AUSTIN, Texas — Following a legislative session that saw his party on perennial defense, Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu said he was proud of the small victories Democrats were able to gain, like an increase in public school funding. But Wu said he was disappointed that his chamber did not maintain its independence against a very conservative Senate.
“The Senate ran roughshod over the House,” Wu said. “Pretty much anything the Senate wanted, they got. Anything the House wanted? Well, maybe next time.”
Wu, a Houston Democrat, also said he was surprised that Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows allowed the chamber to take up controversial items like further restrictions on LGBTQ+ Texans. Wu, who supported Burrows for speaker, said he had conversations with Republican leaders in the House and felt they did not need to take up these bills.
“We don’t need to beat up on trans kids, we don’t need to beat up on this community that has done nothing, and apparently, we were wrong,” he said.
Still, Wu defended his party’s support for Burrows at the beginning of the session, saying it was the best choice they could make.
Wu said Democrats were focused on patching up the state’s public education system, which had not received additional funding since 2019.
“We did not get enough in there, but at least we got $8.5 billion into it,” he said. “It’s a small victory, but it’s a very important one.”
Wu also discussed a bill that would ban people from China, North Korea, Russia and Iran from owning Texas land — controversial legislation that often devolved into heated accusations of foreign espionage, including, at times, against Wu.
“This is being done for the same reason as it was done in the past — to drive fear, to make people scared of this community,” said Wu, who immigrated to the U.S. from China.
The state House Democratic leader said the legislative session showed Texans that Republicans are passing laws that oppose their constituents. He said Democrats will use this as a rallying cry to motivate Texans to vote for his party in the next election.
“Our rallying cry for Texans for Democrats is come join us,” Wu said. “We’re fighting this stuff, we’re fighting to put more rights back in your hands.”
