Frustrations with Speaker Dustin Burrows’ handling of Republican priorities boiled over on the Texas House floor Tuesday morning, as two lawmakers attempted to force action on stalled legislation addressing immigration enforcement and taxpayer-funded lobbying.
State Rep. Andy Hopper (R–Decatur) first sought recognition to make a motion requiring the House Committee on State Affairs to report out House Bill 1308. The bill, which would mandate employers to use E-Verify to prevent the hiring of illegal aliens, is a legislative priority of the Republican Party of Texas.
It was scheduled for a hearing this week, but was withdrawn from the schedule beforehand.
Burrows refused to recognize Hopper for the motion. Hopper then made a series of parliamentary inquiries, each time tying the bill’s importance to the Republican Party platform and asking whether any bills meeting the same standard had been or would be heard.
Each inquiry was ruled “not a proper parliamentary inquiry” by the speaker, effectively shutting down the discussion.
WATCH: Speaker Dustin Burrows REFUSES requests from @AndyHopperTX and @brentmoney to move Texas GOP priorities to the floor. There are 34 days left in the session…#txlege pic.twitter.com/UXkP7vvA6y
— Brandon Waltens (@bwaltens) April 29, 2025
Following Hopper’s attempt, State Rep. Brent Money (R–Greenville) rose and sought recognition to re-refer Senate Bill 19—legislation by State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston) to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying—to a different committee. Burrows also denied that motion.
Money pressed further with his own series of parliamentary inquiries, noting that Burrows had previously been a joint author on efforts to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying in both the 87th and 88th sessions.
“Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry,” said Money. “My notes show that you were a joint author of the bills to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying in both the 87th and 88th sessions. Mr. Speaker, is there a way to get this bill from State Affairs into a committee that might hear and refer that bill to the House?”
“That’s not a proper parliamentary inquiry,” Burrows replied.
When Money asked whether Burrows would allow any motions to advance Republican priorities, Burrows declined to answer, calling it a “hypothetical” and again ruling the inquiry improper.
Both HB 1308 and SB 19 have been stalled in the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by State Rep. Ken King (R–Canadian).
With just over a month remaining in the legislative session, the clock is ticking on the opportunity to pass the priorities of the Republican Party of Texas.
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