The Friday session also did not meet the quorum. 

Burrows had announced that a quorum was present, but Republican State Rep. Brian Harrison called for a verification of attendance and found it short of the requirement. 

“I’m very proud to have objected [Friday] and to require strict enforcement,” Harrison said. “Speaker Burrows is conducting what I call ‘operation run out the clock’ because he is trying to run the clock out on Republican priorities that he doesn’t want to be blamed for killing.”

The Texas House has been slow-moving this legislative session compared to the previous session. The lower chamber has passed five bills and joint resolutions out of committee, a decrease from the 13 bills and joint resolutions that passed out of committee two years ago. 

Meanwhile, the Texas Senate passed 94 bills and joint resolutions in this year’s legislative session.

Former Speaker Dade Phelan, also a Republican, dropped his bid for a third term amid disagreements within the Texas GOP.

JAMES HO, THE 5TH CIRCUIT ORIGINALIST TIPPED AS THE HEIR TO CLARENCE THOMAS

Burrows was elected Speaker of the Texas House on the first day of the legislative session, which is rare in the Texas state legislature. Experts say that could contribute to its lack of work.

“It took the first month of the session for [Burrows] to sort out who would be committee chairs, who would be assigned to each committee, and then to start referring bills for the committees to organize themselves and start holding hearings,” Mark Strama, a civics professor at the University of Texas in Austin and former Texas House member told KXAN Austin. “They’re really just getting their legs underneath them right now.”