The state’s highest civil court has a new justice on the bench.
Shortly after receiving his confirmation from the Texas Senate on Wednesday, Brett Busby was sworn in as the newest member of the Texas Supreme Court, filling a vacancy left by former Justice Phil Johnson, who retired last year.
Busby was joined by Gov. Greg Abbott as he took the oath of office. Abbott nominated Busby for the position in February, saying at the time, “Brett’s respect for the Constitution and his understanding that judges say what the law is, not what they would like it to be, will serve the people of Texas well as he ascends to our highest court.”
Busby previously served as Justice of the Houston-based 14th Court of Appeals, which sees cases from Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Waller, and Washington counties. He lost the position during the Democrat electoral sweep in Harris County last November.
During his time on the court, Busby stood up for taxpayers. When the City of Houston wanted to ignore a voter-imposed revenue cap, Busby authored a concurring opinion in favor of the taxpayers, saying “the City is not above the law.”
Though Busby’s confirmation process is now officially complete, there will soon be another vacancy, as Justice Jeff Brown has been nominated by President Donald Trump to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
