House committees announced: Reviewing the criminal justice chairs

The Texas House announced committee chairs and memberships today.

Among the criminal-justice oriented committees, two of three - Corrections and Homeland Security and Public Safety - got new chairmen, with both their former chairs upgraded to more powerful posts.  Rep. Jim Murphy now chairs House Corrections and Larry Phillips has Homeland Security and Public Safety. Senior Houston Democrat Harold Dutton chairs the newly created Juvenile Justice and Family Matters Committee. Democrat Abel Herrero out of Corpus Christi retained the Criminal Jurisprudence chair.

Criminal Jurisprudence experienced significant continuity amidst a reduction in total seats from nine to seven. Joe Moody out of El Paso is vice chair. Brian Hughes and Matt Schaefer are gone, replaced by David Simpson and Matt Shaheen. Reps Lon Burnam, Steve Toth and Stefani Carter did not return to the House. But Jeff Leach and Terry Canales both returned to the committee, and all and sundry are joined by Calendars Committee Chair Todd Hunter, which at least may help get some of the committee's priority bills up for floor votes, for a change.

By contrast, Corrections and Homeland Security and Public Safety are essentially new committees from stem to stern, with scarce little overlap in membership from prior sessions (two members on Corrections, one on Homeland Security and Public Safety). And of course the Juvenile Justice Committee was created new this session. See the full list of House committee assignments.

The stage is now set. Time now to get down to business.

RELATED: See also Grits' discussion of appointments to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.