Lt. Gov. Patrick ‘Concerned’ GOP Priorities Won’t Pass the House

As the clock continues ticking on the legislative session in Texas, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says he’s concerned Republican priorities won’t make it out of the House.

In a post on Twitter, Patrick noted that the Senate had passed 316 bills, while the House had only passed 85 bills, all while there are 45 days left in the legislative session.

“I’m concerned many Republican priorities will not pass the House at this rate. Proud the Senate has passed 26 of our top 30 priorities already, and we’ll finish next week,” said Patrick.

“I want to help House members pass their good bills. But they can’t wait much longer. Last session they sent nearly 700 bills to us in the last 10 days or so. Sending that many bills that late means most will die due to the clock. Not our fault. Help us help you,” Patrick added in a followup post.

The issue of the Texas House’s slow speed in comparison to the Senate had become an issue early in the session. It took Speaker Dade Phelan nearly a month to appoint committees in the House, while Patrick appointed Senate committees after less than two weeks.

And while the Senate had begun committee hearings in February on priority legislation, the House repeatedly voted to give itself five-day weekends.

State Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R–Arlington), one of only a few who dissented to the extended adjournments, agreed with Patrick.

“While the House was at ease, the Senate was working,” wrote Tinderholt.

Matt Rinaldi, the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, also agreed with Patrick, taking aim at some of Phelan’s priorities in the process.

“I hope this pattern doesn’t continue. We’ve got a lot to do to fix society that’s unrelated to rural broadband and tampon prices,” said Rinaldi.

Despite Republicans holding a majority in the Texas House, they have yet to consider any priorities of the Republican Party of Texas.

As of publishing, Speaker Phelan’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Brandon Waltens

Brandon serves as the Senior Editor for Texas Scorecard. After managing successful campaigns for top conservative legislators and serving as a Chief of Staff in the Texas Capitol, Brandon moved outside the dome in order to shine a spotlight on conservative victories and establishment corruption in Austin. @bwaltens