Before his election as Speaker of the Texas House, Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) built a significant, albeit controversial, legislative and leadership record. Known for his influential role in shaping major policies, Burrows also faced scrutiny for his involvement in political controversies.
Burrows Track Record
In 2022, Burrows served as chair of the Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde. Following that tragic event, he authored House Bill 3, a sweeping school safety measure that included a requirement for armed security personnel at schools across Texas.
During the 2023 legislative session, Burrows authored the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, which limits how cities and counties can govern by barring them from enacting policies stronger than state-level regulations. While business groups championed the bill, critics, including Democrats and local leaders, derided it as the “Death Star” bill, arguing it stripped local governments of vital autonomy.
Burrows’ career has not been without controversy. In 2019, conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan accused him and then-House Speaker Dennis Bonnen of attempting to trade media credentials for Sullivan’s organization in exchange for politically targeting fellow GOP members in the 2020 primaries. The Texas Tribune posted key excerpts from the hourlong conversation that occurred, leading to a Texas Rangers investigation and resulted in Burrows resigning as the Texas House GOP caucus chair in August 2019.
During the recorded conversation, Bonnen remarked that if any city or county leader was “dumb-ass enough” to meet with him, he intended to make that year “the worst session in the history of the legislature for cities and counties.” Burrows echoed Bonnen’s sentiment, stating that he hoped the next session would be even worse.
What’s Next?
After being elected Speaker of the House, Burrows gave a speech signaling his bipartisanship.
“Property taxpayers need relief. Our public schools need support. Our water infrastructure needs investment. We need to address the threats of terrorism on the heels of a Texan conducting an attack on New Year’s Day,” Burrows said. “These aren’t Republican issues or Democrat issues. They’re Texas issues.”
However, many Republican colleagues of Burrows remain skeptical of his “alliance,” because he was able to win due to the Democratic vote, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, said he expects Burrows to help the House pass legislation supported by social conservatives including: school vouchers, banning cities and counties from hiring lobbyists to advocate for them in Austin, bail reform, election integrity bills, putting the Ten Commandments in school classrooms, banning the teaching of Critical Race Theory in the state’s colleges and universities and banning people from countries that are adversaries of the United States from owning land in Texas.
“Each of these bills will be passed again by the Texas Senate,” Patrick said in a statement. “The voters will hold our new speaker accountable to keep his promise of being the most conservative speaker in Texas history.”
Burrows, a supporter of school vouchers, told the Texas Tribune last month that he believes “the political winds have shifted, and the votes are there” to pass voucher legislation. He emphasized that he would not obstruct legislation backed by “the will of the House.”
In addition to school vouchers, the issue of banning Democratic chairs was a focal point during the race for Speaker. Rep. David Cook (R-Mansfield), Burrows’ main opponent, campaigned on a platform that included removing Democrats from committee leadership positions. The Capitol buzzed with supporters wearing “Ban Democrat Chairs!” t-shirts, underscoring the intensity of the debate.
Next week, Burrows will face his first significant test as Speaker when the House votes on its rules for the upcoming legislative session. Unlike Cook, Burrows did not commit to banning Democratic chairs during his campaign, instead stating that the decision should be left to lawmakers.