Texas District 1 Representative Gary VanDeaver issued a statement last week on the election of new Texas Speaker of the House. Republican Dustin Burrows, from Lubbock, was elected as the Speaker in the second round of voting on Tuesday by a vote of 85-55. The vote left the House still led by establishment Republicans and signaled a defeat for the more hardline conservative wing of the Republican Party. It was those same hardline conservatives who attempted to wrestle power in the House by ousting leaders like District 1 Rep. Gary VanDeaver and former Speaker of the House Dade Phelan from Beaumont. Rep. VanDeaver stated,“ Dear HD 1 Constituents: I appreciate the interest many of you have shown in year’s race for House Speaker, so I want to let you know that on the opening day of the 89th legislative session, I voted for the Honorable Dustin Burrows to serve as the next Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. I know my choice does not please all of my constituents, but I believe Speaker Burrows is the best choice to not only serve the members of the House, but to help us pass the conservative policies demanded by the people of Texas. The Republican Party has held a majority of the seats in the Texas House of Representatives since 2003. Each House Speaker chosen since then has been elected with a vote of both Republicans and Democrats setting the tone of cooperation to pass needed legislation for the good of the entire state. The two Republican candidates for House Speaker this year (Burrows and Cook) had support from their Republican and Democratic colleagues. At the end of the day, Representative Burrows was chosen as Speaker. Over the last month, I received many emails, phone calls and text messages concerning my support for now-Speaker Burrows. I want to share my thoughts about why I voted for Speaker Burrows. Despite the misinformation you may have received about Speaker Burrows, he is a very conservative Republican House member from Lubbock. His following legislative achievements clearly reflect this: SB 8 (87R) - he was a House Joint Sponsor of the Texas Heartbeat Act (2021) to ban abortions in Texas as soon as a baby’s heartbeat can be heard. He was also a leader of Lubbock’s effort to become a Sanctuary City for the Unborn and has consistently been one of the strongest supporters of Pro-Life legislation in the Texas House. HB 2127 (88R) - the “preemption” bill that prevents local governments from overregulating their residents through the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act. This bill limits the local governments in our big cities, mainly led by Democratic mayors from putting a stranglehold on their residents. To highlight Speaker Burrows’ conservative bona fides, the liberal New York Times ran a hit piece on this bill claiming it as “part of a sweeping effort by the Republican-dominated State Legislature to exert control over its Democratic-led major cities, which have become increasingly assertive in pushing progressive policies at the local level.’ To many officials in local governments in Texas, HB 2127 also became known as the “Death Star bill.” SB 2/HB 2 (87R) - Texas Property Tax Reform and Transparency Act Of2019 that established the “No New Revenue Rate” to simplify the complicated process that local officials hid behind to increase your taxes. He formally endorsed President Donald Trump in his 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns and has continually posted countless expressions of support for President Trump. The above are just a few examples of many that Speaker Burrows has passed since first being sworn in as member of the Texas House in 2015. Speaker Burrows’s strong, proven ability to pass conservative legislation is the reason I voted for him to serve as House Speaker. His conservative beliefs and actions also reflect the values of our district. I believe if you look at his record, you will agree with him more often than you disagree with him. The Texas Constitution wisely established that the state’s legislature is a parttime body that can only meet in regular session for 140 days every odd-numbered year. Our 140-day clock is ticking, and it is now time for all legislators to get busy doing the work that Texas voters sent us to the Capitol to do. I look forward to working with you and my House and Senate colleagues to enact conservative legislation so Texans can provide for their families and have full productive lives. Please join me in these efforts to keep Texas the best place to live, work and raise a family. Sincerely, Gary VanDeaver