Speaker Joe Straus Announces House Committee Assignments

AUSTIN-- February 12, 2009 Speaker Joe Straus today announced Texas House Committees for the 81st Texas Legislature.

In announcing the committee assignments, Speaker Straus said, "When I became Speaker, I vowed to help the members build a house that would operate fairly and help them bring their best talent forward to address the state's most difficult challenges. The committee assignments I am making today will draw upon the House's wisdom and experience and provide an opportunity for new leadership and ideas. We are fortunate to have a House where members want do what is best and right for Texas and I am confident that they will succeed."

You may also follow @SpeakerStraus on Twitter.

• The current partisan make-up of the Texas House is 76 Republican and 74 Democrats.

• The number of standing committees was reduced from 40 to 34.

• There were 296 positions on substantive committees. With the exception of the Speaker and the Chairs of Appropriations and State Affairs, each member was assigned two slots on substantive committees.

• 15 of the 34 chairmen have not chaired standing committees in prior sessions.

Speaker Joe Straus

Committee Assignments

Statistical Information***

• The current partisan make-up of the Texas House is 76 Republicans and 74 Democrats (pie charts for this session and previous three)

• The number of standing committees was reduced from 40 to 34 (bar graph)

• There were 296 positions on substantive committees. With the exception of the Speaker and the Chairs of Appropriations and State Affairs, each member was assigned two slots on substantive committees.

Of the 34 standing committees:

1. 18 are chaired by Republicans and 16 are chaired by Democrats (last session, 30Rs and 10 Ds)
2. 15 of the 34 chairmen have not chaired standing committees in prior sessions
3. Five of the 34 chairs are African American (last session, 4)
4. Four of the 34 chairs are Hispanic (last session, 3)
5. 11 vice-chairmen are Hispanic (last session, 5)
6. 7 of the chairs are women (last session, 7)
7. 5 of the vice-chairs are women (last session, 5)
8. Rural/Urban Breakdown: Urban 23, Rural 11 (Last Session: 25 urban, 15 rural)

In addition, the House created the Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding, to be chaired by Representative Jim Dunnam (D-Waco).

Analysis:

• There have been increases in some categories and in others, you have maintained diversity and generally the same urban rural split.
• This has been achieved with fewer standing committees.
• Less to work with in terms of number of committees, but achieved equal or greater diversity.

***Source: Texas Legislative Council