For the second time in a row in the Texas Legislature, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is a lame duck. (A lame duck is an elected official whose tenure is about to end). Last session, it was Joe Strauss who decided not to run for the House again after the session ended. This session, Speaker Dennis Bonnen got caught up in some ugly politics and chose not to run again.
Despite the controversy, Speaker Dennis Bonnen did not resign. He is camped out in the Speaker’s office, and no one seems to know his game plan. As of November 8, a call to his office revealed he had not issued Interim Legislative Charges to House committees, and there was no timeline for when he would. It remains uncertain if he will.
Speakers communicate what issues they feel are important to committees through Interim Legislative Charges. The problem is, once the 87th Texas Legislature gavels in, Bonnen will be gone. We have no way to know who will be the next Speaker. We don’t know which party the new Speaker will be from. (They will most likely be a Republican, but the Democrats are talking confidently about flipping the House.) The new Speaker could ignore all the previous committee work and move in a completely new direction.
The Speaker is usually a source for campaign funds to support candidates of their party in close districts who need help. However, it seems that no one wants Speaker Bonnen’s money. For next year’s elections, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said he will provide the necessary support.
Ross Ramsey wrote a column on the subject for the Texas Tribune. CLICK HERE to read his take.