Sponsor of Provision that Softened
SB 17 Recanted Switch to No Vote
Capitol Inside
May 21, 2025
A Texas House Republican contended on Wednesday that a conservative colleague falsely portrayed his position on an amendment that he tacked late last week to a bill restricting land sales to selective foreign interests in a move that watered down the measure considerably.
GOP State Rep. Tony Tinderholt of Arlington used a parliamentary inquiry to call out State Rep. Matt Shaheen of Plano for hypocritical posturing as the lead author of the amendment that limited a proposed ban in Senate Bill 17 to people who are not "lawfully present" as a resident of the U.S.
Tinderholt pointed out that Shaheen backed the amendment that he'd sponsored on an initial vote on Thursday before filing a statement with the House Journal Clerk to say that he was shown as voting yes when he intended to vote against the provision.
Tinderholt raised the specter that the amendment that soften the bill would not exist if Shaheen hadn't proposed it. Tinderholt questioned the validity of the provision based on the fact that Shaheen emerged temporarily as an opponent when he filed a statement with the Journal Clerk with the assertion that he'd been shown voting for his own amendment when he intended to vote no.
Tinderholt said Shaheen's amendment was the sole reason that House and Senate leaders were forced to appoint a conference committee to negotiate a compromise on SB 17. But State Rep. Brooks Landgraf - an Odessa Republican who was standing in for Speaker Dustin Burrows in the chair - ruled that the Tinderholt inquiry was procedurally improper.
Shaheen took to the front microphone in the lower chamber to defend himself - telling the House without elaboration that a review of the Journal would reveal that Tinderholt's information had been inaccurate. Tinderholt had a screen shot on his cell phone - however - that showed that Shaheen had indeed informed the journal clerk about the flip-flop on the amendment before having the line with the corrected position removed.
Shaheen was missing today - as a consequence - from a list in the Journal for Thursday that showed 13 other House Republicans casting votes for the controversial amendment before claiming that meant to vote against it.
The GOP members who switched position on the Shaheen amendment in the Journal included State Reps. Ben Bumgarner of Flower Mound, David Cook of Mansfield, Caroline Harris Davilla of Round Rock, Brian Harrison of Midlothian, Hillary Hickland of Belton, Terri Leo-Wilson of Gavleston, Will Metcalf of Conroe, Nate Schatzline of Fort Worth, Valoree Swanson of Spring, Steve Toth of Conroe, Ellen Troxclair of Lakeway, Cody Vasut of Angleton and Wes Virdell of Brady.
State Rep. Terry Canales of Edinburg was the only Democrat who flipped on the Shaheen amendment by changing his position from no to aye.
Bumgarner offered an explanation for reversing course on the amendment in a statement to the Journal. "My vote on the Shaheen amendment was based on the understanding that it would enhance enforcement of this bill, CSSB17," Bumgarner said. "Upon further review, it may have the opposite effect."
Contrary to common perceptions, entries in the Journal are not etched in stone. Members are allowed to correct votes for the official House record by submitting a written request complete with their signature, the record number of the vote and how they intended to vote.
The House approved the Shaheen amendment on a vote of 120-19 during the first day of debate on SB 17. The provision would have prevailed on a 116-32 vote if all of the 14 representatives who flipped on it had voted the way they intended.
Some of the House's most conservative members harbor significant animosity for Shaheen as a lawmaker who'd been one of them when he and Tinderholt entered the chamber together in 2015. While Tinderholt hasn't wavered and paid a steep price for doing so, Shaheen has moved closer to the center and was rewarded this year with his first spot on the House leadership team as the Elections Committee chair despite opposing the eventual winner in the speaker's election on opening day of the 2025 regular session.
more to come ...
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