August 25, 2025      9:07 AM

The triumph of the sore winners in Texas

If the Capitol in Austin is going to be run like the one in DC, the next step is an environment in which the speaker lives in constant fear of a motion to vacate the chair that could prevail if the Democrats he’s punishing now don’t feel like saving him in the future

One of the very real struggles of the last year has been trying to find ways to describe the changes in the culture at the Texas Capitol without sounding hyperbolic. It is nearly impossible for veterans of the building.

“The House will never be the same,” said one after the way Speaker Dustin Burrows’ Republicans crushed and embarrassed Democrats by requiring police surveillance for them after returning from the protracted quorum break. “He’s destroying the Senate right in front of our eyes,” said another as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick moved to silence a senator who was scolded for fundraising – scolded by colleagues who spent some of last week fundraising off of delivering additional Republican voting strength in Congress at the behest of President Donald Trump.

Both Burrows and Partrick immediately received “total endorsements” from Trump, of course, and GOP discussions are underway this morning to further punish Democrats.

But this is not just a case of Republicans as bullies and Democrats as their victims, though that’s certainly part of it. As always, there is blame to go around and nuance to be found in way it all unfolded. It doesn’t just feel different. It is different from previous circumstances that, at least on the surface, are part of a similar pattern.

By Scott Braddock

Copyright August 25, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved