In 2017, he led the successful fight against discriminatory legislation that threatened severe economic harm. In addition to his policy achievements, Speaker Straus has championed an inclusive and pragmatic approach to governing that brings Texans together to confront major challenges. Speaker Straus also prioritized child protection, leading the House to provide the funding needed to hire more than 1,000 additional Child Protective Services caseworkers in 2017. In order to continue the House’s work on behavioral health issues, in late 2017, Speaker Straus created the House Select Committee on Opioids and Substance Abuse. And under his leadership, the House expanded mental health services for Veterans, provided critical matching funds for effective local programs, and launched needed repairs to state mental health facilities. In 2015, he created the Select House Committee on Mental Health. Speaker Straus is a champion of mental health reform. He led the successful 2013 campaign to fund the long-heralded State Water Plan, and the House also significantly increased transportation resources under his leadership. Speaker Straus also put a spotlight on the state’s infrastructure needs. The House also put more state universities on the path to top-tier status and made critical investments in higher-education research. Under his leadership, the Texas House pushed for more funding of public schools, improved career readiness, reduced testing and helped more students access needed special education services. Speaker Straus has often identified public education as the state’s best economic development tool. As the presiding officer of the Texas House, he focused on priorities and issues that support private-sector growth. Speaker Straus has been widely praised for his focus on the core responsibilities of government and his constructive governing style. He was the first Speaker of the House from San Antonio in a century, and he’s the longest-serving Republican Speaker in Texas history. Joe Straus served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from 2009 until 2019.
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