Legislative Update Covering The Texas Legislature

By Christian Collins – A Concerned Citizen

About Me

Christian Collins is the founder and president of the Texas Youth Summit, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering young people with Judeo-Christian and Conservative values by hosting some of the nation’s most influential political and religious leaders in the nation. With extensive experience in public relations and strategic communications, Christian has worked with political campaigns, non-profits, and businesses. He is a passionate activist, advocating for causes such as securing the border, supporting Israel, ending abortion, and mobilizing youth and Evangelicals to engage in political action. Christian is also the author of Second Wind: A 365-Day Devotional to Pursuing God’s Greater Calling.�

Christian holds a B.A. in Government from the University of Texas and two M.A. degrees from Liberty University in Organizational Communication and Christian Ministry. He has appeared on FOX News, Newsmax, and other major media outlets, and was named one of the nation’s top 40 Conservatives under 40 by Maverick PAC, receiving the 2024 Future 40 Award. A frequent speaker at college campuses and events like Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, Christian has played key roles in political campaigns, including serving on the teams of Governor Greg Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz, and as campaign manager for Congressman Kevin Brady. In 2022, he ran for U.S. Congress in Texas’ 8th District. Christian also teaches Speech Communication at Lone Star College and is involved in his local church in Montgomery County, Texas. Outside of his professional and community commitments, he is an avid traveler, visiting all 50 states and all seven continents.

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Texas House GOP Divide: Cook Secures Majority Support Over Burrows

• 56 Republicans backed Cook (the majority), while Burrows and 31 Republicans supported him.
• Burrows walked out of the meeting, recognizing he would lose and deciding to negotiate with Democrats.

"Republican Speaker Selection: Differences Between Washington and Austin"

• In Washington, Republicans resolve their differences within the conference to select their speaker.
• In Austin, a small group of Republicans seeks to win with a plurality of Democratic votes.
• Burrows and 35 Republicans (including my state rep, Cecil Bell, who switched his vote) made a deal with Democrats to secure his speakership. What did Burrows offer in exchange for their support?
• While Cook also sought Democratic votes eventually, this came only after Burrows’ faction refused to work with him.

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Burrows’ Shift: From GOP Support to Negotiating with Democrats

• Burrows had previously pledged to support the GOP conference’s chosen speaker.

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Why Does it Matter Who is Speaker?

• The speaker has significant influence over which legislation gets passed.
• The speaker has significant influence over which reps are on which committee assignments.
• The speaker decides who he puts money behind, and his influence determines who gets PAC money for reelection.
• The speaker determines who has money spent against them.

Banning Democrat Committee Chairs?

• Conservative grassroots supported the removal of Democrat committee chairs.
• In U.S. Congress, the majority party doesn’t elevate the minority party in this way. Why was this allowed in the Texas legislature?
• The Burrows camp recognized this as a PR problem and had Hugh Brady (former Obama staffer and House parliamentarian) draft a rules package to address it. What could go wrong, right?

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A Democrat Wrote The Rules For a GOP-Controlled Texas House

• Steve Toth gets Dustin Burrows to admit Hugh Brady wrote the rules package.

Why would 61 Democrats Vote to Ban Themselves and then Hold A Press Conference Afterward to Celebrate?

So What is in The Democrat-Written Rules?

Where We Are Now