Hinojosa and Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin have urged GOP not to stand in the way of the voters’ will as some Republicans appear to weigh changes.
By: Philip Jankowski ,Austin Bureau
AUSTIN — Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa had a message Thursday for Republicans considering trimming her powers and those of the next lieutenant governor: Voters wanted change. Don’t stand in the way.
“The people of Texas have spoken,” Hinojosa said at her first post-election news conference.
She said voters want change and expressed hope that elected leaders from both parties would not obstruct efforts to deliver for working Texans.
Republicans could seek to restrict Hinojosa’s and Democratic Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin’s authority before or after they take office in January.
Hinojosa, who announced the first members of her bipartisan transition team Thursday, said she intends to work with Republican lawmakers and build a team that represents all Texans.
Some Republicans have called for Gov. Greg Abbott to order a special legislative session to restrict the governor’s emergency powers before Hinojosa steps in.
Abbott has not said he would do so, and his office’s participation in the transition, which Hinojosa praised, could signal little appetite to strip power from the office on his way out.
Abbott’s office did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Republicans in the state Senate could also curtail Goodwin’s authority when next year’s legislative session begins. She defeated Republican incumbent Dan Patrick in Tuesday’s election.
Republicans will have a 19-12 majority in the chamber, giving them the votes to rewrite rules that have allowed the lieutenant governor to control committee assignments and the flow of legislation.
Under Patrick, bills needed his approval to reach a vote. He also controlled assignments to committees that write the state budget, oversee business regulations and shape legislation.
Here’s how senators could make those changes:
- At the start of each legislative session, senators adopt internal rules, deciding who controls committee assignments and which bills reach a vote.
- A simple majority can rewrite those rules, allowing Republicans to take those powers from Goodwin.
- They could put a Republican leader chosen from their ranks in charge instead, similar to the majority leader’s role in the U.S. Senate.
Goodwin, speaking Wednesday on MS Now, said that should Republicans strip that authority from her, it would be “at their peril because we will have elections again in 2028.”
Goodwin described senators as serving “under the thumb” of Patrick for years and said her leadership offers an opportunity to create bipartisan laws that help all Texans.
Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, called it premature to discuss changing the Senate rules but stopped short of saying he opposed limiting Goodwin’s power. “I’m not saying that,” Bettencourt said in an interview.
“There’s rules changes every year,” he said. “This is up to, you know, the body to make that decision.”
Austin Bureau
Philip Jankowski has covered government, politics and criminal justice in Texas for 17 years. He previously worked for the Austin American-Statesman, the Killeen Daily Herald and the Taylor Press. Philip is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.
