This is not a happy article for me to write, but I guess I need to deal with reality. Texas Rep. Dade Phelan is evidently going to become the Speaker of the House yet again.

Yesterday I learned the following from a new Republican House member:  

“The Republican House Caucus rules, written by Tony Tinderholt and passed by the body 2 Sessions ago, require a secret ballot on the first round of votes. Whether I agree with them or not, it was the proper procedure; and I pledge to follow the rules.

The Rules also state that whichever candidate wins the caucus vote, the Republican caucus will vote for that person to be Speaker in a recorded vote on January 10, 2023.

Republican Party of Texas (RPT) Rule 70 also states that we must vote for the winner of the secret ballot.”

I also found out that in the caucus on 12.3.22 when the secret ballot vote was taken for Speaker of the House, all but three Repub House members were present.

The only vote taken was an up-or-down vote on one name – Rep. Dade Phelan.  Phelan won handily.

HOW WE REPUBS CAN STILL PASS MUCH-NEEDED BILLS

Repubs all over this state worked so terribly hard for the 11.8.22 victories. We saw great results for our efforts. 

The Texas House is made up of 150 members. Here is the final count of the incoming House: 86 Repubs to 64 Dems 

This means the Repubs are by far in the majority in the House; and we also took the top three Texas leadership spots with the Governor, Lt. Gov., and Texas Attorney General.  

Here is what needs to happen when the Texas House meets for the 88^th Legislative Session on Jan. 10, 2023:

At the beginning of each new Legislative Session, the House gets to decide whether or not to adopt the past Rules of the 87^th Legislative Session.

FIRST RULE CHANGE AMENDMENT 

If at least 76 Repubs will stand together, they can amend the new 88^th Legislative Session Rules to require that the Chairs of the House Committees be awarded to the majority party.

This would mean Speaker Phelan would have no choice but to choose Repub Chairs for all of the various committees. He chose 40% Dem Chairs for the 87^th Legislative Session.

It is those committee chairs who decide which bills are brought up for discussion and hence, which bills will make it to the floor of the House for discussion and a final vote.

As I have said for many years, any Repub is better than choosing a Dem because the Dem Party has totally been dragged off into far leftism.

SECOND RULE CHANGE AMENDMENT

A second excellent rule change has come from Texas Rep. Cody Vasut (R – Angleton).  His 88^th Legislative Session Rule change would create a discharge petition that would stop any committee chairman (Dem or Repub) from blocking a bill in committee.  If a House member can get 76 signatures from other House members, then that bill would automatically be heard on the floor of the House. 

PHELAN’S BLIND SPOT

Texas did pass some amazing anti-abortion laws in the 87^th Legislative Session; Speaker Phelan at least supported those. His problem is that he seems to have a “blind spot” when it comes to the issue of LGBTQ.

In the last legislative session, Speaker Phelan deliberately did not let the gender modification bill come to the floor of the House for debate nor for a vote even after the Texas Senate under Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had passed it. Remember that there were three Special Sessions which gave them time to get that bill passed.

As we look around our state and watch the increase of Drag Queen events, the gender clinics springing up, the increase of horror stories from children who have undergone puberty blockers and/or had their sex organs chopped off (all irreversible), and the LGBTQ agenda running rampant in our schools and in our society, we must pressure Speaker Phelan and the other House members to stop this madness. Our Texas children are the most important “product” that we have. It is up to us to protect them.

HUGE ACTION STEPS – TAKES ALL OF US

1. I beg of you to pressure your Texas House members all over this state to amend the new 88^th Legislative Session Rules to force Speaker Phelan to appoint Repub chairs over each of the committees. We need to remind Texas House members that 81% of Repub primary voters (over 1.5 million Texans) voted to end the practice of awarding committee chairmanships to Dems. The winning party has spoken.
2. Also, pressure your Texas House members to amend the 88^th Legislative Session Rules to allow the signatures of 76 House members to override a bill stuck in committee.

============================================

12.3.22 -- “Disappointed Once Again in Tex. Repub House Members” -- by Donna Garner -- https://conta.cc/3UsKFr6

11.30.22 -- “Texas Needs a Quaternity To Protect Our Children” -- by Donna Garner -- https://conta.cc/3EPk4Pe

11.19.22 -- “Texans, Let’s Be Bold and Unapologetic Conservatives” -- from Donna Garner -- https://conta.cc/3V6BKw8