Updated: Texas House 2017

Updated: We're now up to 12 House Reps not running for re-election. 3 Democrats and 8 Republicans.

Below is a Seniority listing of the House. Strikethroughs have passed on re-election.

Craddick	Tom
Thompson	Senfronia
Dutton, Jr.	Harold
Smithee	John
Oliveira	Rene
Turner	Sylvester
Naishtat	Elliott
Coleman	Garnet
Davis	Yvonne
Giddings	Helen
Farrar	Jessica
Elkins	Gary
Pickett	Joe
Dukes	Dawnna
Raymond	Richard
McClendon	Ruth Jones
Bonnen	Dennis
Keffer	Jim
King	Tracy
Deshotel	Joe
King	Phil
Morrison	Geanie
Alonzo	Roberto
Crownover	Myra
Geren	Charlie
Martinez Fischer	Trey
Hunter	Todd
Riddle	Debbie
Guillen	Ryan
Smith	Wayne
Flynn	Dan
Hughes	Bryan
Bohac	Dwayne
Laubenberg	Jodie
Cook	Byron
Rodriguez	Eddie
Phillips	Larry
Allen	Alma
Vo	Hubert
Martinez	Armando
Anderson	Charles
Anchia	Rafael
Otto	John
Zedler	Bill
Straus	Joe
Hernandez	Ana
Howard	Donna
Farias	Joe
King	Susan
Zerwas	John
Lucio, III	Eddie
Aycock	Jimmie Don
Parker	Tan
Harless	Patricia
Darby	Drew
Herrero	Abel
Gutierrez	Roland
Walle	Armando
Miller	Doug
Alvarado	Carol
Button	Angie Chen
Fletcher	Allen
Marquez	Marisa
Murphy	Jim
Miles	Borris
Johnson	Eric
Frullo	John
Kuempel	John
Huberty	Dan
Sheets	Kenneth
Workman	Paul
Lozano	J.M.
Price	Four
White	James
Munoz, Jr.	Sergio
Davis	Sarah
Isaac	Jason
Simpson	David
Larson	Lyle
Burkett	Cindy
Gonzales	Larry
Reynolds	Ron
Moody	Joe
Turner	Chris
Raney	John
Guerra	Bobby
Krause	Matt
Gonzalez	Mary
Sanford	Scott
Bell, Jr.	Cecil
Wu	Gene
Schaefer	Matt
Stickland	Jonathan
Dale	Tony
Thompson	Ed
Turner	Scott
Collier	Nicole
Miller	Rick
Springer	Drew
Sheffield	J.D.
Leach	Jeff
Paddie	Chris
Rodriguez	Justin
Farney	Marsha
Fallon	Pat
Longoria	Oscar
Stephenson	Phil
Ashby	Trent
Bonnen	Greg
Capriglione	Giovanni
Simmons	Ron
Clardy	Travis
Rose	Toni
Goldman	Craig
King	Ken
Canales	Terry
Nevarez	Poncho
Frank	James
Klick	Stephanie
Kacal	Kyle
Villalba	Jason
Anderson	Rodney
Israel	Celia
Metcalf	Will
Phelan	Dade
Galindo	Rick
Wray	John
Schofield	Mike
VanDeaver	Gary
Keough	Mark
Murr	Andrew
Shaheen	Matt
Rinaldi	Matt
Landgraf	Brooks
Spitzer	Stuart
Koop	Linda
Meyer	Morgan
Pena	Gilbert
White	Molly
Blanco	Cesar
Faircloth	Wayne
Paul	Dennis
Burrows	Dustin
Tinderholt	Tony
Romero, Jr.	Ramon
Burns	DeWayne
Bernal	Diego
Schubert	Leighton
Cyrier	John
Minjarez	Ina

2014 Prediction: Republicans keep Strong Majority in Texas House

How do we arrive at this prediction?

Of the 150 House seats, Democrats failed to field a candidate in 58 Districts.  Granted, a great number of these seats are horrible territory for Democrats and they'd likely be sacrificial lambs, but consider this: A working majority in the Texas House is 76 seats.  Republicans are already 76% of the way to a working majority.  All those unchallenged seats free up money to be spent to try and hold their Super Majority.

Republicans only need 18 more seats to maintain their majority.  Who doesn't think they'll make it?

6 Texas Democratic Recruiting Failures

In 2012, Barack Obama won 41.38% of the vote in Texas.  In the races for the Texas State House there were 16 Republican-held seats where he scored at least 40% of the vote.  Of those 16, Democrats came up short in 6 of them and have given the Republicans a free ride to Austin.

What are those 6?

HD 54, Republican incumbent Jimmie Don Aycock

Obama managed to get nearly 46% (45.7) of the vote in this district.

HD 112, Republican incumbent Angie Chen Button
HD 114, Republican incumbent Jason Villalba

Obama scored 43.5% in both of these districts.

HD 45, Republican incumbent Jason Isaac

Obama scored 41.8% in this district.

HD 32, Republican incumbent Todd Hunter

Obama scored 41.1% in this district.

HD 96, Republican incumbent Bill Zedler

Obama scored 40.2% in this district.

Yes these are tough districts that are probably going to be tougher in a non-presidential year.

However, you can't just retreat every non-presidential election year.  You think giving these Republicans a free ride now makes them any easier to defeat?

And is that really a long-term solution?  Just challenge competitive districts in presidential years when turnout is better?  And then retreat every non-presidential year?

Women on Women Action in the Texas Legislature

Who would've ever thought you'd see women on women action taking place in a legislative body?  Let alone the Texas Legislature.

Yet that's what any observer has been treated to.  These are the Republican women in the Texas Legislature who have said that abortion by coat hanger in Texas is just fine.  These are the Republican women who have said that abortion can only happen if you can afford it...which will primarily be rich white women.

 These abortion clinics do more than provide abortions.  Let's take Planned Parenthood, since that seems to be the constant fly in the ointment for Republicans.

According to Planned Parenthood's website, they offer the following at their various clinics across the state: Abortion Referral, Abortion Services, Birth Control, General Health Care, HIV Testing, LGBT Services, Men's Health Care, Morning-After Pill, Pregnancy Testing & Services; STD Testing, Treatment & Vaccines, Women's Health Care.

Of the 58 clinics Planned Parenthood lists on their website, 14 provide Abortion Services or 24%.  52 provide Men's Health Care.  51 provide Birth Control, Morning-After Pill, Pregnancy Testing & Services, STD Testing, Treatment & Vaccines, and Women's Health Care.  50 provide HIV testing.  46 provide General Health Care. 36 provide LGBT Services. 2 provide Abortion Referral.

With the passage of SB 5, the women pictured above have essentially said goodbye to all these available services.

But they've said more than that.  They have essentially given the green light for women to have their epitaphs read, "Dead from regulation."

So tell me, how does closing these clinics and these services protect and improve womens' health?

Texas House Committees Bexar County

Where did Bexar County end up in terms of House Committee assignments?

Trey Martinez Fischer
Natural Resources
Ways & Means

Philip Cortez
Homeland Security & Public Safety
Public Health

Joe Farias - Vice Chair - County Affairs
Defense & Veterans' Affairs
Rules and Resolutions

Roland Gutierrez
Licensing & Administrative Procedures
Pensions

Ruth Jones McClendon - Chair - Rules and Resolutions
Appropriations
Transportation

Lyle Larson - Vice Chair - Local & Consent Calendars
Culture, Recreation & Tourism
Natural Resources

Mike Villarreal - Chair - Investments & Financial Services
Public Education

Jose Menendez - Chair - Defense & Veterans' Affairs
State Affairs

Justin Rodriguez
Public Education
Urban Affairs

Texas Legislature Gavels In - Live

Little after noon, Secretary of State John Steen gavels the House to order.

12:05 - Preacher doing the invocation for the House gets political.  Talks about life at moment of conception.

12:08 - Rep. Kenneth Sheets (R-Dallas) leads House in Pledge of Allegiance.  Rep. Helen Giddings (D-Dallas) leads House in Texas Pledge.

12:10 - Steen delivers a message to the House.

12:11 - Asks that Dean of the House, Tom Craddick (R-Midland), stand.

12:13 - Perry political ad from Steen? Says Texas is top place for business, leader in exports, home to more Fortune 1000 companies.

12:18 - Mouseketeer roll call.  Taking attendance.

12:25 - Over at the Texas Senate, they're getting things underway.  Gov. Oops is speaking.
 
12:27 - Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) is in the State Senate Chamber.

12:28 - Mousketeer roll call finishes.  Quorum is present and members can officially be sworn in.

12:28 - SC: Perry speech gets interrupted.  Someone gets sick during his speech.  Not kidding.