House Committee Assignments Announced

2/4/-15: House Speaker Joe Strauss announced committee assignments on Thursday for the Texas House of Representatives. Lawmakers now can start considering bills. Senate Committees were announced by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick two weeks ago.

Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock (R-Killeen) maintained his chairmanship of the House Public Education Committee, with Rep. Alma Allen (D-Houston). Both Aycock and Allen have shown support for increased funding for schools, continued reform of testing, and opposition to current voucher proposals.

On the Senate side, Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Brazoria, Galveston, Harris Counties) replaces Patrick as chair of the Education Committee, with Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D-Brownsville) as Vice Chair. Also serving on the Senate Education Committee is Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels), who has filed Senate Bill 276, a similar bill to one she filed in 2013 to promote school vouchers. (Click here to learn more about her bill).

As we advocate for funding, testing reform and common-sense school improvement efforts like community schools, key committees include both the Education and Finance/Appropriations committees. Other committees, including Calendars (which schedules bills for the House floor), Ways and Means, Higher Education and Health and Human Services, also impact either the process or the issues affecting public education.

Below is a list of House Public Education and Appropriations Committee members:

House Public Education

Aycock, Jimmie Don (Chair)

Allen, Alma (Vice-Chair)

Deshotel, Joe

Dutton, Jr.Harold

Farney, Marsha

Bohac, Dwayne

Galindo, Rick

González, Mary

Huberty, Dan

King, Ken

VanDeaver, Gary

House Appropriations

Otto, John (Chair)

Turner, Sylvester (Vice-Chair)

Ashby, Trent

Bell, Jr., Cecil

Bonnen, Greg

Burkett, Cindy

Capriglione, Giovanni

Davis, Sarah

Dukes, Dawnna

Giddings, Helen

Gonzales, Larry

Howard, Donna

Hughes, Bryan

Koop, Linda

Longoria, Oscar

Márquez, Marisa

McClendon, Ruth Jones

Miles, Borris L.

Miller, Rick

Muñoz, Jr., Sergio

Phelan, Dade

Price, Four

Raney, John

Rodriguez, Justin

Sheffield, J.D.

VanDeaver, Gary

Walle, Armando

For a complete list of Senate Committees, click here.