Dewhurst Appoints Senate Committees

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst slipped out his committee assignments for the 83rd Legislature late Friday afternoon, a bit of timing that will give senators — and the lieutenant governor — several days before they see each other again to debate the choices. 

This year's announcements are earlier than usual, and a bit anticlimactic: Dewhurst rearranged the chairmanships late last year.

"Texas is the number one state in America to do business, with the fastest growing population, and thank goodness we have such talented state Senators helping to maintain Texas’ prosperity," Dewhurst said in a press release. "During this session, we will be focused on balancing the budget without raising taxes, improving public education and increasing highway capacity and drinking water resources for our growing population. I know that our Senators are up to the challenge to keep Texas number one for decades to come."

Here are the assignments:

ADMINISTRATION
Eltife, Chair
Uresti, Vice-Chair
Carona
Hancock
Whitmire
Williams
Zaffirini

AGRICULTURE, RURAL AFFAIRS & HOMELAND SECURITY
Estes, Chair
Uresti, Vice-Chair
Hegar
Hinojosa
Schwertner

BUSINESS & COMMERCE
Carona, Chair
Taylor, Vice-Chair
Eltife
Estes
Hancock
Lucio
Van de Putte
Watson
Whitmire

CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Whitmire, Chair
Huffman, Vice-Chair
Carona
Hinojosa
Patrick
Rodriguez
Schwertner

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Deuell, Chair
Hancock, Vice-Chair
Birdwell
Davis
Eltife
Fraser
Watson

EDUCATION
Patrick, Chair
Lucio, Vice-Chair
Campbell
Duncan
Paxton
Seliger
Taylor
Van de Putte
West

FINANCE
Williams, Chair
Hinojosa, Vice-Chair
Deuell
Duncan
Eltife
Estes
Hegar, subcommittee chair on state and local revenue matters
Huffman
Lucio
Nelson
Patrick
Seliger
West
Whitmire
Zaffirini

GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION
Zaffirini, Chair
Schwertner, Vice-Chair
Birdwell
Paxton
Rodriguez
Taylor

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Nelson, Chair
Deuell, Vice-Chair
Huffman
Nichols
Schwertner
Taylor
Uresti
West
Zaffirini

HIGHER EDUCATION
Seliger, Chair
Watson, Vice-Chair
Birdwell
Duncan
Patrick
West
Zaffirini

INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
Hinojosa, Chair
Nichols, Vice-Chair
Paxton
Taylor

JURISPRUDENCE
West, Chair
Rodriguez, Vice-Chair
Campbell
Carona
Hancock
Paxton

NATURAL RESOURCES
Fraser, Chair
Estes, Vice-Chair
Deuell
Duncan
Ellis
Eltife
Hegar
Hinojosa
Nichols
Seliger
Uresti

NOMINATIONS
Hegar, Chair
Campbell, Vice-Chair
Carona
Fraser
Nelson
Watson

OPEN GOVERNMENT
Ellis, Chair
Davis, Vice-Chair
Nelson
Seliger
Williams

STATE AFFAIRS
Duncan, Chair
Deuell, Vice-Chair
Ellis
Fraser
Huffman
Lucio
Nichols
Van de Putte
Williams

TRANSPORTATION
Nichols, Chair
Paxton, Vice-Chair
Campbell
Davis
Ellis
Hancock
Patrick
Uresti
Watson

VETERANS AFFAIRS & MILITARY INSTALLATIONS
Van de Putte, Chair
Birdwell, Vice-Chair
Campbell
Davis
Rodriguez