Freshly Elected Texas Legislative Leader Pursues Decades-Long Objective for Traditionalist Policy Changes
Dustin Burrows, the newly elected Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, secured his position with a unique victory on January 14, earning more votes from Democrats than his Republican counterparts. While this aspect has garnered media attention, it overshadows a more substantial result—Burrows' potential to be the most conservative Speaker Texas has seen this century.
This odd tradition of Republican-majority Texas House Speakers garnering Democratic votes is a peculiarity that leaves outsiders scratching their heads, especially when compared to the strict party lines observed in California and Illinois.
Despite his Democratic supporters, Burrows is no liberal upstart. His election does not signal the demise of top conservative policy initiatives. Instead, as demonstrated by his track record, Burrows' ascension increases the chances of achieving free-market policy priorities, such as school choice and property tax relief.
Take Governor Greg Abbott's proposal to establish a statewide education savings account program. Burrows' dedication to this cause is evident in the House budget proposal, which allocates $1 billion for the new ESA program, signaling school choice as a top priority. The Senate budget proposal shares the same sentiment, indicating a unified stance on the matter.
Burrows' stance on property tax relief is equally noteworthy. Despite significant relief achieved through previous reforms, Texas still has one of the nation's highest average property tax burdens. Burrows has urged his House colleagues to explore further property tax relief options within the budget.
Burrows has also shown a commitment to banning taxpayer-funded lobbying, a goal long sought by conservatives but consistently thwarted in previous sessions. With Burrows at the helm, the prospect of achieving this milestone seems promising.
Burrows' advocacy for property tax cuts and other forms of tax relief, as well as his introduction and passage of the Regulatory Consistency Act, have earned him praise from conservatives like James Quintero of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
It is essential to recognize that media coverage has portrayed Burrows as a liberal Speaker, garnering more Democrat votes than Republican ones. While the former point is accurate, the latter is not. With Burrows' potential to pass key conservative priorities, such as school choice and a taxpayer-funded lobbying ban, it will be challenging for political opponents and pundits to deny this reality. The narrative may even shift, with some questioning whether the House could turn into the Texas Legislature's more conservative body under Burrows' leadership.
Despite the media focus on Dustin Burrows securing more Democrat votes than Republicans, his conservative stance is evident in his support for free-market policies like school choice and property tax relief. This is evident in the House budget proposal, which allocates $1 billion for a statewide education savings account program. Burrows also urges his colleagues to explore further property tax relief options, addressing the state's high average property tax burden. Additionally, Burrows has shown a commitment to banning taxpayer-funded lobbying, a long-sought goal by conservatives. As the newly elected Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, Burrows' potential to pass key conservative priorities challenges the narrative that he is a liberal Speaker.