Representative Victoria Neave Criado (D-Dallas) has been appointed by Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) as the Chair of the Committee on County Affairs.

“With billions of dollars in our state coffers, we must keep Texas ahead of the game,” Neave Criado suggested in a press release provided to The Dallas Express.

“Our 254 counties, from metropolitan ones like Dallas County, to those in the rural Texas countryside, are the beating heart of our state,” she continued. “As Chair, I am ready to collaborate with my fellow Committee Members to move the ball forward for Texas families.”

“I am also excited about serving on the Business and Industry Committee, which can help ensure Texas workers, unions, and businesses thrive,” she added, referring to her other assignments.

The County Affairs Committee will have jurisdiction over matters pertaining to county “organization, creation, boundaries, government, and finance,” in addition to “relationships or contracts between counties.” The committee will also oversee the Commission on Jail Standards.

Rep. Lynn Stucky (R-Denton) will serve as vice chair. Rounding out committee membership are Reps. Stan Gerdes (R-Smithville), Angelia Orr (R-Itasca), Nate Schatzline (R-Fort Worth), Bryan Slaton (R-Greenville), Tony Tinderholt (R-Arlington), Jolanda Jones (D-Houston), and Jon Rosenthal (D-Houston).

Despite having a Democrat chair, the committee still retains a 6-3 Republican advantage.

Some observers have pointed out that three of the committee members—Schatzline, Slaton, and Tinerholt—were the only three to vote against Phelan, as reported by The Dallas Express.

Former Republican candidate David Lowe suggested, “[Phelan] assigned [them] to a committee that’s chaired by a Democrat. The speaker is showing that if you buck the system, you’ll be ‘dealt with.’”

Schatzline, who was also placed on the Democrat-chaired Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, thanked Phelan for his committee assignments.

“It is an honor to serve, and because of my passion for combating human trafficking, promoting government transparency, and keeping dangerous criminals off our streets, I have a particular interest in these committees,” the freshman representative said.

Neave Criado’s appointment comes after a movement among Republican grassroots activists and supporters to ban the practice of appointing members of the minority party to committee chair positions.

During the debate over rules, Phelan and his allies successfully outmaneuvered the grassroots-backed movement seeking to ban Democrat chairs, as reported by The Dallas Express.

The Republican Party of Texas made removing opposing party chairs a priority for the 88th legislative session, and a survey suggested that over 81% of GOP voters supported the motion.

However, while Democrats will chair a total of nine committees, that number is down from the 14 chairs the minority party received last regular session in 2021.