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Role of the Speaker
The Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the lower chamber of the Texas Legislature. Together with the governor and lieutenant governor, the speaker is one of the most powerful officials in Texas government — a trio referred to as “the Big Three.”
The Speaker’s main duties are to conduct meetings of the House, appoint committees, and enforce the Rules of the House. Politically, the speaker may also play a leading role in deciding the fate of legislation.
The current Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is Dustin Burrows, a Republican from Lubbock. He was elected to the position in January 2025.
Speaker’s Race and Election
The speaker is elected by a vote of the members of the Texas House on the first day of each regular session (in January of odd-numbered years). This is in contrast to how the presiding office is chosen in the Texas Senate. There, the lieutenant governor is elected directly by the people.
In the months before the session begins, several legislators typically declare themselves candidates for the speakership. A ‘speaker’s race’ then takes place, involving backroom deliberations among members of the House. These contests may play out outside of public view, though sometimes candidates or factions may make public statements about the race.
Specific Powers and Duties
As presiding officer of the Texas House, the Speaker maintains order during floor debate, recognizing legislators who wish to speak and ruling on procedural matters.
The constitution also requires the Speaker to sign all bills and joint resolutions passed by the legislature. As a member of the House of Representatives, the Speaker may vote on all questions before the House.
The other duties and responsibilities of the Speaker are determined by the members of the house in the House Rules of Procedure, which are adopted by a majority vote of the members at the beginning of each regular session of the legislature.
The members give the Speaker the authority to appoint the membership of each standing committee, subject to rules on seniority, and to designate the chair and vice chair for each committee. Under the rules, the Speaker is responsible for referring all proposed legislation to committees, subject to the committee jurisdictions set forth in the rules.
The rules also allow the Speaker to appoint conference committees, create select committees, and to direct committees to conduct interim studies when the legislature is not in session.
The Speaker’s ability to assign legislators to specific committees and to appoint committee chairs is a major source of power. These appointments allow the Speaker to reward loyal members, foster alliances, or limit the influence of political opponents. Committee chairs hold considerable sway in determining which bills advance out of committee and which are sidelined. Thus, the Speaker’s decisions on committee assignments are crucial to shaping the legislative agenda
Relationship with Lieutenant Governor
The political relationship between the Texas House Speaker and the Lieutenant Governor, who is the presiding officer of the Senate, is one of the most important dynamics in Texas state politics, as it often determines the success or failure of major legislation.
In recent years, the Speaker and Lieutenant Governor have often been at odds, representing somewhat different factions within the Republican Party and championing for different legislative and budget priorities.
Speakers Joe Straus (2009-2018), Dennis Bonnen (2019-2020), and Dade Phelan (2021- 2024) have all clashed with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (2015-present).
This has led to tensions or competition between the two offices, especially when it comes to handling contentious bills or budget proposals, and handling legislative deadlines, and the intense workload and competing priorities at the end of legislative sessions.However, despite their differences, Speaker and the Lieutenant Governor, and their respective staffs, frequently work together to coordinate priorities and to pass legislation.
Compensation
The speaker is paid a fixed annual salary and per diem set by the Texas Ethics Commission. As of 2021, the speaker received an annual salary of $7,200 and a per diem of $221 for each day that the legislature was in session. Those amounts are the same compensation as legislators.
The speaker is also entitled to an apartment in the west wing of the Capitol, which includes offices, conference rooms, a kitchen, and living quarters.
Staff and Offices
The Speaker of the Texas House relies on a dedicated team of staff to assist with the responsibilities of the office. This includes a chief of staff, policy advisors, legislative directors, and communications staff. The chief of staff coordinates the office’s activities, while the communications team handles media relations and public statements. Staff also support legislative tracking, policy analysis, and strategic planning.
The Speaker’s primary office is located in the west wing of the Texas State Capitol, behind the main chamber of the House of Representatives.
