Texas House Bans Democrats from Leading Committees in Major Power Shift

The Republican-led Texas House ends decades-long bipartisan tradition, granting Democrats limited roles as vice chairs.

The Texas House voted to prohibit minority party members from chairing legislative committees, ending a practice in place since the 1970s.
The new rules allow Democrats to serve as vice chairs, with expanded powers to designate bills for consideration and request research from legislative staff.
The decision, backed by conservative Republicans, reflects long-standing efforts to limit Democratic influence on GOP legislative priorities.
Some conservative lawmakers criticized the rules for not going far enough, arguing they still provide Democrats with too much power in the chamber.
Speaker Dustin Burrows, elected with significant Democratic support, will appoint committee leaders in the coming weeks under the new structure.