Texas House of Representatives


The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 Census, each member represents about 167,637 people. There are no term limits, with the most senior member, Tom Craddick, having been elected in 1968. The House meets at the State Capitol in Austin.

Leadership

PositionNamePartyResidenceDistrict
Speaker of the HouseDennis BonnenRepublicanAngleton25
Speaker Pro TemporeJoe MoodyDemocraticEl Paso78
Republican Caucus ChairStephanie KlickRepublicanFort Worth91
Democratic Caucus ChairChris TurnerDemocraticGrand Prairie101

The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer and highest-ranking member of the House. The Speaker's duties include maintaining order within the House, recognizing members during debate, ruling on procedural matters, appointing members to the various committees and sending bills for committee review. The Speaker pro tempore is primarily a ceremonial position, but does, by long-standing tradition, preside over the House during its consideration of local and consent bills.
Unlike other state legislatures, the House rules do not formally recognize majority or minority leaders. The unofficial leaders are the Republican Caucus Chairman and the Democratic House Leader, both of whom are elected by their respective caucuses.

Composition

List of members

DistrictRepresentativePartyResidenceFirst electedCounty represented
1RNew Boston2014Bowie, Franklin, Lamar, Red River
2RCanton2003Hopkins, Hunt, Van Zandt
3RMagnolia2012Montgomery, Waller
4RForney2018Henderson, Kaufman
5RMount Pleasant2016Camp, Morris, Rains, Smith, Titus, Wood
6RTyler2012Smith
7RLongview2016Gregg, Upshur
8RCorsicana2018Anderson, Freestone, Hill, Navarro
9RMarshall2012Cass, Harrison, Marion, Panola, Sabine, Shelby
10RWaxahachie2014Ellis, Henderson
11RNacogdoches2012Cherokee, Nacogdoches, Rusk
12RHillister2012Brazos, Falls, Limestone, McLennan, Robertson
13RAnderson2018†Austin, Burleson, Colorado, Fayette, Grimes, Lavaca, Washington
14RBryan2010Brazos
15RThe Woodlands2018Montgomery
16RConroe2014Montgomery
17RLockhart2014Bastrop, Caldwell, Gonzales, Karnes, Lee
18RDayton2016Liberty, San Jacinto, Walker
19RWoodville2010Hardin, Jasper, Newton, Polk, Tyler
20RGeorgetown2016Burnet, Milam, Williamson
21RBeaumont2014Jefferson, Orange
22DPort Arthur1998Jefferson
23RGalveston2018Chambers, Galveston
24RFriendswood2012Galveston
25RAngleton1996Brazoria, Matagorda
26RSugar Land2012Fort Bend
27DMissouri City2010Fort Bend
28RRichmond2020†Fort Bend
29RPearland2012Brazoria
30RVictoria1998Aransas, Calhoun, DeWitt, Goliad, Refugio, Victoria
31DRio Grande City2002Atascosa, Brooks, Duval, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, Starr, Willacy
32RPortland2008
Nueces
33RRockwall2016Collin, Rockwall
34DCorpus Christi2012Nueces
35DBeeville2012Cameron Hidalgo
36DMission2010Hidalgo
37DBrownsville2018Cameron
38DSan Benito2006Cameron
39DWeslaco2004Hidalgo
40DEdinburg2012Hidalgo
41DMcAllen2012†Hidalgo
42DLaredo2001†
Webb
43RKingsville2010Bee, Jim Wells, Kleberg, San Patricio
44RSeguin2010†Guadalupe, Wilson
45DDriftwood2018Blanco, Hays counties
46DAustin2018Travis
47DAustin2018Travis
48DAustin2006†Travis
49DAustin2016Travis
50DAustin2014†Travis
51DAustin2002Travis
52DRound Rock2018†Williamson
53RKimble County2014Bandera, Crockett, Edwards, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, Medina, Menard, Real, Schleicher, Sutton
54RKilleen2018Bell, Lampasas
55RBelton2016Bell
56RWaco2004McLennan
57RLufkin2012Angelina, Houston, Leon, Madison, San Augustine, Trinity
58RCleburne2014Bosque, Johnson
59RGatesville2012Comanche, Coryell, Erath, Hamilton, McCulloch, Mills, San Saba, and Somervell
60REastland2016Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Eastland, Hood, Palo Pinto, Shackelford, Stephens
61RWeatherford1998Parker, Wise
62RVan Alstyne2018†Delta, Grayson, Fannin
63RFlower Mound2006Denton
64RSanger2016Denton
65DCarrollton2018Denton
66RPlano2014Collin
67RPlano2012Collin
68RVernon2012Childress, Collingsworth, Cooke, Cottle, Crosby, Dickens, Fisher, Floyd, Garza, Hall, Hardeman, Haskell,
Jack, Kent, King, Montague, Motley, Stonewall, Throckmorton, Wheeler, Wilbarger, Young
69RWichita Falls2012Archer, Baylor, Clay, Foard, Knox, Wichita
70RMcKinney2012Collin
71RAbilene2016Jones, Nolan, Taylor
72RSan Angelo2006Coke, Concho, Glasscock, Howard, Irion, Reagan, Runnels, Sterling, Tom Green
73RFredericksburg2016Comal, Gillespie, Kendall
74DEagle Pass2012Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, Loving, Maverick, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Terrell, Val Verde
75DEl Paso2012El Paso
76DEl Paso2014El Paso
77DEl Paso2016El Paso
78DEl Paso2012El Paso
79DEl Paso2019†El Paso
80DBatesville2005
Dimmit, Frio, Webb, Uvalde, Zapata, Zavala
81ROdessa2014Andrews, Ector, Ward, Winkler
82RMidland1968Crane, Dawson, Martin, Midland, Upton
83RLubbock2014Borden, Gaines, Lubbock, Lynn, Mitchell, Scurry, Terry
84RLubbock2010†Lubbock
85RWharton2012Fort Bend, Jackson, Wharton
86RAmarillo1984Dallam, Deaf Smith, Hartley, Oldham, Parmer, Randall
87RAmarillo2010Carson, Hutchinson, Moore, Potter, Sherman
88RPampa2012Armstrong, Bailey, Briscoe, Castro, Cochran, Donley, Gray, Hale, Hansford, Hemphill, Hockley,
Lamb, Lipscomb, Ochiltree, Roberts, Swisher, Yoakum
89RAllen2018Collin
90DFort Worth2014Tarrant
91RFort Worth2012Tarrant
92RBedford2012Tarrant
93RArlington2012Tarrant
94RArlington2014Tarrant
95DFort Worth2012Tarrant
96RArlington2002Tarrant
97RFort Worth2012Tarrant
98RSouthlake2012Tarrant
99RRiver Oaks2000Tarrant
100DDallas2020†Dallas
101DGrand Prairie2012Tarrant
102DDallas2018Dallas
103DDallas2004Dallas
104DDallas2018Dallas
105DIrving2018Dallas
106RGrand Prairie2018Denton
107DDallas2016Dallas
108RDallas2014Dallas
109DDe Soto2018Dallas
110DDallas2012Dallas
111DDallas1992Dallas
112RRichardson2008Dallas
113DGarland2018Dallas
114DDallas2018Dallas
115DIrving2018Dallas
116DSan Antonio2018Bexar
117DSan Antonio2016Bexar
118DSan Antonio2018Bexar
119DSan Antonio2008†Bexar
120DSan Antonio2016Bexar
121RSan Antonio2018Bexar
122RSan Antonio2010Bexar
123DSan Antonio2014†Bexar
124DSan Antonio2015†Bexar
125DSan Antonio2019†Bexar
126RSpring2018Harris
127RKingwood2010Harris
128RBaytown2016Harris
129RHouston2014Harris
130RHouston2016Harris
131DHouston2004Harris
132DHouston2018Harris
133RHouston2010Harris
134RHouston2010Harris
135DHouston2018Harris
136DAustin2018Williamson
137DHouston2012Harris
138RHouston2002Harris
139DHouston2016†Harris
140DHouston2008Harris
141DHouston1972Harris
142DHouston1984Harris
143DHouston2005†Harris
144DHouston2016Harris
145DHouston2019†Harris
146DHouston2016Harris
147DHouston1991†Harris
148DHouston2020†Harris
149DHouston2004Harris
150RHouston2016Harris

Notable past members

Speaker of the House

The Speaker of the House of Representatives has duties as a presiding officer as well as administrative duties. As a presiding officer, the Speaker must enforce, apply, and interpret the rules of the House, call House members to order, lay business in order before the House and receive propositions made by members, refer proposed legislation to a committee, preserve order and decorum, recognize people in the gallery, state and hold votes on questions, vote as a member of the House, decide on all questions to order, appoint the Speaker Pro Tempore and Temporary Chair, adjourn the House in the event of an emergency, postpone reconvening in the event of an emergency, and sign all bills, joint resolutions, and concurrent resolutions. The administrative duties of the Speaker include having control over the Hall of the House, appointing chair, vice-chair, and members to each standing committee, appointing all conference committees, and directing committees to make interim studies.

Chief Clerk

The Chief Clerk is the head of the Chief Clerk's Office which maintains a record of all authors who sign legislation, maintains and distributes membership information to current house members, and forwards copies of legislation to house committee chairs. The Chief Clerk is the primary custodian of all legal documents within House. Additional duties include keeping a record of all progress on a document, attesting all warrants, writs, and subpoenas, receiving and filing all documents received by the house, and maintaining the electronic information and calendar for documents. When there is a considerable update of the electronic source website, the Chief Clerk is also responsible for noticing House members via email.

Committees

In addition to these committees, there are also six joint committees composed of members of both the State House and Senate:

House voting controversy

On May 14, 2007, CBS Austin affiliate KEYE reported on multiple voting by representatives during House floor sessions. The report noted how representatives register votes for absent members on the House's automated voting machines. Each representative would vote for the nearest absent members. This practice was in direct violation of a Rule of the House; however, no representative had ever been disciplined for the practice in the almost 70 years since the rule was adopted. Speaker Craddick, responsible for enforcement of House Rules, issued a statement that discipline for violations of the rule is left to the individual members.

Craddick removal controversy

Chaos erupted in the Texas House of Representatives on Friday, May 25, 2007, when Rep. Fred Hill, R-Richardson, attempted to offer a motion to remove Tom Craddick as Speaker and have the House elect a new speaker. Craddick refused to allow him to make the motion. The attempts to oust Craddick continued through the weekend as other Republicans made additional motions, which were also disallowed.
The last time a Texas House speaker was removed by a vote of his fellow members was in 1871, when the House adopted a resolution removing Speaker Ira Evans. The Republican House majority removed Evans because he was seen as cooperating too much with Democrats on an elections bill. While Craddick's close allies say the 2007 attempt to remove Craddick was just an effort by Democrats to gain greater control of the legislature before the legislative and congressional redistricting process of 2011, Cook said that the fight was about Craddick consolidating power with lobbyists and using campaign contributions to maintain control of the House: "This is about the convergence of money and power and influence."
In January 2009, Craddick lost the Speaker's chair after a challenge from Joe Straus.

Cook committee hearing closure controversy (2013)

On June 20, 2013 Byron Cook served as chairman of the House State Affairs Committee hearing on Texas State House Bill 60. Cook's stance was for the passing of the bill and during the hearing he interrupted a testimony, saying "Some of us do." At 12:00 AM on June 21, Cook decided to close the hearing prematurely. Cook's explanation for breaching Texas State Legislature operating procedures was that the testimonies being heard had become repetitive. Twenty-four minutes later, Cook became personally offended by a testimony, ordering the cameras to be shut off and leaving the room of committee members and witnesses. Approximately 20 minutes afterwards, Cook was persuaded by colleagues to resume the hearing and continued listening to testimonies until he prematurely closed the hearing at 1:30 AM.

Past composition of the House of Representatives