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The Blast: Reporter’s notebook from today’s explainer [1]

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Date: 2024-10 

Your lead Blast writer has been neck deep in all things speaker-related for the past week. That research helped feed the explainer piece that went live on The Texas Tribune’s main page today outlining the paths Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan and state Rep. David Cook could take to the speakership next year.



Much of it rehashes what we’ve written in The Blast the last few months, particularly surrounding the anti-Phelan meeting that took place a couple weeks ago, but there are some tidbits that could be of interest to our readers. However, there were a few points that didn’t make the cut that are better suited for our Blast audience: As we’ve flagged in recent Blast editions, three people participated in the anti-Phelan meeting but did not vote. In Friday’s edition, we named them as nominees Paul Dyson of College Station (via proxy), Hillary Hickland of Belton and John McQueeney of Fort Worth. And on Friday, we reported that the two supporters Cook listed as asking to remain confidential until after the general election were state Rep. Gary Gates of Richmond and nominee Pat Curry of Waco. These five are likely sympathetic to Cook’s message, but don’t count them among his full-throated supporters yet.

of College Station (via proxy), of Belton and of Fort Worth. And on Friday, we reported that the two supporters Cook listed as asking to remain confidential until after the general election were state Rep. of Richmond and nominee of Waco. These five are likely sympathetic to Cook’s message, but don’t count them among his full-throated supporters yet. Here’s a thought from former state Rep. Poncho Nevárez , D-Eagle Pass, about the two confidential supporters: “If those are new members they better learn quick there aren’t secrets and [to] grow some balls. If they are already members, good Lord.”

, D-Eagle Pass, about the two confidential supporters: “If those are new members they better learn quick there aren’t secrets and [to] grow some balls. If they are already members, good Lord.” On with FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski yesterday, Phelan adviser and former Gov. Rick Perry said “the speaker’s race is over with.”

yesterday, Phelan adviser and former Gov. said “the speaker’s race is over with.” The Texas House Republican Caucus fall retreat, including their golf tournament and reception, will begin Thursday morning in Lost Pines. The recent speakership drama could make for interesting conversation at the event.

Don’t be sure that Democrats will rush to Phelan’s aid in January, let alone before the caucus vote. Like on the Republican side, there’s a cohort of Democrats that are also disillusioned with Phelan’s leadership, particularly in light of how he marched anti-voucher Republicans to the slaughter by letting House Bill 1 on the floor. Pro-Cook and Democratic sources have spoken to The Blast to say there’s a group less than 10 in size that wouldn’t vote for Phelan. Part of that calculus is that speaker candidate Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos , D-Richardson, could draw some Democratic support from those fearing a primary purity test.

, D-Richardson, could draw some Democratic support from those fearing a primary purity test. In addition to the far-out possibility that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could be the one to preside over the House speaker vote, Texas statutes also say that the House can vote to defer the speaker election. In the rare event both things happen, would that mean that Paxton would preside over the House indefinitely? Last week, The Blast also listened to Phelan’s speech accepting his reelection as speaker at the start of last session. Buried within that speech, Phelan appeared to give a solemn reminder for Democrats following the previous session’s quorum break. However, given how the last year has played out, the comments could just as easily address the state of the Texas House Republican Caucus today.



“We will have divisions — every session does — but that division does not have to define us,” Phelan told the chamber. “Let the political fires that have raged compel us to come to the table for a solution, not flee from our responsibilities. There will be countless outside voices — not from your district, not from this state — that seek to control our conversation, and they will be plenty loud. But the conversations that matter to us, the conversations that matter to our constituents, happen in here. They happen in this room, in the Texas House.”



Phelan says that just after the 2-hour, 1-minute mark, for those who wish to relive the speech themselves.

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[1] Url: https://mailchi.mp/texastribune/the-blast-reporters-notebook-from-todays-explainer

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