For Dean of Senate, Public and Private Blur
This is one in a series of occasional stories about ethics and transparency in the part-time Texas Legislature.
Exactly 40 years ago this month, a young college dropout named John Whitmire pointed a 1972 Cutlass toward Austin and set out to realize his dream — to serve in elective office, just like his daddy had years before.
Getting sworn in as a state representative would have been a big deal for a 23-year-old social worker even in an ordinary year. But the 1973 session was no ordinary gathering of the Texas Legislature.
The civil rights era had spilled out of the ...
Comments (4)
eyeswideopen
Jay, you are the best political reporter in the business. You state the well researched facts for each of us to contemplate and evaluate.
Mr. Whitmire is the epitome of what is wrong with Texas politics, with Texas voters, and with allowing legislators to write and implement their own ethics laws.
Robert Ruiz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
democracy? freedom? please. just how are we any better than Syria, Egypt, Libya, China and on and on and on.....
R J
Great article. The young idealist who rode in on a wave of reform is now a big part of what is wrong with the Lege now. Why? Because he stayed too long and became too cozy with the big money lobby.
angelina gailey
Congratulations!!! Thank you, Senator Dean Whitmire for putting in 40 years of hard, professional and sincere service to our State. Thank you for being elected one of the Best Politicians last session. Thank you, especially for the great article on the juvenile justice system where you made the magazine covers on the magazine called Governing the State and Localities! You work very hard in the Senate especially on our criminal justice system from the police officer to the jail-mates. I thank you for that. I thank you for staying up long hours, night after night to help create bills that better our lives and I thank you for fighting that fight for all of us especially last session. Thank you for fighting for all the teachers, children, handicapped, internationals, police offices, inmates and for all others. Happy 40th and MANY MORE ?.