With little fanfare, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst quietly released the list of Senate Committees for the 81st Session. Comparing the list to last session, there’s a series of small but potentially significant changes.
After languishing as a sub-committee, Higher Education becomes a full-fledged committee under Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, who gives up her Education seat and her vice-chairmanship on Finance. She gets Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, as her vice-chair (observers of the conservative Patrick may note he also becomes vice-chair of education and replaces the more moderate Sen. Robert Deuell, R-Greenville, on Criminal Justice.) Sen. Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, gets to chair the new full Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee.
There’s also very little tweaking on the membership front. With Kim Brimer and Kyle Janek gone, their replacements (Sens. Wendy Davis, D-Dallas, and Joan Huffman, R-Houston) both get a smattering of appointments. As for the Travis County delegation, there’s no change. Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, keeps his vice-chairmanship of Transportation & Homeland Security, plus seats on Business & Commerce, Economic Development, Jurisprudence and Nominations. Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, remains chair of Jurisprudence and stays on Administration, Transportation & Homeland Security, and Intergovernmental Relations.
See below the fold for the full list of new members and who lost what.
ADMINISTRATION
Williams* (C), Uresti (VC), Ogden*, Shapiro, Wentworth, Whitmire Zaffirini
Out: Brimer (C), Seliger
AGRICULTURE & RURAL AFFAIRS (New committee replacing Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Affairs & Coastal Resources)
Estes (C), Uresti (VC), Hegar, Hinojosa, Jackson
BUSINESS & COMMERCE (gains one member)
Fraser (C), Harris (VC), Averitt, Eltife, Estes, Jackson*, Lucio, Van de Putte, Watson
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Whitmire (C), Seliger (VC), Carona, Ellis, Hegar, Hinojosa, Patrick*
Out: Deuell
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (New committee replacing Subcommittee on Emerging Technologies & Economic Development)
Harris (C), Eltife* (VC), Deuell*, Watson, Zaffirini*
Out: Estes, Harris
EDUCATION (gains one member)
Shapiro (C), Patrick (VC), Averitt, Davis*, Gallegos*, Ogden, Van de Putte, West, Williams
Out: Zaffirini
FINANCE
Ogden (C), Hinojosa (VC), Averitt, Deuell, Duncan, Eltife, Harris, Lucio, Nelson, Seliger*, Shapiro, West, Whitmire, Williams, Zaffirini
(Hinojosa, Zaffirini switch)
Out: Fraser
GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION
Ellis (C), Hegar (VC), Huffman*, Lucio*, Nelson, Ogden*, Whitmire
Out: Brimer, Gallegos, Jackson
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Nelson (C), Deuell (VC), Huffman*, Nichols, Patrick, Shapleigh, Uresti, West, Zaffirini
HIGHER EDUCATION (Previously subcommittee)
Zaffirini (C), Patrick (VC), Averitt, Duncan*, West
Out: Williams
INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
West (C), Nichols (VC), Gallegos, Patrick, Wentworth
SUBCOMMITTEE ON FLOODING & EVACUATIONS
Gallegos (C), Nichols, Patrick
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & TRADE
Lucio (C), Seliger (VC), Davis*, Estes, Fraser, Gallegos, Williams*
Out: Patrick, Uresti
JURISPRUDENCE
Wentworth (C), Gallegos (VC), Carona, Duncan, Harris, Hinojosa, Watson
(Gallegos and Hinojosa swap)
NATURAL RESOURCES
Averitt (C), Estes (VC), Deuell, Duncan, Eltife, Fraser*, Hegar, Hinojosa, Jackson, Seliger, Uresti
Out: Brimer
NOMINATIONS
Jackson (C), Eltife (VC), Hegar, Nelson, Nichols. Shapleigh, Watson
STATE AFFAIRS
Duncan, (C), Deuell* (VC), Carona, Ellis, Fraser, Harris, Jackson, Lucio, Van de Putte
Out: Williams
TRANSPORTATION & HOMELAND SECURITY
Carona (C), Watson (VC), Davis*, Ellis, Huffman*, Nichols, Shapiro, Shapleigh, Wentworth
Out: Brimer, Williams
VETERANS AFFAIRS & MILITARY INSTALLATIONS
Van de Putte (C) Shapleigh (VC), Davis*, Estes, Huffman*
Out: Ogden, Harris
SUBCOMMITTEE ON BASE REALIGNMENT & CLOSURE
Shapleigh (C), Estes, Huffman*
Out: Harris
This article appears in January 30 • 2009.
