The Children Of The Texas House

How the GOP is playing the victim while time runs out.

Time’s running out in the Texas House, and if you thought the chaos couldn’t get worse, think again. As we barrel toward the final days of the 89th Legislative Session, deadlines are crashing down faster than the Republican leadership can figure out how to stall Democratic bills.

May 14th marks the last day to distribute the local and consent calendar for House bills. Tomorrow, May 15th, is the deadline for second readings on all House bills, and Friday, May 16th, is the final shot for any House bill to get through the third reading. After that, the game is over (for house bills).

But don’t worry, the GOP handles the pressure with all the grace of a kindergarten recess. Instead of working through the pile of bills left to pass, they’ve decided it’s time for a full-scale tantrum, complete with parliamentary inquiries that go nowhere, whining about the number of Democratic bills on the calendar (which they called “Democrat bills” 🙄), and performing their favorite pastime, blaming the Speaker when they don’t get their way.

In short, the House Republicans are throwing every fit they can muster to make sure nothing gets done, and all of it right when their bills are about to hit the legislative guillotine.

All the videos below are under five minutes long, and most are under one minute. Each video will give you a first-hand look at yesterday’s on-camera chaos.

You’d think after all these years in power, Republicans would know the rules by now, but apparently not.

Yesterday was a day full of parliamentary inquiries from the Brainworm Brigade, whose child-like behavior makes me want to change their names to “Baby Brainworms.”

In one of their more chaotic moves, Tony Tinderholt (R-HD94) tried to push a batch of bills to the next day, without realizing that it would require suspending the rules. When that didn’t work, they tried again from the back mic, only to be reminded that you can’t do that from the back mic either.

Rather than moving legislation efficiently, they’re tripping over their own tactics, looking less like lawmakers and more like children.

If there’s one thing the Texas House Republicans hate more than losing, it’s seeing Democratic bills make it onto the calendar. Instead of accepting that some legislation from across the aisle might get heard, they’re kicking up dust like a toddler who just got told “no.”

Brent Money (R-HD02) took to the mic to complain that too many Democratic bills were on yesterday’s agenda, forgetting that being in the majority doesn’t mean Democrats get zero representation. It’s a classic case of throwing a fit because they didn’t get their way, with the bonus of acting like they’re somehow the oppressed minority in the room.

To make it even more absurd, Briscoe Cain (R-HD128) tried to spin the narrative that no Republican bills were being reconsidered, as if their priorities were being deliberately snubbed.

But when the numbers came out, 466 bills were on the calendar, with 315 Republican and 152 Democratic, and their narrative fell apart. The math doesn’t lie, but Republicans do.

It’s a classic GOP strategy, frame yourself as the victim, no matter how much power you have. Even with the numbers stacked in their favor, they’re still whining about not having absolute control. The irony would be funny if it weren’t holding up actual governance.

With pressure mounting and deadlines looming, House Republicans have decided that the real problem isn’t their inability to pass bills but Speaker Burrows. Instead of focusing on moving legislation, they’re treating the Speaker like a human punching bag, grilling him repeatedly about his authority to reconsider bills.

Multiple members ask the same question repeatedly, seemingly hoping that if they ask enough times, the answer might change. It doesn’t. The Speaker remains consistent, but that doesn’t stop them from pushing the same tired line of questioning, as if persistence will somehow bend the rules in their favor.

Republicans, faced with the reality that time is running out, are channeling their failure to push their agenda into blame-shifting. Rather than owning up to the fact that they’ve fumbled their legislative priorities, they’re turning the Speaker into the scapegoat.

The Dean steps in.

Amid the chaos, someone finally stepped up to remind the Texas House what it’s supposed to be. A body of adults doing the people’s work. Dean Senfronia Thompson (D-HD141) took the mic and delivered a much-needed lecture on professionalism, dignity, and the responsibility of lawmakers. It was the kind of speech that makes you feel both grateful and a little embarrassed on behalf of everyone else in the room.

Thompson laid it out with all the maturity of a tired mother scolding her unruly kids. The name-calling, bickering, and pettiness all needed to stop. She called on members to act like grown-ups, put aside their petty grievances, and get back to solving real problems. You could practically hear the collective eye-roll from some Republicans, who didn’t seem too pleased about being told to get their act together.

I contacted several House members and staffers to find out exactly who was behind the name-calling and what was being said. Nobody knew exactly, or they weren’t telling me, but it all originated from the Brainworm Brigade (the far-right).

It’s telling when the most senior member of the House has to remind the GOP that they’re supposed to act like professionals, and nobody’s even willing to admit why they needed the reminder in the first place.

Maybe if they put as much effort into passing legislation as they do into griping about Democrats, they wouldn’t face this last-minute legislative crunch.

The circus isn’t leaving town.

As the session winds down, it’s clear that House Republicans would rather perform political theater than pass meaningful legislation. Instead of working the calendar, they’re stuck in a feedback loop of petty arguments, victim narratives, and procedural tantrums. Meanwhile, essential bills are gathering dust, and the deadlines are marching without them.

Dean Thompson’s call for professionalism was a sobering reminder that while the Republicans in the House are busy throwing fits, the people of Texas are still waiting for real governance. But as long as the GOP treats legislative duty like a playground brawl, the real losers are the Texans they claim to represent.

It’s time for the grown-ups to take back the room. But given how things are going, the circus isn’t leaving town soon.

• June 2: The 89th Legislative Session ends.

• June 3: The beginning of the 2026 election season.

• Click here to find out what Legislative districts you’re in.

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