Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives

The .gov means it's official. State government websites often end in .gov Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a State government site. The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Welcome to the official website of the Texas House of Representatives. Here, you can learn about the men and women who represent the 150 House districts across the state, and stay up to date on the legislative work conducted in your Texas Capitol. Find out how to contact your representative as well as how to participate in the legislative process that shapes our great state. Biography Speaker Dustin Burrows of Lubbock has served House District 83 as State Representative since 2014 and was elected by his colleagues as the 77th Speaker of the Texas House in January 2025. Prior to assuming the speakership, he chaired the House Calendars Committee in the 87th and 88th Legislatures and the Ways & Means Committee in the 86th. His legislative service includes key roles on standing committees overseeing state elections, higher education, agriculture, international trade, and financial services, among other issues, as well as chairing the House Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting in Uvalde in 2022 and as a member of the Investigative Committee on the Texas Panhandle Wildfires in 2024. Throughout his tenure, Speaker Burrows has championed landmark legislation and emergency items, including the Texas Taxpayer Transparency Act (2019) – requiring voter approval for property tax increases above a certain threshold; the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act (2024) – eliminating patchwork local regulations and restoring uniform regulatory authority to the state; historic school safety legislation – mandating armed security personnel on every Texas school campus; and the Matt Dawson Act – guaranteeing lifetime benefits for first responders injured in the line of duty. A proud Red Raider and lifelong Lubbock resident, Speaker Burrows has been a steadfast advocate for Texas Tech University, helping establish its School of Veterinary Medicine and securing over $1 billion for the university’s endowment through the Texas University Fund. Speaker Burrows graduated from Monterey High School in Lubbock, where he was active in Future Farmers of America, showed pigs, and served as a livestock judge. He holds degrees from Rhodes College and Texas Tech University, where he earned both his MBA and Juris Doctor. A partner at Burrows Law Firm, Speaker Burrows lives in Lubbock with his wife, Elisabeth, and their three sons, all of whom attend Lubbock ISD schools. Proclamations March 26, 2026 Speaker Dustin Burrows Appoints Members to the House Select Committee on General Aviation (PDF document, 699 kilobytes) [PDF, 699 KB] Speaker Dustin Burrows Appoints Members to the House Select Committee on Governmental Oversight (PDF document, 734 kilobytes) [PDF, 734 KB] Speaker Dustin Burrows Appoints Members to the House Select Committee on Health Care Affordability (PDF document, 755 kilobytes) [PDF, 755 KB] March 26, 2026 Speaker Dustin Burrows Appoints Members to the House Select Committee on General Aviation (PDF document, 699 kilobytes) [PDF, 699 KB] Speaker Dustin Burrows Appoints Members to the House Select Committee on Governmental Oversight (PDF document, 734 kilobytes) [PDF, 734 KB] Speaker Dustin Burrows Appoints Members to the House Select Committee on Health Care Affordability (PDF document, 755 kilobytes) [PDF, 755 KB] September 12, 2025 Speaker Dustin Burrows Appoints Members to the House Select Committee on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education (PDF document, 128 kilobytes) [PDF, 128 KB] September 12, 2025 Speaker Dustin Burrows Appoints Members to the House Select Committee on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education (PDF document, 128 kilobytes) [PDF, 128 KB] July 21, 2025 Speaker Dustin Burrows Appoints Members to the House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting (PDF document, 436 kilobytes) [PDF, 436 KB] July 21, 2025 Speaker Dustin Burrows Appoints Members to the House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting (PDF document, 436 kilobytes) [PDF, 436 KB] July 15, 2025 Speaker Dustin Burrows Appoints Members to the House Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding (PDF document, 639 kilobytes) [PDF, 639 KB] July 15, 2025 Speaker Dustin Burrows Appoints Members to the House Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding (PDF document, 639 kilobytes) [PDF, 639 KB] Newsletters No Newsletters at this time. Press Conferences No Press Conferences at this time. Powers & Duties The speaker is the presiding officer of the house of representatives. The Texas Constitution requires the house of representatives, each time a new legislature convenes, to choose one of its own members to serve as speaker. As presiding officer, the speaker maintains order during floor debate, recognizing legislators who wish to speak and ruling on procedural matters. The constitution also requires the speaker to sign all bills and joint resolutions passed by the legislature. As a member of the house of representatives, the speaker may vote on all questions before the house. The other duties and responsibilities of the speaker are determined by the members of the house in the House Rules of Procedure, which are adopted by a majority vote of the members at the beginning of each regular session of the legislature. The members give the speaker the authority to appoint the membership of each standing committee, subject to rules on seniority, and to designate the chair and vice chair for each committee. Under the rules, the speaker is responsible for referring all proposed legislation to committee, subject to the committee jurisdictions set forth in the rules. The rules also allow the speaker to appoint conference committees, to create select committees, and to direct committees to conduct interim studies when the legislature is not in session. Appointments Committee Appointments Standing Committee Appointments by Committee [PDF, KB] Standing Committee Appointments by Member [PDF, 837 KB] Office Staff Directory Speaker's Office (512) 463-1000 Zak Covar, Chief of Staff Andrew Blifford, Deputy Chief of Staff Tracy King, Sr. Advisor Victor Alcorta, General Counsel and Senior Advisor Jenne Albus, Special Assistant to the Speaker Avery Harrington, Special Assistant to the Speaker Sophia Steinitz, Scheduling Assistant to the Speaker Mindy Escobedo, Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff Walker Kohler, Travel Aide Speaker's District Operations (512) 463-1000 Paige Holzheauser, Director of Appointments and District Office Operations Matt Crow, District Affairs Coordinator Amanda Dinger, District Aide Grace Shoop, District Aide Speaker's Correspondence & Administration (512) 463-1000 Sydney Watts, Director of Administration Murphy McDougald, Senior Events Coordinator and Communications Specialist Kathryn Colleran, Correspondence Coordinator Speaker's Budget & Finance (512) 463-1100 Sallie Bentley, Associate Director of Finance for Budget William Seilheimer, Associate Director of Finance for Tax Policy Speaker's Policy Office (512) 463-1100 Sam Bacarisse, Policy Director Colin Davis, Assistant General Counsel and Policy Advisor for Energy Resources; Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence; Licensing and Administrative Procedures; and Transportation Madelyn Franks, Policy Advisor for Human Services; Insurance (health insurance); and Public Health Sarah Harrington, Policy Advisor for Public Education and Higher Education Elizabeth Lacina, Policy Advisor for Delivery of Governmental Efficiency; Environmental Regulation; Intergovernmental Affairs; and State Affairs Marissa Patton, Policy Advisor for Agriculture and Livestock; Culture, Recreation, and Tourism; Land and Resource Management; and Natural Resources Shakira Pumphrey, Policy Advisor for Corrections; Criminal Jurisprudence; and Homeland Security, Public Safety, and Veterans’ Affairs Joshua Warren, Policy Advisor for Elections; Insurance (property and casualty insurance); Pensions, Investments and Financial Services; and Trade, Workforce and Economic Development Speaker's Press Office (512) 463-1100 Kimberly Carmichael, Director of Communications Haley Crow, Press Secretary