The Texas Legislature is looking more like the U.S. Congress. Last week the Republican-controlled state House approved new rules that prevent Democrats from serving as committee chairs, a move that reflects the Legislature’s rapid shift toward the Washington-style politics that shut the minority party out of powerful leadership posts.

Although Democrats will be prohibited from chairing the main legislative committees, the chamber voted to expand the powers they can have as vice chairs.

Conservative activists in the GOP caucus called any power sharing with the minority party a betrayal of Republican voters.

The Texas House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to ban Democrats from holding powerful committee chairmanships, answering years of mounting pressure from leadership and grassroots conservatives to chip away at the power of the minority party in the Capitol.