Here’s a quick recap of what happened over the last week:
Texas House Speaker Race
Rep. Dustin Burrows, Republican from Lubbock, announced on Saturday that he had secured the 76 votes necessary to become Speaker of the 150-member Texas House. Burrows released the names of both Democrats and Republicans, calling on the House to remain a bipartisan, representative body, and to not clamor to the calls of most of his Republican counterparts that want the Republican caucus to have the only say in electing the new House Speaker
The announcement by Burrows came after the House Republican caucus met earlier that morning and chose Mansfield Rep. David Cook by a 48-41 margin, which was a few votes shy of the 53 votes necessary under caucus rules to get the formal endorsement of the caucus. Note: Caucus rules call for a three-fifths majority – 53 of 88 – for any member to receive the binding vote of the caucus as their formal choice for Speaker to thus avoid the reliance on the any Democratic support.
Burrows initially released a list of 38 Republicans and 38 Democrats allegedly supporting his candidacy; however, several individuals listed have publicly denied their support.
Cook has now released a list of 56 supporters in the Republican caucus, several of whom also appeared on Burrows’ initial list, including Reps. Don McLaughlin, Charles Cunningham, Janie Lopez, Mano DeAyala, Jeff Barry, Sam Harless, and Paul Dyson. McLaughlin and Dyson immediately denied supporting Burrows and reaffirmed their loyalty to the unified Republican House caucus. As the week progressed, the additional Republicans also distanced themselves from Burrows’ claims.
Tensions within the Republican Party persist, indicating potential divisions as the Legislature convenes in January. The Texas GOP issued a statement on Saturday urging House Republicans to support Cook. Despite this, Cook has expressed a willingness to work with Democrats to achieve bipartisan support if necessary—a stance that may conflict with the priorities of some of his far-right colleagues. Meanwhile, House Democrats released a statement clarifying that their members are open to voting for any candidate for Speaker, except Cook.
Absent from the fight for the first few days, on Wednesday afternoon, Greg Abbott finally made a statement on X, stating, “Let me be clear: I worked this entire year to elect conservative candidates who will pass conservative laws, including school choice.” This message serves as Abbott’s informal endorsement of Cook, who has previously expressed his unwavering support for all Republican party platforms, including school choice. Shortly after this, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick explicitly announced that Abbott has his full support–implying that Cook has the full support of Patrick and Abbott.
Burrows’ support is now well below his initial list of 76 supporters. With Cook having at least 56 members of the caucus pledging support, and the informal endorsement by Gov. Abbott, things seem to be trending his way at the moment. However, this volatile situation is sure to produce more drama, and the issue is far from settled.
Outside Forces Weighing In
Adding to the drama, on Monday morning Donald Trump Junior (@DonaldJTrumpJR) wrote on X, formerly Twitter,
“It’s unbelievable what is happening in Texas right now. There is a group of so-called Republicans cutting a deal with liberal Democrats to elect a speaker instead of uniting behind the Republican nominee, @DavidCookTexas! Unbelievable! Republicans have a mandate!”
Also this week, over 100 county Republican chairs have signed a letter in support of Rep. Cook. This effort was initially led by Tarrant County Republican chair Bo French who also has emphasized that any Republican member not supporting Cook will be held accountable – meaning they are more than likely to draw a primary opponent in the 2026 election. The letter “reminds” the House Republicans that they have a responsibility to support Cook since he was chosen by the caucus to be their candidate for House Speaker. The letter refers to the Republicans that are relying on Democratic support to elect a new Speaker as “betraying our party and our values.”
Home Insurance in Texas Continues to Rise
Another topic that is assured to be considered in the upcoming session is the rising cost of homeowner insurance in Texas. Homeowners are grappling with a surge in insurance costs, as rates rose by over 21% statewide in the last year. Homeowners along Texas’ Gulf Coast are facing rising insurance costs amid growing concerns about the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters such as hurricanes, hailstorms, and tornadoes. Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), the last resort insurer for many properties, proposed a 10% rate increase for residential and commercial policyholders in October that was rejected by Texas Insurance Commissioner Cassie Brown.
Texas’s housing market vulnerabilities are exposed by the ongoing crisis of rising costs, despite discussions around improved consumer resources and legislative proposals aimed at mitigating the situation. The affordability crisis is particularly salient in regions like Harris County, where the cost of insurance adds to larger housing affordability issues. In 2023, the home insurance industry in Texas experienced significant financial losses exceeding $15 billion, leading to the departure of major companies like Progressive and an affiliate of Farmers Insurance. This, added to many families experiencing difficulty in finding affordable insurance after their carrier has either left the state or sent a notice of nonrenewal adds pressure on lawmakers to find a solution acceptable to homeowners.
Various Bills Proposed for Social Media Bans for Minors
HB 186 by Rep. Jared Patterson (R, Frisco) proposes an outright ban by social media sites from allowing minors to create accounts and require that new users must follow an age verification process prior to the creation of their account.
In a similar fashion, HB 499 by Representative Mary Gonzales of El Paso would require social media sites operating in the state of Texas to display a warning about the negative mental health effects associated with social media by minors. Gonzales has also filed a bill banning the use of a person’s likeness in the use of artificially created pornographic images.
All three bills aim to shift more responsibility onto social media companies to limit minors’ access to potentially inappropriate online content. Patterns towards limiting social media come likely in response to last year’s declaration by the American Federation of Teachers and the American Psychological Association, among other national organizations, accusing social media platforms of undermining classroom learning, and being a “root cause” of the nationwide youth mental health crisis.
Legislation in Texas proposing more state control over social media and other websites is nothing new. During the 2023 session, lawmakers passed a bill to establish a rigid set of requirements for adult websites regarding age verification. In response, several companies that produce or display adult related content have either restricted access to or completely prohibited access to their sites in Texas.
School Safety Proposals
Originating from the 86th Legislature in 2019, the school safety allotment was created to help fund equipment, programs, and training related to school safety and security, according to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). During the 87th Legislature in 2021, lawmakers established a database to track annual data from schools about programs, personnel, and resources that received money from this fund. More recently, in response to the Uvalde shooting, lawmakers added to school safety mandates, requiring armed security officers on all school campuses and protective fencing, amongst other expensive measures.
For the upcoming session, HB 462 has been proposed to add additional measures regarding school safety issues. Previously, schools who could not afford to hire a trained security officer could instead hire former police officers or military personnel to help with security concerns. This legislation proposes allowing schools to use of a “remote-human-operated aerial device” — drone –that sprays an “air-based irritant” to ward off potential intruders.
The discussion will undoubtedly occur along with other issues surrounding public schools, including the call for increased school funding in light of the private school voucher argument. With school vouchers likely to be given emergency status for this session, it is unlikely anything will be addressed until school vouchers are passed.
Political Notes
Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina has switched to the Republican Party after serving three terms as a Democrat. Webb County has been trending more Republican in recent elections and supported Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential election. Tijerina said he believes the switch will strengthen his chances for reelection and feels most voters in Webb County share his conservative values. He also voiced frustration with the Democratic Party’s move to the left and felt that was out of sync with the values of his south Texas community.
Gov. Abbott has thrown his support to City Councilman Michael Hunter in the race for Mayor of Corpus Christi. Hunter is the son of state Rep. Todd Hunter, Republican from Corpus Christi. Hunter is challenging incumbent Mayor Paulette Guajardo and the race is currently in a runoff to be held tomorrow. When early voting concluded on Tuesday about 21,500 people – just under 10% of registered voters – had cast a ballot.
Former state Senator Carlos Uresti, Democrat from San Antonio, was released from federal custody yesterday. Uresti was indicted in 2017 and subsequently pleaded guilty in 2019 to charges of bribery in connection with a scheme to help a private medical services company win a contract with the Bexar County jail. He served four years in federal prison before being released in 2023 to a halfway house where he served for one year before being released to home confinement for the last six months. Uresti was first elected to the state House in 1997 and served five terms before his election to the Senate in 2006.
Tilman Fertitta – owner of several restaurants, the Houston Rockets, and the Golden Nugget Casino in Lake Charles – has been chosen to serve as the Ambassador to Italy in the Trump administration. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the US Senate. If confirmed, Fertitta will serve as the President’s top representative in Italy and will be responsible for all staff and US agencies in the country of Italy.
And finally, just when you thought the ongoing tension between Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo had calmed, it sparked up again this week. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle this week, Whitmire said he was hearing Hidalgo would be announcing soon that she would not be seeking a third term in 2026. He cited her personal struggles with depression combined with the pressures of the job as reasons for her decision. But Hidalgo immediately swiped back, saying she had not made a decision on her plans yet. She sent a statement to the Houston Chronicle saying she is “fully focused on serving the people of Harris County” and that she had no announcement of any kind to make at this time.
The two top elected officials in the state’s largest city and county have a history of adversity. Hidalgo supported Whitmire’s opponent – the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee – in the race for mayor in 2023. The two also have a history of holding separate press conferences during times of natural disaster including during the massive floods in Kingwood last spring and in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.
Whitmire is in the first year of a four-year term while Hidalgo is up for reelection in 2026. There are persistent rumors that former Houston Mayor Annise Parker will challenge Hidalgo in the Democratic primary in 2026, but to date, Parker has not made a formal decision.
What’s Next??
The deadline for members to accept campaign contributions is tomorrow, and most lawmakers have been making the rounds in Austin to try and refill their campaign coffers prior to the session.
There are no hearings scheduled next week, as members are now starting to concentrate on the upcoming session. Interim committee hearings are likely over House members will now try and sort out the Speaker’s race.
There are 38 days until the start of the regular legislative session.