What the election results mean for the Texas House

For the first time in more than two decades, Democrats will control the Texas House of Representatives. The election gives Democrats an 83-67 majority and puts the chamber under new leadership under the 90th Legislature. This means a significant change in who sets the agenda, which issues get attention, and what type of legislation moves through the House.

The change in party control is historic; more so is the person poised to lead the chamber.

Senfronia Thompson to make history as speaker

As reported Friday on Teach the Vote, Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D–Houston) has secured the votes to become the next speaker of the Texas House. Thompson is a Houston Democrat who has served in the Legislature since 1973. Thompson will become the first woman and first Black lawmaker to serve as speaker.

Her selection also means that, for the first time in history, all three of the state’s top leadership positions will be held by women: Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa (D–Austin), Lt. Governor-elect Vikki Goodwin (D–Austin), and Thompson as Speaker.

The speaker has considerable control over the legislative process, including appointing committee chairs and members, referring bills to committees, and determining how legislation moves through the House. Those decisions are vital and can make or break bills long before they reach the House floor. 

Thompson secured votes from both parties and indicated she intends to give both parties a role in committee leadership. That would be a departure from the Republican-controlled House of last session, when Democrats as the minority party were shut out of committee chairmanships. Historically, the Texas House has always had power sharing, and this would be a return to the norm.

What will the new House majority be able to accomplish?

With a new majority and a new speaker, educators can expect a different set of priorities to emerge in the House. School funding, educator compensation, classroom conditions, and testing will all likely be part of the conversation. The House will also have an opportunity to take a closer look at the state’s private school voucher program, the data emerging from its first year, and its impact on public education.

The speaker’s appointments to the Public Education and Appropriations committees will be particularly important. These committees will have significant influence over legislation affecting public schools and the funding available to support them, and the new speaker could, for example, choose to appoint an educator as chair of the Public Education committee for the first time in at least this century.

That said, a Democratic majority in the house does not mean that Democrats will have control of the legislative process as a whole. The Texas Senate remains under Republican control, with Lt. Gov-elect Vikki Goodwin presiding over a chamber that will be looking to limit and restrict her power as much as possible. Legislation must pass both chambers before it can reach the governor’s desk.

This creates significant hurdles for legislation coming out of the House. With regard to public education, even if Thompson and the new House majority make public education funding, educator pay, or other education proposals priorities, those proposals will still need support in the Senate. Bills that pass the House could be substantially changed, delayed, or stopped altogether in the upper chamber.

This does not mean the House should not try to pass legislation. What it means is that they will have to work closely with the Senate to negotiate passage of the House’s policy goals. It means that there will have to be cooperation between the two chambers to get their key legislation passed. What remains to be seen is how quickly the House freshmen and the new majority can get up to speed, and whether the Senate will be willing to work with the House or simply play the spoiler. This is why it is crucial for educators to stay engaged with their senator and representative and ensure that both chambers understand exactly what their constituents are expecting of them in the 90th session. Because as ATPE members know: You must be present to win!