A Republican legislator’s mic was cut off by a Democrat subcommittee chairman after the legislator objected to what he says is a breach of Texas House rules.
State Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) raised a point of order Thursday as a House Subcommittee on Appropriations attempted to move a $5 billion appropriation to the full House committee. Subcommittee members had reportedly met for 15 hours over previous weeks to discuss the appropriation without making video or audio recordings.
According to Harrison, this violated Texas House rules. Rule 4, Section 19A, Subsection A details committee meeting recording rules and clearly states that audio and video recordings of public committee hearings, formal meetings, or work sessions, must be made available to the public via the internet.
Yet, the subcommittee met on March 5, 6, and 12 for a total of over 15 hours to decide how to spend over $5 billion in taxpayer money—and none of it was recorded.
“These formal meetings took place not in a hearing room like we are in today,” Harrison said Thursday, “but in a corner of the agricultural museum without audio and video recording.”
State Rep. Armando Walle (D-Houston), who chairs the subcommittee, declared Harrison’s point of order “out of order.”
Harrison pushed back, citing House rules on several occasions—pressing Walle to decide whether to sustain or overrule his point of order. Walle instead skirted Harrison’s objections saying, “We will not make that determination at this point.”
“That is your responsibility as the chairman of this committee, under the House rules I just read to you,” Harrison responded. The Republican lawmaker asserted that the people of Texas deserve, at a minimum, for House members to comply with the very rules they voted on.
Following a back-and-forth discussion between Harrison and Walle in which Harrison made the case for his point of order and Walle refused to make a decision, Harrison’s microphone was cut, a move he described as “unprecedented lawlessness.”
“Texans, your House is out of control and Democrats are SECRETLY spending your taxes!” Harrison posted on X.
On Friday, Harrison called for Texans to contact House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) and demand Walle be removed as subcommittee chairman. “This Democrat must have his chairmanship revoked immediately for violating the House rules and silencing me!” he stated on X.
Texas Scorecard reached out to Burrows for a response but had not heard back by publication.
Walle’s actions sparked outrage among Republican lawmakers around the state, with many supporting Harrison on social media.
State Rep. Daniel Alders (R-Tyler) said he believes Harrison’s point of order is legitimate, as the subcommittee appears to have indeed violated House rules.
“We have a responsibility to be transparent, and by doing so be accountable to Texas voters,” he said. “This needs to be addressed.”
Former State Rep. Matt Schaefer argued that Walle suspected in advance that Harrison would object to funding for unconstitutional diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. He then accused Walle of intentionally relocating the subcommittee meeting to an area where no recording of the vote would be made.
“The Texas House of Representatives rule violation was absolutely purposeful, and it hid important deliberations over billions of taxpayer dollars from public scrutiny,” he said.
State Rep. Brent Money (R-Greenville) pointed out that Walle previously referred to himself as a “good f***ing soldier” for former Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont).
Texas Scorecard reached out to Walle for comment but had not received a response by publication. It appears his only response is posting a GIF on X that says “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.”
While the House rules passed at the beginning of the session bar Democrats from holding committee chairmanships, they are allowed to chair subcommittees.
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