Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), the Texas Senate's presiding officer, released his committee assignments Friday afternoon. The 17 committees play an important role in the legislative process, acting as a gatekeeper in the race to get bills over the finish line by the end of a 140-day session.

The Senate Education Committee includes three new members this session. Sens. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio), Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), and Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) are replacing Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) and former Sens. Pat Fallon (R-Prosper) and Kirk Watson (D-Austin) on the committee. The full committee composition is as follows:

Senate Committee on Education

• Larry Taylor (R), Chair
• Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D), Vice Chair
• Paul Bettencourt (R)
• Bob Hall (R)
• Bryan Hughes (R)
• José Menéndez (D)
• Angela Paxton (R)
• Charles Perry (R)
• Beverly Powell (D)
• Charles Schwertner (R)
• Royce West (D)

Below are a couple more committees responsible for hearing bills of interest to the public education community, within which there were relatively few surprises or changes from last session's committee makeup:

Senate Committee on Finance

• Jane Nelson (R), Chair
• Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D), Vice Chair
• Paul Bettencourt (R)
• Dawn Buckingham (R)
• Donna Campbell (R)
• Brandon Creighton (R)
• Kelly Hancock (R)
• Joan Huffman (R)
• Lois W. Kolkhorst (R)
• Robert Nichols (R)
• Charles Perry (R)
• Charles Schwertner (R)
• Larry Taylor (R)
• Royce West (D)
• John Whitmire (D)

Senate Committee on State Affairs

• Bryan Hughes (R), Chair
• Brian Birdwell (R), Vice Chair
• Donna Campbell (R)
• Bob Hall (R)
• Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D)
• Jane Nelson (R)
• Beverly Powell (D)
• Charles Schwertner (R)
• Judith Zaffirini (D)

The Senate Special Committee on Redistricting will have a heightened focus this year, as Texas must embark on its once-per-decade task of drawing boundaries for Texas legislative, U.S. House, and State Board of Education districts upon receiving data from the 2020 U.S. Census. Its members include the following:

Senate Special Committee on Redistricting

• Joan Huffman (R), Chair
• Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D), Vice Chair
• Carol Alvarado (D)
• Paul Bettencourt (R)
• Brian Birdwell (R)
• Dawn Buckingham (R)
• Donna Campbell (R)
• Kelly Hancock (R)
• Bryan Hughes (R)
• Nathan Johnson (D)
• Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D)
• José Menéndez (D)
• Robert Nichols (R)
• Angela Paxton (R)
• Charles Perry (R)
• Royce West (D)
• John Whitmire (D)

View the complete list of Senate committee assignments here. House committee are not expected to be announced until later. State representatives have been given until January 22 to submit their committee preferences to the House Speaker.