On April 11, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced 57 interim charges for the upper chamber of the Texas Legislature.
During the period between legislative sessions in Texas, known as "the interim," Senate committees are assigned interim charges by the Lieutenant Governor to study, hold public hearings, and make recommendations on legislation for the following legislative session.
In response to the charges, Senator Pete Flores (SD-24) said, “as chair of the committee at the forefront of protecting Texans’ public safety, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has given us three interim charges - study ways to stop child predators from using deepfake technology and artificial intelligence to harm and exploit children through sexually explicit visual material and recommend legislation to better protect minors; examine charitable organizations that bail criminal defendants out of jail, including those charged with crimes involving violence, and recommend changes in law to provide better public safety, and monitor the implementation of Senate Bill 1004 last year that was designed to stop parolees from cutting off their electronic location-monitoring bracelets to commit new crimes including murder.”
Senator Flores is the Chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. Senator Phil King is the Vice-Chairman and Senators Paul Bettencourt, Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, Joan Huffman, and Borris Miles are the other members of the committee.
“For the first time in several decades, the committee will have two Republicans with strong law enforcement backgrounds at the helm: myself, with 27 years as a state peace officer, and Sen. Phil King, a former police officer and judge, as vice chair,” said Flores.
Senator Flores replaced Senator John Whitmire, who was elected to become the mayor of Houston, as Chairman of Senate Criminal Justice in January of 2024.
“I believe that government’s first responsibility is public safety, a goal that my committee will have as its primary focus,” said Flores.
According to Texas Legislature Online, during the last regular legislative session, Senator Flores authored 11 pieces of legislation that were considered by the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. That legislative work included policy related to organized crime, active shooters, material or conduct that is harmful to children, and physical fitness programs and standards for law enforcement officers.
Before being elected to the Texas Senate in 2018, Senator Flores spent most of his career as a Texas Game Warden, achieving the rank of Colonel. He was first elected to the Texas Senate in 2018 as the first Hispanic Republican in the Texas Senate. Senator Flores also serves as the Vice Chair of the Senate Border Security Committee and a member of Senate Finance, Education, and Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs commitees.
