The veteran president of the Texas Senate and the new speaker of the House did not start out on the same page.

AUSTIN – Shortly after Lubbock Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows was elected Texas House speaker, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick questioned the legitimacy of his victory and issued a legislative challenge. Perhaps it was a threat. Pass conservative measures or else, Patrick suggested in a social media post and news release.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has long been a leading conservative voice in Texas. The stalwart Republican says he doesn’t yet know if Burrows will impact his hopes for a conservative agenda, but he expressed concern.

Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows navigates bipartisan tightrope with the adoption of new rules governing committees in his chamber.

The state budget, school vouchers and a THC ban topped Patrick’s list. His other top goals include raising the property tax exemption for homeowners, improving electric and water infrastructure, and aiding the federal government with the deportation of people who are in the U.

Meanwhile in the Panhandle, Republicans were less excited that Burrows won the speaker contest thanks largely to Democrats.

AUSTIN - Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued this statement today following the election of Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives:

Since then, the vast majority of House speakers have been elected by acclamation or with more than 140 votes. Even Rep. Dade Phelan, whom hard-right Republicans forced from seeking a third term, received 143 votes in 2021 and 145 in 2023.

DALLAS — The election of State Representative Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock ... Speaker of the majority party,” Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told us on Inside Texas Politics.

Democrats will serve as House committee vice chairs, which some lawmakers said harks back to the Texas tradition of power sharing. But vice chairs don't have nearly the power enjoyed by chairs, who can push or kill legislation and are better positioned to pass legislation.

Legislators are poised to tackle renewables and other matters that could echo across the U.S. in the months ahead.

Texas House and Senate budget writers filed the first drafts of the next state budget Wednesday, calling for more than $150 billion in general revenue spending over