No Smith or Gregg County representatives received chairmanships or vice-chairmanships on state House committees on Wednesday. But those lawmakers wouldn’t say if they believe that’s retaliation for their votes in January against the current Speaker of the House.

Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, divvied up 149 members to 38 committees who will meet for initial hearings and give recommendations regarding hundreds of bills during the Session.

Of the East Texas House delegation, four members voted against Straus, choosing to support a challenger they considered more conservative. None of those members received a leadership role on any committee. Three East Texas representatives who sided with Straus nabbed either a chairmanship or a vice chairmanship.

Committee assignments are important because they can determine a legislator’s influence on important policy decisions and can represent a pecking order within House leadership.

Harvey Kronberg, political analyst and publisher of The Quorum Report, said Straus may have placed a couple local legislators in committees that are “way down the food chain” but that it appeared all received assignments that would allow them to push personal bills.

But it doesn’t give House leaders or other legislators incentive to help, Kronberg added.

“When you build a committee structure, you find places for talent and when building a leadership team, it’s not uncommon for people who volunteered to get off the bus to receive lesser committees,” he said.

 

SCHAEFER

Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, was assigned to the Urban Affairs, and Defense and Veterans Affairs committees.

Schaefer said he would leave it to political observers to decide whether his support for Scott Turner, R-Frisco, who challenged Straus for the speakership led to political retribution.

Schaefer said serving on the Defense and Veterans Affairs would give him a place to push initiatives dealing with border security specific to the Texas National Guard. It will also give him the ability to continue a push to give troops stationed overseas easier access to ballots.

“Every assignment is an opportunity to serve,” he said.

He said House members are receptive to input, good ideas and policy and that he planned on having an impact wherever he landed.

Schaefer served on the Criminal Jurisprudence and Defense and Veterans Affairs committees during the 2013 Session.

He represents House District 6, which includes the greater Tyler area, west to the Smith County border and south to the Cherokee County border, including Noonday and Bullard. The district juts east to Farm-to-Market 850 and includes Chapel Hill and Whitehouse.

 

HUGHES

Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, was assigned the Juvenile Justice and Family Issues committee and the House Appropriations Committee. He also supported Turner.

Hughes said he’s happy with his place on Appropriations, the committee that handles the bulk of budgetary discussions and negotiations before the bill gets to the House floor.

“It’s important that this area has a place at that table so I am happy,” he said.

Hughes said his professional experience would help guide him in discussions regarding juvenile and family law on the other committee.

He said any House Speaker must balance so many factors with committee makeups, from race and gender, expertise and requests.

“Anytime you take a position opposite the Speaker it could mean consequences but I don’t see that here,” he said.

During the 2013 Session, Hughes served as the vice chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and served on the Elections, House Administration, and Rules & Resolutions committees. He also served as vice chairman of the Rural Caucus, an organization of legislative leaders dedicated address rural interests within the Legislature.

Hughes represents House District 5, which includes Titus, Wood, Camp, Morris and Rains counties, including the cities of Mt. Pleasant, Daingerfield, Pittsburgh, Emory, Quitman and Mineola; and portions northern and eastern Smith County, including Hideaway, Lindale, Winona, Arp and Troup.

 

SIMPSON

Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, was assigned to the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee and Agriculture and Livestock Committee. He also opposed Straus.

Simpson said he was grateful with the assignments.

He said the position on Criminal Jurisprudence would allow him to focus on legislation he has and would file, specifically a bill to strengthen bans on synthetic marijuana. Simpson said his spot on Agriculture and Livestock would likely assist his bill that would repeal the land use taxes, such as the back taxes a developer must pay when a hay field becomes a housing development.

He served on the Border and Intergovernmental Affairs and Urban Affairs committees during the 2013 Session.

Simpson represents House District 7, which includes Upshur and Gregg counties, including Gilmer, Gladewater and Longview.

 

CLARDY

Rep. Travis Clardy, R-Nacogdoches, was assigned as vice chairman of the Local and Consent Calendar Committee, and will serve on the Judicial and Civil Jurisprudence Committee and Higher Education Committee. He supported Straus for Speaker.

Clardy said he was pleased to be on the Higher Education committee.

“Our future is inextricably intertwined with the quality of education for all Texans,” he said.

During the 2013 Session, Clardy served on the Higher Education, Local & Consent Calendars, and the Special Purpose Districts committee.

Clardy represents House District 11, which includes Cherokee, Rusk and Nacogdoches counties, including the cities of Jacksonville, Henderson and Nacogdoches.

 

FLYNN

Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Van, was assigned as Pensions Committee Chairman and will serve on the Investments and Financial Services Committee. He supported Straus for Speaker.

Flynn was not available for comment.

He served as co-chairman of the Transparency in State Operations committee and vice chairman of the Investments and Financial Services committee during the 2013 Session.

Flynn represents House District 2, which includes Van Zandt, Hunt and Hopkins counties.

 

SPITZER

Rep. Stuart Spitzer, R-Athens, was assigned to the County Affairs, Human Services committees. He opposed Straus and supported Turner for Speaker.

This is Spitzer’s first Session.

Spitzer represents District 4, which includes Kaufman County and most of Henderson County.

 

COOK

Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, was named chairman of the State Affairs Committee and will serve on the Calendars Committee. He supported Straus.

Cook served as chairman of the State Affairs committee and was a member of the Calendars committee during the last session.

Cook represents House District 8, which includes Anderson, Freestone, Navarro and Hill counties.