81st Texas Legislature explained

The 81st Texas Legislature began meeting in regular session on January 11, 2009. The regular session adjourned sine die on June 1, 2009.

Rick Perry, the Governor of Texas, called a special session of the Legislature on July 1, 2009. The Legislature passed two bills, both related to the sunset process, and adjourned sine die on July 10.

All members of the House of Representatives and 13 members of the Senate were elected on 4 November 2008 in the general election.

Party summary

Senate

AffiliationMembersNote
 Republican Party19
 Democratic Party12
Total31

House of Representatives

AffiliationMembersNote
 Republican Party76
 Democratic Party74
Total150

The numbers above reflect the partisan composition of the House at the beginning of the legislative session in January 2009. On November 6, 2009, Chuck Hopson (D—Jacksonville) announced he was changing his affiliation to Republican, resulting in 77 Republicans and 73 Democrats. On February 3, 2010, Rep. Terri Hodge (D—Dallas) announced she would resign due to pending felony charges against her.[1] This left the House with 77 Republicans, 72 Democrats and one vacancy.

The composition of the State Senate has remained unchanged since the beginning of the 81st Legislature.

Officers

Senate

House of Representatives

Members

Senate

SenatorPartyDistrict Home TownTook Office
Kevin EltifeRepublican1Tyler2004
Bob DeuellRepublican2Greenville2003
Robert NicholsRepublican3Jacksonville2007
Tommy WilliamsRepublican4The Woodlands2003
Steve OgdenRepublican5Bryan1997
Mario Gallegos, Jr.Democratic6Houston1995
Dan PatrickRepublican7Houston2007
Florence ShapiroRepublican8Plano1993
Chris HarrisRepublican9Arlington1991
Wendy DavisDemocrat10Fort Worth2009
Mike JacksonRepublican11La Porte1999
Jane NelsonRepublican12Lewisville1993
Rodney EllisDemocratic13Houston1990
Kirk WatsonDemocratic14Austin2007
John WhitmireDemocratic15Houston1983
John CaronaRepublican16Dallas1996
Joan HuffmanRepublican17Southside Place2008
Glenn HegarRepublican18Katy2007
Carlos I. UrestiDemocratic19San Antonio2006
Juan "Chuy" HinojosaDemocratic20Mission2002
Judith ZaffiriniDemocratic21Laredo1987
Kip AverittRepublican22Waco2002
Royce WestDemocratic23Dallas1993
Troy FraserRepublican24Horseshoe Bay1997
Jeff WentworthRepublican25San Antonio1993
Leticia R. Van de PutteDemocratic26San Antonio1999
Eddie Lucio, Jr.Democratic27Brownsville1991
Robert L. DuncanRepublican28Lubbock1997
Eliot ShapleighDemocratic29El Paso1997
Craig EstesRepublican30Wichita Falls2001
Kel SeligerRepublican31Amarillo2004

House of Representatives

Representativewidth=35 Partywidth=90 Home Town/Citywidth=20 District ↑County
Stephen FrostD 1Bowie, Cass, Marion, Morris
R 2Rains, Hunt, Van Zandt
Mark S. HomerD 3Lamar, Hopkins, Delta, Franklin, Titus, Red River
R 4Henderson, Kaufman
R 5Camp, Upshur, Wood, Harrison
R 6Smith
R 7Smith, Gregg
R 8Anderson, Freestone, Limestone, Navarro
R 9Shelby, Nacogdoches, San Augustine, Sabine, Jasper
R 10Ellis, Hill
R 11Panola, Rusk, Cherokee, Houston
Jim McReynoldsD 12Angelina, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler
R 13Austin, Grimes, Walker, Washington
Fred BrownR 14Brazos
Rob EisslerR 15Montgomery
R 16Montgomery
R 17Bastrop, Brazos, Burleson, Colorado, Fayette, Lee
R 18Montgomery, Liberty, Polk
Mike "Tuffy" HamiltonR 19Hardin, Newton, Orange
Dan GattisR 20Milam, Williamson
D 21Jefferson
Joe DeshotelD 22Jefferson, Orange
D 23Chambers, Galveston
R 24Galveston
R 25Brazoria
Charlie F. HowardR 26Fort Bend
D 27Fort Bend
R 28Wharton, Fort Bend, Waller
R 29Brazoria, Matagorda
R 30Refugio, Victoria, Jackson, DeWitt, Lavaca
D 31Duval, Starr, Webb, Zapata
R 32Calhoun, Aransas, San Patricio, Nueces
D 33Nueces
D 34Nueces
Yvonne Gonzalez ToureillesD 35Atascosa, Karnes, McMullen, Live Oak, Bee, Jim Wells, Goliad
Ismael "Kino" FloresD 36Hidalgo
Rene O. OliveiraD 37Cameron
D 38Cameron
Armando MartinezD 39Hidalgo
D 40Hidalgo
Veronica GonzalezD 41Hidalgo
D 42Webb
Tara Rios YbarraD 43Jim Hogg, Brooks, Kleberg, Kenedy, Willacy, Cameron
R 44Wilson, Guadalupe, Gonzales
D 45Blanco, Hays, Caldwell
D 46Travis
Valinda BoltonD 47Travis
D 48Travis
Elliott NaishtatD 49Travis
D 50Travis
Eddie RodriguezD 51Travis
Diana MaldonadoD 52Williamson
R 53Crockett, Sutton, Schleicher, Real, Kerr, Kimble, Menard, Mason, Llano, San Saba, McCulloch, Concho, Coleman, Runnels, Callahan
R 54Lampasas, Burnet, Bell
R 55Bell
R 56McLennan
D 57McLennan, Falls, Leon, Madison, Robertson
R 58Bosque, Johnson
R 59Erath, Comanche, Mills, Hamilton, Coryell, Somervell
R 60Brown, Eastland, Shackelford, Stephens, Palo Pinto, Hood
R 61Parker, Wise
R 62Fannin, Grayson
R 63Denton
R 64Denton
R 65Denton
Brian McCallR 66Collin
Jerry MaddenR 67Collin
R 68Motley, Dickens, Cottle, King, Hardeman, Foard, Knox, Haskell, Wilbarger, Baylor, Throckmorton, Young, Jack, Clay, Montague, Cooke
D 69Wichita, Archer
R 70Collin
R 71Nolan, Taylor
R 72Coke, Mitchell, Scurry, Tom Green
R 73Gillespie, Kendall, Comal, Bandera
D 74Uvalde, Edwards, Val Verde, Terrell, Pecos, Brewster, Presidio, Jeff Davis, Ward, Reeves, Loving, Culberson, Hudspeth
Chente QuintanillaD 75El Paso
Norma ChavezD 76El Paso
Marisa MarquezD 77El Paso
Joseph E. MoodyD 78El Paso
Joe PickettD 79El Paso
D 80Kinney, Maverick, Zavala, Dimmit, La Salle, Frio, Medina
81Andrews, Winkler, Ector
R 82Crane, Upton, Midland, Martin, Dawson
R 83Lubbock, Hockley, Cochran, Yoakum, Gaines
R 84Lubbock
D 85Reagan, Irion, Sterling, Glasscock, Howard, Borden, Terry, Lynn, Garza, Crosby, Kent, Stonewall, Fisher, Jones, Hale, Floyd
R 86Dallam, Hartley, Oldham, Deaf Smith, Randall
R 87Sherman, Moore, Carson, Potter
R 88Parmer, Bailey, Lamb, Castro, Swisher, Armstrong, Briscoe, Hall, Donley, Collingsworth, Childress, Gray, Wheeler, Hutchison, Roberts, Hemphill, Lipscomb, Ochiltree, Hansford
R 89Rockwall, Collin
D 90Tarrant
Kelly HancockR 91Tarrant
Todd SmithR 92Tarrant
Paula PiersonD 93Tarrant
R 94Tarrant
D 95Tarrant
Chris TurnerD 96Tarrant
R 97Tarrant
Vicki TruittR 98Tarrant
R 99Tarrant
Terri HodgeD 100Dallas
Robert MiklosD 101Dallas
D 102Dallas
D 103Dallas
D 104Dallas
R 105Dallas
D 106Dallas
Allen VaughtD 107Dallas
Dan BranchR 108Dallas
D 109Dallas
Barbara Mallory CarawayD 110Dallas
D 111Dallas
R 112Dallas
R 113Dallas
R 114Dallas
Jim JacksonR 115Dallas
Trey Martinez FischerD 116Bexar
David McQuade LeibowitzD 117Bexar
Joe FariasD 118Bexar
Roland GutierrezD 119Bexar
Ruth Jones McClendonD 120Bexar
Joe StrausR 121Bexar
R 122Bexar
Mike VillarrealD 123Bexar
Jose MenendezD 124Bexar
D 125Bexar
R 126Harris
Joe CrabbR 127Harris
R 128Harris
John E. DavisR 129Harris
Allen FletcherR 130Harris
Alma AllenD 131Harris
William "Bill" CallegariR 132Harris
Kristi ThibautD 133Harris
Ellen CohenD 134Harris
Gary ElkinsR 135Harris
Beverly WoolleyR 136Harris
Scott HochbergD 137Harris
R 138Harris
Sylvester TurnerD 139Harris
Armando WalleD 140Harris
D 141Harris
Harold V. Dutton, Jr.D 142Harris
D 143Harris
Ken LeglerR 144Harris
D 145Harris
D 146Harris
D 147Harris
Jessica Cristina FarrarD 148Harris
D 149Harris
R 150Harris

Notes and References

  1. http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kera/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1607992/North.Texas/Hodge.Pleads.Guilty Hodge Pleads Guilty