Texas Legislature - Committee Assignments Mixed Bag

The committee assignments are in for the Texas House of Representatives.  A complete list of all committee assignments can be found on the official website of the Texas Legislature. The chair and vice-chair assignments are detailed below.

A total of 27 of the 38 committees are chaired by Republicans while 11 are chaired by Democrats.  20 Democrats serve as vice-chairs while 18 Republicans hold vice-chair seats.  Eight committees have both the chair and vice-chair as Republican and twp committees have both the chair and vice-chair as Democrats.

In an interesting side note, none of the members who voted against Speaker Straus received committee chairs or vice-chairs.  Debbie Riddle, who led the charge against Straus but eventually voted for him also did not receive a chair or vice-chair appointment. The two Democrats who switched parties both received chairs.

• Stats and Figures

o 33 Male Chairs; 5 Female Chairs

o Ethnic Composition of Chairs: 27 Caucasian; 6 Hispanic; 5 African American

o Geographic Composition of Chairs: 23 Urban; 15 Rural

• Speaker Pro Tempore: Representative Beverly Woolley (Houston)

• Officially designated Dean of the House: Representative Tom Craddick (Midland)

• Fast track Select Committee on Voter Identification and Voter Fraud; and

• Select Committee on State Sovereignty.

House Committee Chair & Vice Chair Assignments

Agriculture & Livestock

               Chair – Rep. Rick Hardcastle - R

               VChair – Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson - R

Appropriations

               Chair – Rep. Jim Pitt – R

               VChair – Rep. Sylvester Turner – D

Border & Intergovernmental Affairs

               Chair – Rep. Veronica Gonzales - D

               VChair - Rep. Randy Weber – R

Business & Industry

               Chair - Rep. Joe Deshotel – D

               VChair - Rep. Rob Orr – R

Calendars

               Chair - Rep. Todd Hunter - R

               VChair - Rep. Dennis Bonnen – R

Corrections

               Chair - Rep. Jerry Madden - R

               VChair - Rep. Alma Allen – D

County Affairs

               Chair – Rep. Garnet Coleman - D

               VChair - Rep. Marisa Marquez – D

Criminal Jurisprudence

               Chair – Rep. Pete Gallego - D

               VChair - Rep. Will Hartnett – R

Culture, Recreation & Tourism

               Chair -   Rep. Ryan Guillen - D

               VChair - Rep. Gary Elkins – R

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

               Chair – Rep. Joseph Pickett - D

               VChair - Rep. Ralph Sheffield – R

Economic & Small Business Development

               Chair – Rep. John Davis - R

               VChair - Rep. Hubert Vo – D

Election Contest, Select

               Chair – Rep. Todd Hunter - R

               VChair - Rep. Craig Eiland – D

Elections

               Chair – Rep. Larry Taylor - R

               VChair - Rep. Ana Hernandez Luna – D

Energy Resources

               Chair – Rep. Jim Keffer - R

               VChair - Rep. Myra Crownover – R

Environmental Regulation

               Chair – Rep. Wayne Smith - R

               VChair - Rep. Jessica Farrar – D

General Investigating & Ethics

               Chair – Rep. Chuck Hopson - R

               VChair - Rep. Brandon Creighton – R

Government Efficiency & Reform

               Chair - Rep. Bill Callegari - R

               VChair - Rep. Eddie Lucio III – D

Higher Education

               Chair – Rep. Dan Branch - R

               VChair - Rep. Joaquin Castro – D

Homeland Security & Public Safety

               Chair – Rep. Sid Miller - R

               VChair - Rep. Allen Fletcher - R

House Administration

               Chair – Rep. Charlie Geren - R

               VChair - Rep. Donna Howard – D (Contested)

Human Services

               Chair – Rep. Richard Pena Raymond - D

               VChair - Rep. Geanie Morrison – R

Insurance

               Chair - Rep. John T. Smithee – R

               VChair - Rep. Craig Eiland – D

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

               Chair – Rep. Jim Jackson - R

               VChair - Rep. Tryon D. Lewis – R

Land & Resource Management

               Chair – Rep. Rene Oliveira - D

               VChair - Rep. Tim Kleinschmidt – R

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

               Chair – Rep. Mike Hamilton - R

               VChair - Rep. Chente Quintanilla – D

Local & Consent Calendars

               Chair – Rep. Senfronia Thompson - D

               VChair - Rep. Kelly Hancock –R

        Natural Resources

                      Chair – Rep. Allan Ritter - R

               VChair - Rep. Tracy O. King – D

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

               Chair – Rep. Vicki Truitt - R

               VChair - Rep. Rafael Anchia – D

Public Education

               Chair – Rep. Rob Eissler - R

               VChair - Rep. Scott Hochberg – D

Public Health

               Chair – Rep. Lois W. Kolkhorst - R

               VChair - Rep. Elliott Naishtat – D

Redistricting

               Chair – Rep. Burt R. Solomons - R

               VChair - Rep. Mike Villarreal – D

Rules & Resolutions

               Chair – Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon - D

               VChair - Rep. Tan Parker – R

State Sovereignty, Select

               Chair – Rep. Brandon Creighton - R

               VChair - Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer – D

Technology

               Chair – Rep. Aaron Pena - R

               VChair - Rep. Angie Chen Button – R

Transportation

               Chair – Rep. Larry Phillips - R

               VChair - Rep. Drew Darby – R

Urban Affairs

               Chair – Rep. Harold V. Dutton, Jr. - D

               VChair - Rep. Carol Alvarado – D

Voter Identification & Voter Fraud, Select

               Chair - Rep. Dennis Bonnen – R

               VChair - Rep. Marc Veasey – D

Ways & Means

               Chair – Rep. Harvey Hilderbran - R

               VChair - Rep. John Otto - R