News Regarding Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen
October 22, 2019
After censure by the House Republican Caucus and calls for his resignation from more than 30 of his GOP House colleagues, Speaker Bonnen announced that he will not seek re-election to the House next year. Given the deteriorating situation since the release of a recorded conversation between Speaker Bonnen, then-House Republican Caucus chair Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock), and Empower Texans activist Michael Quinn Sullivan, the Speaker’s announcement comes as no surprise. It remains to be seen, however, whether the Speaker will step down from the Office of Speaker before next session. One possibility is that the Speaker could appoint a Republican member as Speaker Pro Tem (currently a Democrat, Rep. Joe Moody of El Paso), who would serve out the rest of the interim and perform the ministerial duties of the office until the newly elected House convenes in January, 2021.
For more details about the story, see:
https://www.texastribune.org/2019/10/22/dennis-bonnen-retire-secret-recording/
https://www.texastribune.org/2019/10/22/Dennis-Bonnen-to-not-seek-reelection-to-Texas-House/
https://www.texastribune.org/2019/10/22/bonnen-lame-duck-speaker-interim-charges-redistricting/