Paxton urges Texas House Speaker to step down after slurring incident and blocking election integrity bills.

Texas Attorney General Calls for Speaker’s Resignation

Texans were dismayed to witness his performance presiding over the Texas House in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication.

His conduct has negatively impacted the legislative process and constitutes a failure to live up to his duty to the public.

– Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan has been called out by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for appearing to be drunk while performing his duties during a recent House floor session. In a video that has gone viral on social media, Phelan is seen slurring and fumbling over his words.

Paxton has called for Phelan’s resignation at the end of this legislative session, citing his failure to advance “critical conservative priorities” such as election integrity bills and measures to prevent “Chinese spies from controlling Texas land.”

Phelan has also been preventing Texas from banning unsecured election practices such as ranked-choice voting (RCV). If a bill banning RCV does not pass the House by the end of this session, legislative efforts to ban it in Texas elections will be stalled for another two years.

Phelan’s History with Democrats

Phelan received substantial support from House Democrats during his bid for speaker in 2021, despite Republicans holding a majority in the chamber. He selected Democrats to chair 13 of the House’s 34 committees, which drew backlash from Texas conservatives. He reduced the number of Democrat committee chairs to eight during this year’s session.

This isn’t the first time Texas Republicans have had to deal with a weak-kneed House speaker. Phelan’s predecessor, Republican Dennis Bonnen, resigned after a recording revealed efforts by Bonnen to target members of his own party. Before Bonnen was longtime Speaker and moderate Joe Straus, who caved on major culture war issues.

• Phelan has been preventing Texas from banning unsecured election practices such as ranked-choice voting (RCV).
• If a bill banning RCV does not pass the House by the end of this session, legislative efforts to ban it in Texas elections will be stalled for another two years.
• Phelan received substantial support from House Democrats during his bid for speaker in 2021.
• Phelan’s predecessor, Republican Dennis Bonnen, resigned after a recording revealed efforts by Bonnen to target members of his own party.
• Before Bonnen was longtime Speaker and moderate Joe Straus, who caved on major culture war issues.

It’s time for Texas to have a strong House speaker who will prioritize the needs of the people over political gamesmanship.

Shawn Fleetwood is a Staff Writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood.

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