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The past several weeks have seen the Republican caucus in the Texas House in disarray.
It’s entirely expected, given that the leadership of the House is trying to serve two masters.
Three weeks ago, the House unanimously passed a resolution honoring the LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce day at the Texas Capitol.
The resolution was smuggled onto the floor with several other resolutions and was adopted by a single voice vote.
This vote included the support of every single Republican.
After the grassroots called out this transgression, many within the GOP caucus recanted their position and retracted their vote on that resolution.
These retractions don’t change the fact that the resolution was adopted.
Just a week after this episode, the Resolutions Committee pumped out another leftist resolution to honor more gay rights activists.
This resolution was met with immediate backlash.
It was pulled the day before HR 85 was supposed to come to the floor as part of a traunch of resolutions.
Tony Tinderholt, who ran against Dade Phelan for Speaker in 2023, tweeted it was a victory. This is true, given the context of the prior week.
In fact, rightly viewed, the gimmicks and secrecy needed to get these items to the floor of the House is the left losing.
Victory by subterfuge isn’t a show of strength but a testament to weakness.
Dade Phelan has a history of giving aid and comfort to his political enemies, including allowing them to flee the state in 2021, tanking a conservative.
What’s worse, the tactics worked.
Thankfully, this session, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has indicated he’s not interested in compromising with a beleaguered Democrat party but is instead interested in advancing a slew of conservative measures, even if it means coming back to Austin for a special session.
We’ll be here fighting and winning as we have from day one.