Like Texas weather in winter, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s views on House Speaker Dustin Burrows have shifted, bringing more sunshine than freezing rain.
Last month, a week before Burrows was elected speaker over Mansfield Republican David Cook with the help of Democrats, Patrick called him a “counterfeit” speaker, bemoaning that the Lubbock Republican wasn’t endorsed by the GOP caucus.
“For the record, I don’t care who the Republican Speaker is as long as they win with a large majority of Republicans,” Patrick wrote on X. “Any Republican who wins with a majority of Democrats will be a counterfeit Speaker who will be beholden to the Democrats.”
“As far as those who support Burrows, I’m glad they weren’t with Travis at the Alamo when he drew the line in the sand,” Patrick continued. “They would have crossed the line and walked out the gate, leaving their fellow fighters behind.”
Weeks later, Patrick’s mood has changed. During a news conference last week, he called Burrows the smartest guy in the House and discussed his early pleasure in working with the speaker on issues, including bail reform.
“Dustin is the smartest guy over there,” Patrick said. “He is very accomplished and I worked with him on a number of bills since he came in. … We’ve had a working relationship, a respectful relationship.”
There’s a method to Patrick’s embrace of Burrows. He needs him.
Patrick is the most powerful legislative force in Texas politics. As presiding officer in the Senate, he sets a conservative agenda and makes sure relevant bills are passed — and fast. Many Democratic senators fall in line.
But Patrick knows Senate bills can’t become law without the House, and wooing Burrows with sugar instead of poisoning the well with vinegar is a way to get across the finish line.
Republican consultant Matthew Langston said Patrick is getting what he wants from Burrows, including a commitment to push school choice and other priority legislation through the House.
“Politics is such a dynamic game that anytime at any moment, things can change,” Langston said. “To this point, Dan Patrick is getting just about everything that he’s wanted, so why wouldn’t he ease up on the pressure?”
Republican consultant Brendan Steinhauser said Patrick and Burrows were in a good place.
“I do think it has everything to do with the agenda, and Patrick feels comfortable that Burrows is going to be on the same page with the things that matter,” Steinhauser said. “It’s definitely a shift, but Patrick is being pragmatic and saying we can work with Speaker Burrows. He seems like he’s going to pass school choice, and we’re going to be on the same page on a lot of other issues, so let’s move forward.”
The priorities Patrick has outlined for Burrows also include a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying, bail reform, posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms, banning critical race theory and “multiple election integrity bills.”
Sometimes under Dade Phelan and Joe Straus, previous Republican speakers, Senate bills important to Patrick faded in the House. Patrick hopes for better results under Burrows. At the least, they are talking.
Patrick said he’s already had conversations and meetings with Burrows.
Shortly before Wednesday’s news conference, Patrick took a group — family members of victims who say the bail system failed their loved ones — to the speaker’s office for an impromptu meeting.
Breakfast meetings between the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House have resumed with significant productivity, according to Patrick. In contrast, Patrick noted, he did not speak to the previous speaker, Phelan, for two years.
“We have started out on a good path, but at the end of the day, the only thing that counts is when the session is over, which bills pass and which bills don’t,” Patrick said. “I’ll do everything I can to help the speaker have success.”
Patrick acknowledged he was not a fan of how Burrows rose to power.
“I may have disagreed, or did disagree about the process, but he’s the speaker, and my job is to get things done,” Patrick said.
Gov. Greg Abbott, Patrick and Burrows are on the same page on most issues, but that doesn’t mean the 150-member House will comply.
The Senate package of bail reform bills that are expected to pass this week include amendments to the Texas Constitution that require two-thirds support. With 88 Republicans in the House, getting to 100 votes without help from Democrats is impossible.
Patrick acknowledged Burrows will have to get bail reform support from at least 12 Democrats. The Senate’s bail proposals would deny bail for undocumented immigrants who are accused of felonies and for people jailed for violent or sexual crimes.
“I believe we have a commitment from the Texas House and from the speaker to pass this bail bond package,” Patrick said. “It’s time for the Democrats in the House to join the Democrats in the Senate. I mean, we passed these bills almost unanimously.”
Patrick added: “He has the power to do it because he appointed 30 Democrats as vice-chairs. At least 12 of them should come on board in return for their appointment.”
Like many other Republican activists, Patrick has been vocal about denying leadership positions to Democrats. Now he needs those leaders, or others, to get part of his agenda through the House.
That could be a tough sell, even if Patrick threatened to force as many special sessions as necessary to pass bail reform.
“You’re not going to get 100 votes for bail reform in the House. The Democrats are not going to vote for it,” said lobbyist and political consultant Bill Miller. “There will be some problems ahead.”
Though Burrows may have trouble getting House Democrats to vote for bail reform, Miller said Patrick and Burrows were in agreement on most conservative agenda items.
“Burrows is going to keep step with Patrick, but he’s not going to be pushed around,” Miller said.
