Committee Assignments Show Dewhurst Catering To The Right Wing

Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst released a set of Senate Committee assignments late last week that show him catering to the right wing of his party.

How is Deshurst catering to his party’s right wing? He appointed State Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston), the ultraconservative talk radio host who is by far the most right wing member of the Senate as vice chair of both the Public Education Committee and the Higher Education Committee.

Patrick, one of the least senior members of the Senate, is an anti-tax wingnut who would just as soon see public schools suffer as his wealthy buddies pay another dime in taxes, yet he is the second most powerful person overseeing the Senate Committee on Public Education. That’s a travesty.

Of course, it is all because Dewhurst is either going to run for Governor in 2012 against Perry and Hutchison (in the hopes of being the more appealing third candidate and thus spoiler) or for U.S. Senate when Hutchison vacates her seat. That is the real reason he gave Patrick so much power, and the real reason he allowed Patrick’s pet issue–doing away with the two-third’s rule–hold the senate hostage in early January.

Here are the rest of the committee assignments, courtesy of the Statesman:

Administration Committee Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, chairman (new member) Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, vice chairman Steve Ogden, R-Bryan (new) Florence Shapiro, R-Plano Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio John Whitmire, D-Houston Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo

Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee (new, was a subcommittee) Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, chairman Carlos Uresti, vice chairman (new, was member of subcommittee) Glenn Hegar, R-Katy Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen Mike Jackson, R-La Porte

Business and Commerce Committee Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, chairman Chris Harris, R-Arlington, vice chairman Kip Averitt, R-Waco Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler Mike Jackson, R-La Porte (new) Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio Kirk Watson, D-Austin

Criminal Justice Committee John Whitmire, D-Houston, chairman Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, vice chairman John Carona, R-Dallas (new) Rodney Ellis, D-Houston Glenn Hegar, R-Katy Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen Dan Patrick, R-Houston (new)

Economic Development Committee (new, was a subcommittee) Chris Harris, R-Arlington, chairman (new) Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, vice chair (new) Robert Deuell, R-Greenville (new) Kirk Watson, D-Austin Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo (new)

Education Committee Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, chair Dan Patrick, R-Houston, vice chairman (new) Kip Averitt, R-Waco Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth (new) Mario Gallegos, D-Houston (new) Steve Ogden, R-Bryan Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio Royce West, D-Dallas Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands

Finance Committee Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, chairman Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, vice chairman (new) Kip Averitt, R-Waco Robert Deuell, R-Greenville Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler Chris Harris, R-Arlington (new) Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo (new) Florence Shapiro, R-Plano Royce West, D-Dallas John Whitmire, D-Houston Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo

Government Organization Committee Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, chairman Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, vice chairman Joan Huffman, R-Houston (new) Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville (new) Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville Steve Ogden, R-Bryan (new) John Whitmire, D-Houston

Health and Human Services Committee Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville, chair Robert Deuell, R-Greenville, vice chair Joan Huffman, R-Houston (new) Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville Dan Patrick, R-Houston Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio Royce West, D-Dallas Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo

Higher Education Committee (new, was a subcommittee) Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, chair Dan Patrick, R-Houston, vice chairman (new, was member of subcommittee) Kip Averitt, R-Waco Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock (new) Royce West, D-Dallas

Intergovernmental Relations Committee Royce West, D-Dallas, chairman Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville Mario Gallegos, D-Houston Dan Patrick, R-Houston Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio

Subcommittee on Flooding and Evacuations Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, chairman Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville Dan Patrick, R-Houston

International Relations and Trade Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, chairman Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, vice chairman (new) Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth (new) Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay Mario Gallegos, D-Houston Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands (new)

Jurisprudence Committee Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, chairman Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, vice chairman (new) John Carona, R-Dallas Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock Chris Harris, R-Arlington Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen Kirk Watson, D-Austin

Natural Resources Kip Averitt, R-Waco, chairman Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, vice chairman Robert Deuell, R-Greenville Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay (new) Glenn Hegar, R-Katy Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen Mike Jackson, R-LaPorte Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio

Nominations Committee Mike Jackson, R-La Porte, chairman Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, vice chairman Glenn Hegar, R-Katy Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso Kirk Watson, D-Austin

State Affairs Committee Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, chairman Robert Deuell, R-Greenville, vice chairman (new) John Carona, R-Dallas Rodney Ellis, D-Houston Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay Chris Harris, R-Arlington Mike Jackson, R-La Porte Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio

Transportation and Homeland Security John Carona, R-Dallas, chairman Kirk Watson, D-Austin, vice chairman Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth (new) Rodney Ellis, D-Houston Joaan Huffman, R-Houston (new) Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville Florence Shapiro, R-Plano Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio

Veterans Affairs and Military Installations Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, chair Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, vice chair Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth (new) Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls Joan Huffman, R-Houston (new)

Subcommittee on Base Realignment and Closure Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, chairman Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls Joan Huffman, R-Houston (new)