House Speaker Joe Straus has released his list of committees for the 82nd Texas Legislative Session. The list has dozens of changes from the last session. Which was expected after Republicans gained 25 seats since 2009 and now have a supermajority in the House. Democrats lost chairmanships on high profile committees like Ways and Means (where tax bills originate) and Transportation (which is were road bills originate).
Here's the list and demographic breakdown:
- Stats and Figures
- 27 Republican Chairs (71.05%) and 11 Democratic Chairs (28.95%)
- 33 Male Chairs; 5 Female Chairs
- Ethnic Composition of Chairs: 27 Caucasian; 6 Hispanic; 5 African American
- Geographic Composition of Chairs: 23 Urban; 15 Rural
- Speaker Pro Tempore: Representative Beverly Woolley (R-Houston)
- Officially designated Dean of the House: Representative Tom Craddick (R-Midland)
- Fast track Select Committee on Voter Identification and Voter Fraud; and
- Select Committee on State Sovereignty.
List of Committee Chairs:
- Agriculture & Livestock: Representative Rick Hardcastle (R-Vernon)
- Appropriations: Representative Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie)
- Border & Intergovernmental Affairs: Representative Veronica Gonzales (D-McAllen)
- Business & Industry: Representative Joe Deshotel (D-Beaumont)
- Calendars: Representative Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi)
- Corrections: Representative Jerry Madden (R-Richardson)
- County Affairs: Representative Garnet Coleman (D-Houston)
- Criminal Jurisprudence: Pete Gallego (D-Alpine)
- Culture, Recreation & Tourism: Representative Ryan Guillen (D-Rio Grande City)
- Defense & Veterans' Affairs: Representative Joe Pickett (D-El Paso)
- Economic & Small Business Development: Representative John Davis (R-Houston)
- Elections: Representative Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood)
- Energy Resources: Representative Jim Keffer (R-Eastland)
- Environmental Regulation: Representative Wayne Smith (R-Baytown)
- General Investigating & Ethics: Representative Chuck Hopson (R-Jacksonville)
- Government Efficiency & Reform: Representative William "Bill" Callegari (R-Katy)
- Higher Education: Representative Dan Branch (R-Dallas)
- Homeland Security & Public Safety: Representative Sid Miller (R-Stephenville)
- House Administration: Representative Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth)
- Human Services: Representative Richard Peña Raymond (D-Laredo)
- Insurance: Representative John Smithee (R-Amarillo)
- Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence: Representative Jim Jackson (R-Carrollton)
- Land & Resource Management: Representative Rene Oliveira (D-Brownsville)
- Licensing & Administrative Procedures: Representative Mike Hamilton (R-Mauriceville)
- Local & Consent Calendars: Representative Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston)
- Natural Resources: Representative Allan Ritter (R-Nederland)
- Pensions, Investments & Financial Services: Representative Vicki Truitt (R-Keller)
- Public Education: Representative Rob Eissler (R-The Woodlands)
- Public Health: Representative Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham)
- Redistricting: Representative Burt Solomons (R-Carrollton)
- Rules & Resolutions: Representative Ruth Jones McClendon (D-San Antonio)
- State Affairs: Representative Byron Cook (R-Corsicana)
- Technology: Representative Aaron Peña (R-Edinburg)
- Transportation: Representative Larry Phillips (R-Sherman)
- Urban Affairs: Representative Harold Dutton Jr. (D-Houston)
- Ways & Means: Representative Harvey Hilderbran (R-Kerrville)
- Select Committee on State Sovereignty: Representative Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe)
- Select Committee on Voter Identification and Voter Fraud: Representative Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton)
- Election Contest, Select (Previously announced): Representative Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi)
- Joint Committee on Oversight and HHS Eligibility System: Representative Fred Brown (R-College Station)
