27 Facts About Dennis Bonnen

Dennis Higgins Bonnen was born on March 3,1972 and is an American businessman and politician.

Dennis Bonnen struggled with the condition in his childhood education, spending his fourth grade year in a special school that used phonics-based techniques.

Dennis Bonnen worked in the Washington, DC office of Congressman Greg Laughlin, worked for the Can Manufacturers Institute, became the general manager of a computer business called MDS, and "traveled the nation in 1995 working on the Bob Dole presidential campaign".

In December 1995, Dennis Bonnen announced his candidacy in the Republican primary to succeed state representative Jack Harris, who was retiring from the legislature to run for a county commission seat.

Dennis Bonnen supported sending misbehaving students to boot camp facilities, and eliminating parole for criminals, to be paid for by returning to the work farm system.

Dennis Bonnen beat Democrat Tim Miller to win the seat in November 1996.

Dennis Bonnen spoke out in defense of the county detention center against allegations of improper use of force, with Bonnen characterizing proposed legislation as a state effort to usurp local government.

Dennis Bonnen ran unopposed in 1998, and was reelected over the next two decades, during which he "earned a reputation as a pugnacious lawmaker".

Dennis Bonnen secured passage of legislation to create a pilot project allowing Brazosport College, Midland College, and South Texas College to offer limited four-year degrees in 2003, and to remove the pilot status of these degree grants in 2007.

Also in 2007, Dennis Bonnen gained national attention for authoring Texas House Bill 1098 to overturn a controversial executive order by then-Governor Rick Perry mandating administration of the newly developed HPV vaccine to sixth-grade girls.

In 2013, Dennis Bonnen was appointed by Speaker Joe Straus as the Speaker Pro Tempore, in which capacity he acted as the presiding officer of the House in the Speaker's absence, during the 83rd, 84th and 85th session of the Texas legislature, from 2013 to 2018.

Dennis Bonnen served as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

In 2015, Dennis Bonnen authored legislation deemed an emergency item by Governor Abbott to keep the Texas National Guard troops at the border, increase staff at the Department of Public Safety, and establish a transnational crime center on the border to analyze crime data.

Dennis Bonnen co-sponsored legislation to provide marshals for school security as a separate category of law enforcement officials.

Dennis Bonnen co-sponsored an extension of the franchise tax exemption to certain businesses.

Dennis Bonnen voted to prohibit texting while driving, and to require narcotics testing for recipients of unemployment compensation.

Dennis Bonnen did not vote on a bill establishing term limits for certain state officials, and the resolution failed on the House floor.

On November 12,2018, Dennis Bonnen announced he had 109 votes to be the next Texas House Speaker, more than the 76 votes needed for election.

On January 8,2019, Dennis Bonnen was unanimously elected by the Texas House of Representatives to serve as Speaker of the House.

On June 21,2019, Dennis Bonnen joined Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick at a press conference to announce that Texas would deploy an additional 1,000 Texas National Guard troops to the border amid the migrant surge.

Dennis Bonnen apologized following a 2019 controversy in which Michael Quinn Sullivan, the president of conservative advocacy group Empower Texans, secretly recorded Dennis Bonnen making negative comments about other legislators, and offering the group press credentials providing floor access in exchange for their working against moderate Republican members.

On October 22,2019, Dennis Bonnen announced that he would not seek re-election, paving the way for a new House speaker in the next session of the House.

An investigation by the Texas Rangers ultimately concluded that Dennis Bonnen did not break any laws in the exchange.

Dennis Bonnen voted in support of legislation to ban sanctuary cities in Texas, legalize open carry, authorize concealed carry on college campuses, require Voter ID, permit religious organizations to decline to perform marriage services, require the Texas Rangers to investigate public corruption, and require colleges and universities to fund student centers for family and traditional values.

Outside of his work in the legislature, Dennis Bonnen entered the field of banking in the mid-2000s, "becoming president, CEO and chairman of Heritage Bank in 2008".

Dennis Bonnen remained in that role until 2019, when Heritage Bank was acquired by Third Coast Bank, with Dennis Bonnen becoming vice chairman of Third Coast Bank.

In 2023, Dennis Bonnen co-founded the strategic consulting firm Second Floor Strategies.