legislature in 1996, he began his tenth term of office in January 2015.

At the beginning of the 83rd Session, Representative Bonnen was appointed by Speaker Straus to serve as Speaker Pro Tempore, acting as presiding officer of the House in the Speaker's absence, while also directing the Local and Consent calendar. Representative Bonnen also serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Special Purpose Districts with policy oversight of local authorities and districts that have a direct impact on Texans' day-to-day lives. Additionally, he is a member of the House Natural Resources Committee where he played a key role in the passage of historical legislation to fund and implement Texas' nationally-renowned State Water Plan and continues to tackle water issues faced by Brazoria and Matagorda counties. He also serves as Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Oversight of Higher Education Governance, Excellence, and Transparency.

At home in Brazoria County, Representative Bonnen serves as the honorary chairman of Brazosport College's "Count on Us" campaign. He is on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement and B.I.G. Love Cancer Care Services, and is an honorary member of the Brazoria and Matagorda County Cavalries. He has served as honorary co-chairman of the Leukemia Society Light the Night Walk and Crime Stoppers Golf Tournament, and is an active supporter of the Brazoria County Fair, BACH, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, ActionS, Inc., and local Boys and Girls Clubs. He is also a member of the Angleton, Brazosport, Sweeny, West Columbia, Brazoria, Bay City, Matagorda, Palacios, and Sargent Chambers of Commerce.

Representative Bonnen is a graduate of Angleton High School and graduated cum laude from St. Edwards University in Austin with a B.A. in Political Science. St. Edward's honored him with their Alumni Achievement Award in 2001 and he was inducted into the Angleton ISD Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame in 2013.

In addition to his legislative duties, Representative Bonnen is the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Heritage Bank in Pearland. The Houston Business Journal honored him in 2009 with one of the inaugural "40 Under 40" awards recognizing young business leaders who show dynamic leadership in their community.

He and his wife Kim and their two sons make their home in Angleton.

Source: DennisBonnen.com

"I have been a consistent advocate for increased technical training and workforce development for Texas' students -- being one of the first to speak out against inflexible 4x4 curriculum requirements upon their implementation...we need intelligent accountability in our schools while maintaining flexibility and rigorous options for our students, ensuring they are prepared for whatever goal they choose to pursue."